It was 64 degrees on Monday afternoon, so I left work *early* and took to the Georgetown Branch Trail at 5:30. However, the trail was still covered in slick and slushy snow and my shoes got soaked. I opted to run the roads on the cooldown getting in 10 miles.
The next morning, on Tuesday, I ran 9.5 miles, 5 of which was with SeanO. The snow is quickly beginning to disappear. Soon it will be no more...
On Wednesday morning, I ran an easy 4 miles in the morning before hitting track in the afternoon. It was my first double in a year and my first track workout since the fall of 2013. I only ran 6 x 800m (400m/2:30 rest): 2:27, 27, 22 (went with fast group by mistake) 26, 25, 23. It wasn't a lot of speed, but I dialed into the faster pace, which I definitely need right now. I got in 12.5 for the day. To me this was a perfect balance of hitting speed while being cautious.
I felt a cold coming on Wednesday afternoon and by Thursday morning I was in rough shape. I decided to take a sick day, sleep in, take a nap in the afternoon and kick the sickness. Later in the day, I ventured out for an easy shuffle taking in the sunshine and fresh air.
On Friday, I ran my Cabin John Loop. The trails were in pretty remarkable shape considering that on Monday they were un-runnable. I got in 9. I was a still a it under the weather, but running makes me no worse for the wear.
When I woke up on Saturday it was raining. I stayed in bed for awhile then sauntered over to my treadmill. Yeah, I did that. I didn't want to run in the rain and contribute to my oncoming cold (?) so I ran an easy 8 on the hamster wheel while watching "Father of the Bride". I never ran faster than 7:20 pace.
I slept in late on Sunday. When I finally got out of bed, I dined on syrupy pancakes and coffee. I still didn't feel 100%, but I wasn't feeling sick either, so left my pad shortly before 10:30am and picked up Dix at the Bethesda Metro Stop. We arrived in Baltimore for the Shamrock 5k about an hour later and met up with Fridge and his college friend Febish at Febish's pad near Little Italy. We distracted ourselves by watching "We're the Millers" while stretching inside his dark townhouse. Eventually we began our shuffle over to the line. The wind was brutal; trash bins were in the street, hats were flying and we were stopped in our tracks by gusts -- at least twice. Luckily, we told ourselves, the wind wouldn't be in our faces, so we thought. After a 3 mile warm-up, and a quick bathroom break, we pushed our way to the starting line. The throngs of people was almost suffocating at times. Once I got there, I did a bunch of high knees, butt kicks and strides and did my best to chillax, though, admittedly, I was a bit nervous. I looked around and saw plenty of fast competition, essentially emerging out of thin air, so I knew it would be a competitive race.
The horn blasted and we surged down Charles Street like 5,000 souls racing away from the bulls in Pamplona. I got a good start and tucked in behind a young man donning a t-shirt, hat and ear buds. We'll all catch him in a minute or so, I thought. I could tell I was humming, but I felt very controlled. The wind was hitting me from all sides, it seemed. My pre-race goal was to go out in 4:45, hit 2-miles in 9:45 and then drive it home...hopefully running a time of 15:15-15:25 and, hopefully, winning. Backwards hat eased up, or I surged, or both, shortly before the mile and I took off up the slight incline. I hit the mile in 4:38, but found no one near me. A bit scared, knowing I lacked any assemblance of a kick, I surged again. Shortly before the turn-around (roughly 1.5 miles), Andrew Madison (a fellow former UMBC Retriever) came up on my shoulder and eventually passed me. Though, our paced seemed to slow once he took the lead, so I made a rookie mistake and passed him back. Just after the turn-around, I found myself in 3rd, right on the heals of Madison and Carlos Renjifo. I can't remember if it was before or after the 2-mile (9:34 -- 4:56 2nd mile), but I took the lead again hoping to grind my way to the finish line. The wind was wicked after the turn-around and everyone, including me, was suffering. Still, I felt oddly strong and confident. Madison and the kid with the backwards hat (later identified as Sean Kelly) eventually pushed past me, but this time I was resigned to sit (and hopefully kick). However, they slowly -- ever so slowly -- pulled away. I thought I had a chance to retake the lead, and grab the W, in the last 100 meters, but they were already in full sprint mode. Our trio crossed the line in 15:17, 15:18 and 15:19. Carlos finished in 4th. Dix was about a 13-seconds back in 5th. After the race, a pack of us went off for a 3 mile cooldown. Then we proceeded to shove our way to the front of the (free) beer line. Unfortunately, it was not to be, so we ran another 2-miles, or so, back to Febish's pad and cracked open some Guinnesseseses. By now, his townhouse had taken on a trench foot-like stench, which, mixed with beer suds and potato chips, smelled like victory. We chugged our stouts and watched "We're the Millers" (again) and talked about man things. Eventually, I realized it was time to go. We must go. We had to go. I pulled Dix into my car and we bombed back towards the Capital Beltway. 11 miles for the day and 68 miles for the week.
More on the race...
Although only a 5k, I think this was my best race in nearly two years. For the first time, in a long time, I felt very fast. Also, it was fun to mix it up out front and get after it. Don't get me wrong, I'm pissed I lost, and I will think about it all night, but it's good to be back in the fight again.
Van Metre 5 Miler this coming Saturday...
On Monday, I once again awoke to a world covered in (black) ice. Not wanting to chance anything, I opted to run on the dreadmill again. I got in 8.
On Tuesday, I cautiously took to the roads in the Tilden neighborhood. I ran very easy as the last few days have been hard on the body ~ workout + long run + treadmill. Nothing much to report other than that. I got in 10.
On Wednesday, I ran a 3 mile warm-up and proceeded to a quarter mile long stretch of the Trolley Trail (between Edson and Golf) that was relatively free of snow and ice. This section of the trail is on a hill; nothing too crazy, but certainly noticeable. I started on a downhill and hit 71. Not a bad start. Uphill, however, was a different story. After a 77, I knew I had to try a lot harder. I took 90-secs rest between each (shuffling in place, because the ends of the trail were still super slick). I got down to 65 on the downs and 71 on the ups. I only ran 10 x 1/4, but it was a good start and I was definitely beat; my calves were screaming after. 8 miles total.
I took Thursday off, per the snow storm (7" or so). I didn't want to run the dreadmill and didn't want to head out in the weather. I was either acting soft...or smart. Or, both.
On Friday, I headed back to the treadmill. I got in 9, which is the longest treadmill run of my life. I've run on the treadmill 3 times during the last 2 weeks. Again, getting soft.
On Saturday, I met Outlaw, Dix, Sean O and Dave O at Pierce Mill. After a 3 mile warm-up we proceeded north along Beach Drive running 1 min on, 90-secs off, 2 min (90 secs) followed by this ladder: 3-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-3-2-1. Essentially, it was nearly 8.5 miles of on/off. The workout started off easy enough, but it really crept up on me. Also, although the temperature at the start of the workout was in the teens, it got a lot warmer while we were out there and I found myself drenched under my windbreaker. The "ons" began to feel like I was running wind sprints wearing wet clothes. Still, I was thankful to see that even my slowest pace was about 5:12 and my fastest was close to 4:40. It was a solid workout to say the least. I got in 13.
On Sunday, I returned to Beach and ran a truncated version of the Zoo Loop, omitting some of the trail sections. Washington is in the process of thawing out, so roads were wet, but ice free. Early in the run some of the trails were quite runnable, but later, as the sun and temperatures rose, the ice came out. After 6 miles, I ditched the long sleeve and found myself running in short sleeves, shorts and baseball cap -- for the first time since October or November, I imagine. My legs were cooked from Saturday's workout. I got in 14.
62 miles for the week.
I finally feel as if things are beginning to come around. December and January were both solid as I built up my base and engaged in the "hard training" - hammering long sections of my long runs. But, February got off to a shaky start with the inclement weather and my irksome hamstring. Now, the worst of winter appears to be in the rearview mirror and my speed is (slowly) returning. I'm also, for the most part, injury free. Cherry Blossom is still 5 weeks away...
The racing season starts in earnest next Sunday with the Shamrock 5k. Hopefully next Sunday I will have a solid result to recap.
I'm losing the war. But, it's not too late to shift my strategy...
On Monday, I awoke to a frozen hell complete with black ice. While I feel comfortable running on, and through, snow, ice is an unpredictable bastard. I left my home donning tights and a jacket, but after slipping twice in my parking lot, I opted to run on the treadmill. I've been good about NOT running on the treadmill and believe the 8-mile run I did on Monday was the first time I've run on the hamster wheel in at least 3 years, but likely 4. Since moving here, nearly 3 years ago, I've never used my gym. I didn't want to run much more than 8 on the dreadmill, but I was pleasantly surprised that on Tuesday I ran without any pain, as I'm typically feeling achy after a treadmill run.
On Tuesday, I ran down to Parkwood Drive, which sits east, or above, Rock Creek. It was freezing and my hands were screaming for warmer gloves. Suffice to say, I was wearing the warmest ensemble of mitten/glove combination I had. After a 2 mile warm up, I started to hammer the hills to get warm, but soon found myself pushing every uphill I could find - short, long, whatever. For the next 6 miles I tempoed up and down hills, tip-toeing around black ice and left-over snow, running nearly every road in the neighborhood. My last two miles were about 11:00, but I didn't know until I checked later, when I was safely under a hot shower. It was old school - hammering hills.
On Wednesday, I ran nearly every neighborhood street between Greenwood Drive and the Beltway. I actually don't mind these runs. I drift off and let the roads run me, never knowing what road to take and when. If you look at my GPS data, I look like a rat in a labyrinth.
On Thursday, it snowed, once again, so I kept the running short and light. I got in 8.
On Friday, I ran 4 miles in the Wildwood neighborhood, then ran the "NIH Loop". I got in 10.
On Saturday, I met a slew of harriers at Pierce Mill. The plan was to run 4 miles hard from the mill towards The Line. I boldly proclaimed that 5:10 - 5:15 pace was doable and that it would be done. Silence. After a 3-mile warm-up, Outlaw, Witty, Dix, Evan, Kieran, and I, started north. There was a lot of cackling going on behind me, but I wasn't interested in conversing. After a 5:30 first mile, I rolled my eyes and proceeded to (try to) get after it. Outlaw did the brunt of the work and the next mile was covered in 5:18. Then another 5:18. Kieran took off and I did my best to stay with him and finished in, yet another, 5:18. I was frustrated that 5:22 pace was all I could muster for a tempo, even uphill in 20 degree weather. During the long, arduous, cool down, Dickson reminded me I needed to do speed work. Of course, I know this already, but I've been bad at it and it was a great reminder. And, he was right. Partly because I'm afraid of the track injuring me (for the umpteenth time) and partly because of the terrible weather we've been having, I just haven't engaged in a lot of (very fast) speed work. Well, it's time to change that; it's time for a sift in strategy. Next week, I'll get after a 1-min on/1-min-off routine OR I'll start hitting the track. Damn the torpedoes. Fuck the torpedoes.
On Sunday, I Met Dix out in Poolesville in the middle of a snowstorm. Thank God for Dix. During, the first 8 miles we ran through the falling snow. We talked about all things running, though we didn't solve any riddles. Although the precipitation came down heavy at times, the conversation was pleasant, but the last 8 miles were covered in a freezing rain. When we stopped, after 16 miles, my zipper was frozen and I could not, easily, unzip my jacket. It was time to go home.
I got in 73.5 miles for the week.
Last weekend got away from me, and I forgot to post, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been a lot of drama in the world of the Red Fox as you will read below...
On Monday, 2/9, I got in an easy 7 before a host of contractors invaded Fox Hall to start work on my bathroom. I had to quickly jump in the shower and then get out of their way.
On Tuesday, I left the house at 7 and drove to The Line and got in 9 miles, entirely over trails. Great to run Rock Creek in the middle of a work week, which I will have to do while the bathroom is getting nuked.
On Wednesday, I parked along Jones Bridge Road near the trestle on the Georgetown Branch Trail. I wanted to get some speed in, but, truthfully, I didn't have a real plan. It was cold, so I ran a lengthy warm-up then started running 6:00 pace up the trail towards Bethesda. I turned around near the pool and ran the 2-mile section from there to Connecticut in 10:23. My right hamstring had been bothering me all morning, but I didn't think much of it. I crossed Connecticut and then started a 1/2 mile, but I was pretty spent and could only muster about 2:25. My hamstring nearly pulled and I had to try and stretch it on the cold, snowy ground...then I limped back to my car. I got in 10.
On Thursday, I explored the trails below the National Park Seminary, which I touch, to a degree, whenever I run the Walter Reed Annex Loop. I was amazed at all the strange architecture, which according to the reliable website Wikipedia is described as "eclectic and whimsical. In addition to various Victorian styles, exotic designs included a Dutch windmill, a Swiss chalet, a Japanese pagoda, an Italian villa, and an English castle." My hammy hurt from the get-go, and although it warmed up (a little), it never felt great, so I bagged it after 4 miles. I probably should have quit sooner, but I was distracted by my surroundings.
I decided to take the next few days off in order to let the hammy rest. It turns out I picked a good time to do it, since weather in Washington was terrible (-25 degs with windchill on Saturday).
I only got in 40 miles for the week.
On President's Day, I met The Outlaw at Old Anglers for an easy 7 mile "test" run. My hammy held up okay, but it was definitely hurting the last mile. It was in the single digits.
On Tuesday, it snowed about 4" and I wanted to go out and have fun in it. I got in an easy (and cautious) 7 miles. Hammy felt better than it did on Monday so I up-ticked the light stretching.
On Wednesday, I ran 7 -- again easy -- and continued the light stretching.
On Thursday, I ran 10 in the Wildwood Neighborhood/around NIH averaging 6:30s. Per the hammy, I pushed the downhills and relaxed on the uphills.
On Friday, it was 1 degree (-11 with wind) and I got in an easy 8 in the roads around Tilden.
On Saturday, much to my good fortune, the GRC Saturday practice was moved from the track to The Line, which is precisely where I was getting ready to run. The team was going to run a tempo and I decided I'd try to hang if my hammy cooperated. After a 5 mile warm-up, we flipped, hit our watches, and tempo-ed north back to The Line. A snow storm blew in and pelted us increasingly as we ran. After 3 miles at 5:25 pace, I picked it up on the uphill just south of The Line and then increased that tempo on the downhill (5:20). Nothing to write home about, but the hammy held up and I was happy to hang with the crew. 11 miles total.
On Sunday, after the storm subsided, I met Sean and Scott at The Line for a "long" run. The going was dicey (and icy) for the first couple miles, but soon rising temps and the sun gave way to pavement. I only got in 12, but my body was feeling a little beat up from the effort. I was happy to call it a day.
62 for the week.
Once the hammy is feeling a lot better, I will try, again, to start the fast training.
On Monday, I ran an easy 8+ from Katie's place. It was tough going, as a result of the Super Bowl, and the beers, the night before.
On Tuesday, I ran down to Cabin John (2+ miles) and did a 5 mile loop through the trails and the ran home. It was very cold, which made it miserable.
On Wednesday, I ran the Rock Creek Trail loop and threw in 8 x 60 second (60 secs off) pick-ups about 5 miles in. I was essentially running the "ons" as fast as I could possibly could (4:30-4:45 pace) and the effort left me tired, but it was also rewarding. I even had a few endorphins going.
On Thursday, I ran the Walter Reed Annex Loop. I pushed the last 4 or 5 miles out of necessity since I was running into a cold headwind. 11 for the day.
On Friday. I ran 9 from Katie's -- the Cabin John-Cell Phone Field Loop backwards. Oh, I saw a red fox too.
On Saturday, I slept in and waited until 11:00am before stepping out the door to run. Even though it was only about 2 hours after I would normally run on a weekend, I find it difficult to get into a rhythm when I run at an "odd" hour. I notice that my breathing appears labored and I generally am out of whack. In any case, it's all worth it to get an extra hour, or so, of sleep in. I got in an easy 7.
On Sunday, I woke up early, made some coffee and oatmeal, and headed to Pentagon City to race the Run the Love Your With 5k. My goal was to put in a hard effort and see where I was fitness-wise. I know Outlaw had run fast here (sub-15:00) and, since I am in desperate need of speed, I figured this would be a good rust buster. I ran the course with Sean and Kyle as a warm-up. It is an out-and-back that has a sharp hill a 1/4 mile in and some long, rolling hills after that, but it didn't appear to be a "hard" course. My goal was to run as close to 5:00 pace as possible.
The marshal blew the air horn and I immediately found myself in about 10th or 12th place. When me made the sharp left and began our ascent up the sharp hill I slowly worked my way to the front of the pack and by the top of the hill I had taken the lead. I've been hammering hills in practice, so this didn't totally surprise me, but the pace seemed slow -- way too slow for a 5k. I attempted to surge the decline when I crested the hill, but everyone else in the race (Kevin, a pair of PACERS, Charlie and some others), it seemed, had the same idea. Now, I found myself in 5th or 6th place. I played yo-yo with Sean for the next 2 miles (5:08, 5:09), and it felt as if I was running quite quick (I didn't look at my watch until after the race). By mile 2.5, Sean had gapped me pretty good, but I hugged the curb on the downhill and made up about 5 seconds on him and Otto as we crashed back towards Pentagon Row. I took the right-hand turn in stride and did my best to continue my cadence to the finish line, sneaking past my red-headed step-son somewhere between mile 3 and 3.1. I finished in 6th and my time was 16:00, which was much slower that I thought I'd be. That said, I don't really know what I would have done differently; it felt as if I was running flat out the entire time. Still, I never want to see "16" anything in a 5k, but I suppose I have to start somewhere. Although running faster than this seems difficult right now, I think I can maintained this pace (5:09) for a couple more miles...in a couple more weeks.
Sean and I ran an 8 mile cool down, which might be a PR for me, making it 14 for the day.
Time to start getting in some speed.
67 miles for the week.
I was pretty beat up from Sunday's long, hard run, so I decided to postpone my Monday run to the evening. Unfortunately, by the time I laced up my shoes it was dark and rainy. I opted to stick to the trails, which was somewhat silly given their condition, but I dared not run along any icy sidewalks or shoulders. The going was sloppy, and I my pace, at times, was just above 9:00/mile, but it was fun all the same. I was guided by the white light of the fallen snow and didn't see a soul. Although it was peaceful, I stopped at 50:00 (or 6 miles)...that was enough.
On Tuesday morning, I ran along the snowy trails and bike path near my place. On my way back home I bumped into Mark Hoon, who is getting himself back into shape after an injury. I only got in 8.5, but felt terrible both during and after the run. My left shin was hot, my right knee hurt and something was going on with my left ankle/Achilles. I'm thinking this had something to do with running in the cold over uneasy surfaces. I still didn't feel "right" on Wednesday morning, so I decided to forgo the run. For me, right now it's all about staying healthy and not chasing arbitrary mileage.
By Thursday, my niggles were feeling much better, but I felt incredibly weak and lethargic -- almost as if my blood levels were askew; I was breathing very heavy and only running 7:00 pace. I got in 8.5.
On Friday, to my surprise, I felt much better. A quarter mile into my run, I bumped into my illegitimate son, Blur, who was running full stride down Bradley Blvd. He did a 180 and followed me to the Cabin John Trail. We talked about alimony payments and I showed him a thing or two, then we parted ways. I got in 9.
It was in the single digits (with the wind chill) when I woke up on Saturday morning so I stayed in bed for a few extra hours. I finally got out there around 10:30am and took to the trails above Old Angler's Inn running every single spur I came across. After 5 miles of trails, I hit the towpath for another 5 miles. 10 for the day.
On Sunday, I met Sam Luff at The Line. We got word that Dickson (and the Young "Twins") had parked at the Georgetown Store (instead of The Line) by mistake so we decided to simply run down Beach and meet them "halfway", which ended up being about a mile south of Pierce Mill. Together, we circled back north then ran a Ross Drive Loop. After that, Beth ran south while the rest of us did another Ross Drive Loop. Once we hit mile ten, I took off and pushed the tempo for 4 miles back north to The Line - 5:34, 5:24, 5:26 and 5:17. I felt MUCH more comfortable than I did during last Sunday's tempo, but feel as if I am beginning to get a little stale. My plan had been to use December and January to uptick the mileage and get strong, and I'm pleased with how that's been going, but now I need to start getting fast. 15.5 for the day and 57 for the week.
I think I am racing (a road 5k) next Sunday so we'll see where I am at.
Last week got away from me (something to do with the long weekend blending into the short work week) and I forgot to post, but alas I will update the masses in this post.
On Monday (1/12), I awoke to freezing rain. Sick of this nonsense, and perhaps getting a little soft, I decided to forgo my run. I think I made the right decision though; I slipped twice while walking to my car. Plus, I intended to make this a down week, because I was traveling to Florida for the long, holiday weekend and running would surely take the backseat to other stuff.
On Tuesday, I got in 9.5. The trails were still rough going at times.
On Wednesday, I ran the TV Repair Loop backwards and got in 9. The trails were still dicey.
On Thursday, I woke up late and got in a quick 7.
On Friday, I ran the Walter Reed Annex Loop with Sam. Thankfully he didn't bitch about the mud this time. We got in just shy of 11. That afternoon, I flew to Florida.
I planned to run a hard, albeit short, tempo on the bike path in Venice on Saturday. The goal was to run 2 miles in 10:00 (or 9:59). Although I don't want to run too much speed until February (at least), the draw of a warmer climate was too much to resist. After a 5 mile warm-up, I took off down a concrete bike path along the Intracoastal (essentially a canal that boats can traverse through). The weather was good (mid-50s), but I was battling a nasty headwind. Thankfully, my dad was on his bike so I had some guidance. I hit the first mile in 5:09 and knew my plan of sub-10 was doomed, but I did my best to keep up the tempo. We then left the path and made a serious of awkward turns before venturing back to the path. I finished with a 5:07 (for 10:16). I was pretty spent, and later my legs would ache like all heck from the hard concrete, but I suppose it was a good effort. I cooled down 4 miles making it an 11 mile morning. After the run, I waded into the Gulf of Mexico and cooled off my legs.
On Sunday, I ran "long" at Myakka State Park. I've run here before - nearly 6 years ago - and recalled the basic "set-up" of the park and its trails, but needless to stay it was still complex to comprehend. I tried to explore the swamp trails as best I could, but my time was short so I only got in 10.5. I did, however, see 15 alligators and some giant sandhill cranes.
58 for the (down) week.
On MLK Day, I ran an easy 9.5 on my last day in Florida, the last 1/2 mile or so on the beach.
On Tuesday, I ran 7 around the NIH at night. I find it very hard to run during times I'm not normally accustomed to. I was huffing and puffing and really never felt comfortable during the entire jaunt.
On Wednesday morning, I ran an easy 8.5 around Rock Creek Park. Near the end of the run, I saw a beautiful red fox booking it along the creek. Its nose was to the ground and it appeared to be hunting.
On Thursday, Sam joined me for the Walter Reed 11 miler. Nothing of interest happened.
On Friday, I ran from my place down to Cabin John, did a 4+ mile loop or so, then ran back. 9 for the day.
On Saturday, I slept to 8:45...and it was glorious. It took me another 2 hours to lace up the shoes at Old Angler's Inn. I got in a very easy 8 on the trails and towpath.
On Sunday, I met Dix, Charlie and Sean at the end of Sycamore Landing Road. This is becoming something of a habit. Greeting my arrival was a still smoldering fire pit...in the middle of the parking lot. Some ass clowns had thrown in a bunch of trash - beer bottles, beer cans and some flammable tins - and then had walked off. Who in their right mind would pitch tents in a muddy parking lot in the middle of nowhere and build a fire, was the question on my mind. The plan was to run from Sycamore to Edward's Ferry, run the Duel Ferries loop, then continue back to our cars. Knowing the other guys had worked out on Saturday, I planned to push the River Road section solo (from 5:30 down to 5:10). After 8 miles, I put in a 5:42 then quickly got down to 5:30 pace, but I never got too much faster than that, unfortunately - 5:32, 5:27, 5:28, 5:32, 5:25. Several times, I tried to dip down to 5:15, but it just wasn't happening. The "hills" during the last 2 miles of River really got to me and I was breathing very hard. In fact, I began to get a side stitch and almost threw up at one point while attempting to push through it. Essentially, I was red-lining, but boy, the pace sure didn't "match" the effort. Needless to say, it was a good tempo. By the end of the run, my legs were coated in a blue-colored mud (a result of the crushed stone on River) and I was in dire need of fuel. I got in 17.5, which was my longest run in over a year.
70.5 for the week.
I'm happy with where my endurance is, but I really need to get faster. Tempos on Hains Point in February seem to be a good solution, I think.
It was another solid week of running, which included a very good tempo effort on Saturday.
On Monday, Sam Luff and I ran an easy 9 miles, never dipping below 7:00/mile. Sam didn't want to run on the trails, because they were "muddy". I rolled my eyes. We instead stuck to the bike path running an out-and-back. "Muddy," Seriously?
On Tuesday, I woke to snow. We were forecasted to only get 1-2", but it was coming down pretty hard and I was certain we'd get at least 2 (in fact, we got double that). It was that very fine, almost dry, snow that really makes it hard to see. Flakes seemed to always fall in my eyes. I pulled my winter hat as far over my eyes as I could, but I still had trouble seeing. The roads were also pretty slick; at one point I took a spill, but bounced right back up without much fanfare. As much trouble as it can be to run in this weather, I do enjoy it in small doses. I got in about 9.
On Wednesday, I ran one of my variations of the Tilden Loop and got in 8.5.
On Thursday, it was in the single digits, but the wind chill made it feel about 10 degrees colder. Needless to say, the going was tough. In fact, my hands nearly froze at the end of my run and I almost threw up in the shower when I got home (the warm water on cold hands feeling). The trails and sidewalks are still a mess, so running is dicey. I got in 9.
I felt surprisingly good on Friday, but kept the pace pedestrian as I had a workout designed for Saturday. I ran around NIH and finished by running up Beach Drive. 8.5 for the day.
On Saturday, I met Dix, Charlie, Sean, Sebi and Lavar at Pierce Mill for some tempo. The plan was to run north along (mostly) car-less Beach Drive to The Line, and then return. Again, it was very cold and I had trouble warming up (2 miles). We started out at 5:52 and gradually cut the pace down: 5:46, 5:41 and 5:34. Charlie informed me that we were flipping around at 4 miles (for some reason, I had it in my head we were tempo-ing 10...even though I was the one who suggested 8) and we proceeded back up the big hill south of The Line. After a 5:27, I decided to open up the valves and see what I could do for the last 3 miles of the run. Dickson stayed on my heals for a mile (5:18) or so, but then I pulled away. My stomach was bothering me, and perhaps I just wasn't concentrating, as my next mile was a tad slower (5:20 - the only mile of the tempo that wasn't cutdown). With a little over a mile to go, I really began to turn it on, but I felt smooth and comfortable, despite my wet windbreaker and soggy clothes. I finished with a 5:08, which was surprising to me (side note - I covered the 8 mile tempo at 5:31 pace). I'm definitely getting in much better.
On Sunday, I ran 13.5 at a moderate clip with Dix, Sam, Charlie and Sean up at Sycamore Landing. My stomach had been a bit upset since Saturday, so the going was a bit rough. I wanted to actually get in more mileage today, but I really wasn't feeling it.
70 miles for the week.
I got back into town late on Sunday, so I opted to sleep in a little on Monday. I headed out the door around 7:30 and got in an easy 8 before leaving for work.
On Tuesday, I ran the TV Repair Loop backwards, but tackled some hills in the neighborhoods to the east of Rock Creek. Near the end I found myself cruising along around 6:00 pace. This pace is definitely getting easier and easier to "get to" and maintain on runs. I ran my last 4 miles of the 9.5 miler in about 24:00.
On Wednesday, I wanted a change of scenery so I drove over to Randolph Road and ran the Matthew Henson Trail, which I had never explored before. I was very cold at the start, but started out pretty easy; slowly meandering along the asphalt bike path through some gritty neighborhoods. After about a mile and a half, after Connecticut and Georgia were behind me, the trail (always a bike path) began to weave through various green spaces. I was surprised to see deer bedded down in some of these pockets. The further and further I ran the more I was impressed with the trail and its surroundings (see photo). There are lots of sections comprised of long wooden boardwalk-like bridges. The trail ends 4.5 miles from where it begins, so I spun around and bounded back towards my car. Once I got there, I ran another two miles. 11 for the day.
I planned to run a low key MCRRC 5k race on New Year's Day, but I had a flat tire...and no spare. Long story short, I had no way of getting to the race so I instead, ran the Walter Reed 11 mile loop from my home. Motivated partly by anger, but mostly by the cold (it was about 20 degrees when I started), I got after it early. Mile 2 was just above 6:00, so I decided to continue that tempo until I got to the 2-mile section of trail approximately 4.5 miles into my run. From there, I'd keep up that effort, but not the pace (it's hard to run very fast in the trails) and then really hammer the last 5 miles back to my place. Unfortunately, my stomach was giving me trouble. After I emerged from the woods, and after I had found salvation from my stomach issue, I attempted to run marathon pace (whatever that is) for the remainder of my run; 5:42, 5:34, 5:32, 5:41 and 5:38. The last two miles were net uphill and I was laboring pretty good, but I ran the 11 mile loop nearly 90-seconds faster than I ever had before - 1:05:35 (which included a 13:00/2-mile section in the woods). It was a great run, though I don't know if it made up for missing the 5k as I desperately lack speed right now. Still, it was a great motivator, for sure.
On Friday, still without a car, I ran down to Cabin John and got in an easy loop through the woods there before running back home. I need to do this more often - the trails are only 2 miles from my place. 9 miles for the day.
On Saturday, I met Outlaw and Texas Paul at Manassas Battlefield. It was cold, windy, rainy and the trails were beat to hell by horse hoofs, but it's always great to run here. We kept the pace pedestrian (the trail conditions wouldn't warrant anything much faster), but the undulating rhythm of the path worked us all the same. After 7 miles, the cold rain started to come down in sheets. My hands, soaked through my gloves, were frozen, as was a certain other extremity. I called it quits after 10.
On Sunday, I met the Chicken Tender Runner, who more appropriately should be called the Chicken Tender Lifter, and Conrad at Riley's Lock. We started by running north up the towpath. The limestone path was in pretty rough shape; pockmarked with cold, soupy puddles, as a result of the recent rains, I suppose. We were constantly swerving around said puddles, but, after 3 easy miles, I could see that Conrad was itching to get moving. I haven't run with him much, but, rumor has it, he's notorious for pushing runs. Although it was out of my comfort zone to start hammering so early, I felt it was important to get out of my comfort zone. By the time we hit Sycamore Land we were already humming along at 6:00 pace and by the time we reached River Road, we were sub-5:50. I was pretty tired, but I just tried to hang on to Conrad as best I could. If I ever pulled even, the pace would pick up and given the fact I still had 10 miles to run (was aiming for 15) I didn't want to press too hard, too soon. Nevertheless, press we did. As we approached the Buddhist Temple, we opted to stay on River Road for the remainder of the run, instead of hopscotching down the waterlogged towpath. We ran the next 3 miles in 5:45, 5:54 and 5:41 before we reached Riley's Lock Road, which is when I bid Conrad adieu (he was only running 10-12 miles today). Before we parted, we were cruising along at 5:05 pace (downhill) and I was feeling both smooth and comfortable, but now I had to make it up by climbing the large hill alongside the golf course (5:42) and then up and down Violette's Lock Road (5:24). Once I reached the towpath, I shut it down. I ran 2 miles south, then 2 miles back to my car. It was another great long, hard run - this time pushing the middle (7) miles.
74 miles for the week, which is the most I've run in a 7-day period in quite some time. Mileage aside, the long, hard running is getting easier and easier. I'm definitely in the best shape since the spring of 2013.
It seems almost silly for me to pen a "year in review," because, for the most part, my running successes in 2014 were just short of dismal. However, I believe it's important to take the time, reflect, and record something so that I can look back and recollect when I am an old gray fox.
So, with that, I'll get right to it - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead...
THE GOOD
In the waning days of 2013, I wasn't even running at all. "Runner's Knee," which had been bothering me since September of that year, had finally won the day and I decided it was best to shut it down for a few weeks. On January 1, of this year, I began my long comeback, but my comeback was thwarted with additional set-backs and by February I was once again on the injured list. Finally, by March, I was crawling my way back to shape. Time was of the essence; Cherry Blossom was only about a month away. It wasn't until early March that I was actually running 7 days a week. I knew, then, that I was ready for workouts and soon engaged in a condensed month-long training program all in an effort to get to the line at Cherry Blossom in some respectable shape. Thankfully, my knee wasn't harassing me anymore and I was able to get in a couple of races - 21:00 for 4 miles then 26:15 for (a long?) 5 miles - before I toed the line below the Washington Monument in early April. All things considered, my result was much better than I expected -- 52:32, which was essentially the same pace (5:15) I had raced for the aforementioned lead-up races, only this time the race distance was double. Going into the race, I was looking to run around 53:00 (52:30 was a real best case scenario), so to beat that time by a half minute was a "victory" and why I listed it under "The Good".
THE BAD
After my "success" at Cherry Blossom, and the fact I hadn't trained that hard for the race, I figured I would knock the Broad Street Run, another 10 mile race one month later, out of the park. Sandwiched between these two races, I intended to race the Pike's Peek 10k, but my grandmother passed away, so I wasn't around during that weekend. Regardless, I went into Broad Street a lot faster and with a lot more confident than I went into Cherry Blossom. My goal was to run 5:10 pace, or 51:40, and then shut it down for the season. I was right on pace for 5 miles (25:50), but the wheels came off --- bigtime -- shortly after that. I limped home a few ticks above 53:00, my worst 10 mile race since 2006, but I was still glad I "went for it" and honestly wouldn't have done things much differently. It was just one of those days, which I would later file under "Bad Day".
THE UGLY
I stopped blogging in June, because, as I noted in an earlier blog post, I really had nothing worthwhile to write about. I was going through the motions, but not really getting in a lot of hard work. I also wasn't racing or working out. In fact, I had no "plan". I mean, I could continue to post fox pictures, but I really needed something more substantial to write about. By the time summer turned to autumn, my favorite time of the year, I began to get motivated again. With motivation came a surge of mileage and I returned to working out (on the grass), but this push was, unfortunately, short-lived. During Labor Day weekend, while hiking in Montana, I tweaked my Achilles pretty good and the injury, and the subsequent failed attempts to bounce back from that injury, left me sitting on the sidelines for almost two months. So much for running in autumn.
LESSONS LEARNED
1. I'm getting older and it appears as if my body needs more time to recover. It's worth taking the extra time off, even if you think you're healed up, in order to successfully bounce back from an injury.
2. Use running as a vehicle and continue to explore new places.
3. Hills. Run them. As much as possible. Since I'm continuing to shy away from the track, it's important to run hills -- road and trail -- as often as I can. And, run them bloody hard.
4. Run fast. Again, since I'm not getting weekly workouts around the oval, I need to continue to run fast during normal, morning, runs.
5. Challenge myself by upping my long run distance. Assuming I'm fit and healthy enough to do so, I want to run more 20 milers on the weekend in an effort to get use to the abuse. In fact, I'd like to even run distances further than 20 on the weekends. My mindset now suggests these are epic distances, but it can be done.
6. Have fun and don't let running consume you. I've done a good job with this as of late. On numerous occasions, I found myself sleeping in on a Saturday and indulging in a warm mug of coffee alongside bacon, eggs and pancakes. A day off won't kill you and might even re-energize you.
7. Say "hi" and "good morning" to people on your run. I am trying to do this more and more, simply because I think it is a good thing to do.
LOOKING AHEAD
Although I consider my best running days behind me, I'm an eternal optimist and I still believe I can set personal bests in a few race distances if I can stay injury free, string together a few months of successful training and, naturally, set my mind to succeeding a previously determined goal. As 2014 draws to a close, I'm without a doubt on the up and up and I'll use that momentum to surge right into 2015. I've been running strong, and injury free, for the past 10 weeks. During that time, I've averaged nearly 60 miles a week. Most importantly, I seem to have that fire again -- the fire to succeed and do the best I can. This sounds a bit cheesy, I admit, but, for me, having this mindset is more important than getting in the miles, though they sorta go hand in hand.
To 2015 (raising my glass of Gatorade)!
On Monday, I got in a moderate 9 miles down and around the Rock Creek Trail. It was cold (not to mention the fact it was about 7:25am), so I was surprised to see a group of Hispanics drinking cerveza on a rotting log alongside the creek. They asked me whether I wanted a swig. I was feeling festive, being that it's Christmastime, but, in the end, I decided it wasn't for the best. For a Monday, the day after a long run, I was feeling surprisingly spry. I checked the watch and noticed I was running along at 6:10 pace near the end, but it didn't "feel" that fast. Good news for sure.
On Tuesday, I got in another 9 miles by running the old TV Repair loop backwards. I hit some neighborhood hills, too, for good measure. Without much effort, I was running 5:55s - 6:10s for the last 4 miles of the run. Again, feeling very strong.
On Wednesday, I ran a hurried 8.5 miles in the rain before taking off for Cape Cod via the BWI and Boston airports. I'm getting sick of running in these conditions, but thankfully it isn't TOO cold.
On Christmas Day, I ran an easy 9 miles around Barnstable Village. I hit up the Cape Cod Pathways Trail, Old Jail Lane and the beach. The rainy weather followed me north, but, again, thankfully, it wasn't cold outside.
On Friday, I ran down to, and out to the tip of, the Bass Hole Boardwalk (see photo above). Thirty minutes of the 75 minute run were run through trails, which, in wintertime, are far more navigable than they are in summer. I got in 10.5 total. I was pretty tired by the end of the run. Later in the day I walked about 4 miles with the dog.
On Saturday, I met my former high school teammate, Mike Merrill, and current Cape Cod superstar, Tom Deeg, at my old high school for a long run. Both are training for Boston. In fact, every runner in Massachusetts trains for Boston in the winter. The weather was damn-near perfect for a long run - mid 40s, but sunny. We covered what seemed like an enormous amount of ground before I got my bearings back and knew where I was. We pushed the last 4 miles or so. I didn't have my GPS, but Mike said we were sub-6 for a couple of the 15 miles. Later that day, my IT band was screaming. I suppose this is a good sign (?) as it means I'm finally putting in the hard training again.
I actually opted to play it safe and took Sunday off as a precaution. Instead, I walked the dog in a spooky patchwork of old sandy roads and woods called the Hyannis Ponds. It was my first day off in about a month, I think. Still, it was a solid week of running all around; 61 miles in 6 days.
On Monday, I ran a very easy 6.5 miles never dipping below 7:00/mile.
On Tuesday, I was short for time so I pushed the run, just a little, and got in 9 miles in and around the Rock Creek Trail.
On Wednesday, I ran down to Tilden and worked myself up and down the hills in the neighborhood. I wanted to push the last two miles and ran the first, a gradual uphill, in 5:41, and the second, a gradual downhill, then a gradual uphill, in 5:17, which is the fastest I've closed in a training run in awhile. I was pretty beat. I got in 9.5.
On Thursday, I ran an easy 7 down to, and around, Rock Creek.
On Friday, I ran around the NIH. Last time I ran around the NIH I was joined by a young man who darted across the traffic light while I waited for my signal. This annoyed me, so as soon as the signal changed, I ran him down and stuck to his heals. I covered every move he made, but strangely we never said anything to each other...or looked at each other. In any case, the man was nowhere to be seen today. On my way back to North Bethesda, I took to the hills of Parkwood. Hills are definitely getting easier. I got in 8.
On Saturday, I met Sam Luff and Jerry Greenlaw at Old Angler's Inn. Outlaw recently debuted in 2:31, a remarkable marathon regardless, but even more impressive since it was his first. Luff hadn't run for days, because he had recently ended his season after racing clubs in Lehigh. Needless to say, both were taking it easy. I was itching to run quick, especially on the flat, fast towpath, but alas, we stuck to the trails, which was fine all the same. I got in about 9.5.
On Sunday, I met Dix and Charlie up at Sycamore Landing Road. I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I love it up here. We opted to run the roads. I really wanted to get in some hills and I told the party I was going to try to pick it up near the end. We started easy, but quickly got down to 6:25 pace. Charlie stopped to use the bathroom at some point, but all and all it was easy going. By the time we got to River Road, we started to pick up the pace, but nothing crazy. Charlie used the bathroom again. Around 9 miles I declared my intentions - 3-4 miles hard starting at mile 10. Dix let Charlie and I do our thing. The particular stretch before "the hills" on River Road was longer than I remember so the entire first mile of our tempo was rather flat - 5:34. Shortly after GPS beeped, we began to attack "the hills". Charlie let out a groan, which wasn't peculiar, because had you not run this section before, and not known what was coming, it can literally take your breath away. Our pace plummeted, but our effort probably doubled. This stretch of hills lasts about 2/3rds of a mile and when I got to the top, I ran a 1/4 of a mile down until my watched beeped (6:10 - without a doubt the fastest I've ever run these hills before) and then turned around. Charlie used the bathroom. Although there are at least 3 or 4 solid uphill bumps on the way back down the hill, it was most certainly in my favor. I hit mile 3 in 5:10 and then attempted to stride out my last mile on the flatter section of River, but I was pretty spent and could only muster a 5:44. I cooled down with Dix and Charlie back to the cars. We got in 15.5.
I got in 65 miles for the week, same as last week, which is definitely my sweet spot right now. That's an average of 58 miles a week for the last 8 weeks. Nothing to write home about, but solid training based on where I was earlier this fall. I'm most certainly getting stronger and the confidence is starting to return.
I forgot to post last week, but the one or two people who read this blog didn't miss much. In short, last week I got in 52 miles. Last Saturday, I did one final cross country workout with the GRC before the Club Cross Country Champs in Lehigh. Had I not injured my Achilles in September, and subsequently lost 6 weeks to on/off again training, I surley would have gone with them. As has been the case this fall, the workout at Cell Phone Field left me breathless, but it was clear I was making strides in the right direction.
This week, on Monday, I ran an easy 8 with Sam Luff. I tempted him to run more, but he reminded me he was tapering for Lehigh. Fine, I shrugged.
On Tuesday, I awoke to pouring rain, wind and temperatures that hovered around 40 degrees. Arguably the worst weather to run in. I almost went back to bed, but instead I took off hard in an effort to warm up and finish the run as fast as I could. After a mile warm-up, I essentially tempoed 5 miles - running 6 min pace through hilly neighborhoods. I ran my last mile in 5:41. Nothing to write home about, but the hills got my cardio going, so I suppose it was a good run.
On Wednesday,I ran a very slow 8 in Cabin John. Didn't see any critters.
On Thursday, I ran the Walter Reid Annex Trails and got in 11. I saw the old man.
On Friday, I got started late and only snuck in about 7.5 miles. I saw plenty of deer as well as two red foxes near the Garrett Park Train Station. That was cool.
On Saturday, I ran 14 with old Karl Dusen at Difficult Run. We took our time exploring - we found what we imagined must be an old moonshine still. Later, we bushwhacked through the woods and hit up some hilly roads that meandered past affluent homes north of Great Falls. Overall, our time was slow, but we spent a good deal amount of time on our feet, which is what I need right now.
On Sunday, I ran 11 at Seneca Creek State Park. I need to explore more here...
Overall, it was a good week. No workout, but I did get in 66 miles.
My legs were pretty trashed after the weekend, so I only ran an easy 5 miles
on Monday morning. I purposely never dipped below 7:00 pace...and boy did I need
it. I was pretty drained.
On Tuesday, I ran one of my many variations of the Rock Creek Trail loop,
which typically is between 8 and 9 miles. 8.5 for the day.
On Wednesday, I woke up at 3:30 and drove to BWI. I arrived on Cape Cod
around 10am, but the weather was downright awful - high 30s/low 40s with rain
and wind. I opted to take a nap instead of run. Later, when the sun went down, I sipped a Manhattan, smiling like a Cheshire cat that I had taken the day off.
On Thursday, my mom and I drove down to the local Turkey Trot in Sandwich.
The "We Gather Together 5k" draws nearly 2,000 runners every year and the entry
fee is bag of canned goods and a nominal race fee, which goes towards canned
goods. Good stuff. I haven't raced since May, so I knew I'd be rusty. Luckily, I had gotten
a couple of cross country workouts in, but I knew it would be enough to get under 16:00. It was snowing when I arrived so I layered up and, per usual, I
ran the entire course as a warm-up, changed quickly and headed over to the starting line. I
went out slow (5:30 pace at half mile), but gradually picked it up. Some kid
from Ithaca (at least he had an Ithaca shirt on), was right on my hip and
stayed with me until the mile (5:21 -- yikes). The last thing I wanted to do was actually race someone and I knew that anyone 10 years my junior would surely dust me if it came down to a kick later on. Just after the mile, there is a
short, but very steep hill, which I attacked with gusto and immediately dropped
my opponent. I surged down the long downhill and felt, surprisingly, incredibly
strong. It was just me, the cop car and the occasional villager who watched the
race with hot coffee in hand. My naked legs were chilled to the bone as a
result of the falling snow and as a result of splashing through puddles. My
naked arms were also cold, so I pumped them vigorously and had a nice stride
going. It felt great. Unfortunately, I wasn’t running very fast. My second mile was 5:26, but
at this point I was all alone. I had more in me, but I had a hard time “digging
down” and finding that extra gear, though I felt as if I could possibly hold the pace for 8k. My last mile was actually my fastest (5:18),
likely because I took a glimpse over my shoulder and got a bit nervous my opponent
might catch me. I held on for the win (for the 4th race in a row) with
a time of 16:20 or so – easily my
slowest time ever on this course (I ran 15:26 just two years ago). I suppose I
have to start somewhere…and 16:20 is apparently “there”. I ran another 3 mile
in the snow and then I disappeared.
On Friday, my mother dropped me off at the Yarmouth Post Office trails near
my house. There I met my old pal Pat. Again, it was cold, windy, raw and wet,
but we stuck to the trails and stayed out of the wind. The twists and turns of
the trails also got the heart rate going. I got in 10 with Pat and then ran the
3 miles back home along the wicked Atlantic, which blew like a tempest. I was
pretty spent and my hot shower was certainly a welcomed relief.
On Saturday, I ran a moderately
hard 10 miles from my folks’ house in Cummaquid hitting up some of the Cape
Cod Pathway Trails. Great stuff. I saw a coyote and ran the last mile in 5:30…just
for shits and giggles.
On Sunday, I was up once again before 4:00am to catch a plane out
of Boston. By 8:30, I was running with 2 former college teammates in Patapsco
Valley State Park just south of Baltimore. The pace felt fast throughout and there were plenty of
hills. A grind, but this is what I need right now. In fact, although it was a
low mileage week, I got a lot of quality in -- 55 miles for the week.
I took Monday off. No, I didn't NEED to take the day off, but I realized I was jumping back into this whole "training thing" a bit too quickly. Rest, at this juncture, is a good thing.
On Tuesday, I got in 9 miles. It was the first time this season I've worn tights on a run. It was so cold (mid teens with the windchill) that I didn't see any wildlife. Too cold.
On Wednesday, I ran down to Tilden and got in 8. Hills as usual. Nothing too exciting.
On Thursday, I got in 9. I ran around the NIH and then took on the up and downs of Parkwood Drive.
On Friday, I ran the normal loop from Katie's pad. I got in nearly 3 miles in Cabin John Trail and even ran around Radio Tower Field. 8 total.
On Saturday, I was back at Radio Tower Field (or Cell Phone Field?) for a workout. I ran 4 x 2k loop, but each repeat was approximately 10-seconds faster than the repeat I ran last week. A step in the right direction. Still, each repeat had me totally whipped...or wiped...or both. Either way, I was hurting pretty good. 10.5 total.
On Sunday, I met Outlaw at The Line. He stayed with me for 30 minutes before turning around (he ran long yesterday) while I proceeded to run the famed Zoo Loop. I ran the last 4 miles hard (the last 2 at 5:44 pace), before shutting it down for a half mile or so. Then, I ran 4 x stride to switch up the gears a bit.
58 miles for the week.
Turkey Trot on Thursday.
No pain.
I told myself that I wouldn't
post until I was seriously training again. I'm not sure I've *officially* met
that milestone or not, but last week I got in 70 miles - the most I've run in a
7 day period in a year.
Since my last post, in June,
I've been running, but not training very seriously for anything in particular.
A typically week had me running anywhere from 40 to 65 miles. Though I was
getting in a long run each week (and pushing that log run per Red Fox
Doctrine), I wasn't running any (track) workouts.
Come August, I decided I'd
begin training for the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, which
were being held in Lehigh, PA, just a short jaunt from metropolitan Washington,
DC. I've always enjoyed cross country and I figured a good goal for myself was to attempt to make GRC's
"A" team. I began meeting the team for low-key cross country workouts
at Cell Tower Field. Things were looking up, but just as I was beginning to
round into acceptable shape, I traveled to the wilds of Montana for a grueling
5-day hike through the Bob Marshall Wilderness. With the highest density of
grizzly bears in the lower 48, I was both excited and nervous for the trip. The
trip started out just fine, but on day 3, somewhere in the middle of a nearly
19-mile hike, my Achilles started to go. Unfortunately, there was no way to
"fix" it so far from civilization. By day's end, it was fairly
cooked, but I still had nearly 30 miles to hike over the course of the next two
days. I gritted my teeth and limped my way back to the car, icing my heal in
cold mountain streams when they crossed the trail. The views and vistas were
unlike anything I've ever seen...oh, and I saw a grizzly.
By the time I returned to
Maryland, the lower part of my left leg resembled a sausage of sorts, or an undefined
calf. I took time off to let it heal, but I was too ambitious and came back too
early -- on more than one occasion. Fast forward 7 weeks. I was now running
every other day, gradually increasing my distance each run by 5-10 minutes.
Fast forward another 4 weeks and I am now running pain-free 7 days a week.
I ran 44 miles during the
first 5 days of this week and on Saturday joined the team at Cell Tower Field
for my first workout. No longer was the team sweaty and shirtless, as they had
been when I last worked out here in August. Now, everyone was donning tights,
gloves and hats. I ran 3 x (2k) loop averaging about 5:19 pace or so, before my
wheels came off. Still it was great to get the heart pumping and the legs
moving. On Sunday, I drove out to Poolesville and ran a lonely 15 miles
starting at Edward's Ferry. It was cold and gray and the wind whipped me at
every turn. I saw more deer than people. By the end of the run, I was beat.
But, I was on my way back...
DEVELOPING...
After 3 weeks of sub-par running, it was time to get to training again...
On Monday (Memorial Day), I drove out to Riley's Lock. It was sunny and I started close to 10, so I was thankful for the canopy above the towpath. There were a lot of people taking advantage of the holiday so the towpath was much busier than usual. I was running 6:25s, but by the time I hit River Road, which offers no shade, it was quite warm so I dashed the 2 mile stretch back to the trails in 12:00. On my way back to the towpath, through the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management area, I spied an object in one of the dirt fields. Having seen a snapping turtle laying eggs here in the past, I assumed it was another one. It was strange to see an aquatic creature baking like that in the middle of a dirty field, but I certainly wasn't going to move her. I finished the run up fairly quickly then headed home.
On Tuesday, I ran an easy 8+ with Luff and on Wednesday I ran an easy 8 by myself.
On Thursday, I ran 7+ from Katie's pad - Cabin John/Radio Tower Field loop.
I only ran 4 on Friday due to an early morning dentist appointment. I just wanted to get something in.
On Saturday, I met a bunch of dudes from the GRC at Edward's Ferry. Luke and Kieran were running 20, but the rest of us were running between 10 and 14, which is what I got in. I got pushed my last 4 miles - 5:30 pace - before calling it a day.
On Sunday, I met Wiggy, Luff and Murphy at The Line. I was hurting (from the night before!) and was still likely intoxicated 5 miles into my run. Soon all was well. Fun to run the old trails. 9.5 for the day.
I got in 64 miles for the week.
My "season", if that's what you want to call it, is over, but I've been running, albeit easy, for the last 3 weeks - running when I can, playing when I should. No workouts, just running - sometimes hard and getting in the occasional long run (13-14).
Returning, I think, to a normal training schedule soon and already thinking about the fall season.
DEVELOPING...
The last two weeks have been a roller coaster. The Tuesday before Pikes Peek, I found out my grandmother - my last grandparent - passed away. My other grandmother passed away in October. Things are changing; with their combined passing, it seems as if it is an end of an era. I lost 4 days of training that week, two of which was self inflicted and two were the result of intense travel/family stuff. I contemplated racing a fast 10k in Massachusetts in lieu of PP10k, but logistics prevented that from happening. I returned to Maryland last Monday, after spending a day working in NYC on Monday, then set about righting my training before racing the Broad Street Run on Sunday. Frustratingly, my hamstring was super tight as a result of lugging around some film gear, so I had to take another day off and nixed plans for a workout. By the end of the work week, I was running without pain and was heading to Philly with a huge taper..maybe too huge, since I didn't have that many miles under my belt this season. That said, I was very confident, excited to put it all on the line and run my last race of the season.
My plan was to run 5:10s and hit 51:40 for the ten-mile race. GRC's Evan Jurkovich, who is training for Grandma's, was racing and we talked beforehand about this plan. We started out conservative and, over the first 3 miles, slowly passed the lead women as well as about 20-25 other guys who went out to fast. We ate up at least 2 packs in the process. Evan and I hit 4 miles in 20:40, but then he immediately took off. I didn't go with him, per se, but I broke ahead of the pack I was leading in an effort to continue to my pre-goal pace of 5:10/mile. I hit mile 5 in 25:50 - right on schedule - but shortly thereafter I started to get into trouble. The pack that I was leading swallowed me up around 5.5 and I clung to their coattails as we rounded City Hall. A quick glance at my GPS indicated we were slowing down (5:23 pace) so I rallied and slowly crept back to 5:10s and pulled away from the pack. The pack caught me again so I tucked in behind -- again. But, again, the pace slowed down. I still felt confident I could continue 5:10s, but I also knew I wasn't going to get there by yo-yo-ing back and forth with the pack. At about that same time, the headwind, which was omnipresent throughout the first 5 miles of the race, seemed to pick up and it battered runners in no-man's-land and anyone who decided to lead. I tucked in behind the pack, which slowed to 5:20s, only this time I wasn't feeling good enough to run any faster. The pack splintered and for the last 3 miles I struggled severely, my pace dipping into the 5:40s at times. Yikes. My left heel was chaffing due to a misplaced sock and I found myself apathetic knowing that my pre-race goal-pace was out the window. The wind was intense, but I found it somewhat pleasant since the sun had come out from behind the clouds. A quick glance at one of the mile markers suggested it would be difficult for me to break 53:00. For the last 3 miles the race became a "where's the next mile marker"-type of race; I just wanted to get through it. I rallied, or at least i thought I did, in the last mile, but couldn't slip under 53:00. I finished in 53:04 well off my goal time and the slowest ten mile I've run since 2007. No one else, it seems, hit their goal times either -- it was just one of those days. My last 5 were covered in an abysmal 27:15 or so. It was ugly for sure, still I'm glad I at least tried to run my goal race early on, but there is no excuse for falling apart the way I fell apart those last 4 miles. Ugly racing.
I am done racing, I think, this spring, but feel as if I will keep the training going since my season wasn't too intense and I'm not beat up - physically or mentally - from racing.
