Weekly Log: 2.18.13 - 2.24.13

Monday - South Kingstown, RI - 15.3 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

I had most of the day to myself and wanted to run long.  I had really hoped to do a trail run in Arcadia or Big River but after yesterday's Burlingame slog I knew that any trail run would be tough and short.  So I stuck to the roads.  I plotted out a big loop that started at the Mews Tavern in Wakefield and led me past the Great Swamp, through URI and back to Wakefield.  Ministerial Rd was particularly enjoyable - very peaceful and I saw some sort of beaver/aquatic rodent briefly before it ducked under the icy water.  I was pleased with the pace - I kept to about 7:50 miles and it never felt like hard work.  Lunch at the Mews afterwards was a just reward.

Tuesday - 0 miles

My damn wrist is still tweaky so I picked up a wrist brace yesterday.  Hopefully keeping it more secure it will aid in the healing process.  I miss my P90X workouts.

Wednesday - 0 miles

Kenpo X (50 minutes)

With my wrist issue I didn't want to try any of the lifting workouts.  Even Yoga seemed like a bad idea with all the planks and Downward Dogs.  I decided to try Kenpo X for the first time instead.  Everything I read about Kenpo X made it seem like the ugly step-child of P90X - the workout most often skipped or substituted for.  I now see why.  I didn't enjoy it at all.  The punching and kicking didn't do much for me.  I've never done martial arts before so my form was awful and therefore I didn't feel I was working very hard.  I turned it off 10 minutes early and don't foresee trying it again.   Oh well, they can't all be winners.

Thursday - Smithfield, RI - 6.3 miles

Core Synergistics (35 minutes)

I did half this workout with my lovely wife this morning.  I really enjoy CS and the wrist brace didn't prove problematic for the push-ups as I feared.  The Sphinx push-ups can die in a hole, though.

Up in Smithfield, I was excited to try out a new pair of shoes - the New Balance 890 v2.  I intend for these to replace my Asics Cumulus 14 as my everyday road trainer.  It's a lot lighter than the Cumulus but it still has a fair amount of cushion and heel drop.  While I've gone with the wider version of the Asics, I went with the normal width for the 890s - I was worried they'd be too tight but I dug 'em as soon as I started running in them.

I ran from Bryant University and did a loop around the Stump Pond reservoir that I've done before.  I was moving at a good clip and really tried to attack the many hills I encountered.  My left pinky felt tight against the shoe for the first few miles and my left shin ached a bit but both sensations faded by the halfway point.  Overall it was a good first run in the 890s - I think this is going to be a great training shoe and I plan use it for the Ocean's Run 1/2 Marathon in a few weeks.

Speaking of which, I'm in a bit of a quandary with the last 4th Season trail race at Big River coming the weekend before Ocean's Run.  I'd hate to miss the Big River 1/2 but back to back halves might be too much.  I'm thinking the Big River 10k might be the smarter choice to ensure I nail a big PR in Matunuck.

Friday - Smithfield, RI - 7.2 miles

Another run that started at Bryant and led me into hilly backroads.  I wasn't exactly sure where I was going but I passed Burlingame Rd and was intrigued by the familiar name.  It turned out to be a quaint country road with a bubbling brook and old farm houses.  Then I hit hill upon hill, passing a flock of turkeys and a massive gorgeous house along my relentless climb.  Finally I reached what I hoped was the top and turned around.  Back at the car, I slipped on the NB 730s and did another mile and a half in these lightweight racers.

Saturday - Hopkinton, RI - 15.5 miles

Group run in Ashaway with Jeff, Justin and Jonny (Triple J.)  Justin led us on a tour of his town.  Lots of rustic farmhouses and some big hills.  We did a short trail section at the beginning but the snow got thick near the end and we stuck to roads after that save for a short section along the power lines.  The pace was mid-7s for the most part which I was able to maintain but it was definitely a challenging workout.  Muddy stashed water & snacks at mile 8 which were most appreciated.

Around mile 10 my left thigh began to ache and it got progressively worse as we ran on.  By mile 13 my pace began to slow and I started to fade behind the other guys.  Luckily there wasn't too much left at this point.  The last few miles were tough going for me but I'm glad I got out there as I need more runs like this to prepare for the TARC 50k.

Sunday - 0 miles

P90X Yoga X (90 minutes)

Amanda & I did the entire workout together which was a nice change.  Wrist felt fine throughout which was positive.  I tried to really get deep with a lot of the yoga moves and really felt it afterwards.  Thigh is still pretty sore from yesterday's long run. 

Weekly Mileage: 44.4 miles - a new Weekly PR! (by just .4 miles but we'll take it.)

Year to Date: 228.1 miles

A good week all around.  With last weekend's long run pushed back to the holiday, I ended up with two 15 milers this week!  I'm going to try to take it easy for the next two weeks since I'm racing over the next two weekends.  Ocean's Run Half Marathon in two weeks!