Monday - North Kingstown, RI - 6 miles
Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)I ran at Ryan Park this morning. I wasn't sure whether to don the YakTrax as the area around the main parking lot was pretty free of snow. I carried them with me and put 'em on soon after - the trails were a weird mix of either clear paths or crunchy iced snow. YakTrax proved to be a good choice for some of the more icy areas but sadly one of 'em broke 4 miles in. Farewell my sweet Trax, you served me well! Let us hope your services won't be needed this weekend in Big River.
Tuesday - 0 miles
P90X Legs & Back (60 minutes)I've been putting off Legs & Back as I've heard some horror stories about how tough it is. Finally pulled the trigger and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Squats, lunges and pull-ups are the recipe of the day with this one. I enjoyed the pull-ups because there wasn't any other upper body work to wear me out. Some of the squat/lunge moves were pretty brutal - I'm sure I'll be feeling it tomorrow but I think doing this workout every few weeks will pay dividends when it comes to off-road running.
Wednesday - 0 miles
P90X Core Synergistics (60 minutes)Sunday's trail race in Big River has been postponed (until possibly the 30th.) Can't say I'm too disappointed as this means I'll be able to race the 1/2 marathon instead of the 10k.
Thursday - Bryant Track - 8.7 miles
Good Christ I'm sore. I've got major DOMS on my back thighs and glutes from Tuesday's Legs & Back workout. Nothing better for a serious case of DOMS than hitting the road. Or in this case the track.Yes, the track! The snow has receded and I felt it was time to resume my Thursday speed work at Bryant University. There was still some some snow/ice encroaching on the corners, the inside lane was filled with gear and overall the track looked pretty beat up from a hard winter but it was still runnable so game on. I decided to stick with what I knew and opted for 7 x 800s. I tried for 3 minute splits and was very successful - 3:00 / 3:01 / 3:00 / 3:01 / 3:00 / 2:55 / 2:54. These were a bit slower that the 800s I ran back in January but I'll attribute that to having to work around the track debris as well as my hiatus from speed work. Overall a very satisfying workout.
Friday - Smithfield, RI - 10.5 miles
Ab Ripper X (20 minutes)I had the time this morning so I opted to try to stretch this run out a little longer than I normally would. I wanted to check out some new roads in Smithfield so I parked at Bryant and made my way behind the campus. I took Log Road again but instead of venturing onto the Burlingame Road death hill, I stayed on Log. It occurred to me that I had assumed that Log Road wouldn't be as hilly. There ended up being a fair amount of elevation change but nothing as bad as Burlingame.
Log Road proved to be a wonderful road to run, filled with old timey barn houses, swanky modern homes and lots of streams, bubbling and alive with the winter melt. Many unique houses with lots of personality. Eventually Log Rd passed into Burriville and I wondered when I had last been in Burriville. It's a funny word. The backroads eventually led me to the Douglas Pike which was less pleasant with the faster traffic and limited shoulder. It did however provide a more direct route back to my car. I felt fine throughout the run and kept the pace around 7:30 or so. Good stuff.
Saturday - 0 miles
Finally broke out the chainsaw to cut up the downed tree in my yard. I was out there for awhile but there's still a lot of work to do.Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 12.2 miles
I got wind of the epic Sea to Summit run that was going down this morning, but I know that I'm not ready for that serious a Sufferfest (that is to say, I'm pretty sure I'd survive it but the price would have been steep.)Instead I opted to keep it slow and local - running the nearby Charlestown roads and beach. I wanted my speed to remain over eight minutes a mile to keep it very easy. Lately I've had a problem running this slowly on roads (because I'm badass) but I went to the bar last night and ate and drank in excess, thus allowing myself to wake up feeling lethargic and bloated. Perfect for running slowly!
Running on the deserted beach was particularly enjoyable - I think I've said it before but I tend to take where I live for granted. I need to get more runs in by the water before the summer crowds appear.
I jumped off the beach at Green Hill and ran some of the route that I'll be running next weekend at Ocean's Run. A little prep work never hurts. I tweaked a nerve on the bottom my left foot around mile 9 - it seemed to get worse for a quarter mile but after a mile the pain had subsided. Let's hope it's nothing.
One week until Ocean's Run 1/2 Marathon! Sub 1:30 or bust!
Nice job on the track! Hoping to do so myself next week. Here's to the wane of Winter and a Spring full of PR's!
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