Wolf Hill - First Snow of the Season!

Ran for a couple hours in Wolf Hill on Sunday.  Still a little bit of snow on the ground here and there.  Made for a fun run and I took some footage with the GoPro.  I had the idea for some cool zoomed-in shots that I would then pull back from.  They came out pretty good but it definitely pushed the GoPro's limits when I zoomed-in - even at 4k.  Still some good ideas in this video and I'm happy with the result.  Check it out below!

Weekly Log: 5.29.17 - 6.4.17

Things are still to fall back into place for ol' Seth so I guess it's time to start the weekly blog back up...

Monday - South Kingstown, RI - 6 miles

A rainy Memorial Day and I postponed my run to later in the day.  Always a bad idea as the day has a way of getting away from you.  Better to get it done early.  My wife and I spent midday shopping and went to Carrabba's for lunch.  I packed it away including calamari, sausage & lentil soup, chicken parm sandwich, orzo and a chocolate dessert thing.  Plus that goddamn bread and oil.  A gluttonous delight and when it came time to run a few hours later I wasn't in great shape.

Nevertheless I went over to the DuVal trails and gutted it out.  And "gut" is the appropriate word as my insides were sloshing around for the first few miles.  I kept it slow and steady and eventually felt better.  Then I could feel nasty bile creeping up my throat towards the end of the run.  Gross.  Aren't you glad I'm back to blogging.

So in the end I got a sluggish six miles of trails done to start the week.  Hooray!

Tuesday - East Providence, RI - 2 miles

When I went to the ortho doc a few weeks back he didn't think I had a stress fracture.  He said to keep the mileage down and take days off.  To that end I've stuck to my plan of not running two days in a row.  So far, so good as that leg ache has been non existent.  So it was an easy walk to the post office at lunch today.

Wednesday - Providence, RI - 6 miles

For the 2nd Wednesday in a row I went over to Jenckes Street on College Hill for some hill repeats.  It's a touch climb but I did six and I ventured a little lower down Star Street on the 3rd and 6th ones to make it more grueling.  A good workout.

Thursday - 0 miles

Good session of lunch yoga.  Three weeks in a row!

Friday - Smithfield, RI - 6.5 miles

Back to Wolf Hill for a morning run.  I tried to hit as many hills as I could including the pisser of a climb up the Mary Mowry trail.  As I plan for a mountain adventure at the start of July, I'm going to continue to focus on hills so that I can hopefully complete the hike/run adventure without completely destroying myself.

I went for an MRI at midday for my neck.  The neck/back pain hasn't been too bad lately but the arm/hand numbness is still going on.  We'll find out the results next week.

Unfortunately I felt that dull leg ache later in the afternoon.  It didn't seem to linger however so I'm hopeful that it was just a passing ache.

Saturday - 0 miles
Sunday - 0 miles

Bailed on a Sunday run due to being very hungover.  Bailed on a lot of things actually.  After taking a long hard look at myself I've decided to quit drinking.  I'm sick of feeling shitty and ready for a change.  So that's that.

Weekly Mileage: 20.5 miles
Year to Date:  556 miles

A mediocre week overall but the leg seems to be improving.  I've got some trips planned over the next few months and good things to look forward to.  Let's get going.

Weekly Log: 1.30.17 - 2.5.17

Monday - Seekonk, MA - 6 miles

6:30 minutes of planks (longest - 3:02)

My calves and hamstrings are pretty sore after a weekend of hiking in the Whites.  I picked up a pair of NB Vazees up in North Conway and wanted to try them out. I opted for quiet country roads of Seekonk.  Legs warmed up soon enough and this ended up being a great, relaxing run.

Tuesday - 0 miles

6 minutes of planks (longest - 3:12)

No run today.  Was going to yoga but chumped out.  Just as well as I had to leave early and deal with a bunch of bullshit traffic thanks to the snow.

Wednesday - West Greenwich, RI - 7 miles

7 minutes of planks (longest - 4:04)
165 push-ups (standard/wide) 30/30/25/30/25/25

Early last year I did planks 5-6 times a week and I hit a 4 minute plank in by the end of March.  I continued to plank inconsistently through July hitting a high water mark of 5:12.  Then things fell apart.  But with the new year I've tried to get back into the habit of doing them every morning.  This was my first 4 minute plank since last July.  The consistency is paying off.

The upside of yesterday's snow was that I got to Big River this morning for a great trail run.  Just enough snow to make it fun but not too much to be a pain to slog through.  Couple fat bike tire tracks already out there.  Did a loop around Carr Pond.  Great way to start the day.

Thursday - East Providence, RI - 6.1 miles

6 minutes of planks (longest - 3:12)

Was intending to make it a track day (would've been three weeks in a row) but the Seekonk High track was covered in snow.  Dejected, I went over to the Ten Mile River bikepath.  It was mostly clear of snow but had some crunchy parts.  But the damage was done - any interest in speedwork vanished and I slogged my way through this run.  By the midway mark I had no motivation left but luckily I had no choice but to run in order to get back to my car.  Best thing I can say about this run was that I got it done.

Friday - Smithfield, RI - 7.5 miles

5 minutes of planks (longest - 2:37)

Got over to Wolf Hill for an early run.  Plenty of snow on the trails here and it made for an enjoyable time.  Sought out the biggest hills there - definitely need to get back to consistent hill work.  Chilly in the mid 20s but I dressed appropriately for once and really enjoyed this one.

Saturday - 0 miles

6 minutes of planks (longest - 3:10)

Sunday - West Greenwich, RI - 16.1 miles

Ran mostly dirt roads along the New London Turnpike.  Started on the west side of Big River and took the turnpike out of the management area and south.  A few pavement sections but otherwise all dirt.  I veered off onto another dirt road towards the end and turned around at the 8 mile mark.  It was mostly downhill on the way back so I was able to pick up the pace a bit.  Good long run.

Weekly Mileage: 42.7 miles
Year to Date: 201.6 miles

Weekly Log: 9.28.15 - 10.4.15

Things are in flux.  In my life and in running.  I have a feeling this will be a lower mileage week as my legs have been feeling it.  A rest is probably needed.  I'm still considering the 6 Hour Ultra in November but I'll probably wait until the last minute to decide.

Monday - 0 miles

After yesterday's blah long run it was easy to shirk off any running today.

Tuesday - West Greenwich, RI - 7 miles

175 push-ups (standard/diamond/wide) 30/20/35/30/20/40

RunningWarehouse had some trail Hoka's on sale and I was in need of some trail shoes so I pulled the trigger.  This was the maiden run - the cushioning is definitely nice and helps on the downhills.  I went to Big River, parking at Hopkins Hill lot but heading west towards the quarry.  I was surprised that I found the Secret Lookout with no problems.  Then I took Elephant and the Azalea trail over by the hunting club before heading back towards the car.  I liked the shoes but they had a tendency to roll on me, I'm guessing due not being used to the extra cushioning.  I had one bad roll which was frustrating as this ankle just can't heal up.  I need to put that ankle brace on for any trail run now.

Wednesday - Cranston, RI - 4 miles

After stopping at REI in Cranston I had the idea to check out some trails I have long thought about.  There are trails along the "canyon" of I-295 and I knew there was a path underneath the highway to reach them.  I parked at a middle school and was dismayed to hear a shitload of gunfire coming from the hill I had planned to climb.  Turns out the Cranston Police Academy was next door.  After a brief road section where I considered my options, I found a trail than ran alongside the hill opposite the Po-Po.   This was a fun little climb and it eventually led to a two lane road.  At first I thought this was 295 but then realized I was off-course.  I ventured on and discovered some trails that appeared to be part of a camp.  It was already getting late so I retreated to the car.  After I uploaded the run I realized where I went wrong.  Another time.

Thursday - Exeter, RI - 7.5 miles

Early morning run in Arcadia.  It was a crisp fall morning - perfect!  I stuck to dirt roads for the bulk of it and then took the trail around Breakheart Pond and went back towards the car via the J B Hudson Trail.  I wore the ankle brace yesterday and today which seemed to help, though it was hard getting it into the Hokas.  A fun run and I really liked running in the Hokas again.  The only problem was the calf soreness which is still creeping up towards the end of these runs.

Friday - 0 miles

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - Smithfield, RI - 3.5 miles

In an effort to give my legs a chance to rest I took a couple days off.  Today instead of running I decided to take Ezri for a hike.  Originally I wanted to hit up Wachusett Mountain but that didn't pan out.  Wolf Hill in Smithfield was an excellent substitute.  We hit up most of the points of interest on this one and had a good time.  I wore a 30 lb backpack in preparation for a White Mountain excursion next week.  Okay so this wasn't technically a run but from now I'm considering hiking as a perfectly acceptable "time on feet" alternative that gets added to the weekly mileage.

Weekly Mileage 22 miles
Year to Date: 1,501.6 miles

Weekly Log: 9.21.15 - 9.27.15

October is practically here and with it comes a cornucopia of big fall races.  I've not set my sights on any 50ks this year.  I feel like my lack of long runs is pretty apparent in my fitness and I'm wary to go out for a very long trail race.  Plus my schedule is already book with stuff so my options are limited.  I'm actually looking towards Bob Jackman's 6 Hour Ultra in the beginning of November.  I've been interested in it before but other fall races have always taken priority.  With lowered personal expectations, perhaps this is the year to give it a shot.

Monday - East Providence, RI - 5 miles

My calves were still sore from seizing up two nights prior plus yesterday's shortened trail run in Arcadia.  I almost bailed on today's lunch run but willed myself out to the Ten Mile River Bikepath for a few easy miles.  Still the legs have no pep though they loosened up a bit as I went.

Tuesday - Smithfield, RI - 7 miles

140 push-ups (standard/diamond/wide) 30/20/35/25/30

I returned to Wolf Hill for another meandering run on some of my favorite trails.  I discovered a couple new trails that seemed well groomed though they just led to houses.  Good run but again the last two miles were on trashed legs.

Wednesday - 0 miles

Definitely needed a day off to rest the legs.

Thursday - Exeter, RI - 11 miles

I wanted to get a decent amount of miles in the morning so I decided to stick to mostly roads.  I thought upon a run around the perimeter of Big River West that incorporated the dirt roads of the New London Turnpike and Sawmill Roads.  This turned out to be a good route but again by the time I reached the halfway point my legs began to ache.  Division and Hopkins Hill Road also suffered from fast moving traffic which was a pain to deal with.  Any thoughts of tacking on a little trail work near Tarbox Pond was gone by the time I passed it.

Friday - Providence, RI - 8 miles

200 push-ups (standard/military/wide) 35/25/35/35/30/40

I bailed on a second run yesterday before band practice which put my arbitrary 50 mile week goal in jeopardy.  I was determined to get 8 miles at lunch and also work in some hills.  Over the bridge I went and ran the roads over by Rochambeau Ave.  Once again, I was feeling good for most of the run but after mile six I ran out of energy and took a couple breaks while I stretched out my angry calves.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - North Kingstown, RI - 13 miles

I had grand plans for a long run that took me from Quonset over to Hopkins Hill Road via Stony Lane and then back again via Frenchtown Road.  I knew that with my recent tired legs this 19 mile route was ambitious/stupid but I felt compelled to try anyway.  I had mapped out a 13 mile bailout option and once the climbs started on Stony Lane I knew I'd be using it.  The legs just had no pep and the climbing made my calves ache.  Even with the bailout option it was still a long slog of a loop and I took several breaks to stretch out the calves.  A frustrating run that left me dispirited.

Weekly Mileage: 44.3 miles
Year to Date: 1,479.6 miles

Well my legs have been junk all week.  I guess I've no choice but to decrease the mileage next week and give them some time to rest.  I really need to be more consistent with the foam rolling too.  Sunday's aborted longer run made me question any sort of longer race, even the RI 6 Hour.  So we'll see.

Weekly Log: 5.15.15 - 5.21.15

Last week my dreaded nemesis the Janky Knee reasserted itself.  I didn't do much running and was a bit bummed out.  Hopefully I will return back to the fray this week.  It's now less than two weeks until the Ragnar Trail Relay up in Mass and I want to be ready!

Monday - East Providence, RI - 5.7 miles

195 push-ups (standard/military/wide) 35/25/35/35/25/40

A drizzly rain continued throughout the day but the temperature was warm.  I was determined to get a run in and luckily ol' Master Jank didn't feel too bad.  I decided to do a little exploration down in Riverside.  As soon as I started I felt good - I guess almost a week off will do that to you.  The pace was peppy in the low 7s and I explored a nice neighborhood along the bay.  Memories of the 2012 Providence marathon came back as I recognized a neighborhood the race employed for a very odd turnaround.  I followed some steps down to the beach and ran along the water for a few moments.  The bay was silent, waveless and shrouded in fog.  Very serene but the low tide stank was powerful.  Then I continued on narrow roads lined with beachhouses that reminded me of my great aunts' house up in Buzzards Bay.  Great run with refreshing rain and lack of jankiness.

Tuesday - Rehoboth, MA - 6 miles

I decided to check out some new country roads farther to the east.  I parked at the Rehoboth Country Club and did a loop I had mapped out in advance.  I knew there'd be a couple hills and a downhill segment attempt near the end.  Knee didn't feel too bad and I was surprised how snappy the pace was.  This pleased me as I've been feeling slow ever since the Backroad Ramble.  On the segment I turned it on and kept the pace under six, in part thanks to the downhill though there were a few short uphills to contend with as well.  Very hot out there but the country houses were remote and beautiful.  A good run and the jankiness that came later was not unexpected nor or much concern.

Wednesday - 0 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

I wanted to return to lunch yoga and that's just what I did.  Good session and I definitely think it helps keep everything loose and in working order.

Thursday - Smithfield, RI - 9 miles

240 push-ups (standard/wide) 35/40/35/40/40/50

Amanda was volunteering at Ezri's school today so I was able to get out of the house early this morning.  After considering my options, I decided it was worth the extra driving and went up to Wolf Hill in Smithfield.  It had been a while and I was happy to see a new trail sign at the entrance.  They've changed some of the trail names/blazes and added lovely little signs along the various routes.  I wanted to get a goodly amount of elevation today so I hit pretty much all the trails including a long stretch along the powerlines.  I was glad to see that the WWII Memorial trail had been extended - the No Trespassing signs and branch barricades were gone and now it was a legitimate section of the trail network.  Another big change was at the Mercer Lookout.  They cut down a bunch of trees in front of the lookout, improving the view towards Providence.  They added a second official parking lot near the Mercer Lookout as well.  Towards the end I was running out of time and considered just taking the trail along the pond back to the car - and lose precious elevation?  I headed back into the woods and up what is now the Mary Mowry Trail.  It's a legitimate climb and I was happy to head back down to the car after that.

With a good run done in the morning, I decided to hit up lunch yoga for the second day in a row.  Finished off a good day's work with office push-ups in the afternoon.

Purdy new signs at Wolf Hill

Friday - Charlestown/East Providence, RI - 9.2 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

Did a couple miles in the early AM with the dog.  Cut through the woods to drop back down to our house to shorten the run so that I could fit in Ab Ripper as well.

It was a hot one and I had intended to venture over to College Hill but the heat turned me off.  I switched to the East Bay Bike Path instead, hoping for a little relief in the way of a bay breeze.  Not much wind but a portion of the run was cloudy so that was something.  I stuck to the plan for hills and ran repeats on the nearby roads.  Couple youngsters were skateboarding down some pretty steep drops so good on 'em.  In the end it only totaled about 500 feet of elevation but I was pleased to get it done on a scorcher.

Saturday - 0 miles

No running today but I did brew up 2.5 gallons of a new IPA recipe I found online.  It was an all-grain batch and once again I was undershot the gravity, coming in at 1.054 instead of 1.07.  Oh well.  It has a ton of different hops so it should be tasty.

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 8.6 miles

We went to my parents' for lunch and I had notions of getting dropped off midway and running back home afterwards.  I should've known that was a foolish idea - once I gorged myself on dessert I had no desire for such things.  Plus janky knee was feeling achy so I was full of excuses.  Not wanted to take a zero for the weekend, I committed to taking the dog out when we got home.  After 3.5 with the dog I was afraid he was going to keel over so I dropped him off at the house and went back out.  At this point the temperature was finally breaking and I enjoyed the run up and down Old Coach.  No issue from the janky knee on the run so all's well that ends well.

Weekly Mileage: 38.6 miles
Year to Date: 833.8 miles

Nice rebound after issues with the janky knee last week.  Also a goodly amount of elevation (for me) totaling about 2600 feet.  

Weekly Log: 9.8.14 - 9.14.14

This'll be an easy week as I dial back the mileage before ramping it up as we push towards October and race time.  The weather is finally cooling and hopefully I'll have more pep during my lunch runs.

Monday - 0 miles

270 push-ups (standard/wide/decline/Pike's Press) 40/40/35/20/40/40/35/20

No running today but I had a good Yoga session at lunchtime.

Tuesday - East Providence, RI - 6.5 miles

East Bay Bike Path for a progression run.  I wore my New Balance 890s instead of the 730s (which I usually wear during speedwork.)  I'm thinking that minimal 730s might be to blame for some aches I've been feeling.  They didn't have much cushion to begin with and now both of my pairs have about 250 miles on them.  Anyway, it was a beautiful overcast day and it was great running.   I managed to keep increasing the pace until I was sub-6 for the last 1/2 mile.  Felt good but I think I'm due to try to fit in longer tempo runs.

Wednesday - Seekonk, MA - 4.3 miles

Easy peasey trails over at the Seekonk Meadows.

Thursday - Providence, RI - 6 miles

27 pull-ups w/ assists (standard/chin-up/wide) 3/5, 5/3, 3/3, 4/3, 5/4, 2/3, 5/4
Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

I ventured out at lunch without any real gameplan.  Ended up crossing the bridge to the East Side and running towards Butler, where I explored some woods around the hospital.  There were just a couple of newly cleared dirt roads but otherwise it just led down to the shitty shoreline (by shitty I mean filthy as hell.)  Then I ran back to work, taking the trails through Blackstone Park.  Kept the pace somewhat snappy at around 7 minute miles.

Friday - Charlestown/Smithfield, RI - 10.9 miles

160 push-ups (standard) 40/40/40/40

Dark and early dog jog.  I wanted to take the trail off Black Pond Rd over to the Narragansett Trail but the darkness made it difficult and I don't think Oliver appreciated getting whacked in the face by bushes.  Last time I was here I commented on the improvements made to the "trail" near Black Pond Rd.  What a difference a month makes.  The growth was back and it was tough locating the path with only the headlamp.

After work I headed back to Smithfield for another one of my favorite former haunts - Wolf Hill.   The trails showed signs of having recently been maintained and there were fresh blazes on all the trails.  I noticed they changed the trail colors for a lot of them.  After a mile of climbing I emerged at the power lines and promptly took a digger and cut my knee up good.  I continued on and was surprised how overgrown the powerline road was - at points I could barely see the path for the weeds.  I guess the power company doesn't travel up there much anymore.

Wolf Hill contains a WWII Memorial Trail and an a memorial rock for a plane of soldiers that crashed here during the war.  I was pleased to see that the nearby "No Trespassing" trail was finally bonafide and had become an extension of the WWII trail.   I hit most of the trails on the hill, saving a trip up the quarry for just before sunset.  I had made a challenging segment and decided to see if I could set the CR.  As I was running up the quarry I could see the shadow from the setting sun moving up the rock wall which gave me some extra motivation.  I pushed it pretty hard and shaved 19 seconds off my time which I'm psyched about.  With the sun just about down it began to get pretty dark in the woods so I meandered my way back down to the car.  Despite the banged up knee this was a great run.  If you've never been there you owe it to yourself to make a trip up.

This one's for Jeff

Beautiful trails as the sun sets

Long shadows at the top of the quarry

Saturday - 0 miles

We were going to camp in Burlingame but Ezri's been fighting a fever and with the rain forecast for the evening we didn't have much interest.  Instead a productive day around the yard.  I did manage a visit to Whaler's Brewing in Wakefield.  They're a very small operation but I highly recommend checking them out - their tasting had some tasty brews including a hazelnut stout and an apricot sour.

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 5.5 miles

Just an easy like Sunday morning run up Old Coach Road.  I threw in a couple trail sections and kept the pace easy.  Weather was just about perfect and it looked like my fellow WTACers had some great races at the Surftown 1/2 Marathon.

Weekly Log: 33.2 miles

Year to Date: 1,374.5 miles