Weekly Log: 11.9.15 - 11.15.15

This will be an easy week following the forty miles I ran at the RI 6 Hour Ultra (I'm slow getting the report done but look for it later this week).  Unfortunately by running the 6 Hour I accept that I probably sabotaged my chances of putting up a PR at Lil Rhody Runaround this weekend.  I still intend to run but I'm not sure what shape I'll be in.

Monday - 0 miles

Good lord, I don't think I've ever been this sore before.  I can barely walk.  I probably should have a cane.  Going up stairs is slow, going down is treacherous.  I hold onto the rail for dear life.  It takes two hands to lower myself onto the toilet.  I've heard gym guys talking about leg day - this feels like the affects of leg day times ten.

Tuesday - 0 miles

Slightly better than yesterday but I'm still a shambling mess.  Thankfully everything just feels really sore and not injured.  Just the result of 40 miles of pavement.  The next long one will definitely be a return to trails.

Wednesday - Charlestown, RI - 2 miles

The worst of the soreness finally appears to be over.  I was working from home due to Veterans Day and I took the dog out at lunchtime.  Two miles was enough for me and even with the 9 minute pace my quads began to get angry after two miles.

Thursday - West Greenich, RI - 5 miles

My legs were feeling much better today so I took to Big River for some easy trails miles.  I kept the pace slow and stuck to the widest trails - Sawmill and the New London Turnpike - but by the last mile my legs were feeling it.  Still it was good to get out there.  I'm hopeful that Sunday's race won't be a total shitshow now.

Friday - 0 miles

I didn't have much motivation to run at lunch.  Okay, I had no motivation.  This has been a slothful, gluttonous week.  Consider it a victory lap after last Sunday.  At any rate, this can't continue but for now I'm content to bask in the lazy.  On the plus side, the legs feel normal now.

Saturday - 0 miles

I took Em up to Boston to look at a couple colleges (I can't believe she goes to college next year).  Since I bailed on yesterday that means no running the last two days.  Chumpy but I'm alright with it considering I'm running an eight mile race tomorrow.  We'll see how it goes.

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 10 Miles

Li'l Rhody Runaround.  56:40.  26th overall.  Quads became unruly around mile 3 and I took it easy the rest of the race.  Report forthcoming (maybe).

Weekly Mileage: 17 miles
Year to Date: 1,754 miles

The recovery from the 6 Hour would not be denied.  While my soreness was gone by the weekend, my legs were still in no shape to race.  It'll probably be another easy week as I have yet another unwise race next weekend (Mews Tavern 6.9k).

Weekly Log: 11.2.15 - 11.8.15

With the decision to enter the RI 6 Hour Ultra this weekend, this will be a very easy week.  I'm so used to having to fit in a week of runs that it'll be weird to have so much free time.

Monday - 0 miles

Tuesday - 0 miles

Wednesday - East Providence, RI - 5 miles

I went out a lunch for an easy five along the East Bay bike path.  My pace wasn't anything special but it felt like work and I spent the run dwelling on this weekend's race and feeling unprepared.  My knees were twingy too.  Just pre-race nerves but it was annoying.

Thursday - Cranston, RI - 4 miles

I felt like spicing it up so before work I picked a random spot in Cranston and attempted to explore some nearby powerlines/trails I saw on Google.  I missed the road I was searching for and ended up parking elsewhere.  Then I did an easy loop involving another stretch of powerline followed by a short exploration of a golf course.  Pretty hilly area and people drive way too fast on backcountry roads.  I may never step on that land again.

Friday - East Providence, RI - 4 miles

Before work, I went to the Ten Mile River Bike Path for one last easy run.  Calves felt tight which wasn't reassuring but otherwise an uneventful run.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - Warwick, RI - RI 6 Hour Ultra - 40.5 miles

4th overall.  40.5 miles over 5 hours and 43 minutes.  Very excited about this run.  Report forthcoming.

Weekly Mileage: 53.5 miles

Year to Date: 1,737.3 miles

Weekly Log: 10.26.15 - 11.1.15

Monday - 0 miles

My legs were pretty trashed from the long run with Muddy yesterday so I took it easy today.

Tuesday - East Greenwich, RI - 10.4 miles

115 push-ups (standard/military/wide) 20/15/20/20/20/20

With an early start, I parked at the park on Frenchtown Road and decided to do a mix of roads and trails.  It was mid 30s and dark to start and I ran with a hat and headlamp for the first mile.  I ran the roads up to the Hopkins Hill Rd parking lot at Big River.  I wore the Hokas which worked pretty well on the roads but as soon as I entered the trails I was aware of how unbalanced I was.  This will definitely be the last time I wear them on technical stuff.  I managed to get myself lost pretty early on before taking the ridge up around Carr Pond.  After a couple miles in the woods I came out upon South Road and followed it to complete a big loop.  Fun run that got warmer and lighter as I went.

Back in the office I did some push-ups which I've really chumped out on lately.  They were pretty tough and my numbers were way down which is to be expected.

Wednesday - Seekonk, MA - 6.5 miles

Not much motivation today but I got it done.  Parked at Caratunk Preserve and ran some roads I hadn't been on before.  They led me up to almost Attleboro and then I took some train track trails for a bit before returning to the car on familiar roads.  Rain drops began to fall just as I got back to the car so I timed it right.

Thursday - East Providence, RI - 10 miles
The rest of Wednesday was a rainy mess but by lunch time on Thursday it was beautiful out.  I arrived at work early so that I could extend my lunch run instead of trying to get out early in the nastiness.  This proved to be the right choice.  I took the bike path from Riverside down into Barrington.  I explored a small network of trails along Brickyard Pond before taking some fancy housed roads back to the bike path.  Pace was in the low 7s and I was feeling good on this run.

Friday - 0 miles

Saturday - 0 miles

Two days of no running - just didn't have time/inclination.  However this week of running convinced me to finally pull the trigger on a big race.  I signed up for Bob Jackman's 6 Hour Ultra in Warwick Park next weekend.  Even though I haven't been purposefully training and my long runs have been woefully inconsistent, my mileage has been up so I feel like I should be able to grind out a decent performance.  I've never done a timed event and normally multiple short loops wouldn't be my thing but I think this is a good year for me to jump into it and see how it goes.

Sunday - North Kingstown, RI - 8.1 miles

This run almost didn't happen but I didn't want to make it three days in a row of not running.  I finally set out for a loop in Quonset.  I didn't want to run too long as I guess I'm now in taper mode.  A good run to finish the week and start November.

Weekly Mileage; 35.1 miles

Year to Date: 1,683.8 miles

Weekly Log: 10.19.15 - 10.25.15

Amanda's away for much of the week so dog walking duties fall to me.  This should help me get a decent amount of mileage this week.

Monday - Charlestown/Providence, RI - 8.1 miles

Took the dog out for a couple miles in the cold dark of 5:30 AM.  At lunch time I did a meandering run over to College Hill.  Not much motivation but I got it done.

Tuesday - Charlestown/East Providence, RI - 10.5 miles

Grinded out ten miles through a sad triple.  First a dog jog in the morning (at least it wasn't freezing like yesterday).  Then at lunch I did a quick four mile loop along the East Providence shoreline.  It's a filthy place which is sad.  Then after work I did another four miles along the bike path.  Another low motivation day but I got through it.

Wednesday - 0 miles

The lack of motivation finally caught up to me.  I failed to take the dog out in the morning as was my charge.  I stayed in bed instead.  And that lethargy continued throughout the day.  My boss brought in a big bowl of Twix and Snickers and I was took weak to ignore them.

Thursday - Charlestown, RI/Seekonk, MA - 10.7 miles

The day off seemed to work.  I got the dog jog done in the morning and at lunch ventured to the country roads of Seekonk.  There's a powerline section I've been eyeballing for the last year and I finally decided to get after it.  It begins with a pricker strewn path through a swampy section that was finally dry enough to be of minimal nuisance.  Then there was a good stretch of utility road which led to some doubletrack.  I dumped me out on familiar roads and I took them around to the Cuttyhunk Preserve.  This run was a fun mix of quiet road and trails.  Glad I finally got to those powerlines.

Friday - Seekonk, MA - 5.1 miles

I returned to Seekonk for more trails but I once again had little pep.  I ground out five miles on most dirt road trails but it was a chore.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - Hopkinton, RI - 19 miles

I met Muddy at Ashville Pond for a two hour trail run.  A light rain began to fall but the miles went quick spurned on by good conversation. We took trails past Yawgoog Pond up to Green Falls Road and then stuck to dirt roads for a bit before taking those same trails past Yawgoog.  At this point we were closing on two hours and it was clear that we'd be out longer than anticipated.  I was actually glad of this because I had been shirking my long runs and it was about time I got an honest one in.  However my legs were really beginning to feel it.  I also had the start of those damn bloody nipples so I had to peel my shirt off lest it get ruined.  Finally we closed in on our cars and we had to decide between the legbeater trails of Long Pond or dirt roads.  We chose the dirt roads but it ended up beginning considerably longer than we thought.  By the time we got to the lot we were approaching three hours.  My legs were useless.  A hard run but just what I needed.

Weekly Mileage: 53.4 miles

Year to Date: 1610.2 miles