Weekly Log: 1.27.14 - 2.2.14

Two weeks until the Belleville Pond 10k and three weeks until something...potentially longer.  People are trying to goad me into the Super 5K this weekend in Narragansett but I'm not interested in a road 5k right now.  But I'll probably be there to cheer everyone on (Amanda is planning on running but she's going to make it a game time decision.)

I've been thinking about my big spring race.  I know I've been chatting up the Providence Marathon in May but I'm finding that I've little taste for road marathon training and all that it entails.  I know that I could just do whatever and still have a good race but I feel like if I'm going to commit the money to 26.2 on the road then I should commit to the training as well.   With this in mind, I've begun to think about a long trail race instead.  There's a bunch in the region to choose from but I'm not really interested in an April race.  However the Pineland Trail Running Festival over Memorial Day Weekend might just fit the bill.   There's a 50k on what looks like a fast course.  Seems like they get a good turnout with a fun atmosphere and I have several friends who live nearby which might make this a good option.  Stay tuned.

Monday - 0 miles

A much needed rest day.  I had planned to run at Ryan Park and take a rest day tomorrow but I had no pep this morning and opted to just take it today.  I feel like I might have the makings of a cold coming on.  My upper body is still really sore from Back & Biceps on Saturday.

Tuesday - Charlestown, RI - 2.8 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes) / 90 push-ups (standard/military/wide) 30/20/20/20

A short cold jog with the dog in the early hours.  I had considered trying to lead us through my recently discovered path over to the Narragansett trail however yesterday's "warmth" made my previous tracks difficult to follow and I thought better of it.  Plowed through the Ab Ripper and even though my biceps still had DOMS I did a bunch of push-ups.

Wednesday - Ryan Park, North Kingstown, RI - 7 miles

Biceps still sore this morning.  Decided to forgo Yoga X (too bad - was looking forward to making it three weeks in a row.)  The morning snow resulted in a late arrival at work and I had time to run around in Ryan Park.  Great morning out there.  Not too cold and just enough snow to make for a great winter run without becoming a slog.  Wore the new Yaktrax and again it was an issue-free run (maybe they're alright after all.)  Glad I had 'em as there were definitely ice traps hidden under the snow on the rail bed and the open field trail.  The wooded trails seemed better though.  I'm looking forward to racing here in 10 days.

Thursday - Charlestown/West Greenwich, RI - 8.2 miles

After a couple miles in the cold morn with the dog, I was able to get out of the house early and opted to run at Big River as it has been awhile since I tackled the trails on the west side.  It was cold and I wore my cold compression gear and fleece vest but I didn't realize just how frigid it actually was.  Within minutes my hands were freezing.  Not the first time this has happened - they usually warm up after a mile or two.  I decided to take the Log Trail down to the New London Turnpike.  What human tracks there were had been covered up by more snow.  There were some cool paw prints though - coyote?  After 1.5 miles my hands were still cold and my right thumb was really cold.  I had brought a water bottle because I was planning to run 8-9 miles and I think it made it harder for my hand to warm up.

When I reached the turnpike the numbness in my thumb was really worrying me so I took the dirt roads directly back to the car.  Once the dirt road turned north my hand finally started to warm up and I started to get that prickling sensation in my thumb.  I had brought my iPod Touch and was going to snap some pictures of the pond/waterfall (really impressive with the sun rising over the trees) but it was so cold that the iPod shut off.  I tried to drink from my water bottle but the nipple was completely frozen.  I ended up running just under 6 miles so I got in a good amount of distance but it was a stressful run and I didn't really get a chance to enjoy it. 

So cold I had to wait for the iPod to warm up in the car

Friday - Bryant Track, Smithfield, RI - 8.3 miles

Much warmer than yesterday.  It's practically summer out there.  The Bryant track was (mostly) clear so I stuck to my guns and did some speed work.  I did 6 x 400m with 200m jogs in between and then 6 x 200m with 100m jogs.  Three of the corners had snow/ice creeping onto the track so I probably ran a little farther but that makes me feel even better about the effort.  I was running in shorts and a long-sleeve tech shirt which seems crazy after my near-frostbite experience yesterday.  Anyway the intervals were hard work and I'm happy with the consistency I hit.

400s - 77 / 79 / 77 / 78 / 76 / 77
200s - 37 / 36 / 37 / 37 / 37 / 36

Did a long cooldown afterwards on the old cross country trails and the Bryant campus.  Very pleased with this workout!

Saturday - 0 miles

Putterin' and mutterin' kept me busy today.  No desire to exercise.

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 13.1. miles

I wanted to push the pace a bit on today's long run.  Decided to run down Gravelly Hill, up Ministerial and back home along Worden Pond Road.  Beautiful weather this morning.  I kept the pace in the 7s to begin with and then it began to creep under 7 minutes.  I turned it on when I hit Worden's Pond Road to improve on the segment I created there (stay away Garvin!)  Lots of people out on the ice.  Felt odd running in shorts and a T while dozens of people are standing on a frozen pond.  I attacked the hills and completely wore myself out by the end of the road but I took three minutes of what had been a good segment time for me.  The rest of the run was a slow cooldown back home.  Quads felt pretty sore afterwards.  I've said it before but I need to run more of these faster tempo runs.

Then we headed down to Narragansett to cheer on Amanda as she ran the Super 5k.  I got a lot of shit for standing around in my winter coat instead of racing but I was happy to watch from the sidelines with my girls.  It looked like everyone in WTAC had great performances.  Amanda went out too fast and wasn't thrilled with her race but she'll get 'em next time.

 

Weekly Mileage: 39.6 miles

Year to Date: 175.5 miles

Out of My Element

Ten years ago I bought my first new car - a Honda Element (when ruminating over possible choices, I think Amanda had mentioned the Element.  It stuck.)  This car appealed to me.  It was strangely shaped, green and had a manual transmission.  The back seats would fold up along the sides and you could fit a shitload of stuff in it.  We used it several times for moving and I scrounged a lot of wood in it (forgive my lack of affections woodpile, I will return to you!)  The Element took us to the infamous Phish festival at Coventry and on family excursions to New Hampshire and Virginia.  It was a good car.  But the ravages of time takes its toll on man and car alike.  With 240,000 miles on it and the back struts shot to hell, it was time to move on and say goodbye to the green machine.

Goodnight sweet prince

And so I procrastinated, borrowing my grandmother's car and delaying the inevitable.  Finally, I checked out a couple cars and quickly settled on a 2012 Honda Civic. 

The new white fury

I have a long commute so getting significantly better mileage than the Element is appreciated.

MPG only looks this good at the start of a tank but I still average upper 30s

Of course two weeks later I get rear ended.  Awesome.  Luckily the other guy's insurance will be taking care of it.

Only had the damn thing for 2+ weeks.  Thanks for that.

Still I will miss the Element.  We shared many adventures and logged many miles.  I haven't got rid of it yet so if anyone is interested in a beat up green machine lemme know!

Weekly Log: 1.20.14 - 1.26.14

Monday - Burlingame, Charlestown, RI - 10.5 miles

With the day off I decided to run a counterclockwise loop around Watchaug Pond.  Parked at the picnic area and got the short road section out of the way.  Rather than stay on Vin Gormley I jumped on Sammy C's.  Lots of gunfire throughout the run coming from North Burlingame.  Took a side trail back over to Schoolhouse Trail and then rejoined VG briefly before heading back over to finish Sammy C's.  I passed a fellow running the other way on Buckeye Brook Road.  I saw him again at the parking lot.  I should have introduced myself but got shy and scampered off home to lunch instead.

Tuesday - Charlestown, RI - 2.1 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes) / Push-ups (standard/military/wide) 20/20/30/20/20

Short cold run with the dog this morning.  Then I multitasked - got the fire going while I alternated between push-ups and the Ripper.  Short but tiring workout and the basement was cooking by the end.

Wednesday - 0 miles

P90X2 Yoga X2 (60 minutes)

Thursday - Wolf Hill, Smithfield, RI - 7 miles

130 pushups (standard/military/wide) 25/25/30/25/25

I was looking forward to getting out onto the snowy trails and bought some Yaktrax Pros yesterday in preparation.   The initial trails on Wolf Hill were already broken in as I had anticipated which allowed me to follow tracks for awhile.  It was most definitely cold out there but between the cold compression gear and my fleece vest I warmed up quickly.  My hands were the last to hold onto the cold - my thumbs became frigid and I was concerned but eventually they too warmed up.  Soon the tracks turned around and I was breaking through fresh powder.  It was beautiful out there but slow going.

The Yaktrax gave me traction for the rocks/ice underneath the snow but they kept coming up over the toes of my shoes.  Very annoying.  Towards the end of the run it became more frequent and began to aggravate my left big toe.  I'm not impressed at all with this product and will be returning them.   I had bought them because I had a gift card to the Sports Authority but I should've just ponied up for a superior traction device.

Friday - Smithfield, RI - 3.2 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

Short run in the woods before work.  Very cold like yesterday but enjoyable jogging through the fluffy snow.  Lots of animal tracks.  I gave the Yaktrax another shot and they fared better this time.  No issues with them, even on a rough singletrack section.

Saturday - Charlestown, RI - 2.8 miles

P90X Back & Biceps (50 minutes)

Oof.  This one wore me out.  I've really slacked on getting back into pull-ups and I paid the price in this workout.  Pretty much had to stick to assisted pull-ups.  The weighted exercises then finished me off.  In the afternoon I ran a couple miles with the dog.  Probably our fastest pace yet - 8:08 average.

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 15.3 miles

I woke up supremely sore from yesterday's Back & Biceps.  It was freezing outside and after I got the fire going I found I had little appetite for running.  Instead I had breakfast.  By midday I had finally worked up the will to get my gear on and head out the door.  It was drudgery at first but after a mile I found my rhythm and began to enjoy myself.   It wasn't too cold for the first few miles until the wind asserted itself.

I ventured down Biscuit City Road and took the powerlines down to where it hits the Pawcatuck River.  Too bad there's no way to cross into the Great Swamp.  Retraced my steps to the road and continued on to Route 2.  I kept the pace in the low 8s and felt good, taking the country roads around and into Shannock Village.  The next section of Route 2 felt like a slog and I decided to take the Narragansett trail back to Old Coach rather than continue on Route 2.  This was a good choice.   There was a lot of foot traffic on the trail and I decided to take another stab it to Black Pond Road.  Success!  The snow revealed an overgrown path that snaked its way to the road.  It was tough to follow at points but it was definitely an old trail.  I wonder if I'd even be able to see it without the snow.

Once I hit Black Pond I turned around and ran the trail again to get used to it and then followed the Narragansett trail back to Old Coach.  The cold temps began to finally chill my body.  The My legs were tired now and the last mile on pavement felt like more of a trudge than a run.   I'm glad I got out there though and the trail discovery was a nice bonus.

 

Weekly Mileage: 40.9 miles

Year to Date: 134.9 miles

Weekly Log: 1.13.14 - 1.19.14

Monday - 0 miles

I had stuff to do this morning so a run/workout didn't happen.

Tuesday - Charlestown, RI - 3.6 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

Took the dog out for an early morning jog.  Love this warm January weather!  Oliver was a bit of a pill but we got a decent amount of miles in.  Then banged out the Ripper.

Wednesday - Bryant Track, Smithfield, RI - 8 miles

P90X2 Yoga X2 (60 minutes)

Finally did Yoga!  It's been three months.  Definitely out of practice - I couldn't execute a bunch of the moves.  Hopefully I can make this a weekly thing again.

My intention was to do some speed work in the evening.  Seems like everyone had the same idea - lot of intervals on Strava today.  Went over to the North Smithfield High track but the parking lot was closed and I didn't really want to sneak in there.  Drove over to Bryant and the track was accessible.  There was even enough light from nearby buildings to make a headlamp unnecessary.   Decided to do 800s since I'm a track noob and I don't have Galoob's fancy training plan filled with Rs, Fs and Is.  I ran six with my time dropping from 1:57 on the first to 1:47 on the last.  Last couple were taxing but I don't think I was working hard enough on the first few.  Still, it was good to get back to the track.  Like the yoga I want to make this a weekly occurrence.

Thursday - Ryan Park, North Kingstown, RI - 6.3 miles

With the Belleville Pond 10k on the horizon, I decided to scope out the trails.  I parked at what would be the halfway mark of the course and ran the 2nd half of the race first.  Ran in shorts and a tech shirt with gloves and hat -warm out!  Though it was responsible for some flooding on the trails and I had to take a detour at one point.  Legs didn't have much pep after last night's track work.  I had planned to run 8 miles but my shins were achy so I was content to run 10k and call it a day.

Friday - Smithfield, RI - 6.8 miles

I took to the woods around Fidelity and enjoyed the weather as I cruised the singletrack.  It felt like a crisp fall day!  Legs had a lot more pep than yesterday and while my left ankle isn't completely recovered from its last few rolls it held up fine.

Satruday - 0 miles

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 16 miles

Been a couple weeks since I did a long run with the South County trail races over the past two weekends.  Today I decided to check out a section of the North-South trail I hadn't run.  I parked at the Carter Preserve up near the power lines and started by running the grassland loop.  Took the dirt trail over to King's Factory Road which is part of the N-S Trail.  It turns onto Route 91 and soon veered onto actual singletrack.  I kept following the blue blazes.

After passing through open farmland, I hit more singletrack and eventually Pine Hill Road.  I decided I was going to take the roads back to Carter Preserve but first I continued along the N-S which followed a dirt road into the Carolina Management Area.  After a bit I recognized where I was and followed some more singletrack until I had run 8 miles total.  There was a good amount of gunfire nearby and I was ready to head back.

I took the roads back to Carter and ran the last few miles on their trails.  Stopped to dump the rocks out of my shoes while a man and his dog passed.  The damn dog tried to steal my gloves!  The hilly singletrack wore my tired legs down and I was pleased when I got back to the car.  A fun mix of pavement, dirt roads and singletrack.  We'll definitely have to string together a longer North-South run at some point.

Weekly Mileage: 40.7 miles

Year to Date: 94 miles