Weekly Log: 2.1.16 - 2.7.16

New month - same as the old month?  I hope not as I don't think I can take another 30 days of such stagnation.  We shall see.  The Belleville Pond 10k is this weekend.  I haven't missed it in several years and I'd hate to miss it now - especially with the new racing sign-up's cool standings page.  With Bob Jackman heading south to torture himself on donuts, here's my chance to sneak into the top three in my age group.  I hope to be there, janky ankle and all.

Monday - 0 miles

190 push-ups (standard/military/wide) 30/20/35/30/20/30/25

Ankle was really sore today after yesterday's trail run so I opted to do little and less. I did convince myself to do push-ups towards the end of the day so that's something.  My push-up strength is slowly coming back.

Tuesday - 0 miles

I was going to run at lunch but the ankle ached and I bailed, partially out of concern and partially because I was feeling lazy.  Should've just gone out and ground out a few miles.

Wednesday - Seekonk, MA - 4.5 miles

New Plank PR: 2:44
155 push-ups (standard/diamond/wide) 25/15/30/30/15/40

My plank time is starting to get up there (for me anyway). Not doing anything special other than attempting one long plank per day.  Some days I chump it and I don't bother on Ab Ripper days.  A lot of deep breathing and concentration but I'm intrigued to see how long I can go.

At lunch I ventured to the Caratunk Preserve.  50 degrees and windy but warm enough for shorts and a T.  Beautiful out there even though the ankle hurt mildly for the whole thing.

Thursday - 0 miles

My plank for Lunch Yoga was twarted by work bullshit.  Planned to rest Old Man Jank and not run so there was nothing to do today.

Friday - 0 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

Worked from home due to the snow storm so I missed out on Lunch Yoga again but I'm certainly not going to complain about not having to drive up to the city.  The storm put the kibosh on tomorrow's race at Ryan Park - no port-o-johns or places to park.  Bummer.

Saturday - 0 miles

I should've done something active today but once again I was a lump.  It ended up being good that the race was postponed as it gave me more time to get things ready for Ezri's birthday party today.  Seven years old!  Where does it go?

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 5 miles

Ankle hasn't been aching that much so I didn't really have any excuse.  I went over to the Carter Preserve to try out my microspikes for the first time.  Beautiful day in the 40s and snow was mushy and plopping off the trees.  They work well but in the rotting snow they picked up a lot of snow clumps.  Even with only an inch or two of snow it was tough going, in part because of my fading fitness.  I took a couple snow plops off the head which took me unaware.  One of them really smarted.  Ankle wasn't too bad on this run.  Hopefully a positive sign.

Weekly Mileage; 9.5 miles
Year to Date: 41.7 miles

Weekly Log: 4.27.15 - 5.3.15

After four weeks of 40+ plus miles, this should be a lower week to give my legs a rest.  I'm also going to start counting my calories again using an app.  My weight's been creeping upward (no doubt thanks to my keezer).  Time to keep myself honest and drop a few pounds.

Monday - East Providence, RI - 3 miles

Holy Jeez my legs are sore.  Yesterday's 21.5 mile jaunt was much farther than I've run in some time and today I'm feeling the effects.  My quads have some serious DOMS and the calves aren't much better.  I discovered that I had a nail in my tire so I brought it to the mechanic about a mile from the office.  I extended the run to two miles heading back to work and then later in the day I took a straight shot to pick it up making for a short and easy day.

Tuesday - East Providence, RI - 6.2 miles

Well they could patch the tire.  Apparently it was too far gone.  The tread on the wheels was pretty low anyway so I brought the car back today to have some new tires put on.  Dropped it off in the morning and ran the mile back to the office.  Legs were still very sore from Sunday.  In the afternoon I did a longer run over to the East Bay bike path and then picked the car up on the way back. 

Wednesday - Seekonk, MA - 6.5 miles

I went over to the Caratunk Preserve for an easy trail run as the legs are still feeling sore.  I did the usual trail network which netted me about 3.5 miles and then I jumped on a nearby road to explore another powerline path.  The elevation dropped and suddenly I was looking at a swamp/stream ahead of me.  I considered turning around but said fuck it and clomped on through.  I got appropriately muddy and cut up by briars in the process.  However on the other side I was rewarded with a new trail!  I followed it and discovered a new network of dirt bike paths with some truly sketchy plank bridges.  I didn't fully explore it but now I know of some new trails to check out near Caratunk.

Thursday - Charlestown, RI - 3 miles

Took the dog out in the morning for what I knew would be the only run of the day.  The legs are still feeling lifeless and we kept the pace very easy.  At one point I had to fight the urge to walk.  Wow, that long run on Sunday really wore me out.  I definitely won't be looking to duplicate it this weekend.

Friday - East Providence, RI - 9 miles

165 push-ups (standard/wide) 25/30/25/30/25/30

I was kind of wishy-washy about today's run.  Not really sure where to go - I opted for the East Bay Bike Path.  I started off slow but soon my legs felt good and the pace sped up until I was running in the low 6s.  My body was responding to the speed so I kept going.  I had intended to turn around at 3 miles but I kept the pace going until mile 4.  Then I explored some trails nearby before heading back.  I wasn't going to pick it up again by decided otherwise on a long stretch between intersecting streets.  Good run and I was happy with how good I felt, especially the last few miles after the speed stuff.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 8.2 miles

I went over to Burlingame in the afternoon for some easy trail miles.  Parked at the entrance to North Burlingame and ran into the management area first.  Took the White trail down to the Pawcatuck - trail was in pretty good shape.  I got about five miles in the north area before heading down to Sammy C's.  I think I enjoy this trail much more when I start at the northern end.  Looked like there was some kind of fat bike race this weekend - lots of flags and tape.  From Sammy C's I took Schoolhouse Pond Trail to Vim Gormley and then back to the car.  I was going head down to the North Camp and make it ten but my pinky toe had been achy this week.  Just another injury to watch and I figured I'd just keep this run to 8 miles.  Always fun to get back to Burlingame and a good capper to the weekend.

Weekly Mileage: 36.3 miles

Year to Date: 555.4 miles

Weekly Log: 4.6.15 - 4.12.15

With the Big River race in the rearview mirror, I don't have any races on the horizon.  At this point I feel like my janky knee is in pretty good shape with minimal jankyness.  I want to hit the trails as much as possible and work more speed/hills into my weekly runs.  Looking forward, I'm sure there's a challenge race out there for me but I'm not sure what it is yet.  It may be that I don't pick a major races until the fall.  Onwards and upwards!

Monday - Charlestown, RI - 6 miles

Ezri has a stomach bug so I was staying home with her.  While Amanda was still home I took the opportunity to head over to Carter Preserve at sunrise.  It's great to finally be back on clear trails.  There was only one spot with snow and it was just before the grasslands loop.  The snow there was surprisingly deep.  I ran most of the trails in the preserve and my legs were still feeling pretty tired from Big River.

Tuesday - East Providence, RI - 6.2 miles

I went over to the Ten Mile River bikepath.  It was drizzling a bit and cold.  On the way out I hit as many trails as I could before doing a loop at Slater Park.  I stuck to the path on the way back.  My legs still don't have much pep but they loosened up by the end.

Wednesday - Seekonk, MA - 4 miles

Now that spring is well and truly here I'm hitting all the trail spots near work.  Today I went over to the Caratunk Preserve.  I expected it to be pretty wet and it was.  The muskrat pond has overflowed and the trail that circles it is underwater.  There were water hazards throughout the preserve but I made my way around or through all of them.  Short run but my legs still felt taxed.  I'm guessing it's a mix of Big River hangover and just being generally out of shape when it comes to trails.

Thursday - Johnston, RI - 8 miles

I was able to get out of the house at 6 AM and I wanted to visit on of my old haunts from when I worked at Smithfield.  I've been seeing some Strava runs at the Snake Den state park so that prompted me to return there.  I knew it would be wet and I was not disappointed - there were some pretty dank areas and the connector trail was quite boggy in places.  My Garmin didn't have any juice so I brought my flip phone just so that I could keep track of time.  It was great running these trails again and the climbs up along the powerlines did not disappoint - great views up there.  It looks like folks had taken a chainsaw to one hangout spot and cleared a few pine trees to make the view truly stellar.  I ran for about 75 minutes so I'm calling it 8 miles.  Good to be back in these woods.

Friday - Charlestown, RI - 4.2 miles

Took the dog out for an early jog.  Luckily the rain held off until later in the morning.  We ran into a shitty German Shephard that my wife is always complaining about.  He was in the middle of the road barking at us.  I didn't want to deal with it so we went over to Mohawk/Kickapoo roads instead.

Saturday - 0 miles

I was out late from playing a gig at the Malted Barley.  It went well but four hours of sleep left me in a zombie state for much of the day.  Still got some stuff done though and an afternoon nap helped.  By evening it was time to do it again but this time at the Newport Sportsman Club.  Luckily a reserve of energy kicked in and we had a good show.

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 12.5 miles
After getting home at 3 AM it was another lifeless day.  I dragged myself through it and manageable to get some chores done but as the afternoon crept along I didn't see a run happening.  Another nap helped and I finally made it out in the late afternoon and went over to Watchaug.  I was looking for around 12-13 miles so I did a counterclockwise loop which included Sammy C's, North Camp, Vin Gormley and a bit of the Brrr-lingame ridge trail.  Fun run and I felt good through.  As I approached North Camp I heard a couple dogs that sounded really angry.  I decided to avoid the hellhounds but as I still ran into unleashed dogs as I was heading away from North Camp.  The young women walking behind them couldn't even be bothered with the obligatory "Don't worry they're friendly."   People have no goddamn sense when they bring their dogs into the woods.  

Otherwise it was a fine run.  Plenty of mountain bikers out there and I even saw a couple guys climbing the steep rocks near Buckeye Brook Road.  I tweaked that nerve on the arch of my foot with about four miles to go and it was a pain to run with the rest of the way.  But eventually it settled down.  I was pretty tired by the end but I ended up with a few minutes to kill before picking Em up from work so I checked out a tiny trail network behind the Cross Mills library.  Not much to say about it other than it has some marsh, runs near Route 1 and does a fine job of identifying local trees.

Weekly Mileage: 41 miles
Year to Date: 436.3

Good week of running and fun weekend.  I'd like to keep my mileage in the 40s for the next few weeks.

Weekly Log: 12.22.14 - 12.28.14

Overall I'm feeling much less Doom & Gloom after yesterday's race. My fitness hadn't dropped off nearly as much as I feared and I'm more optimistic about my recovery from this knee injury. I hope to build off that positive experience and have a good week with some decent if short runs.

Monday - 0 miles

I want to run more even if the knee is achey but not the day after Old Mountain. My legs are sore. I guess a hard trail effort after a break will really tax my quads. They're beat up. The knee hurts too of course but nothing major.

Tuesday - Seekonk, MA - 3.5 miles

Last day of work until January 5th! Unlike the last job where time off around the holidays was a pain in the ass to obtain, here the office just closes shop for a few weeks. A major improvement! It was drizzly but not cold so I went over to Caratunk Preserve for one more short run before the break. No one else out there and the trails were in good shape now that the fall leaves had settled/scattered. Knee ached the whole time but it was maneagable.

Wednesday - 0

Christmas Eve and much to do! No time for a run.

Thursday - 0 miles

Merry Christmas! It seems that all my running chums get out there for short Christmas runs in mid-morning. Never really been my thing - I prefer to stay in PJs for as long as possible and shove cookies in my mouth.  At any rate Amanda and I had to make the house ready for both of our families.

Friday - Charlestown, RI - 4.6 miles

I took Oliver out for a noonday run. Driving to the town hall in the morning, I passed Richards Trail on Route 2. It's been awhile since I had been there and I was curious as to if they had expanded the brief trail. They had. They've added a second longer section. Additionally, the trail intersects an unmarked trail heading into Indian territory. We explored it for about a 1/4 mile before returning. I have a feeling it would have eventually led to the Indian church.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - Stonington, CT - 11.7 miles

Jeff sent out an email about a run at Barn Island.  I generally don't make the arduous journey to these group runs in Connecticut but this one worked out.  Garvin arrived at my house and we drove over together.  I met Chris in the driveway to avoid exciting the dog but I learned afterwards that Oliver had gone apeshit anyway and woke up my wife.  Sorry honey.

Met up with Jeff, his speedster son Matthew and Mike B as the sun was coming up.  I've never been on these trails and I was surprised at the amount of land and variety of trails.  Plenty of singletrack but also enjoyable doubletrack along the marshes.  The miles went by fast with plenty of conversation and while the knee ached a bit it wasn't that troublesome.  Overall a fun run and I'm glad I finally got to check these trails out.  Thanks to Jeff for showing us around.  Only about 12 miles but I'm calling it a long run because that's where I'm at these days.

Weekly Mileage: 19.8 miles

Year to Date: 1,717.2 miles

A couple good runs this week - looking forward to finishing the year strong.  I've been battling a pinched nerve in my back which has kind of radiated down my right arm.  It's improving so hopefully I can add some upper body stuff into the mix next week.

Weekly Log: 11.17.14 - 11.23.14

Last full work for a while before Turkey Day next week and my company's annual conference (in Miami!) the week after.  I was glad to see that everyone did so well at Li'l Rhody yesterday.  Bummed I couldn't be a part of it but everyone was having major PRs and I question whether I would have even bested last year's time.

The janky knee has become a part of me.  It teels okay for awhile before becoming sore after a day of activity.  I hope to hit at least 20 miles this week and also get back into some morning bodyweight stuff.  The week ends with one of the few short road races that I really look forward to - the Mews Tavern Gear & Beer 5k.  Well, this year it's a 6.9k but otherwise it's the same crowded race with friends and beer.  Not sure how I'll do but I'm looking forward to it.

Monday - East Providence, RI - 5.9 miles

It was a day of heavy rain but it relented at midday and I ventured out for a run.  Cold out there!  I had a long-sleeve tech shirt, hat and gloves and warmed up soon enough.  A misty rain fell the whole time.  I ran neighborhood roads north towards Pawtucket, finding myself a bit lost on unfamiliar streets.  I had a general idea of where I was and eventually found my way back to the office.  The pace on this run was good - it took some effort to keep it up at first but got easier as it went on.  I was aware of the knee the whole time but it didn't really hurt.

Tuesday - East Providence, RI - 4 miles

I ran some old dirt roads that run along the Seekonk River and retired train tracks.  I left gloves at the office and my hands were frigid!  But after 1.5 miles they warmed up fine.  A lot of water hazards to avoid after yesterday's rain.  This area technically is off limits and as I returned to the entrance I saw a cop pulling someone over.  I decided to backtrack and found another means of escape.  Short run but I felt alright.

Wednesday - Seekonk, MA - 4.1 miles

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

I wanted some trails so I ventured over to the Caratunk Preserve.  Beautiful cold day in the woods.  Kept the pace easy and relaxed.  I tried to follow the powerlines for a bit since they had recently mowed the grass but there were some muddy low-lying areas and I didn't feel like have filthy cold feet.  My knee was achy by the end of it.

Thursday - Charlestown, RI - 3 miles

50 pull-ups (standard/wide)

Early morning dog jog in the dark.  Then some pull-ups.  Glad I'm able to get back to the push-ups/pull-ups without any arm pain.

Friday - East Providence, RI - 6 miles

Cold!  I didn't have much motivation but I got out there and did sort of the reverse of Monday's run.  I warmed up quickly and had a crisp sub-7 minute which didn't feel like work.  Ran up to and through a nice cemetery before returning to the office on different streets.  I started to feel the knee at the cemetery and while it didn't hurt it remained in my mind, reminding me of its janky-ness.

I plan to take tomorrow off in preparation for Sunday's race.  I hoping to put together a good performance.  I honestly don't know what to expect as I haven't pushed my legs to do any speedwork.  We shall see.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - Mews Tavern Gear and Beer 6.9k, Wakefield, RI - 7 miles

Official time: 16:10.  13th overall.  Report here.

Weekly mileage: 30.1 miles

Year to Date: 1631.1 miles

Weekly Log: 8.25.14 - 8.31.14

Monday - 0 miles

The only opportunity to run was in the morning and I chumped out.  Didn't have much oomph and my big toe was aching which was enough of an excuse for me.

Tuesday - Providence, RI - 5.9 miles

22 pull-ups w/ assists (standard/chin-up/close grip) 3/6, 4/4, 3/5, 3/5, 5/4, 4/4

Originally I was going to try to do some hill repeats over on College Hill but I really didn't feel like driving over there and running there probably would've taken too long.  Plus it was hot.  So damn hot.  I opted to still head over to the East Side but instead just run along the swanky neighborhood streets.  I ended up keeping the pace rather peppy for the most part but I took a couple quick breaks in the shade.  Hit the Blackstone trails on the way back for a change of pace (and shade.)

Wednesday - Caratunk Sanctuary, Seekonk, MA - 5 miles

265 push-ups (standard/wide/decline/diamond) 45/40/40/15/45/40/30/10

Another hot day.  I ran over in Caratunk again at a pretty brisk pace all things considered.  Good wildlife sightings.  I ran around Muskrat Pond three times and on my first pass I ran right by one of the pond's namesakes.  I stopped, looked back and we were both startled - it ran off into the underbrush.  On the pond I saw a couple turtles sunbathing on a log.  They plopped in the water every time I ran by.  It was a little cooler in the woods but not by much.

Thursday - Seekonk, MA - 5.9 miles

I went over to the High School track for some speedwork.  It was another scorcher and I was ready to abandon the track idea if the place was filled with high schoolers but I guess school hasn't started yet in Seekonk so I grudingly stuck to my plan.  Almost anyway.  I had planned to do ten 400s but cut it down to eight once I hit the track.  Some big clouds rolled through which helped a great deal.  I probably could have pushed the 400s a little harder but I was still satisfied.  Afterwards I cooled down on the trails along the reservoir.

Splits: 83 / 84 / 84 / 83 / 82 / 81 / 78 / 80

Friday - Smithfield, RI - 12.1 miles

P90X Chest & Back (30 minutes - 1/2 the workout)

After work I started off the long weekend by venturing back to my former employer to once again run the many dirt bike trails in their woods.  I started by exploring the twisty turny stuff behind 900 Salem.  As soon as I entered the woods it was as it felt like I had never left.  Truly the forest is timeless.  The trails ended abruptly where the land had been clearcut but I was surprised to see that they hadn't done much building on the land yet.  I'm sure they will soon.

After only three miles I was feeling parched so I made a beeline for the car behind heading back out deeper into the woods.  The rest of the run was several of my favorite long trails, strung together.  I hadn't forgotten how hilly and technical some of the trails are - I miss being able to train on them regularly.  After about an hour I begun to feel the effort of the trails.  The highlight of the run came near the end when I would out in the open hilly gasline section.  I came upon a couple guys standing on top of a hill next to their jeep, deciding whether to descend a pretty gnarly downhill.  They went for it, jeep bottoming out along the way down, and I enjoyed following them for the rest of this section.  Great Friday run!

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 15.4 miles

Originally I was going to run trails but after 12 solid trail miles on Friday, I opted for easier terrain for this long run.  I went straight down to Charlestown Beach and I began sweating immediately - the humidity was so high.  The beach was pretty nasty from the recent large waves.  Lots of wide red sea weed and tiny bugs hovering everywhere.  I ran down to South Kingstown Beach and it was like that most of the way.  Glad I had my handheld for this run because sweat was pouring off of me throughout.  Mile 10 marked the point when my legs started to get aggravated with me but I tried not to let the pace drop too much and slogged ahead on the local roads back to my house.  Tough run towards the end but a necessary one.

Weekly Mileage: 44.3 miles

Year to Date: 1296.6 miles

Good mix of road and trails this week, including some speedwork.  I want to push the mileage up to 50 next week before enjoying an easier week in the 30 mile range.