Weekly Log: 7.20.15 - 7.26.15

Monday - Seekonk, MA - 7.1 miles

Janky Knee is acting up since Saturday's Beaver race.  It feels off with weird twinges when I'm just standing around.  Annoying.  It was about 93 degrees today and between that and the Janky Knee I came very close to bailing on the lunch run.  But in the end I got it done.  I did a loop on Seekonk country roads and luckily there was a good amount of shade because the few exposed sections of pavement were miserable.  I brought along my water bottle which was drained by the end.  The occasional breeze and cloud cover helped make the run not that awful though I was ready to be done with a mile to go.  Janky Knee felt fine during the run.  It only feels aggravated when I'm not running.

Tuesday - 0 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

Another very hot day and since I wanted to get in a yoga session this week today seemed like the perfect day for it.  There was a lot of stretching which my legs appreciated.  Janky knee was a little less janky today.

Wednesday - Providence, RI - 9.5 miles

250 push-ups (standard/wide) 40/45/40/40/40/45

Still hot out there but a little more forgiving than the last two days.  The Strava Challenge is coming to an end in nine days and my chances are completing it are diminishing with every passing day.  Today I was determined to get in some decent hills some I ventured over to Providence and ran up and down the moderate side of College Hill seven times.  There was a good amount of cloud cover and the grade was moderate so I was able to keep the pace up throughout (though the last climb really wore my legs out).  I ended up with 700 feet of gain which was less than I was going for but I'm pleased that I got over nine miles out of the run.  Janky Knee was absent for the run though on the return trip to the office the back of my knee began to ache, I think from that knee strap thing I was wearing.

Thursday - Exeter/East Providence, RI - 15.8 miles

I knew if I was to have any chance of completing this elevation challenge I'd need better hills.  With my lovely wife taking care of Ezri this morning, it was my chance to run outside of my usual radius around East Providence.  I decided to consult the Strava archives of the Master, since he ran almost 30,000 feet of elevation last month using whatever means he could in southern Rhode Island.  I decided to check out these big climbs he devoured near Cuttyhunk/Fisherville.  It's been awhile since I had run here and there were a huge amount of raspberry bushes in the Cuttyhunk parking lot.  If only I had a bucket! I did a brief section of Cuttyhunk that I was familiar with then took the rocky Stony Lane to Pardon Joslin Rd.  It's a dirt road with two steep climbs, one side unmaintained and unpassable unless you're in a jeep or ATV.

I went back and forth, ascending each hill twice.  I was feeling it on my last climb and had to powerhike part of the rocky side.  Then I ventured into Fisherville Sanctuary as I've never been here before.  Beautiful place with well maintained trails and a perfect little pond in the middle.  I definitely need to come back here again when I'm not killing myself with hills.  After this nice respite, I went and climbed each hill once more before shambling my way back to the car.  Then I realized I had an empty water bottle in the backseat so I filled it up with tasty raspberries.  Total elevation = 1,200 feet.  I've still got a long way to go and a short time to get there but at least I've given myself a chance.

So at lunch I decided to really ramp up the pain train and do a few more miles in the midday sun.  I went to the East Bay bike path and thankfully there was a good amount of cloud cover.  After a mile on the path and went into the neighborhoods above to do...that's right more hill repeats!  Oh the joys of self-imposed lunatic challenges!  These weren't actually too bad but my legs were good and dead so the pace was slow but hey!  Another 400 feet on the day.  So about 16 miles on the day - I think this will end up being my sort of long run for the week.

Friday - Charlestown, RI - 5.4 miles

245 push-ups (standard/wide/decline) 40/45/35/40/50/35

Late in the day I took the dog out for a few miles on the hilly roads above my house.  It was humid and he was looking dog tired after two miles (hyuck, hyuck).  So I cut through the woods and dropped him off at the house and then ventured back for another couple miles.  Only about four miles on these roads but I nabbed another 700 feet of elevation.  Within an hour of this run we were hit with the worst thunderstorm we've had in a while - we even got hail!  I was glad to see that it didn't affect the Blessing of the Fleet race.  There were some dynamite performances this year.  I'm slightly bummed that I decided not to run but there'll be plenty more years to return to it.

Saturday - 0 miles

We had a summer cookout so I was busing setting things up in the morning and entertaining in the afternoon.

Sunday - 0 miles

So after having my share of fun on Saturday, a run today never materialized.  I had wanted to grind out more elevation on those nearby hilly roads but I didn't get it done.  This may have put the Strava challenge out of reach.  Oh well.  That's the way it goes.

Weekly Mileage: 37.9 miles
Year to Date: 1,041.9 miles

Well I grinded out almost 3,700 feet of elevation this week.  Respectable but I chumped it by skipping out on a Sunday run.  That may end up being the deciding factor in my completing this challenge but I'll have no one but myself to blame.

Weekly Log: 7.13.15 - 7.19.15

Run with the Beavers week!  Not counting Ragnar it's been a while since I had a long trail race and this will be my third time running the Beavers 10 Miler.  It promises to be a good time.

In other news my band Hip Bobsha has finished our first album.  It's an EP with six tracks and you should check it out here!

Monday - East Providence, RI - 5.3 miles

220 push-ups (standard/military/wide) 40/30/40/40/25/45

I decided at the last moment to head to the Ten Mile River bike path for some nice and easy miles.  My legs were pretty beat from yesterday's long run in Burlingame and my janky knee was a little achy.  Annoying but it didn't make itself known on the run.  Very hot out there.  Back at the parking lot I saw some dude heading out to walk his dude with a gray parrot perched on his arm.  Go get 'em guy.

Tuesday - Providence, RI - 8.4 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

Another hot one and I set out to beat my self up with some time on College Hill.  I know I need to rest up for the Beaver race but I've got it in my head to complete this Strava elevation challenge which requires over 16k feet of elevation gain for the month of July.  Not sure that I have it in me but I want to take a fair stab at it.  To that end. I wandered over to College Hill and meandered up and down the brutal roads.  The heat and hills wore me out by mile 6 and I was glad I brought a water bottle.  About 900 feet of elevation on this run but it felt like more.

Wednesday - Charlestown, RI - 8.7 miles

235 push-ups (standard/decline/wide) 45/30/40/40/40/40

I was working from home so in the morning I ran down to Charlestown Beach.  It was humid and foggy and the sun was a blur up in the sky.  Pretty cool.  I wanted to jump in the water but the waves were pretty big and I'm not a great swimmer.  I opted to just run down the beach a bit before heading back to the house.  Once back across Route 1, I went up to the hills above my house and ran the roads there for another 1.5 miles (the elevation challenge can't be ignored after all) and then cut through the woods back to my place.  I was a complete sweaty mess by the end of this run.  Grabbed about 400 feet from those neighborhood roads so if I'm serious about completing this challenge I have a feeling I'll be heading back to those hills for some repeats.

Thursday - West Greenwich, RI - 5.2 miles

Okay, time to actually take it easy in preparation for Saturday's race. I stopped at Big River West on the way in to the office and did some easy miles.  I was just going to follow the dirt roads for the whole run but I veered off early to explore a trail.  It was muddy twisty turny fun but I dutifully turned back at 2.5 miles.

I see from Jonny's blog that he's enlisted Mike Galoob into his HammBoner team.  It's sad to see another defection from WTAC and I'm hoping for a repeat of last year's results.

Friday - 0 miles

Saturday - Run with the Beavers 10 Mile Trail Race - 12.9 miles

Official time: 1:11:56.  8th overall.  Report here.

Sunday - 0 miles

My legs are pretty beat up from yesterday's race.  I was content with taking it easy.  Mowing the yard was enough of a workout for me.  Towards the end of the day ol' janky knee made itself known.

Weekly Mileage: 40.6 miles

Year to Date: 1004 miles

Over 1000 miles so far.  It'd be tough to pull off 2000 this year but not impossible.  Just sayin'.

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: 6.8.15 - 6.14.15

Monday - Seekonk, MA - 2.5 miles

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

Wasn't looking to run much today and decided at the last minute to do a loop around the Turner Reservoir and then a couple miles in the Seekonk Meadows.  My janky knee began this weird "pulse" feeling after two miles.  It was sporadic but very noticeable and I decided to bail on the rest of the run.  I wanted this to be a low mileage week anyway and I don't want to chance it.

Tuesday - 0 miles

Bah.  My janky knee is sore today.  The damn thing feels off.  And on the drive home the heel on that foot really began to ache.  My legs are falling apart!

Wednesday - 0 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)

Knee still feels off.  Me no likey.  I did get a decent Ripper session done in the morning.  And at lunch, I went back over and did lunch yoga for the first time in a long time.  I think it's definitely good for me and I need to make a habit of it.  I know I've said that before.  Hopefully tomorrow I can try a short run.

Thursday - Charlestown, RI/Seekonk, MA - 6.1 miles

Did two miles in the morning with the dog.  Knee felt okay but still off a bit.  At lunch I chanced a trail run over in Seekonk Meadows.  I cinched that knee strap thing I have up tight and did four easy miles in the oppressive heat.  I wore my MT00s were are as minimal as trails shoes get - haven't worn them since the Resolution 5k but I do enjoy them so long as the trail isn't technical.  I discovered a new trail that runs out along the river - it's twisty turny and goes by a cool old stone basement.  A shitload of poison ivy on either side of the path so I had to step carefully.  Knee didn't feel any worse while running so I take that as a good sign!  Good lord it was hot though.

Friday - 0 miles

Ab Ripper X (15 minutes)
205 push-ups (standard/wide) 35/35/35/35/30/35

Two times in the week seems to make all the difference with Ab Ripper.  I was able to get through most of the exercises this time.   Then late morning at the office I grinded out some sets of push-ups.

Unfortunately my knee has been achy all day.  I was planning to do six easy but the Jank seems to have definitely returned so I pulled the ripcord and decided to rest it.  I'm pretty bummed - especially being only two weeks removed from Ragnar - but I'm hopeful that a few more days will improve things.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - 0 miles

Knee was achy/sore on Saturday so I rested it as planned.  It was still cruddy on Sunday so I delayed my morning run and instead focused on yard work.  Those afternoon runs rarely materialize when I'm feeling good so I wasn't shocked that I had zero motivation to get out there and eek out a few miles.  Instead we went to East Beach in the late afternoon to take advantage of living so close to lovely beaches.

Weekly Mileage: 8.8 miles
Year to Date: 795.2 miles

Well this week was a bust.  It's hard not to let the janky knee bum me out.  But I'll try to think of this as a positive rest week that let my body otherwise recover.  I did get into a good rhythm of push-ups/core work this week so that's something.

Weekly Log: 3.9.15-3.15.15

Another week and another race.   The Brrr-lingame 10 Mile Trail race is on Saturday and it will prove to be a completely different sort of challenge.  I think everyone had hoped that the trails would be in better condition than they are but winter will have the last laugh.  Let's hope Jonny gets out there every day to stomp 'em into shape.

Monday - 0 miles

My legs are pretty beat up from yesterday's 1/2 marathon.  My hamstrings are especially sore.  I guess that's what happens when you run 12.5 miles at a hard effort with no speed work in months.

Tuesday - East Providence, RI - 5.2 miles

It finally feels like spring with temps in the 40s and melting snow all over the place!  Based on how the snow is retreating from the roads I had hoped that the East Bay Bike Path would be clear (or at least clear-ish).  No such luck so I parked at the path and stuck to neighborhood roads.  Discovered a road called Seth Street which I considered putting a segment on but it's pretty short.  My legs are still really sore from the race and I didn't have much pep.

Wednesday - East Providence, RI - 2.7 miles

So the East Bay Bike Path was a wash.  What about the Ten Mile River bikepath?  This one I knew had been plowed and featured some singletrack.  Surely with the warm weather I'd be able to venture further than before.  Not quite.  The section that was previously runnable was still runnable but it was tough going the rest of the way.  I didn't quite make it to Slater Park and had to take several breaks on the way back. If this is what the trails are like on Saturday then we're all in real trouble.  By the time I got back to the car I was tired and frustrated and didn't feel like tacking on any more.

Thursday - Charlestown/North Kingstown, RI - 10 miles

I took Oliver out in the cold dark morning for 2.5 miles.  I wasn't too gung ho but Amanda was appreciative that I took him out and once we were moving it was fine.  Couple slippery spots with all the recent melt/freezing.

After work I went to the band house and did 7.5 miles before practice.  I was feeling pretty tired but at least the soreness from the race finally wore off.  After doing the Snuff Mill loop I opted to jump into Rome Point.  It was starting to get dark and the trails were in pretty good shape and fairly runnable.  I didn't wear my knee band thing and janky knee started to get achy by the end.

Friday - 0 miles

An intentional rest day before tomorrow's race plus I had another doctor's appointment in the morning for the neck thing.  Scanning messages in the waiting room when I learn that Galoob postponed tomorrow's race due to shitty conditions.  Apparently the melting has actually made the course worse and with heavy rain all morning it would probably not be a great idea to run.  Oh well.  Unfortunately it looks like the make-up date will conflict with my trip to Atlanta in a couple weeks so I may have to miss this one.

Saturday - Charlestown, RI - 2.8 miles

Well no Brrr-lingame today and with the rainy morning I can't say I miss it.  Amanda went up to Brown for a meditation retreat so it fell on me to take Oliver out in the morning.  The rain wasn't too heavy but drying him off afterwards is a pain.

Sunday - Westerly, RI - 8 miles

Fun group run with WTAC from 5k's house.  Chris brought his friend Mike Vqnce.  The pace was pretty peppy right off the bat and it was a little more work than I bargained on but I hung in there.  We ran down to Misquamicut Beach and the rising sun was amazing.  The short beach run was tough but enjoyable.  I had told Jonny I wanted to tack on a few more miles but once we stopped at the cars I lost any motivation to continue.  Sorry Jonny.  Luckily Muddy was a better friend and continued on with him.  Then I saw that Jonny ended up tacking on an additional twelve miles so I don't feel too bad.

As the afternoon wore on I started getting brief intermiddant stinging pain behind the janky knee.  Not sure what that's all about but hopefully it's a temporary pain that'll be gone by tomorrow.

Weekly Mileage: 28.7 miles

Year to Date: 256.7 miles

Weekly Log: 2.9.15 - 2.15.15

Monday - 0 miles

Ow!  Achy quads after yesterday's snow slog at Ryan Park.  Think I'll take it easy today.

Tuesday - Charlestown, RI/Seekonk, MA - 7.5 miles

I took Oliver out for 3.5 miles in the morning.  At lunch, I drove off in search of viable running grounds.  I decided to see if the Caratunk Sanctuary was broken in at all but there was a trash collector that appeared to be stuck getting out of the parking lot.  The neighborhood roads on the opposite side of the road were snow covered and promising so I backtracked to a nearby empty parking lot at a church.  Slapped on the Yaktrax and after a short section of pavement I reached the neighborhood.  These roads were great with the 'trax.  The trash truck finally got out of the parking lot and I checked out the trails.  Someone had some luck snowshoeing but I sank in deep almost immediately and decided to return to the snowy roads for the rest of the run.

Wednesday - Wakefield/Hopkinton, RI - 10.1 miles

I had an MRI in the morning on my janky neck that's making my whole right arm numb.  But I had a few minutes to kill so I the hit the nearby roads.  Not too cold and the roads had good crunch snow for traction.  It was my first time in the MRI machine - it didn't bother me too much but I could see it freaking people out.

I had to pick Em up from dance so I got there an hour early and ran in the dark.  It was in the high teens but I felt good.  Hadn't been on these roads in awhile.

Thursday - 0 miles

No run today - instead I used my lunch break for some beard love at Chez Moustache.  So glad they had parking available.  The East Side is slowly being crushed by snow.

Friday - Charlestown, RI - 12.6 miles

I took the day off since the furnace guy was coming in the morning to service the furnace.  I took Oliver out for a couple miles before he showed up.  Sweet niblets it was cold.  We both wanted to get it over with - it might be our fastest dog jog ever.  Then I brewed what I think will be a kickass IPA.

Towards the end of the day I set out and did a lollipop shaped route up to Biscuit City Road.  I love this road's name and took the opportunity to explore a few side streets I'd never been on.  Around mile six I got a call from my nurse practitioner with the MRI results.  Not good.  Apparently I've got bulging discs, narrowed nerves - that's some repugnant shit!  Next step is to see a spinal doctor.

But this call came while I was in the middle of a great run so I took the news in stride (hyuck, hyuck). Roads are finally looking much clearer after all the recent storms.  Of course we've got more snow this weekend.  The fun never ends.

Saturday - Charlestown, RI - 3.7 miles

More goddamn snow.  We had to push Ezri's birthday party to next weekend.  I'm sure we'll get more snow then but what are you going to do?  I did a short run with Oliver as some big fat flakes began to fall.  Then we retreated back to the house for the latest storm.  Amanda made stuffies for dinner as I had requested them - she is a such a super lady.

Sunday - 0 miles

Props to all my running friends that ventured out to get in some blizzard runs.

Weekly Mileage: 33.9 miles

Year to Date: 159.8 miles

Good week of running!  This was actually my highest mileage week since mid-October.  Yikes!  But a lot of positive runs this week.  Pretty good considering I only ran four days.

Weekly Log: 1.26.15 - 2.1.15

Snow!  With a blizzard bearing down on us to start the week, I'm not sure how the runs will pan out.  We'll see...

Monday - 0 miles

Went up to Providence for two hours, sent myself some files and stuff I needed and then returned to South County before the snow began in earnest.  I would've liked to have fit a run in on the way back home but my ankle is really sore from yesterday's run.  Decided to be smart and rest it.

Tuesday - 0 miles

Spent the day shoveling, working from home and enjoying the blizzard.  Luckily the snow was light and didn't cling to branches or powerlines.   The fear of no electricity was never realized though we were prepared for it.

Wednesday - Charlestown, RI - 8 miles

The storm over and our driveway plowed, I spent another day working from home.  At lunchtime I took Old Coach up to Biscuit City before heading back and then up to the Nordic Lodge.  Roads weren't in great condition with lots of snowy/slushy sections.  I wore the yaktrax for the first time this season and they served me well.  Fun run and it was beautiful out there.  Ankle felt alright and I forgot to wear my knee band again but the knee was okay too.  Dare I say that I'm finally getting better?

Thursday - 0 miles

So much for getting better.  I've got an acute pain in the back of my knee.  Definitely a different feeling than the normal janky knee feeling but it's enough to make me think I shouldn't run today.  Also my arm/finger discomfort stemming from my hurt neck is particularly annoying today.

Friday - Seekonk, RI - 5 miles

Knee felt better and even though I didn't have any desire I forced myself out for a run.  I went over to the wide quiet streets of Seekonk.  I found a neighborhood of fancy houses.  The streets had a good amount of packed snow on them and they made for good running.  I thought about bringing the Yaktrax but opted not too and I was fine in just my trail shoes.   33 degrees and a few flurries made it a really enjoyable run.

My doctor's office called as I had an x-ray done for my painful neck/arm thing.  Apparently it might be "nerve narrowing" which doesn't sound too good.  An MRI will probably be the next step.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - 0 miles

I went roller skating with the girls yesterday.  I haven't been in years and of course today my janky knee is feeling the effects.  I decided to play it smart and take another day off.  Of course, then we got a killer snowtube and I built a gnarly jump at the end.  Took a mighty digger and of course I landed right on Jank McStank.  Seems alright but yikes that was close.

Weekly mileage: 13 miles

Year to date: 100.3 miles

So a pretty lackluster week thanks to the blizzard and more aches 'n pains.  With another storm set for Monday we'll see what next week brings.

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: 12.8.14 - 12.14.14

Monday - Westerly, RI - 11.4 miles

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

The office was closed due to much of the staff returning from Miami the day before.  With the day off, I had originally envisioned a long Arcadia run but the morning began to get away from me and I had shopping scheduled in Westerly for the afternoon.  I had considered Woody Hill but I opted for the Grills Preserve which I'm more familiar with.  Good thing too, as my entire run was accompanied by the sound of gunfire coming from Woody Hill.

It was a little chilly but I warmed up quickly.  I followed the trails along the perimeter of Westerly Grills, before crossing the magical silvery bridge and taking on the technical trail.  I was around five miles at this point and the ol' janky knee was beginning to ache as usual but I bore on and it never got worse.  The miles ticked away and I was pleased to get over ten.  It was nice to finally be out in the woods and get in a decent trail run.  Felt good!

Tuesday - 0 miles

Fuck this knee.  After yesterday's Grills adventure I can barely walk down the stairs today.  You'd think I just ran a 50k.

Wednesday - East Providence, RI - 5 miles

Gah, I've got some kind of painful twinge at the base of my neck.  I don't think it's from the push-ups as I had some DOMS yesterday but otherwise felt fine.  Hopefully it'll disappear in a day.  Tomorrow I have an appointment with the sports medicine doc in the office below mine.  Knee is still sore from Grills but I figure I should give it some work today so that it's easy to identify the sore spots tomorrow.  I felt alright during the run - the run itself was unremarkable but the Ten Mile River was impressively high thanks to the recent rains.  I can only imagine was a disaster this area was during the March 2010 floods.

Thursday - 0 miles

Neck still hurts.  Went to the doc who said that according to my X-rays my janky knee looks great.  He thought it's probably just a minor thing brought on by overuse.  He recommended keeping the mileage low and very gradually raising based on how the knee's feeling.  I almost wish he had found something definitive on the X-ray as "staying the course" hasn't done me much good so far.  Guess I'll just keep the mileage very low for a while and see if that helps.

Friday - 0 miles

No running today and now I can't even do upper body stuff because my goddamn neck still hurts.

Saturday - 0 miles

I hate bailing on a group run so close to my house but I'm going to rest my knee considerable for awhile.  On the plus side I did make another 2.5 gallon batch of 15 Minute Pale Ale this morning.  I got the entire prep/brew/clean-up process down to 90 minutes which is not too shabby!  At night I was sitting on the couch and I stretched my other leg too far - my calf seizes up something terrible.  I haven't had one that bad in a while and it took a while before it loosened up.

Sunday - 0 miles

Now not only does my right knee ache but my left calf is extremely sore from last night's seizing.  Had quite a limp first thing in the morning.  It improved over the course of the day but it was still tender to the touch by the evening.  I took Oliver over to Carter Preserve for a dog walk - he's such a spazz when we walk in the woods.  He nearly strangles himself on the leash he's so excited.  It works much better when we run but there would be no running today.

Oliver is either yawning, barking or choking.  Take your pick.

Weekly Mileage: 16.4 miles
Year to Date: 1,683.6 miles

This week started off with a great run and went to shit from there.  Looks like I'm going to have to dial back the running even further in the hopes of besting this janky knee.  I still hope to run the Old Mountain 5k next weekend though I'm not in racing shape.

Weekly Log: 12.1.14 - 12.7.14

Time to head off to Miami!  I fly to Florida on Tuesday for my company's annual meeting.  I stay through Friday.  I should be kept very busy during the event but I'm hopeful that I can sneak out for a couple early morning runs.  There's a three mile jogging path that lines the perimeter of the resort which holds a ridiculous amount of Strava segments that go every which way.  Looking at the best times, they would be ripe for the pickin' if I was at 100% (most call for a average speed of just under 6 min/mile.)  However as faithful readers know, I am definitely not 100% thanks to my janky knee.  So we'll see how it goes.

Truthfully I'm starting to really get bummed out by this janky knee.  I had thought that rest and low mileage would have allowed it to heal up.  But it's not any better and has become the worst injury of my running life.  It's frustrating and I was really looking forward to Miami runs which will unfortunately have to be tapered.

Monday - 0 miles

19 pull-ups (standard/chin-up) 6/5/5

Beautiful day in Rhode Island and I had planned to run at lunch.  But I decided to scrap it and rest up so that I can make the most of my attempts in Florida. A pathetic excuse by there you have it.  Oh and I aborted my morning pull-ups when I felt that familiar strain in my elbow.  I'm falling apart.

Tuesday - 0 miles

Woke up at 3:45 for my early drive to the airport.  Spent the day traveling and organizing stuff for the meeting.  78 degrees in Florida - I could get use to that.  And the resort is top notch - my room has a veranda and everything.

Beautiful Course

Pool was open 24/7.  I got in there once.

Despite trees and lights it just doesn't feel like Christmas
in the sub-tropics

Wednesday - Aventura, FL - 3.1 miles

I had to be downstairs to prep for the first day of the conference at 6 AM so I woke up at 4:45 in order to check out the jogging path which circles the resort.  75 degrees and humid out there but a welcome change from northern weather.  The path is well lit but it curves so slowly that I thought I had veered off it and missed a turn.  I decided to turn around at 1.5 miles so as not to be late.  It was only afterwards that I realized that I had never left the path - I was half way around when I turned back.  What a maroon.

Thursday - Aventura, FL - 3.7 miles

I woke up again at 4:45, this time determined to run the full loop.  I went in the opposite direction, exploring a side street as well.  The thing about this town - every "neighborhood" street is gated, which severely hampers exploration.  There's also canals and ponds everywhere.  Still, the warm temp was lovely and this time I was able to complete the whole loop.  Somehow I managed to not hit a single segment on either of these runs.

Wednesday and Thursday were very busy at the convention and we worked from 6 AM to about 7 PM on both days.  We all took turns taking breaks but they were still very long days.  At night we'd go out for food and drinks.  Fun times but it was rough getting up even earlier to fit in these short runs.

A man could get use to this

Friday - Aventura, FL - 10.3 miles

Last day in Florida.  I worked the conference until noon and then I had some time to kill before my flight home.  I wanted to get to the beach at least once on this trip - despite being one mile from the beach it's not easy to get to.  The highway next door is not open to foot traffic and between all the gated communities and water hazards it took five miles to get there.

I ran through a ritzy casino/outdoor mall place and then along a busy road until I finally reached the water.  The beach was narrow due to high tide and recent rains had washed up tons of seaweed and jellyfish.  I ran along it a short ways before turning around and retracing my path.  The midday sun/heat took its toll on the return trip and I took a couple brief rests along the way.  Placed second or third in a couple Strava segments - would've pushed harder had I known they were there.

Back at the hotel, I had already had to check out of my room but I made use of their gym locker room which was as fancy as everything else in this place.

A dozen huge ducks hung out along the jogging path

Along the way: massive statues depicting the age old battle
between pegasus and dragon

Saturday - 0 miles

Back in Rhode Island where it was cold and rainy.  Knee was achy after yesterday's run - my longest since Bimbler's.  Figured I'd take it easy and run tomorrow.

Sunday - 0 miles

Run didn't happen.  I always think I'll fit it in later in the day but of course that never happens.  Need to get it in early before life gets in the way.

Weekly Mileage: 17.2 miles

Year to Date: 1667.2 miles

Weekly Log: 11.24.-14 - 11.30.14

The last week of November?  How did that happen?  With a four day weekend on the horizon I hope to maybe get a decent longish run but we'll see.  Will my endurance be as shaky as my speed?

Monday - 0 miles

My knee was pretty sore from the Mews race yesterday so I decided it was best to just rest it.

Tuesday - Charlestown, RI - 4.8 miles

P90X Chest & Back (25 minutes)

I started off the day with good ol' Chest & Back, figuring the warm-up/stretching routine at the beginning would help since I had tweaked my elbow doing pull-ups a few weeks back.  I was only a few sets in when I felt a twinge in my back doing pull-ups.  Great.  I cut it short and within a few hours it hurt to turn my neck.  This kind of twinge usually abates within a few days and then I'm good to resume but it's frustrating nonetheless (especially on my commute when I need to turn my head to merge.)

I left work early for my yearly physical (hearty as an ox) and then went over to Charlestown beach for a short run before dark.  I battled the wind down to the breachway and then took the dirt road back to the car for my gloves.  Then I followed the beach down to Green Hill.  The waves were huge and with the wind at my back the going was easy.  The return trip - not so much.  But the sky was salmon and pink as the sun set and I found myself smiling as I pushed into the wind.

Wednesday - 0 miles

Nasty noreaster outside - luckily it was mostly rain for my work/home though there was some sleet coming down up in East Providence.  At any rate, between the nasty conditions and the boss letting us go home early to enjoy the four day weekend, there was no running today.

Thursday - Charlestown, RI - 5 miles

I took the dog out on a Turkey Day trail loop.  We parked at Browning Woods, ran the trail clockwise to the Heart trail and took that over to Sand Trail Road.  We explored the trails along the sand pits briefly - I've said it before but it's a shame that everyone uses this like a dump.  There is no hope for people.  Then we followed the dirt road back to Gravelly Hill Rd.  A nice five mile loop.  We encountered two people with dogs on the run and amazingly Oliver did not have a barking freak-out with either one.  I'm going to chalk it up to his being exhausted as he doesn't normally run this far.

Friday - Charlestown, RI - 8 miles

I met up with Jonny, Muddy and Jeff for an early morning Black Friday beach run.  We started at the Breachway Grille parking lot and ran down to the Breachway.  From there we took the beach down to Green Hill.  Pace was good but the knee began to ache as we approached Green Hill.  I opted to bail at this point to give the knee a break.  Plus Amanda was waiting for me at home to take Em to get her driver's permit.  I took the roads back to the car, making a brief detour for the tiny trail loop in Green Hill park.  Turns out the rest of the guys only went a little bit farther and made it a 10 mile loop.  Guess I could have stuck with them after all.  But the knee was plenty sore later in the day so it's probably best I quit when I did.  This was my longest run since Bimbler's.

Saturday - 0 miles

Knee is definitely sore from yesterday's run.

Sunday - 0 miles

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

Shame to waste a gorgeous final November day but I wasn't getting up early to run and in the afternoon Amanda and I grinded out several hours of necessary yard work.  The raking was enough to irritate my knee.

Weekly Mileage: 17.8 miles
Year to Date: 1,650 miles

A couple good runs this week but it's clear that my knee just isn't getting better.  I suppose a long rest is needed to make this right.  I have an appointment with a sports medicine doc in a couple weeks but until then I guess I'll just play it by ear and listen to my body.

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: 11.10.14 - 11.16.14

Li'l Rhody Runaround week is here but I won't be towing the line this year.  With my knee still achy and a dearth of running since Bimbler's, I don't feel like I'm in shape to compete.  Perhaps that's just in my head but whatever.  I'm looking forward to volunteering and seeing all my running friends as it's been awhile.

I'm hopeful that I can get over 20 miles this week and begin to prepare for the 4th Season Trail Series which will be here before you know it.  Looking at my mileage chart so far this year, you can see that I was on pace to hit 2000 (the light blue line) up until Bimbler's.  Now I'm flatlining. I know I shouldn't get worked up over hitting arbitrary mileage goals (that's what janked my knee up in the first place) but it's hard.

Flatlining

Monday - East Providence, RI - 5 miles

18 pull-ups (standard/chin-up) 8/10

Started my morning pull-up routine but something didn't feel right so I bailed.  Now a few hours later and my left elbow really hurts.  Damn it.  Picking up stuff with that arm is painful.  That's all I need.

It was 32 degrees when I woke up but by noon in the city it was 55 and gorgeous.  Ran across the bridge to the East Side and explored the Blackstone Park trails and nearby streets.  Pace was in the mid 7's but I was working hard and it made me feel out of shape.  As I ran back to the office I picked up the pace and felt better about the run after it was over.

Tuesday - Charlestown, RI - 5 miles

Arm really hurts.  Bit of a bummer.  But I took the day off because we threw a surprise party for Em who turned 16 yesterday!  In the afternoon, I went over the Carter Preserve and did a fun loop.  I explored a side trail I had seen before in the grassland loop - it led down to the train tracks.  I hoped to see a train go by but no such luck.  Maybe one day I'll venture across and explore the other side.

Wednesday - Seekonk, MA - 4 miles

Arm still hurts.  This is bullshit!  Guess no upper body work at all this week.  At lunch I did an easy loop around the Turner Reservoir.  I explored a side street to check out the houses that line the pond.  So that's how the other half lives.  Very nice.  Knee was pretty achy by bedtime.

Thursday - 0 miles

I chumped out of a run after work.  I convinced myself that it was because I'm still on the mend from the knee thing but the truth is that it was dark after work and I didn't have the motivation to venture out there.

Friday - 0 miles

No running but I did check out a gentleman's barber shop on the East Side for a beard trim and an old fashioned straight razor neck shave.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - 0 miles

No runs materialized for me this weekend.  Yard work yesterday seemed to aggravate my janky knee.  I got to help out though before the Li'l Rhody race.  It was good to see the familiar folks, however briefly.  Looks like there were some absolutely dynamite performances today!

Weekly Mileage: 14.1 miles

Year to Date: 1,601 miles