Weekly Log: 3.2.15 - 3.8.15

March is here!  And so is the Ocean's Run 1/2 Marathon.  I've run it three times and I signed up way back at the beginning of October during happier running times.  I hadn't been getting the TriMom emails so I was sort of hoping that I had somehow not registered but sadly TriMom confirmed that I am in fact signed up.  Well I don't drop out of races no matter how ill-prepared I am.  Despite sounding doomy and gloomy I'm actually looking forward to this race.  It's always a good time and I feel like it's important to go and give the middle finger to Father Winter.  But my last road race was the Mews 6.9k and I'm curious to see how I'll do based on my lack of speed and distance work.  I am prepared to temper my expectations since I don't see myself besting last year's PR.

Monday - Charlestown, RI - 3.7 miles

More goddamn snow came in the night.  Will it ever end. Plow guy came for the fifth time this winter and luckily it warmed up and melted the new stuff.  I was working from home and took the dog out at midday for a short run.  I'm happy to see lots of melting snow but it made for a slushy run and the dog was filthy when we returned.  Decided not to go out again since I'd like to take it easy this week in preparation for the race.

Tuesday - 0 miles

I left work early for my mom's birthday so no run today.  Kinda bummed as I'm not planning on running tomorrow but maybe an unexpected taper is the best thing for this weekend.

Wednesday - 0 miles

Another zero as today was my first PT session for the bulging disc in my neck.  It's right below my office which is very convenient.  The guy did some work on my neck and then put my head in this traction device for 10 minutes to pull the vertebrae apart.  Good times!

Thursday - Charlestown, RI - 3.8 miles

More friggin' snow.  This one was sort of a surprise wallop.  The snow just kept coming all day - thick and heavy.  I worked from home and didn't have much motivation but finally set out at lunch for a short run in the storm.  The snow was whipping me in the face throughout but I must admit that I was laughing and having a good time.  The nearby roads weren't plowed and it was fun stomping through the fresh powder.  The temp was warm and I really enjoyed being out there.  Finally scored a decent ice beard for the season.

Snowbeard

Friday - Charlestown, RI - 2.8 miles

I grudgingly agreed to take the dog out this morning.  Luckily we had gotten plowed in the night or I probably would have gone back to bed.  At 10 degrees it was cold but once we got moving it was fine.  Deathly quiet out there and everything was caked in snow.  The moon was so bright.  I didn't want to go initially but I enjoyed our short run.

I may be sick of this shit but I must admit it was pretty
spectacular this morning

After the dog jog my janky knee seemed to ache a bit.   Not what I wanted to feel two days before a long road race.  I decided to abort my lunch run and play it safe.

Saturday - Charlestown, RI - 3.2 miles

My poor wife was tied up with work stuff all day so it fell on me to take the dog out.  Beautiful day out there and I'm surprised that there's still snow on the trees.  Another slushy run that resulted in a messy dog.  Yesterday's day long knee ache seems to have passed and there were no ill effects from today's short run.

Sunday - Ocean's Run 1/2 Marathon - 16.7 miles

Shortened course due to winter.  Official time: 1:23:09.  15th overall.  Report forthcoming.

Weekly Mileage: 31. miles

Year to Date: 251.9 miles

Weekly Log: 2.23.15 - 3.1.15

The long slog of February is almost over!  With the end of winter on the horizon (perhaps) I hope to continue to put in some good weeks.  Ocean's Run 1/2 is two weeks away and Brrr-lingame is the week after that but I'm just going to focus on hitting my mileage goals.  We'll see what happens come race day.

Monday - Charlestown, RI - 8 miles

I was working from home today, tasked with getting the well pump working again.  Before work I did three miles with the dog.  By noon the water guys showed up and quickly put in a new well pump.  We were probably long overdue for this so I was glad we finally got it done.  Later in the afternoon I went back out for another five miles on Old Coach and nearby streets.

Tuesday - 0 miles

In the morning I had a appointment with a neurosurgeon about my neck.  I've got a bulging disc which is squeezing the nerve, causing the numbness/tingling down my arm.  Apparently this is a common problem and in fact my spine doc has had it three times.  He's also a runner who just had to bow out of Ocean's Run because of his IT band.  It was fun talking running with him for a few minutes and it made me feel better about the neck situation.  Anyway I'm going to start going to PT for the neck and see if that does the trick.

Wednesday - East Providence, RI - 4.5 miles

I wanted to see if the Ten Mile River Bikepath was still plowed and I met a really annoying dog owner right off the bat.  His beagle was off leash and he had absolutely no control over it.  At least the dog was friendly but all he did was yell at the dog and the dog did not care whatsoever.  The bike path was now down to a singletrack in the snow which I ran until the going got too tough.  On the way back I passed the dog guy and decided to stick to roads for the rest of the run.  In a neighborhood nearby I spied a snowy field - turns out to be more open space I've never explored.  I stuck to the singletrack paths and the running wasn't too bad here.  This connected to trails I've been on next to the Turner Reservoir.  After a bit of exploring, I made my way back to the car.  It's always fun to find new trails however short and I was glad to finally hit some beaten down snow trails.

Thursday - Rehoboth, MA - 8.5 miles

A return to the Wheeler parking lot at the edge of Seekonk and I mapped out another loop on some new roads.  It was cold but pleasant out and I carried the Yaktrax in case I needed them.  I regretted bringing them as they made my hands cold but I took a detour through a neighborhood that was very icy so they ended up coming in handy.  These country roads are ideal for this tough winter - they are wide with little traffic and they don't have much snow/ice on them.  This was a good run and I was pleased with how my body responded considering that I didn't have much pep at the beginning.

Friday - Seekonk, MA - 6.5 miles

Back to the Wheeler parking lot yet again.  I was going to try the East Bay Bike Path but I was skeptical of the conditions and didn't want to be disappointed.  Maybe next week.  Instead I did another of my signature loops.  Nice warmer day and lots of puddles from melting snow which is always a positive development.  By the end I was feeling really good.  So glad the knee is finally back on track.  I suppose that means I need to start getting back to some honest workouts as well.

Saturday - 0 miles

Sunday - North Kingstown, RI - 9.5 miles

I was meeting the family for lunch up near Quonset and decided to try Rome Point for the weekend's "long run."  I had chopped my anticipated 14 mile run down to 10 since Ocean's Run is a week away and I was prepared to go lower based on how the trails were in RP.  This place is very popular and I was happy to see that the trails were all very runnable.  I had the road shoes with Yaktrax and they worked well.  I did the usual trails before heading down the beach.  It occurred to me to continue past the bridge Jonny-style.  I've never actually ran down here and it was the best part of this run.  The shore was frozen over and watching the ice/slush chunks smash into buoys was cool.  This winter may suck and the approaching storm may be another pain-in-the-ass but on at this moment everything was pretty magical down by the water.

I returned to Rome Point and hadn't been back on the trails long when I noticed that my Yaktrax had broke.  Curses!  I wonder if the rocks on the beach had done it.  I was six miles in so I dropped them off at the car and headed back onto the trails.  The road shoes were noticeably more slippery now but overall the traction was still decent enough.  I meandered here and there until I tweaked a nerve on the bottom of my foot and headed back for the car which is just as well as my quads were getting tired from the snow miles.  Just a great winter run.  Finally.

Weekly Mileage: 37.1 miles

Year to Date: 228 miles

Been a while since I ran this many miles in a week.  I've got the standards aches and pains but it feels like things are finally clicking.  And despite another storm to end the week I feel like spring is finally on the horizon.  It's coming!

Weekly Log: 2.16.15 - 2.22.15

Another week of winter.  Hopefully I can keep the running momentum going.  With all the snow I'm not sure when Brrr-lingame will be taking place.  But with three weeks until Ocean's Run, I'm pretty much past the point about being able to do anything to prepare.  Best to just keep the mileage up and see what happens.

Monday - Charlestown, RI - 3.1 miles

It was fucking cold today but luckily I had the day off thanks to Presidents Day.  Took Oliver for a quick jog at lunchtime.  By then the temp was manageable outside.  We had to cut it short as he developed a limp around mile two.  This has happened occasionally to him before.  After a moment he seemed alright and we made our way back to the house with no further incidents.

Tuesday - 0 miles

More fucking snow but this time I'm at work for a change.  It was really coming down in the morning and I had no appetite for driving somewhere on shitty roads to find a place to run.

Look at this shit!

Wednesday - Seekonk, MA - 7.5 miles

Running near work is not possible.  The snow and crazy drivers make the roads death traps for runners.  But the country roads of nearby Seekonk are a different story.  I parked at the Wheeler School track which was immaculately plowed and then did a easy loop with a few side streets thrown in for good measure.  Streets were fairly clear of slop and there weren't too many cars to worry about.  At the beginning I felt tired and wondered how I was ever going to run Ocean's Run 1/2 in 2.5 weeks.  Eventually I loosened up and felt better about things.  My janky knee did hurt a bit towards the end of the run but I'm going to try not to worry about it.

Thursday - Seekonk, MA - 8.5 miles

I enjoyed yesterday's run so much that I decided to return to the Wheeler parking lot and try a new loop.  I usually carry clothes and items for every running contingency but somehow I forgot my hat and gloves.  I settled for my knit Red Sox hat that I had worn by accident at the Belleville Pond 10k.  For my hands I just wrapped them in a couple extra tech shirts I had brought, though it made me look more disheveled than normal.

Actually this run was mostly in Rehoboth and the roads were considerably worse than yesterday from a little snow during the night.  I soon found myself running on all snow but luckily the New Balance road shoes had pretty decent traction.  There weren't too many cars and I could duck to the side whenever one appeared.  Around mile 5 I reached some fancy wide open neighborhood and then the wind really hit me.  My shorts were pretty flimsy and with the cold wind I soon experienced a stinging sensation down under.  It was rather unpleasant for the rest of the run but it wasn't enough to bum me out - this was a fun run otherwise.  I'm looking forward to exploring more of these country roads in the warmer months.

Friday - 0 miles

Colds as balls out there and the company president is coming to the office today for lunch.  Good day to take a zero after the last two days of good running.

Saturday - Charlestown, RI - 12 miles

With band practice the night before and subzero temps in the morning, I had no desire to run early.  As the day wore on the temperature warmed to a balmy 30 degrees but my motivation dwindled even further.  Finally I dragged myself out there as Oliver needed a walk.  We did 5.5 miles, getting pretty dirty in the process.  I dropped him off at the house where Amanda proceeded to give him a bath and I set out again, hitting side roads on the way to the Nordic Lodge.  The Nordic road was still covered in snow and slippery at points but it was nice running in a quiet winterscape.  On the way back to the house my legs began to run out a steam - it's been a while since I ran 12 miles and it showed.  Still I'm glad I defeated my own desire to do nothing and got out there.

Sunday - 0 miles

Wasn't planning on running today and just as well.  It was a rainy, slushy mess out there.  Our well pump finally crapped out at noon which I've been worried about for years.  Finally it happened.  And then the car got stuck in the slush trying to get out of the driveway.   What a messy way to end the week and now we don't have water.

Weekly Mileage: 31.1 miles

Year to Date: 190.9 miles

I hit 30 miles for the week which is what I wanted.  If I can keep this mileage up for the next couple weeks I'll be happy.  Looking forward to getting back in the woods one day.  Now to get this well pump fixed.