Training Log (6/4-6/10)

SUN - AM: 1:57, 17 miles. First run from Ryan's new pad in Hudson and it was a doozy. Good company, comfortable pace and nice trails that aren't nearly as hilly as those at the old stomping grounds. Ran the last two miles or so on my own, finishing up with 6 Driscollian strides on the roads.

MON - AM: 57:10, 8 miles. Solo jaunt on the roads from home on tired legs. 7:26 to start, 6:40-ish pace by the end. This loop is a touch over 8 miles, but I'm guessing yesterday was just south of 17, so it all evens out. PM: 27:45, 4 miles. Loosened up after a stiff first miles. 3 sets of short skips-n-bounds on the grass afterward.

TUES - AM: 28:20, 4 miles. Nice morning for a run. Woke up somewhere around Mile 3 or so. PM: 10 miles. Track workout with the team at Bentley, which I didn't butcher nearly as bad as last week although I still have some work to do on hitting pace. Tonight's assignment was 4 sets of 800 meters-100-meter jog-300 meters with 3-1/2 minutes recovery between sets. Kevin said to start at 2:28/50-ish, see how that felt and go from there. Hit times of 2:26/50; 2:27/49; 2:23/48; 2:22/47, so a little fast on the whole but managed to remain in control throughout. The 800s felt smooth and the pace on the 300s didn't feel nearly as awkward as last week. Mark, Brad and I took turns sharing the pacing duties, which seemed to work out well for the three of us.

WEDS - AM: 72 minutes, 10 miles. West Hill was so washed out even Adam couldn't run fast today, which was of course good news for me. PM: 28:30, 4 miles. Still raining, and a hard rain at that. And to think I actually wanted to live in Oregon.

THURS - AM: 79:10, 12 miles. Double dose of the Hodgie-San Saturday morning 6-mile shuffle, only on Thursday, slightly faster than a shuffle and sans Hodgie. First loop in 40:35, second in 38:35 w/4 Driscoll strides at the end of each one. Solid run.

FRI - AM: 68:50, 10 miles. Rail Trail 10-spot all by my lonesome....out in 35:05, back in 33:45. Legs are rather tired. I wonder if they know what they're in for tomorrow night.

SAT - AM: 30 minutes, 4 miles. Abbreviated Hodgie-San Saturday morning shuffle, actually on Saturday this time, with Hodgie and seriously no faster than a shuffle. PM: 9 miles, Boston High Performance Series 3000 meters. First outdoor track race in a lil over 2 years and boy did it show. Ran 9:03, which is the slowest 3K/2-mile I've run since high school. Goal going in was 8:45/70-sec pace and while we weren't hitting those splits, I was running pretty steadily in the lead at 71-point per lap for much of the race. With 600 meters to go business started to pick up, so I tried making one last-ditch effort at a big move but I was out of gear changes by that point. Everyone and their mother went by me at the bell, closing in 64-66 while I tied up like a tight shoelace and finished my last 400 meters in 81 seconds. Yes, you read that right, 81. And believe me, it hurt like hell. Winning time was 8:48 and I staggered home in 9:03. Yes, I lost 15 seconds in one lap. Yes, that's fucking embarrassing.

WEEK TOTALS: 92 miles, 11 runs. OK, so I scaled things back a little this week, more just to let the last few weeks of heavier training set in than to actually freshen up for Saturday's 3K. I have no plans to taper or rest up for anything until the Philly 1/2 on September 17th and Chicago on October 22nd. Everything up until then is just a means to those ends.

Although I'm not too thrilled with how the 3K turned out this past weekend, there are still a few positives to take out of the experience. My strength is improving every week and I felt strong clicking off 71-72 second quarters, so those were both good signs. I obviously can't change gears right now, but looking back at my last few weeks of training, I probably shouldn't expect to be able to. A few well-timed workouts from Kevin over the next few months should change that. I'll be concluding my abbreviated track season this coming Sunday with a 5K at the New England Championships at MIT and despite the recent shit show, I'm feeling pleasantly optimistic.