Taking it back

7:55 AM - 14 miles, 1:35:30 - Borderland State Park.

Great run back at the Motherland this morning after an awesome night in Norton at the humble home of Sean and Melissa Kinney, who just celebrated three, yes, three, years of marriage. It seems like just yesterday I was waving goodbye to the usual suspects at the reception hall, bound for uncertainty in Oregon, only to return homesick and broke two months later. Now those two are thinking about having kids, Reino and Jess are getting married next summer, I'm building a house and Bergie has a serious girlfriend. Either we're getting old or Danny Ainge is getting ready to convince Michael Jordan to make his third NBA comeback with the Boston Celtics next season.

As for the run, it went pretty well. I felt strong, I was able to gradually ratchet down the pace and I was glad to be back on familiar ground. I'm not gonna wax nostalgic like I did last month, but I will briefly reiterate the fact that I LOVE running here, here referring to the Stonehill campus, Sheep Pasture, Town Forest and the crown jewel of this off-road collection, Borderland State Park. I don't know what's so appealing to me about these trails, but I suspect much of it has to do with the fact that this little dirt-covered piece of heaven on earth is where I became a runner. I learned a lot about myself every time I took off down these trails, and today was no different.

I'll keep this morning's self discoveries to, well, myself, but I will share something else I learned about 4 miles out from campus -- the current edition of the Stonehill men's cross country team is going to be nothing short of scary this season. I ran into those bastards this morning, all 21 of them (yes, 21!) and the early report from KcoachB sounded promising. These guys were 10th in the country last season, are led into by a pair of returning All-Americans and boast a class of incoming freshmen that would most assuredly make a lot of Division 1 coaches with a large scholarship budget jealous. The path this program has taken since clowns like me were running around in singlets emblazoned with a large purple feather is nothing short of amazing. I'm proud to call myself an alumni, and even though I never called any of these current Chieftains, I mean Skyhawks, my teammate, I look forward to watching KcoachB's boys tear up the grass this season.

I'm also looking forward to going to bed soon, but before I hit the hay, here's a few weekend performances worth noting:

1. NB-Boston teammate and resident trail bird, Ryan Carrara, on going 2-for-2 at the Thomas Chamberas cross country race and the Mt. Toby Trail Race yesterday and today. That's one tough double, but Ryan's one tough dude. Plus, anyone who bases the location of his home on its proximity to off-road running options is made for this kind of crazy stuff.

2. Fellow blogging badass and Whirlaway road whore Shad Miller on winning today's Marshfield Sufferfest, I mean 20K. A very impressive run over a tough course on a miserable day for a long race, not to mention perhaps the most physically exhausting means of raising the necessary funds to take your wife out for a celebratory dinner that I've ever heard of!

Quote of the Day

"I hate it with a passion when I hear coaches talk about bad luck. I don't believe in bad luck, and I don't believe in good luck. I believe preparation puts you in position to have good results."
- Tim Pitcher

Training Log: August 19-25

Sunday - OFF. The foot feels better but I don't feel like pushing my luck today. I may do so tomorrow, however.
Monday - AM: 6 miles, 44:00. Hopedale. Two loops of the pond (22:15/21:05) and a little add-on to get back to the car. Foot tender at times, barely noticeable at others, but definitely sore afterward. Felt good otherwise.
Tuesday - AM: 7 miles, 50:20. AHS track. Ran 3 miles down to the high school, looped around the turf fields for a mile, then headed back home. Foot didn't pose much of a problem but left hip all out of whack. Hopefully it's nothing a little targeted stretching can't take care of. OK, a lot of targeted stretching.
Wednesday - AM: 8 miles, 56:30. RockPak 8. 7:24 to start, 6:51, 6:40, 6:22 for the last 3. Foot fine, hips better, glute still tight but better than earlier in the week. Slowly making some progress.
Thursday - AM: 5 miles, 36:35. Pakachoag 5. Solo slogfest before work. Snuck under 7 for the downhill last mile but otherwise I was crawling. PM: 5 miles, 38:00. Shepherd Hill. Ran around with some high school kids on their first day of practice. These kids kill me. They don't train all summer then go out and try to kill it for 5-6 miles on the first day of practice. It started getting ugly for them somewhere around Mile 4. Ah, to be young and stupid.
Friday - AM: 10 miles, 1:10:00. West Hill. Back to the scene of last week's crime, only this time I escaped scot-free. Had a nice run with A-10 on some newly discovered trails. Mind you we've been running some variation of the same three loops here for the past 7 years. The change did us good.
Saturday - AM: 10 miles, 1:08:00. Crack Path 10. The air was thick and it swallowed me whole.

Totals - 51 miles, 7 runs. Good week all things considered. Foot was still a bit tender Monday and Tuesday but pretty much feeling normal again by Wednesday. Proud of myself for not pushing through this latest little niggle like the idiot I've been known to be. I'm chalking this up as a down week, which while unexpected probably wasn't such a bad thing. Gradually gonna kick it back up from here.

Quote of the Day

"With two laps to go, I was thinking that fifth or sixth would be good, but then I thought about running in the sauna suit, and the 90-mile weeks, and the aqua jogging, and I said to myself, 'sprint.'"
- Kara Goucher, World Championships bronze medalist, 10,000 meters

Great escape

9:30 AM - 10 miles, 1:10:00 - West Hill.

I returned to the scene of last week's crime and am happy to report that I escaped scot-free this time around. A-Ten and I had a nice little run on some of the newer trails around West Hill that he, Jeff and Dan discovered earlier this summer. Mind you the founding fathers of the WHTC have been running some variation of the same 3 loops for the past 7 years, so this little deviation from the norm was a most welcome change.

Getting off the roads, for me at least, was a welcome change as well. I was a little worried how the foot would react to the terrain changes of the trails but thankfully I didn't have any problems. Unlike last week, I was able to successfully put one foot in front of the other this morning, greatly reducing the chances of any new, unforeseen, freakish, not to mention annoying, injuries.

With any luck, I'll be able to avoid any more unwelcome hiccups as we head toward the fall season. It would sure be nice to stay healthy for more than 6 months, get in some consistent training and race cross country again. Yes, it would be nice, like really, really, I-can't-put-it-into-words nice.

And before I pull the plug on this entry, welcome Casey Moulton into the running blog mix. It's good to have him aboard.

Quote of the Day

"I believe I can. I know I am prepared. Can I do it? I think I can."
- Craig Mottram on whether or not he can win the World Championships 5,000 meters.

What's yours is mine

7:55 AM - 5 miles, 36:35 - Pakachoag 5.
6:35 PM - 5 miles, 38:30 - Shepherd Hill.

Since Jeff seems to have hijacked one of the signature elements of the daily runaround, I figure it's only appropriate to return the favor and hold his usual entry header hostage until further notice. Or we can just call it a fair trade. Whatever works for you, 'mate.

Anyway, let me try to make some sense of the chicken scratch in italics at the top of the page you're most likely trying to decipher. Here goes.

This morning's 5-mile slog before work was just that. Energy levels were low and I just felt plain t-i-r-e-d. Lack of sufficient sleep will have that effect, I guess. Thankfully, my foot feels a lot better and the persistent soreness and tenderness that have been camping out under my right big toe since last Friday have finally packed up and gone elsewhere. Hopefully those two unwelcome little bastards don't come back anytime soon.

As for the details of the run, I did manage to sneak under 7 minutes for the last mile, but it wasn't without the aid of a more-than-generous downhill. For those of you who've run these same roads with me, you know the last mile back to my parents' house is about as close as you may ever come to actually falling off a cliff.

The afternoon jogfest wasn't much faster than this morning, but I have the boys and girls of the Shepherd Hill Regional HS cross country teams to thank for dragging me around at a leisurely clip. Today was the first day of practice for both squads and coaches Nancy Roberts and Aiden Kearney asked me to give the kids a quick shoe clinic before the fun started. I stuck around afterward for a 3-mile tour of the Rams' cross country -- or more accurately road race -- course with the Aiden's upperclassman boys and then hit the old cinder track for 2 more miles while Nancy's girls busted out a 2-mile time trial, Tour de France style, with runners taking off after one another at 30-second intervals. "I'm working the girls hard from Day 1 this year," the coach commented. As you should coach, as you should.

And I should cut this entry short right here and get my tired carcass to bed so I'm not dragging ass again all day tomorrow. I have the day off from work, but I really want to make a better effort at getting to bed at a decent hour. A little rest goes a long way, or so I'm told anyway.

Quote of the day:

"I feel like more than ever that everything counts – EVERYTHING."
- Matt Gabrielson

Hardly working

I think the best part about my job at the running store that it never actually feels like work. Sure, I get paid for being there and yes, I look forward to my days off, but when I'm on the floor fitting feet, taking inventory, placing orders or just shooting the shit about this race or that shoe, I'm doing what I love to do, with people I enjoy being around, and that my friends makes me one happy store manager.

Case in point: today. I got to the store around 9:45, worked the full day, finished up an inventory and tied up some loose ends after closing before finally hitting the road around 8:15. Yes, it was a long day and no, these aren't my typical hours, but not once did I look up at our nifty Mizuno finish line clock wishing that I could escape, not even after a pain-in-the-ass customer tried to nickel and dime me to death over the undesirable color of her daughter's cross country spikes. Sorry lady, she already gets a 10% discount and no, I can't tap those lime green suckers with my magic wand and turn them purple. Thank-you, however, for bringing some comic relief into my afternoon.

Speaking of comic relief, I had an old guy come in this morning from all the way out in Orange, a good hour or so drive from the store. Impressed he had traveled such a great distance to fund us, I just had to ask this fella what brought him all the way out to Westboro to buy his running shoes. Was he just driving by and happened to notice the store, referred by a physical therapist, visiting a friend, or checking us out because of our excellent reputation for fitting people in shoes?

"Don't let him convince you he came all the way out here just for shoes," chimed in his brother, who was assisting the Orangeman in the shoe-buying process. "My brother deal pickles. He has a lot of clients out in this part of the state."

"Deals pickles?," I asked the brother, puzzled and hoping this wasn't code for some sort of lewd act you'd suspect someone from Orange to take part in.

"Hey, at least it's not crack or cocaine," the Orangeman snapped back with from the rear of the store, as my co-worker Matt nearly fell to the floor from laughter.

When all else fails, it's always our customers that keep me going. There's something new to look forward to every day, whether it's taking on the challenge of a difficult fit, picking an old warrior's brain about training back in the day, sharing injury advice with a frustrated marathoner, answering a new runner's questions about what kind of socks to wear or just shooting the shit with some high school kid who recently joined the cross country team to get in shape for basketball, even if that kid is 12 years old, black as night and 6-foot-2 with a size 14 shoe. And no, I'm not even joking, but something tells me this guy's not gonna quit basketball to run long distance year round.

That being said, working with the high school kids is an absolute blast. Yes, they're weird, and no, half of them don't have any idea what they're getting themselves into, but on the whole their enthusiasm is infectious, which in turn has helped renew my own excitement for this crazy sport.

And it makes work that much more enjoyable as well. Time flies when you're having fun.

Quote of the day:

"Well, what have you got? I usually just down three cocktails and pop a naproxen before bed and that seems to do the trick."
- The Orangeman's response when I offered to suggest some home treatments for dealing with plantar fasciitis. His remedy may actually be more effective than my recommendation of rolling his ailing foot around on a frozen water bottle.

Promising developments

Behold my beautiful backyard. A little landscaping might be in order next spring, but for now it's showing promise.

Speaking of showing promise, the bottom of my foot was feeling a bit better this morning, so much so that I went out and ran 6 miles on it. The sunavabitch didn't let out so much as a whimper as I floated around the small slice of heaven more commonly referred to as the Hopedale Parklands, but started barking at me almost immediately while stretching and walking around afterward. Luckily a water bottle full of ice and a handful of Vitamin I reduced those barks down to a playful yelp and my freshly drugged and frozen friend crawled back into the doghouse and quickly settled down. It's still rearing its ugly head though, so hopefully another bribe of I & I later on this evening will keep this pain-in-the-ass pooch quiet for good.

In the meantime, I'm off to the motherland for a not-so-healthy dose of beer, pizza and buffalo wings at Owen O'Leary's, an on again, off again Monday night tradition since 2002.

Quote of the day:

"They're peaceful-easy-feeling running. You can't hear nature around you. You can't hear the little old man who just had cataract surgery honking."
- Paul Collyer, making a good point about why real runners don't wear headphones

Run down

No running today, again. This makes two straight days without purposeful forward motion, or any sort of meaningful physical activity for that matter. The good news is the bottom of my right foot is feeling better, although it's still a bit tender. I'm going to test it out with a run tomorrow morning, so hopefully by then I'm over the hump.

Speaking of humps, I apparently pulled something on the left side of my gargantuan arse. My backside has been inexplicably sore since Friday, likely the result of the same botched fall that f'd up the bottom of my foot, but who knows for sure.

All I do know is that I don't want to take any more unplanned time off. Better to take care of this stupid shit now.

Quote of the day:

"I'm going to put my faith in [Boen] and everything she says. You realize that you don't have to go out and kill yourself in workouts. It's about learning how to control yourself."
- Kevin Gill, incoming freshman cross country runner at Stonehill, demonstrating he's already wise beyond his years.

Training Log: August 12-18

Sunday - AM: 15 miles, 1:45:45. Hudson. Tour de Trails from la casa de Carrara with Ryan, Christy Mae, Fire and Brad. Finished up with 6 strides on the road. Other than the seasonal carnivorous bugs, I absolutely LOVE running here.
Monday- AM: 4 miles, 30:00. Lake Park. Trotted a few dirt loops around the park amongst the local joggers, looking the part with my long shorts and shuffling stride. Need to get an iPod to totally fit in though. PM - 4 miles, 25:00. An Cu Liath. 3.5-mile pub run in 20:40 followed by another easy half mile to get in an even four. Nothing like running 6-minute pace through downtown Worcester on a Monday night.
Tuesday - AM: 4 miles, 29:00. Pakachoag 4. Easy shakeout before work. PM: 10 miles. Westboro High. Warmed up 2 miles, strides, 4-mile tempo run on the track with Matt in 21:26 (5:32, 5:22, 5:26, 5:06), 26 min cooldown w/6 x 25-second hill charges. Goal for tempo was 5:30-25-20-15. Butchered it to some degree, but I've done much worse. Felt real easy and smooth the whole way.
Wednesday - AM: 8 miles, 57:10. RockPak 8. Woke up dead-dog tired to no one's fault but my own. 6-1/2 hours of sleep isn't gonna cut it. No leg soreness though, not yet anyway.
Thursday - AM: 12 miles, 1:16:15. Sterling Rail Trail. Double dose of the 6-mile loop, plan was to start around 7-minute pace and work down to 6's or so for the second loop. Happy to report I was fairly successful, and even felt pretty decent too. Loop 1 - 40:10, Loop 2 - 36:05. Marked miles: 6:43, 6:32, 6:04, 5:51.
Friday - AM: 10 miles, 1:08:00. West Hill. Tooled around the trails at an unusually tame pace with A-Ten, MacKay and Jeff Hill, finishing up with 6 strides in the parking lot. Almost took a digger around 7 miles but in an act of acrobatic brilliance managed to stay on my feet. Landed funny though and did something to the flexor tendon under my right big toe. Hurt like hell afterward.
Saturday - OFF. Bottom of right foot under big toe does not feel good. Pissed off that I can't even blame my own stupidity for this one, just my inability to stay on two feet.

Totals - 67 miles, 8 runs. Had a good week going until Friday's foot fiasco. Plan is to do whatever it takes to let the damn thing heal. I figure, or hope at least, that voluntarily taking a day or two off now is better than being forced to take a week or two off down the road.

Quote of the day:

"Fearlessness is not the absence of fear. It's the mastery of fear. It's about getting up one more time than we fall down."
- Arianna Huffington

Spontaneous combustion

I've got nothing, except an apparently busted right foot from trying to avoid taking a face plant on the trails today at West Hill. The flexor tendons/muscles on the bottom of my foot under my big toe hurt like a sunavbitch just sitting here, as well as when I get up to walk around. Tomorrow may be an unplanned day off if things don't turn around over night, or I may just chop off my leg below the knee and hope it regenerates as a structurally sound and fully functioning limb. Hey, it works for starfish.

Quote of the day:

"To be honest with you, nothing has replaced what running was to me. Nothing has given me that same charge, that same high."
- Jack Fultz, 1976 Boston Marathon champion

Status check

Current state: Tired. Note the capital T.

Two piss-poor nights of sleep combined with back-to-back 10 hour work days and an increase in training volume/intensity are leading me to shut this sucker down and call it an early night. I'm not gonna complain, I'm just gonna go to bed. A solid -- albeit rare -- 8-9 hours of shuteye should have me back at it and raring to go tomorrow.

G'night.

Quote of the day:

"Running has also taught me that there may be some hurdles along the way, but they are for jumping over."
- Deena Kastor

Follow that street car

If you're like me and spend a lot of your free time clicking and perusing the links on the right side of this page, then you've likely already discovered this post during your daily exploration of the running blogosphere. If not, I suggest checking it out. For the competitive runners amongst this blog's loyal crowd, it's a frustrating experience, or more appropriately, set of experiences, you can surely relate to. If you can't, there's the inherent universal lesson about never giving up and following your dreams, something all of us can apply not only to our own running, but life in general.

But this is a running blog and Nate's most recent entry forced me to take a closer look at the course my own running career has taken since I graduated from Stonehill in the spring of 2004. After four years devoid of any injury other than a few sprained ankles, I've suffered enough physical maladies in the past three years to warrant donating my feeble limbs to sports medicine research. I've gone from being a paragon of structural integrity to the posterchild for overuse injuries. It's been frustrating, to say the least. The accompanying emotional struggles have proven even more trying and I can honestly say that I'm still shocked I didn't hang up my racing flats after cracking my pelvis last summer. Luckily, Dan Green sent me a new pair before I found space in the closet for the old ones and, well, you know the rest.

All kidding aside, I'm not still running 70+ miles a week, attending weekly workouts and racing my nuts off because I get shoes on a regular basis, look good in short shorts and enjoy showing off my rib cage. No. I get my ass out the door every morning because deep down I still want to see if I can qualify for the Olympic Trials and eclipse that list of numbers posted on the right side of this page.

What I'm trying to get at here is that the achievement of success in this sport, in life, essentially comes down to one thing: desire. Sure, a few other key factors such as hard work, consistency and confidence are necessary ingredients as well, but I've found from my own experiences that without a burning desire, without that willingness to soldier on when you think you've hit rock bottom, those other elements are useless. Hell, they're non-existent.

Luckily, I'm not alone -- actually, I'm in pretty good company. Guys and gals I surround myself with such as Nate, Jeff, Justin, Shad, Driscoll, KG, Erin, Jess, along with a whole slew of others I'm unintentionally forgetting to mention, are still getting up to fight another round when most would have already thrown in the towel. These folks aren't gonna take a standing 8-count -- no, win or lose, they're gonna fight till the final bell.

The lesson here? Keep swinging.

Quote of the day:

"What kept me going? What else was I going to do?...I had no alternative. I wanted to be the best runner I could be so I did what I had to do."
- Nick Rogers

Come one, come all

I haven't got much to write on this rather uneventful Monday, but a teammate of mine has joined the blogging fray and I urge you to click on the preceding link to experience JC's quest for greatness.

I'm excited by this recent trend of runners writing blogs. It's always motivating, for me at least, to read about what other runners are doing and experiencing. Also, this whole running blogosphere has proven a convenient way to keep in touch and stay connected with teammates and competitors alike.

Now if I could only stay motivated enough to write something meaningful on a daily basis, I'd be doing my part to keep the blogging balance in check, as well as live up to this blog's name.

Quote of the day:

"When equal athletes compete, it is the one who doesn’t lose focus or waver in their belief that wins."
— Greg Meyer, 1983 Boston Marathon Champion

Go long, then go home

Or go to work, as I did this morning after an hour and 45 minutes romping around on the twisty trails from la casa de Carrara in Hudson. I don't mind the shortened Sunday shift at the store, although it did cause me to miss out on Christy Mae's bountiful brunch and that, my friends, is reason to lament. If you've ever been fortunate enough to sample the blueberry waffles made from scratch, turkey bacon seared to perfection and homefries saturated with enough seasoning to make Emeril jealous, then I'm sure you feel my stomach's pain. Luckily for me, the crafty cook of the Carrara kitchen didn't let me leave without a few slices of chocolate chip banana bread, which was enough to temporarily stop the flow of tears and hold me over just long enough so I could get to work on time.

So Christy Mae, I thank you not only for your gratuitous generosity, but also for not hammering the rest of us sorry bastards into the ground this morning. Your kindness on both fronts was greatly appreciated and did not go unnoticed.

Quote of the day:

"I live to make people smile, that's my thing. If I can give you that, then it makes life worth living."
- Tommy Leonard

Training Log: August 5-August 11

Sunday - PM: 6 miles, 50:00. Hopedale. Double loop of the pond after work with Rich on what turned out to be an absolutely fantastic evening for a leisurely stroll. Other than the red remnants of a nasty sunburn on my stomach, no ill effects to speak of from yesterday's fun.
Monday - AM: 12 miles, 1:29:00. Hopedale. 4 loops of the pond with Marky Mark, yes, the same pond I ran around twice just 15 hours before. We had the pleasure of KGwyth's company on the run for the first 2 miles and again on the bike the last 6. Finished up with 6 x 18 second strides on the road. Great run, as it usually is with these two. Sad to see them go :(
Tuesday - AM: 3 miles, 22:00. AHS track. Warmed up 11:30 on the turf/track, right into one run-through of the drill set/dynamic stretching routine I've been tweaking, then cooled down for 10:30. My karaoking needs a lot of work. PM: 11 miles, 1:13:00. Rail Trail. 28:20 warmup, 10 x 45-second hill repeats with Greg on the dirt mound across from Manning Street, easy mile in 7:40, 3 miles steady on the trail in 16:48 (5:39, 5:32, 5:37), 3:32 cooldown. The steady stretch felt more like a glorified jog; the hills beforehand, however, were an expectedly rude re-introduction to lactic acid buildup. Welcome back to Anaerobia.
Wednesday - AM: 8 miles, 57:00. Rockland 7. Just boppin' along on my standard 7-mile loop with a detour through the high school to hit the day's desired mileage quota. Started slow in 7:38 but finished up in 6:57, 6:31. If you guessed that last mile was downhill, you guessed correctly.
Thursday - AM: 10 miles, 1:08:45. West Hill. Two extended main loops at the dam followed by 6 strides on the dirt. Feeling a little saucy toward the end of the run and threw in two random pickups of about 3 minutes each to top things off. Held the mustard though.
Friday - AM: 10 miles, 1:06:55. Bike Path. Licked a few farts this morning, one every 10 minutes in fact, so 6 total pickups of a minute each. Also charged the 7 small hills I encountered along the way to get some mechanical work in. Short-circuited a bit toward the end but found one last surge of energy going up the final hill.
Saturday - AM: 7 miles, 47:00. Rockland 7. Reversed the normal direction of this loop to mix things up a little bit. Picturesque New England fall morning, only it's August. Such a tease.

Totals: 67 miles, 8 runs. Solid week. Pleased with Tuesday's workout and the happy kind of soreness that lingered for a few days afterward. Hills and tempo runs are the bread and butter of my training diet, so much like an inmate who's locked up for life, I'll rely on those two workouts as my main source of nourishment for the rest of the summer and throughout the fall.

Quote of the day:

"It takes a lot of time, thought and effort to get to the place where you can run for a time without thought and effort. Yes, it is a funny thing that you have to be sane, very sane, to go to the crazy place."
- Tom Derderian, The Crazy Place

No complaints

My legs are sore, my body is tired and I'm not going to complain about it one bit. Seriously.

These aren't feelings of pain or fatigue -- no, no -- these are the long lost feelings of Effort, my friends. It's been a while since I've experienced this foreign sensation and man does it feel gooooood. Every time I get up from my chair or walk down the stairs and my quads scream at me, they're not telling me to sit back down -- they're just reminding me that I'm alive.

I'm no masochist, merely a distance runner. Hell, who am I kidding, the two are one and the same.

Quote of the day:

I think optimism is way overrated. Too much optimism means you’re going to be disappointed. But enough pessimism ensures that more often than not you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.
- Ian Dobson

Hills for strength

Exciting news worth looking forward to: the foundation for my new place is being poured later this week. The cruel reality I'm not so much looking forward to: climbing this sucker at the end of every run.

Quote of the decade:

"(Name withheld), you don't like it doggystyle."
- Unnamed husband reminding his wife of her alcoholic preferences. Seriously.

Training Log: July 29-August 4

Sunday - AM: 10 miles, 1:05:25. Rail Trail. Continuous run with a 3-mile tempo thrown in the middle for shits and giggles. 16:13 for the fast stretch with splits of 5:28, 5:25, 5:20. Pleasant surprise; at this effort level I figured on 5:30-35 pace at best. I'll take it. PM: 3 miles, 23:00. WHS Track. 16-minute warmup with Marky Mark and Katie G., then an abbreviated version of the dynamic routine (still needs tweaking), followed by a mile of striding the straights/jogging the turns with Driscoll. Thrusting muscles will likely be sore tomorrow.

Monday - AM: 6 miles, 43:35. Hopedale. Double pond loop with Driscoll, dragging ass early on but managing to snap out of it by the end. Noticeably sore in some odd spots, which was probably to be expected. Dominated breakfast afterward at Town Common; the black forest pancakes didn't stand a chance.

Tuesday - AM: 7 miles, 50 minutes. Industrial Park. Plan was 6 strides on grass mid-run but a rutty stretch of grass forced me to nix that idea. Improvised with 5 strides post-run on the pavement in front of my house instead -- now that's how to think on your feet.

Wednesday - AM: 7 miles, 47:50. Bike Path. 15 minutes easy, 5 x 2 minutes @ 5K effort w/2-minute jog recoveries, 14:50 easy back home. If this is what 5K effort feels like then I have no desire to race a 5K anytime soon. Not bad for my first structured workout in over two months though.

Thursday - AM: 11 miles, 78 minutes. Hopedale. Another great run on the trails with MD. Plan was for 10 miles but inadvertently managed to sneak in an extra mile because of my own absentmindedness.

Friday - AM: 5 miles, 35 minutes. Pakachoag. Leisurely stroll before work and prior to the serious heat and humidity setting in. Felt like I was floating but likely still just sleeping and not actually running.

Saturday - AM: 12 miles, 1:16:45. Beach 2 Beacon 10K. 21 minutes up, 4 strides, 10K in 33:45, 22 minutes down. Other than butchering the first mile this went pretty well; didn't feel totally comfortable but wasn't killing myself either. Splits from my watch were 5:07 (5:07), 5:27 (10:34), 5:26 (16:00), 5:34 (21:34), 5:26 (27:00), 5:40 (32:40), 1:05 (33:45). Note to self: Don't follow women's elite pack through a downhill first mile of a major 10K road race and expect them to be slower than 5:20 -- just don't.

Totals: 61 miles, 8 runs. Another good week in the books, very happy with the direction things are heading in right now. Great weekend up in Maine with my NB Boston 'mates, which really got me excited for the fall racing season. It's gonna be a good one, I can just tell.

As for training, more of the same on tap for next week with a mid-week hill workout to mix things up a bit. Hopefully I can squeeze in two sessions of drills/dynamic routine as well. Consistency, consistency, consistency.

Quote of the day:

"It's a reasonable course but if you're tired on the big hill, you're going to hate life. I was hating life."
- Pat Tarpy on the B2B 10K

The way life should be

Now that I've got a handful of articles out of the way, phone numbers successfuly tranferred, a cup of spoiled milk through my system and more than a few miles under my belt, all that's left is three measley hours of work and a 2-1/2 hour drive up to Maine for tomorrow's Beach 2 Beacon 10K. The early odds from Cape Elizabeth have me coming in at a steady 34 minutes, plus or minus 30 seconds. Given that I've got a little more than three weeks of consistent running under my belt, I'd say that's a pretty safe bet.

Quote of the day:

"Distance running is pretty much a no brainer. You put the miles in, you work hard, you're gonna get better."
- Ed Moran

Endless excuses

Updates have been few and far between since last Thursday and for that I sincerely apologize. The blame for this can be placed on a number of factors, including but not limited to, a steady increase in training mileage, the incessant scratching of the two dozen or so mosquito bites that are covering my legs, the tedious transfer of 128 phone numbers to my new cell phone, an inadvertent swallowing of 8 oz of spoiled milk and the gastric distress it is now causing, as well as the two outstanding newspaper articles that are fast approaching their respective deadlines. To top it all off, I'm now back at work after a brief one day sojourn away from the store. Suffice to say, there probably won't be much updating going on here for a few days until I can whittle down the above list or at least stop visiting the bathroom twice an hour. Thanks for your understanding.

Quote of the day:

Running has always been a self-motivation thing for me. You keep plowing away at it and, hopefully, you’ll accomplish the things that make you feel satisfied at the end of the day. If people take notice, that’s great. But you’ve got to be self-motivated.
- Peter Gilmore

Training Log: July 22-July 28

Sunday - PM: 8 miles, 53:00. Fred S. Warren Road Race. Warmed up 8 minutes, 5.3 miles in 30:58 (5:50 avg.), 14 minute cooldown. First hard effort since VCM; kept it at a steady 75% through 4 miles then picked it up a bit the last 1.3. Good start but I've got a long way to go.
Monday - PM: 8 miles, 58:30. Borderland. First two with Fran Franson, last 6 solo finishing up with four 20/40 strides.
Tuesday - PM: 10 miles, 1:10:50. Sterling Rail Trail. 4 miles steady and solo in 25:55, then 6 miles shuffling along with Hodgie-San in 44:55. The early 6:30 pace was a bit surprising and didn't feel overly terrible but happy to slow it down.
Wednesday - AM: 6 miles, 42:15. AHS track. Easy jog down to the AHS track in 21:30, 4 x 100-yard strides on the turf, 20:45 back home. Strides were fluid but far from fast.
Thursday - AM: 8 miles, 52:25. Stone Church Trails. Ran the rollercoaster loop with Driscoll and Ramon Laboy at a steady clip. Far from a leisurely stroll but never felt uncomfortable.
Friday - AM: 6 miles, 40:40. AHS track. Same loop as Wednesday, just a smidge faster. 21:10 to the track, 4 x 100-yard strides, 19:30 back home; last 2 miles in 6:11, 5:31. Yes, 5:31 -- watch out now!
Saturday - AM: 7 miles, 47:40. Rockland 7. 7:11 to start, 34:43 at 5, 6:40, 6:11 for the last 2 miles. Far off the loop record of 39:40 but I'm OK with that.

Totals: 53 miles, 7 runs. Given where I was a month ago, this was a great week, in fact, it was my first full week of training in two months, so I'm pretty pumped. Made a good jump in mileage from last week but since that was on 6 days, the 15-mile increase doesn't seem so drastic.

This week looks like it will contain some sort of tempo-ish effort on Sunday and perhaps a light mid-week fartlek before heading up to Maine for the Beach 2 Beacon 10K on Saturday. Plan there is to run steady 5:30's if I can get my legs and lungs back on the same page.

Quote of the day:

"There is something about being back on campus, being back on my old training loops, that stirred my love of running. These were the trails where I became a serious athlete."
- Kerry Litka describing her week as a counselor at Keene State Cross Country camp. See last Wednesday's entry for my own similar sentiments.

Living the dream

Since I've got nothing even remotely meaningful or insightful to write about and Bob Roll hasn't managed to verbally embarrass himself as of this posting, I offer this extracurricular piece of reading material about a local workhorse I literally happened to run into last July at the West Boylston Rail Trail.

It's an inspiring story which shows that hard work, the right attitude and working at a running store isn't such a bad way to go through life.

Quote of the day:

"Running, there’s no secret to it, as long as you work hard and stay healthy."
- Meb Keflezighi

Missed calculation

While I was busy making a mathematical mess of yesterday's entry, I neglected to mention my magical Monday night run through beautiful Borderland State Park in North Easton. It's been roughly a year since I last returned to the delectable dirt mecca where I routinely lambasted long runs, wailed workouts and logged many a mile from 2000-2004, and man, that small, yet brilliant network of trails still felt like home.

No, I'm not gonna sit here and reminisce about the good 'ol days when I routinely used to run 6 minutes faster for the same 8-mile loop I slogged through in 58 minutes on Monday night -- no, I'm not gonna do that, but it's worth noting the familiar fuzzy feeling I got while making my way down the approximately 1-mile, off-road pipeline better known as the Easton Town Forest that eventually spit me into Stonehill Cross Country's equivalent of the Holy Land was nothing short of nostalgic.

Anyway, while waxing sentimental over the pristine paths I could probably still run blindfolded, two current Stonehill harriers, accompanied by a recent alum I actually had the pleasure of calling my teammate, came flying by me in the opposite direction, almost on cue and much in the same manner my mates and I used tear up those very same trails on a typical Monday night during the original Summers of Stonehill back in 2002 and 2003.

It was comforting to see the current Chieftains, I mean Skyhawks, following in their predecessor's footsteps and paying proper respect to sacred ground.

Quote of the day:

"An idea isn't worth that much. It's the execution of the idea that has value."
- Joel Spolsky

Tuesday, by the numbers

Rounded down for simplicity's sake.

- Woke up at 8:17 a.m., 7 hours and 20 minutes after shutting off Channel 34 in the wee hours of the morning.
- Got the approximately 100,000 hairs that cover the top of my head cut down to a summer-friendly level with the aid of an electric razor and its No. 1 attachment.
- Waited 10 minutes for a 12 oz. cup of coffee because the 2 girls at the B&N cafe apparently share 1/2 a brain.
- Started working on 2 separate newspaper articles, both of which are due exactly 1 week from today.
- Hit 19,000 miles on the odometer of my car, which I have now had for 10 months, meaning I drive an absurd 1,900 miles a month on average.
- Ran 10 miles in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 50 seconds with Hodgie-San, who is 51 years old and has run 2 hours, 10 minutes and 59 seconds for the marathon, an event which is 26.2 miles in length.
- Ate 3 scoops of Edy's triple chocolate ice cream, a unique dessert that features 3 distinct flavors of chocolate packed into 1 container.
- Received 80 e-mails, replied to 5 and generated 1 of my own as of this posting.
- Answered 3 phone calls and made 3 myself as of 10:05 p.m., which is coincidentally the exact time when Jonathon Papelbon threw strike 3 to pick up his 23rd save of the season and seal the deal on the Red Sox 1-0 victory over the Indians, their 5th win in a row.
- Wasted 22 minutes of my time this compiling the 10 items that make up this post, my 14th straight this month.

Quote of the day:

"I was actually kicking around running that race on Sunday until I realized that a hilly course in Holden in probably more severe than a hilly course in Billerica."
- An e-mail from my topographically savvy coach, Kevin Curtin.

Webbed feat

A belated congrats to Alan Webb, who most assuredly doesn't waste his time reading this blog, on his 3:46.91 American Record in the mile over the weekend. Exciting? Yes. Inspiring? Absolutely. Surprising? Not at all.

It was just a matter of time before Webbster surpassed ol' Steve Scott in the record books, and he's not done yet. Despite the ups, downs and all the B.S. in between, this guy stayed the course, his course, and didn't let anyone lead him astray. That single-minded attitude will carry him a long way and might be more impressive to me than the record itself.

The lesson here? Don't try and replicate the record; rather, try and emulate the attitude.

Quote of the day:

"Look at him hack his way through there. Jim Duggan would have been proud of that."
- Bob Roll, who else, during Saturday's coverage of the Toor Day Frantz.

Mixing it up

This is what 5:50 pace for 5.3 miles and a sixth place finish in a local Sunday night road race gets you these days. Maybe I should have kicked down the guy in front of me for fifth and snagged myself the toaster. Oh well, either way it's one less thing I need to buy for my new kitchen.

Quote of the day:

Dave Wilbur: Did New Balance give you those flashy orange shoes for free?

Me: Yeah, why?

Dave Wilbur: Well they sure look nice but tell them you want a faster pair next time.

Training Log: July 15-July 21

Sunday - PM: 6 miles, 42:00. Hopedale. Double dirt loop with Marky Mark and Matty T after work. Celebrated this great run by consuming many cookies and a good hunk of tri-berry pie at Driscoll's afterward.
Monday: OFF. ART appointment before work in the continued attempt to make me a structurally sound running machine. Then I went ahead took the day off.
Tuesday - AM: 7 miles, 48:20. Rockland 7. Holy hills! OK, only two hills but still two more than I've run recently. Need to get more of these into my diet.
Wednesday - PM: 5 miles, 36:00. Westboro roads. Legs full of lead after a long day at work. Thankfully Driscoll tagged along to mask the misery.
Thursday - AM: 8 miles, 56:45. Hopedale. Third run with Driscoll this week, felt pretty good, hit up Town Common afterward and didn't have to go into work till noon! Now that's a good day.
Friday - AM: 6 miles, 42:35. Industrial Park. Same loop as a week ago in about the same time. Ankle feels fine, body is b-e-a-t.
Saturday - AM: 6 miles, 42:25. Westboro roads/trails. Met up with Colin Ingram before work at his hotel and after a couple miles on the road, hit up some trails behind the Westboro Business Park. Yes, trails in Westboro -- not a lot of them, but trails nonetheless.

Totals - 38 miles, 6 runs. Good week, slowly moving in the right direction down the old comeback trail. Hopefully I can avoid any more unnecessary detours on the way to my desired destination this fall.

This week I'll continue to build up the mileage and mix in a few strides and a moderate progression run or two. I have also been tweaking a dynamic stretching/drills routine I hope to incorporate into my routine once or twice a week now that I'll have a little more time on my hands. Hopefully a little regular preventative maintenance will go a long way.

Quote of the day:

"I had eight races in my life where everything went perfect. I could make any move, surge, respond and run a PR. I trained the rest of my life for the ninth one."
- David Moorcroft

Signed and sealed...

...just waiting on the delivery, which currently has an ETA of sometime around January, in line with the completion of Phase II of the Arboretum Village. After ironing out some legal wrinkles, I finally signed the much ballyhooed Purchase & Sale agreement on Wednesday morning, entitling me to that lovely pile of dirt pictured back there. It's a nice shade of brown, don't you think?

Quote of the day:

"You’ve got to take each race as it comes, and I’ll race to win like I always do, and put myself right in the race, and you never know. Sometimes you surprise yourself."
- Alan Culpepper

Sacred obligation

Back in April, while attending that lengthy Easter morning Sunday service – all 21 miles of it – with Marcus Aurelius LaRosa at Our Lady of the Road in Melrose, the now new dad mentioned coming up with a design for a technical t-shirt – call it our Sunday best – that we could wear to properly pay homage to the running gods that faithfully guide our weekly blacktop service. Well, three months, a couple hundred miles and a few missed long runs later, good friend Melissa Kinney came up the above kickass design.

Because of the devilish injury that ravaged my body the past few weeks I haven't been very successful at fulfilling my weekly obligation to the running gods, but now that I'm finally healthy and properly attired my attendance at Our Lady of the Road should be more regular as we head toward the fall. Remember, the long run is an act of reverence; missing it is just plain sacrilegious.

Quote of the day:

"He was impressive tonight. He went directly behind the pace and I followed, then when the pacemaker stepped out of the way he threw in a 57-second lap or something stupid like that."
- Craig Mottram on Keninisa Bekele's 7:26 3K victory.

Welcome back, fatso.

Just for clarification purposes, I stole the above line straight from Greg's training log on athleticore.com. As far as I know, he wasn't talking about me but he easily could have been and I wouldn't have argued with him one bit.

This evening's 5-mile, post-work slogfest with Marky Mark Driscoll on the affluent streets of Westboro served as a lead-laden reminder to my legs why I hate running after work. Luckily, the quality of the company and the flowing conversation served as a pleasant diversion from the guaranteed mental anguish that occurs when an overweight skinny guy waddles down the sidewalk with Clydesdale-like precision all by his lonesome. Henry Rono, I feel for ya man.

Quote of the day:

"It was like being wrapped in a cocoon of common purpose. The key was to stay healthy. As long as I was practicing, everything was good. It was only when I was hurt and unable to practice that I felt like I was living on the opposite end of the earth."
- American Shaolin

PT Running

My most recent bout with injury, combined with an apparent structural misalignment and accompanying failing biomechanics, has the back room at PR Running looking more and more like a physical therapist's office than a shoe warehouse. Given my experience dealing with and treating my own various running injuries over the past three years, it might be worth suggesting to Rich that we open an in-house training room as a way to help grow the business. Given my lack of a qualified degree and absence of the title "MPT" on my non-existent business card, however, it might be a tough sell, despite my wide array of in-store rehab weapons including half a dozen ice cups, Strassburg sock, a bright yellow theraband, golf ball, The Stick and a ProStretch when we're not out of stock.

So I guess I'll just stick with managing my own self practice between helping customers, monitoring inventory and unpacking shipments. Now if I can get my hands on a foam roller, wobble board, e-stim and an ultrasound machine, I may never have to battle the hassles of health insurance ever again, or leave the back room for that matter.

Man, running was so much much easier when I was a structurally sound, efficient, aerobic machine.

Quote of the day:

"The heat sucks here for running. I'm running 9:30's - should've brought the Reeboks."
- E-mail from my vacationing boss.

Gabbtastic

Kason Gabbard did in fact not suck tonight. In fact, he was pretty friggin' awesome, which made an already good night at Fenway that much better. Gotta love it when the Triple-A transplant pulls through.

Royally flushed

Busy week at work and a pretty loaded day in general, so I'll keep this one short and sweet before I take off for Fenway to watch the Red Sox lay down a royal ass kicking on Kansas City.

1. Kason Gabbard better not suck tonight.
2. Check out my buddy's new blog, for a daily dose of misinformation if nothing else.

That'll have to do it for today. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

"In this sport, there's a fine line between running great and not running at all."
- Dennis Barker, coach of Team USA Minnesota

Bombs away

Around 4 o'clock this afternoon an apparently shocked co-worker of mine pointed out that I had just used a vulgarity for the first time all day. Shocked and chagrined by his observation, I questioned the frequency with which potty words are actually emitted from my pie hole. Quite often, apparently. Allegedly, most of my choice verbs and adjectives are rooted in some variation of a four letter word mostly frowned upon by a majority of the general public. Whodathunkit? Certainly not me, as I always try to make a conscious effort to watch my mouth, especially at work. Maybe I need to make a better effort from now on. Maybe not. Maybe Matt just doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.

Quote of the day:

"This is a guy who doesn't like to pile on the points on the flat stages. He likes to win the King of the Mountain jersey in the mountains."
- Al Trautwig clearing up any confusion about Michael Rasmussen's uphill attack during today's eighth stage of the Tour de France.

Training Log: July 8-July 14

Back by unpopular demand, I'll once again be posting the most current edition of my training log on a weekly basis. In the interest of fulfilling one of the original intentions of this space, I've decided to put forth a better effort in sharing my trials, tribulations and occasional small triumphs as a competitive distance runner. Hopefully it can help you as much as I hope it will help me.

As a disclaimer, I wouldn't try any of this at home. Known side effects include a torn Achilles tendon, pelvic stress fracture and tarsal tunnel syndrome, as well as persistent aches and pains and prolonged periods of fatigue. Run at your own risk.

Sunday - AM: 4 miles, 30:00. Sterling Rail Trail. First Hodgie-San Sunday shuffle in a while. Dead-on 7:30 pace was just dandy with me.
Monday - PM: 4 miles, 30:00. Hopedale. One loop with A-Ten and Driscoll before finishing up solo. Just glad these guys took it easy on my gimpy ass, I mean, ankle.
Tuesday - OFF. Or as teammate and good friend Ryan Carrara would say, "off off". Zero, nada, zilch. No training or meaningful physical activity of any sort. Got a lot of other important "life" stuff done though.
Wednesday - PM: 6 miles, 42:00. Sterling Rail Trail. Easy afternoon stroll with Driscoll. Need to save up energy so we could dominate lunch from S&S Deli afterward.
Thursday - AM: 4 miles, 30:00. Hampton 4. Solo jaunt before work; kept it short to make up for yesterday's overdistance day. OK, so maybe the loop is a bit longer than 4 miles, perhaps 4.315 to be precise, but it will NOT get cut it!
Friday - AM: 6 miles, 43:35. AHS track-and-back. Dry air, sunny skies and no issues with the lower extremeties left me happy as a pig in shit when this one was over.
Saturday - AM: 6 miles, 42:55. Industrial Park. First run out of the fat shorts. Ankle felt fine but my legs, moreso both calves than anything else, were expectedly a bit tight. Nothing a little more consistent running won't work out. PM: BIKE, 63:00. Easy spin after work to stretch the legs and shake a splitting headache. Tylenol probably would have been just as effective.

Totals: Run - 30 miles, 5 runs. Bike - 63:00, 1 ride. Good first week back after three weeks on the shelf, or in the saddle rather. Didn't ride much this week, mostly due to laziness and lack of time. Lungs feel good and legs are responding nicely to a rude re-introduction of pounding on the pavement. Still somewhat shocked, but very happy, with how quickly things turned around after a couple rounds of ART.

This week should look pretty similar to last and then I'll start thinking about working in some longer runs and perhaps some strides toward the end of the month. I'm feeling good about where I'm at right now and the direction things are heading.

Quote of the day:

"As long as there is passion, there will be success."
- Joan Benoit Samuelson

Back on track

Or so it seems, anyway. I don't want to jinx myself at this stage but the suspect right ankle has made some real good progress since I first saw Dr. Weiss last Thursday. I've run 6 out of the last 8 days, which is six more days than I ran in the three-and-a-half weeks prior. The combination of two Active Release treatments, consistent icing, along with daily stretching and strengthening exercises has everything around the malleolus feeling the best it has in over a month. This morning's 6-mile slog around A-town, in fact, was my first carefree foray into forward motion since before the marathon, which seems like eons ago now that I'm thinking about it.

But enough about the past, time to start looking ahead. You'll notice to the sidebar at the right of the page a few new features meant to spruce this space up a bit. Selfishly, those same elements are strategically placed for my own motivation: dates to look forward to and old numbers to finally eclipse. Despite my newfound affinity for racing longer distances on the road, I haven't PR'd at any distance under 10K in over three years now. It's time to change that. Waking up every morning tied down to your college PR's is no way to go through life.

So how am I gonna do it? Easy -- stay healthy and stay consistent. OK, easier typed than done, especially considering my my injury-riddled rap sheet, but I'm confident that if I can finally achieve these two goals, I can run faster than I ever have before. The VCM buildup, aside from 8 months of uninterrupted, strength-based training, showed me that despite all the injury-riddled bullshit I've dealt with over the past three years, the fire inside still burns. Luckily, I've also got two strong legs, a great set of lungs and a coach who knows his shit. If I can stay in one piece, there's no reason I won't run fast. Not one.

Quote of the day:

Everything has been part of a master plan. Of course we've had to re-focus and re-adjust along the way, like everyone does, but there has always been a plan.
- Scott Raczko, coach of Alan Webb

Just Roll with it

This is what I have to wake up to every morning in July.

For an American watching the race on TV, the Tour de France is much more than a hundred some-odd guys with foreign-sounding last names flying across France on two wheels at 30 mph. It's much, MUCH more than that, especially when Bob Roll is doing the color commentary.

First of all, in this country it's the Toor Day Frantz. The name of the race, as well as the names of the riders contesting it, are interpreted as widely as the gap between Bobby boy's two front teeth.

Even more entertaining, perhaps, is the commentary that whistles its way through that very same gap and eventually emanates from the Versus microphones. Keeping in mind the non-continuous nature of his pearly whites, Roll's words are priceless. Here are a couple gems from yesterday's fourth stage coverage.

"Someone tries to break away and the peloton puts the hammer down in the gutter."

and my personal, as well as obvious, favorite...

"The Spanish rider Freire is trying to close the gap down at the end of the stage."

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. So for the next couple weeks you can be sure that I'll be watching Versus' coverage of Le Tour with notebook and pen firmly in hand, for my own amusement if no one else's. Hey, it's not just sports anymore, it's sports entertainment.

Quote of the day:

"I wouldn’t be afraid of anybody in the race. Maybe I might not win, but I’m going to go down swimming."
- James Carney

It's baaaaaaaaack....

...and hopefully better than before, with more frequent updates and in need of no further name changes. That's right, the daily runaround has returned, inspired by the lunchtime prodding of one Mark Driscoll over a couple of massive sandwiches and a few chocolate chip cookies at the S&S Deli in West Boylston this afternoon. Yes ladies and gentleman, a little guilt trip goes a long way with me.

Look close enough and you'll notice I've cleaned the place up a bit. A couple cosmetic changes, a few additions and some minor edits should enhance your everyday blogging experience. Yes, everyday -- that's the hope anyway.

That being said, I'm sure some issues will arise that threaten the attainment of my just published goal but hey, I'll deal with them as they come and power through 'em as best I can. No, this isn't an early excuse, just a documented disclaimer. Hey, shit happens! I'm just covering my ass, the same rotund specimen I'm gonna need the Jaws of Life to help peel off this humidity-infested wooden chair I'm currently sitting in. Thank Mike Ditka that my new place will have central AC; it should be well worth the 25-year wait.

Time to get some shuteye. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

Think rich. Look poor.
- Andy Warhol

No laughing matter

Injuries are a funny thing. Not that the one I'm currently trying to shake is a laughing matter but it's humoring me just the same. I've run three of the last four days with no noticeable issues other than feeling like a hunk of waddling lard, which is most assuredly a scene of hilarity to anyone unfortunate enough to witness it. After three weeks of no running, a few nut-crushing hours in the saddle and two ART sessions with Dr. Weiss, the suspect ankle actually feels pretty good. I've still got a long way to go but I'll take each 30-minute trot as a small victory right now. Hopefully by being diligent about the icing, stretching, strengthening and all that other preventative b.s., I mean maintenance, that will now be as much a part of my daily routine as my morning dump, I'll be able to stay a step ahead of injury. Actually, there's nothing funny about that, so scratch my original statement.

Injuries are a shitty thing. There, I feel better now.

Quote of the day:

"You cannot be a good fighter if you are always afraid of what might happen."
- American Shaolin

Honkworthy

You know you're a total track dork when your best friend calls you from San Diego and tells you that Alan Webb just won the 1,500 meters in Paris with a PB and world-leading time of 3:30.54 and while sitting in traffic you start honking the horn furiously in celebration. Attaboy Alan!

Official Result
1500 Metres - Men

1. Alan Webb - USA, 3:30.54
2. Mehdi Baala - FRA, 3:31.01
3. Tarek Boukensa - ALG, 3:32.77

Quote of the day:

If I have given my all and still do not win, I haven't lost. Others might remember winning and losing; I remember the journey.
- Apolo Anton Ohno, 5-time Olympic speed skating medalist

Pre-weekend update

Since a fellow blogging teammate of mine inquired yesterday as to whether or not I was ever going to update this thing again, I figured I'd make him and the rest of the masses happy by chiming in with one of those much-anticipated token updates that I happen to hit the publish button on from time to time. Plus, Gwyth started harassing me again last week about my posting infrequency, so let's hope this short snippet keeps the threatening Facebook wall posts at a minimum.

OK, last things first. A few days ago I went off on a small tangent on the distance runner's not-so-distant cousin, the cyclist. To anyone on two wheels who was offended by the insolence manifested by the injured runner in me, please find it somewhere in your florescent spandex to forgive my wacky rant. I like cycling, I really do, and as an olive branch of sorts, I offer up a newly-discovered link to Kerry Litka's website, an entertaining -- and well-written -- look at life from a distance runner-turned-professional cyclist. Give it a look!

Speaking of looks, I finally got one from a medical professional today, namely Dr. Brad Weiss at Performance Health Center in Natick. After an initial consultation and thorough structural evaluation, I was diagnosed with tarsal tunnel syndrome in my right ankle. Basically my right side is way out of whack from the hips on down, which may be the root of all my problems on that side of the body, i.e. Achilles issue two years ago, last year's pelvic stress fracture, perpetually tight hamstring and the like. Currently, that same out-of-whackness is causing an entrapment of the nerve under the medial malleolus in my right ankle. The solution? Free up the nerve by means of a technique called Active Release Therapy, which I had my first session of today. It involved "flossing" the nerve with some manipulation techniques. It's hard to tell at this point if the first round of ART helped or not, but I've been given the green light to try and run for a bit tomorrow so I guess I'll find out soon enough. Good, bad or otherwise, I'll be back in Natick on Monday morning for a follow-up, so cross your fingers, channel your inner Chi and stay tuned.

Meanwhile, I'm gonna tune out and get to bed. One more day of respite from the rigors of the working world so I'm gonna take advantage and bank some Z's while the rare opportunity presents itself. Take it easy out there in blogland, a.k.a. boredatworkland.

Quote of the day:

The best way out is always through.
- Robert Frost

By definition

Other than getting to rock spandex shorts and tight shirts on a daily basis, along with having a free pass to act like a conceited elitist asshole, I guess the other advantage to spending more time in the saddle rather than my running shoes is the accompanying increase in cognitive weightlifting, flexing the old cerebral muscle if you will. Hey, before you dismiss this as a waste of my time, remember I majored in philosophy -- time spent in thought is time well spent.

So while shifting gears somewhere along Route 122A in Grafton the other day I began thinking about how I might stack up as a competitive cyclist. I suppose the only real way to find out is by racing, something my current schedule doesn't allow for. Plus, I'd need to get a racing license, attach aerobars to my bike, hire an entourage with matching hot pink uniforms, shave my legs, act like an asshole and go through a bunch of other beurocratic bullshit, and really, who wants to deal with all that? Not me, so better off just contemplating it all anyway.

As I understand it, cyclers, as Rich likes to call them, define themselves by categories, 1 through 5, with Cat 1 being just south of professional and Cat 5 including just about everyone else who's displayed enough skill on the bike that they've finally been allowed to remove their training wheels. And unless you've paid the annual USAC fee to earn yourself such a label, forget about it, you're just a recreational cyclist in the eyes of anyone who gives half a shit. Despite your epic 6-hour training rides averaging 25 mph, you can try and convince anyone you want that you're the greatest thing on two wheels, but unless you've got a $6,000 Cervelo, flashy spandex and a fake European accent you aren't getting on the same starting line as Lance Armstrong unless you've got a couple thousand bucks to fly over to France and are an expert at dodging drug tests and jumping through beurocractic hoola-hoops. Fuck that.

Within running's hierarchy it's a bit different; it's all black and white, no labeling necessary. You're defined by your numbers and since prehistoric times the numbers haven't lied. As John L. Parker wrote in Once A Runner, "Lots of people can't take that kind of pressure; the ego withers in the face of evidence." My 4:09 mile PR is just as legit on BU's banked indoor track as it is on a flat dirt oval in Kenya, with the only difference being that if I ran that time in Nairobi I'd have about a dozen teenage Africans who broke 4:05 in the same race laughing their asses off at me. And if I want to know how I stack up against some of the word's best marathoners I can take the easy 40-minute drive to Hopkinton on a Monday morning in April and within 2-1/2 hours know down to the exact minute and second just how badly I got my ass kicked.

Running's that simple, not to mention relatively inexpensive, and aside from the pure joy the sport brings me that's what I like most about it.

Quote of the day:

The longer I ran the more I felt energy was there. The harder I trained the more joy I experienced.
- Gerry Lindgren

Unwelcome alliteration

So it's been about a week since I've last posted, or run for that matter, and the nagging niggle I've been battling in my right ankle has become more of a persistent pain and may be a bit more serious than the posterior tib tendonitis I originally suspected. I haven't been looked at by a medical professional yet or been handed any sort of official diagnosis but that will be coming within the next week or so -- hopefully sooner if I can pull the proper strings. I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I'm not gonna wake up tomorrow morning and bang out 10 miles -- or any amount of miles for that matter -- without issue so it seems that some unplanned time off my feet is now the plan, whether I like it or not. And just for the record, no I don't like it.

Anyway, racing on July 4 is pretty much out the window, Beach to Beacon is looking less likely every day and a fall cross country season is about as much a reality at this point as the Yankees catching the Red Sox in the AL East -- meaning it probably won't happen but no one's ruling out the possibility just yet. So as we get closer to fall keep in mind that anything can still happen, which is reason to remain optimistic -- in my case anyway.

Quote of the day:

Soldier On.
- Wise advice from Hodgie-San

Nagging niggle

Seems like I'm battling a nagging bout of this at the moment. Right now it's at the annoying stage, kind of like that stupid ex-girlfriend you broke up with two years ago that just won't go away. The damn thing comes and goes without warning but when she decides to stick around the bitch just won't leave me the hell alone. Anyway, that's where I'm at right now. Not much I can do but treat and tolerate it as best I can. I'd slap the thing but it probably wouldn't do either of us much good.

Quote of the day:

It's more fun than work, and it's always good to be around normal people.
- Rod Koborsi on working at a running store

Ball Buster

From MSN.com...

Mottram made his victory even more memorable for US fans by declaring on NBC's live broadcast after the race that when the pace is on it comes down to the size of your balls.

Hey, the guy is blunt, bold and above all, ballsy. I like him.

Rail Trail wacko

Funniest thing I've seen in a while: While sitting in my car post-run this morning at the West Boylston Rail Trail, this crazy character comes running by in a winter hat, long sleeve shirt, gloves, split shorts and high socks. Mind you, it was 65 degrees outside! As if this sight wasn't odd enough in and of itself, to top off this random scene of hilarity he runs past my car and I notice a few words strategically screened on the back of his cotton t-shirt: Runners Do It Everyday. I should also add that this odd-looking lad couldn't have been younger than 60 years old. To quote Marcus Aurelius LaRosa: "Haaaaalarious!"

Out of time, so that'll do it for today. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

Listen to your body. Listen to what it's telling you. Don't be stupid.
- John Treacy

4-for-5

Not much excitement to speak of, but a couple exciting new links to check out when you get the chance...

Nate Jenkins' training log: http://nateruns.blogspot.com
Shad Miller's training log: http://boilermakertoboston.blogspot.com

Need a lesson or two in bouncing back from adversity? Then let Nate and Shad show you how it's done. Good stuff guys.

And for the record, as menial as these last two entries have been they do make for four entries in the last five days. As far as I'm concerned, that has me batting .800 for the week. Don't call it a comeback.

Quote of the day:

If you're a writer who doesn't spark a few hot flames now and then, you're not saying much.
- J.D. Denton, a.k.a. "The Shoe Guy"

Every second counts

Finishing up in 2:28:25 last weekend at the Vermont City Marathon. I should have worn the chip on my right shoe.

And on the 7th day...

...I rode my bike -- 26.4 miles to be exact. Nice little backroads tour of Hudson, Stow, Berlin, Sudbury and Marlboro this morning with Ryan, Christy Mae and Dan. We burned up the blacktop at an average clip of 17 mph, prompting phone calls afterward from various pro teams looking to shore up their Tour de France rosters in a month's time. What can I say? Ectomorphic aerobic machines with good climbing skills are at a premium these days. Remember, we're much more than cyclists -- we're runners on bikes.

Quote of the day:

In running, you always have competitor out there. You always have the clock to beat and the clock always wins. So there is always something to strive for. With other sports it is easy to blame it on a bad game. A receiver can say that his quarterback didn’t throw him the ball. A quarterback can say that his receiver dropped a pass. You can’t do that with running. In running, it is all you.
- Matt Pelletier

26.2 debut and more

Due to the incessant urging of one M. Driscoll and his main squeeze K. Gwyther -- wait, too obvious -- let's call them Mark D. and Katie G, I've decided to provide the few of you who still check this thing with one of the sporadic updates this blog has become the posterchild for. Here's a quick rundown of things worth mentioning...

1. Still no answers as to what happened in regard to my race number down at Broad Street and still no word from the cowardly clown who let me know just a few days before that "in spite of myself I'm psyched and am running Broad Street for sure. I can grab your number as I am heading down on Friday night -- I'll be staying at (unnamed name's) place in (unnamed location) Sat I can head to Philly any time so I can get our #s and meet you at the hotel (which one is it?)....That's it from here. You've got my phone too so we'll just coordinate from there. What time do you get to the PHL airport? Does the hotel offer you a shuttle? If not I can zip by andget you." Good thing I didn't take him up on that last offer.

2. Given the unfortunate outcome of the scenario I just described above, I wisely decided to pick up my own number this past weekend at the Vermont City Marathon. A big thanks to everyone who helped me out and supported me on my way 2:28:25, 6th place finish in my debut at 26.2. I sure as hell didn't do this on my own. A big congrats to a lot of guys as well, including Matty Pelletier for his beastly performance, good pals Mark LaRosa, Ryan Carrara and Kevin Reino on tough, gutsy races, John LaRosa on setting a PR and my main man Bergie on a 2:48:42 debut that still has me fired up. I still haven't seen many pictures of the race, but I'll be sure to post some soon as they become available.

3. My days as a resident of Auburn are slowly winding down. Come February of '08 I'll be Mario Fraioli of Worcester, Mass., and I'll be the proud owner of a nifty new Narragansett-style house in the Arboretum Village. Right now said house is nothing more than a 4,399 square foot dirt lot called 5-R, but in nine months time it will house an enclosed structure with two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths and a small yard with an address on Sophia Drive. Exciting times for sure. Stay tuned for mid-winter housewarming party details.

And that'll do it for this month's excitement. At this rate, my next update should fall sometime around July 4, or whenever Drisc and Gwyth get on my case again.

Quote of the day:

I always found a perverse "interest" during a marathon race in monitoring the shutdown of various parts of my body and thus the statement that someone "enjoyed" a marathon, bizarre. A good race may be an accomplishment but not in the same way as a good meal or good sex.
- Another priceless e-mail from Tom Derderian

(Still) unsolved mystery

The runner featured to both your left and right in the photos above ran 1:04:25 this past weekend at the Broad Street Run in Philly. This runner's name? Mario Fraioli of Auburn, MA. Hey, wait a second, that's.....me! The person in this photo, however, is (clearly) NOT! Now, you might be asking yourself, "What the f*ck?" Hey, I've been asking that very same question for the past 5 days.

Now, a search of my assigned bib # 31 doesn't turn up in any of the official race photos. Interestingly enough, neither do I. Even more interesting, however, is that a search of the chip-timed results has that very same # 31 named Mario Fraioli finishing 359th overall, behind runner #2415 and in front of runner #1718, the two guys surrounding the bibless woman in the two finish line photos featured above.

So what the hell happened down at Broad Street this past weekend? And who is this bibless woman and how did she end up with my chip? Those are good questions, ones which I'm still awaiting answers to. Maybe the guy who has them will return one of my countless voicemails, e-mails, text messages or wall postings I've left him -- or maybe he won't, that's his call. Until then, however, this whole Philly fiasco remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of my life, not to mention a waste of a weekend, a chance to run real fast in a big race and a couple hundred bucks to boot. No sense in losing any more sleep over it, I'm off to bed. Take it easy.

Selective hearing

A few weeks back I overheard my coach tell a teammate not to blog angry. For now, I'll heed that very same advice. I'm not making any future promises, however, so this will be it for now. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

Had planned on running this afternoon/evening. Had NOT planned on running at 5 p.m., or 8 miles, or with a pissed off Mario.
- Greg's training log entry from yesterday. The last part most accurately sums up my current mood.

Status check

Amid a handful of recent inquiries regarding my own -- as well as this blog's -- existence, I figure it's about time I chime in with a token update as to the status of, um, things. A few of those things you might like to know of, or at least that I feel like telling you about. In no particular order....

* New, er, old job with added responsibilites is going rather well. I enjoy my days at the store and the transition to working during daylight hours and falling asleep before midnight has gone rather smoothly. I'm finding early morning runs are a great way to start the day, but by the time I get out of work about the only activities I want to partake in involve eating and/or sitting on my ass. Doubles, and updating this blog for that matter, be damned.

*If you're ever in the Westboro area, aside from visiting me at the store, I suggest stopping by this fine establishment and treating yourself to lunch. Not as often as I do, however, because you'll burn a large hole in your food budget but at least once in a lifetime should be a mandatory requirement for anyone who happens to be heading east on Route 9.

* I've seem to have fallen into a rotating morning coffee schedule based on the following 4-day cycle: Honey Dew, Starbucks, McDonald's, home brew. Each has a unique taste that keeps me coming back for more but sipping from the same cup two days in a row would be the equivalent of a mortal sin. Me, type-A? Nah.

* The song "Tamacun" by Rodrigo y Gabriela puts me in a good mood.

* Vermont City is now a little less than 4 weeks away and Broad Street is on tap for this weekend. Training has been about as consistent as Josh Beckett's 6-0 start for the Sox and I'm feeling good about my ever-improving level of fitness. If anything I've "under" trained for my 26.2-mile debut on May 27, but as of right now this is the closest I've made it to the starting line of a marathon without partially tearing an Achilles tendon or fracturing my pelvic girdle so I'm not going to complain about the lack of impressive mileage totals in my training log. That being said, a slew of steady 80-90 mile weeks and a few solid harder efforts every couple of days have me feeling fit and confident for the first time in 3 years. Many thanks to Hodgie-San, Kevin, my NB Boston 'mates and everyone else who's shared a mile or much-appreciated pearl of wisdom with me.

* I still haven't seen Borat. I did, however, recently watch The Princess Bride for the 22nd time.

* Last weekend's Cardinal Invite at Stanford was just plain silly, laughable even. 15 guys under 28 for 10K including a whole mess of big PRs from guys like James Carney, Ed Moran and even Alberto's personal project, I mean Galen Rupp. Hell, the top 5 guys in the "slow" heat all broke 29. Now, earlier this year I more or less eliminated any serious track racing from my competitive future but the oval in Palo Alto might be worth making a trip to for one last dizzying hurrah. It's truly a magical place where PRs are made to happen or it's 395 meters if you hug the rail close enough. Either way, the depth of last weekend's 25-lapper was impressive, damn impressive.

* Contrary to popular belief, Kevin Beck is alive and well. He, or someone who plays him in cyberspace, told me himself.

That'll do it, for now anyway. The lesson here: bug me often enough and eventually I'll start spilling more shit from my overfilled mind. Hope all is well out there in blogland.

Quote of the day:

For me, I think the best part about it is that you can always improve. The hard work you put in along the way is rewarded by good race results.
- Steve Meinelt