B2B: The Way Racing Shouldn't Be

I've got a race report somewhere up my sleeve, and if I have some free time tomorrow (ha!) I'll be sure to roll up those sleeves up and let that sucker loose, but for now the Cliff's Notes version of this past weekend's Beach 2 Beacon 10K will have to suffice.

(Editor's note: After reviewing the content, the Cliff's Note's version will indeed suffice - permanently.)

Mile 1: Mario got out in about 5 minutes flat, hanging off the back of the women's lead pack and not feeling very comfortable with 5.2 miles of racing still left to go. He turns to former teammate Jeff Caron and says, "This is definitely faster than 33-minute pace."

Mile 2: The course started rolling a bit and Mario's pace slows down to a 5:22. The women's lead pack, which also included local studs Justin Lutz, David Bedoya and a few other hangers-on, pulled away and opened up a little bit of a gap.

Mile 2-1/2: Accepting the fact he was running like a huge pussy and didn't want to suffer any more, Mario backs off his effort a bit, waits for Rebecca Donaghue and Artie Gilkes to catch up (they weren't far behind to begin with), and proceeds to dangle himself like a carrot in front of his teammate, who would later finish as the top American woman in the race.

Mile 3: The net downhill carries Mario to a 5:18 third mile and a 16:18 split at 5K. JC has pulled away and Rebecca is rolling right along like she's out for a Saturday morning stroll. Colin Ingram, Mario's Mizuno rep and all-around good guy, pulls up along side our hurtin' hero with the clashing kit and engages him in the following exchange...

Colin: Let's go, Mario.
Mario: I'm in...the hurt box...dude.
Colin: I'm...way...over my head...too.

Mile 4: What goes down must come up, or something like that. In this case, that something was the pace, which shot up to 5:27 for no good reason. Actually, there was nothing good about this mile, or memorable anyway, so we'll leave it at that.

Mile 5: The clock read 26:35, but the big banner announcing the 5-mile mark about 150 meters before the actual 5-mile mark was enough of a tease that the split didn't mean shit when Mario finally reached the clock. His race well over, Rebecca's was just beginning as he and Artie kept close tabs on the fading Kenyan woman a few yards up ahead.

Mile 6: Resigned to his self-appointed role as domestique, Mario led Rebecca's charge into Fort Williams Park and quickly got the hell out of the way as the Pink Panther went on the prowl. By the 6-mile mark our new hero had boxed up one foreign delicacy and was ready to pick herself off another one, but simply ran out of real estate despite a sub 60-second clocking for her last 2/10 of a mile.

Synopsis: Mario ran a ball-less race. He needs to get his head on straight and his ass in gear.

Hummin' a slow tune

Been a couple of pretty ho-hum days 'round these parts, with a lotta bit o' work and a little bit of running mixed in to keep things somewhat interesting. Training has been pretty unspectacular since Sunday night's post, with an easy 4/4 double yesterday followed by a 6/6 split bill today.

This morning I made the most of limited time and fartleked 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off for the last 28 minutes of my run, just enough to keep the wheels spinning before I race in the World Championship of Maine, otherwise known as the Beach 2 Beacon 10K, on Saturday morning. After work, I took a leisurely 49 minute tour of Westboro with Rich, and along with discussing business matters, contemplated the Meaning of Life. OK, so that second part's a lie, but we did have a short, yet productive chat about life at the store, so short in fact that we had to finish it up afterward over a meal for the mighty, ie burritos and beer.

And that's about it. All I've got on tap for the rest of the week is a couple more days of work, some easy runnin' and bagging as much sleep in between as my schedule allows. Then it's off to Vacationland on Friday for a couple of days of fun in the sun. Oh yeah, and that little 10K road race on Saturday morning, almost forgot.

Take it back

Take back everything I wrote in that last post. The race got canceled on account of inclement weather. No big win, no heartbreaking loss, no cool prizes, nothing. Maybe next year.

I left Holden Center disappointed, dejected and above all, hungry. So I did what any good Italian kid with nothing better to do on a Sunday night would do - visit his Nana for a meal of macaroni and meatballs. Who needs to spend 10 bucks on a road race when you can get fed...for free!

And like when Frank saw Blue, it was glorrrrrrious. Well, until I got home about an hour later and decided on a whim it would be a bright idea to go out and attempt my tempo run. Good idea in theory, bad practice on a full stomach. It was anything but glorious.

Downright disgusting, in fact. Luckily I didn't hurl, but 28:05 for 5 miles is pretty ugly. My legs felt good, but 5:30 pace for the last couple miles was as fast as my ready-to-spew stomach would allow me to go.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Eye on the prize(s)

I'm racing tonight, sort of.

In a few hours I'll be heading to the hilly town of Holden for the 45th running of the Fred S. Warren 5.5 Mile Road Race. This will be the fourth time I've contested this mid-summer Central Mass. classic, and for the record, the course is no longer than 5.3 miles, so if you're checking results tomorrow and it looks like I blazed the sucker, trust me, I didn't.

And believe me, I'm not going to try to, either. My goal for tonight's "race" is to get in a steady, solid effort, and if the cards fall in my favor (to be read: if Mike Smith or Mike Banks decide not to show up), win the thing. The idea is to not blow out the tubes before Beach 2 Beacon next weekend, where the stage will be a little bigger and the competition a little stiffer.

So why worry about winning at all then? Well, my reason is two-fold. First, and quite simply, I don't like losing. Second, I'll have first dibs at one of the dozens of brilliant merchandise prizes this race is known for dishing out afterward. Last year, I won a handy hand mixer after finishing sixth in a rather unspectacular 30:58. Since I'm a little more fit this summer - I think - I figure I'll be a few places and a couple minutes ahead of that tonight, which should open up a world of possibilities - perhaps a toaster, set of gas cans, extra-large lawn blanket or that charcoal grill I had my eye on last year. Stay tuned to see how I make out.

Routine maintenance

Alright, alright, I'll update my blog. Not that I didn't want to earlier this week, but time, as usual, is the major roadblock standing between my trigger finger and the PUBLISH POST button.

Since Papa Billy's wedding last Saturday, I haven't been up to anything worth writing about, other than reintegrating myself back into a regular routine with work, running and the like. The transition back to work has been seemless, running, not so much. I took last Sunday off to give my body a break and followed suit similarly today by electing to catch a few extra Z's rather than run a few extra miles. That's two days off within the same seven-day period and no, I'm not gonna lose any extra sleep over it. Just the opposite in fact.

Starting Sunday, however, I've got to get my ass in gear whether I like it or not. Two days from now marks the magical 12-week starting point of my Bay State buildup. Time to get the miles back up, stretch the long runs out a bit, work out twice a week again with regularity and sleep enough in between to recover from it all. Just found out the other day that this guy is officially on board and we'll be riding the train together all the way to Lowell.

So clear the tracks, we'll be comin' atcha full steam ahead.

Weddin' pikshaz

Bill and Bernie, happy as can be.

Papa Billy and the Fraioli boys.

Between Mr. and Mrs. Kirwin. Eyes closed, of course.

And yes, there was even an ice cream truck.

Pre-weekend update

OK, since I was giving this guy a load of shit for not updating his blog, I figure it's about time I bring my own similar-looking site back up to speed now that said guy as upped the ante with an Olympic Trials recap of epic proportions never before seen in the Blogosphere.

This paltry post won't be nearly as in depth, as there's not much to report since my last entry other than accumulating fatigue and a few uninspired jogs, which included a sidewalk face plant on Thursday and the always embarrassing getting passed from behind by a girl on Wednesday. No, I'm not making this stuff up. It's been that kind of week.

Luckily, there's been plenty to look forward today and heading into the weekend, including a visit this afternoon with my adopted niece Danielle Frances Kinney, who was born to two of my very best friends less than 24 hours after Mom died, along with my grandfather's wedding tomorrow morning. Yep, Circle of Life in full effect right there. You better believe it.

And yes, you read that second part above correctly. My grandfather, almost 80 years old, is tying the knot with his fantastic fiance, Bernice Stone, a wonderful woman he met after my Nana passed away a few years ago. Go Papa Billy!

After a tough couple weeks for me and my family, we're all very much looking forward to tomorrow's festivities. The ceremony will be a low-key affair in the woods of rural Charlton, followed by an awesome afternoon of fun, food and more fun and more food. To see the sadness in Papa Billy's eyes the last few weeks turn to sparkle upon mention of the wedding was enough to put a smile on anyone's face. It's gonna be a great time, chock full of fun, laughter and celebration, which is exactly what this family needs right now.

Back on track

It's no first person Olympic Trials recap (still waitin' on it JC!), but here's the rough data from tonight's track workout, my first in three weeks.

5 x 1K @ 3:08.62, 3:07.80, 3:08.44, 3:07.16, 3:05.63 w/200m jog recovery in 1:10-1:30, 2 x 800m in 2:25.77, 2:21.56 w/1:00 recovery.

Since everyone else's season is pretty much over I flew solo on this one, and all things considered it went pretty well. I felt strong and Kevin said I looked smooth, so I'll take it. Basically I'm in maintenance mode right now until Beach 2 Beacon on August 2nd, then I'll shut it down for a week and then it's full steam ahead to Bay State on October 19. Heard rumor that this guy might possibly be joining me for a scenic 26.2-mile tour of Lowell. Boy, that would be just swell.

Routine update

Finally starting to get back into a regular life routine, and hopefully I'll be back into the blogging routine - however sporadic it may be - by the end of the week. Perhaps by then this guy and maybe even this guy will be back at it as well.















Yep, I just called you suckas out. Somebody has to try and keep it real 'round here.

Mom's Eulogy

A few people have asked me for a copy of Mom's eulogy from earlier today, but since I only had the original written version, I decided that typing it up and posting it here would be the easiest way to get it out, and the best way to leave a lasting tribute for Mom.

When I was a little kid, whenever my Mom would drive me somewhere - and she drove me everywhere - whether it was basketball practice, summer camp, a friend's house, wherever, when the song, "Here Comes The Sun" by the Beatles would come on the radio, Mom would remind me every time, without fail, that when I was a baby she would sing this song to me.

"It was your favorite song," she used to say. "You loved it."

Whatever, Mom. At the time, I didn't know who the Beatles were, and I sure didn't remember ever liking that song, but I just took her word for it. Years later, when I would finally develop a taste for good music, I remembered that song. I actually grew to like it - still do, in fact. It became one of my favorites. Maybe Mom was right, then again, Mom was always right.

"Mothers know everything bud," she would remind me at least once a week.

Well, a little less than a week ago, I don't think anyone knew that Mom was gonna be taken from us, not even her.

When I arrived at the Emergency Room of St. Vincent's Hospital last Tuesday, in the middle of a nasty thunderstorm, my own world quickly turned as dark and gray as the one outside.

"They...think...she's...dead...Mario," my brother Matt finally spit out to me. One look at my crying father told me this was no terrible nightmare. This was a horrific reality. Mom had passed on from this life.

There was nothing we, or anyone else, could do about it, so we gathered together, as a family, in the waiting room at the hospital.

We cried, as a family.

We hugged, as a family.

We told each other we were gonna stay stay strong and get through this tough time. Again, as a family.

We needed each other, but we all also needed a moment to ourselves. I needed to get out of that room, I needed some fresh air. So I took a walk outside.

As I stepped out onto the sidewalk, the sun was shining bright and Mom started singing my favorite song to me.

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's alright.

Well Ma, it might take a little while but it's gonna be alright. And since you know everything, I'll just take your word for it. In the meantime, we'll remember you for the wonderful woman you were - wife, mother, daughter, aunt, friend.

Mom was a giver in the truest sense of the word. She gave herself to my Dad as his devoted wife of 27 years. As a mother, she gave life to me and my three beautiful siblings, not to mention hundreds of car rides to camps, practices, recitals, friend's houses and everywhere else under the sun. She gave generously to her family and friends, baking dozens and dozens of cookies during the month of December so everyone could have a full tin for Christmas. Jay, she still needs yours back by the way.

Mom gave and gave and gave some more and never asked for anything in return, except maybe for a medium iced caramel swirl latte with skim milk, no sugar, whipped cream and extra caramel if you just happened to be going by Dunkin' Donuts on your way home.

Well, Mom's not gonna be at home anymore, but that's OK because Nana has some company in heaven now. The two of them will always be with us, always watching over us.

I miss you Mom.

We all miss you.

And as Sean and Alicia told you every time they saw you or talked to you on the phone, "Auntie, we love you."

Mom, we all love you.

Mom, 3/25/58-7/1/08

Shirley M. (Kirwin) Fraioli, 50, of Auburn, died unexpectedly Tuesday, July 1, 2008, at home.

Shirley is survived by her loving family; her husband, Mario Fraioli; two sons, Mario Fraioli, Jr. of Worcester, Matthew K. Fraioli of Auburn; two daughters, Jayme L. Fraioli and Lisa M. Fraioli, both of Auburn; her father, William Kirwin, Sr. of Millbury; three brothers, Michael Kirwin and his wife Frances of Worcester, William Kirwin, Jr. and Anthony Kirwin both of Millbury; four sisters, Jane-Marie Mrazik and her husband David of Oxford, Denise Dalpe and her husband James of Millbury, Christine Godbout and her husband Roger of Worcester, Patricia Kirwin and her companion Jay West of Millbury, as well as many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Shirley was born in Worcester and lived here most of her life before moving to Millbury. Her mother was the late Patricia (VanAlstyne) Kirwin. She was a graduate of North High School. Shirley enjoyed being a homemaker and loved being with her family, especially her niece, Alicia and nephew, Sean. Among her many interests she enjoyed sewing, baking, walking, and camping. She loved to read, and enjoyed spending time with her close friends. Shirley was a devoted wife and mother whose time spent with her family was precious to her. She will be missed dearly by her family and friends. Shirley was a former member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel-St Ann Church, and was a long time volunteer for the American Cancer Society.

Shirley's funeral will be held Monday from the MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation St. with a Mass of Christian burial at 11:00AM in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel-St Ann Church, 24 Mulberry St. Calling hours in the funeral home will be 4-7PM on Sunday. Burial will be in Notre Dame Cemetery. Flowers may be sent or contributions made to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure, 5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250, Dallas, TX. 75244.

Tragic Tuesday

I never made it to my chiropractic appointment in Natick on Tuesday, or my track workout in Waltham for that matter. Heck, I never even made it past the 495 exit on the Mass Pike in Hopkinton. About 50 minutes after I published my last post and hit the highway, I ended up back in Worcester, at the Emergency Room of St. Vincent's Hospital, where my world was flipped upside down.

I'd rather I was there because my car had flipped upside down, but no, I didn't get in an accident. That I could have lived with, even if it killed me.

What transpired in the minutes after I parked my car and found my family is a scary scene I'm having trouble trying to close the curtains on, and one that I'm still having a hard time believing happened altogether.

"They...think...she's...dead...Mario," my brother Matt finally choked out in the hallway outside of the waiting room. Opening the door to that waiting room to see my usually stoic Dad sobbing hysterically made this surreal nightmare a morbid reality.

She - Shirley Marie Kirwin Fraioli - Mom to me, my brother and two sisters, husband of 27 years to my Dad, daughter of 50 years to my Papa Billy, sister to her seven siblings, Auntie Shirley to her dozens of nieces and nephews and Shirl to a countless many friends, had passed away unexpectedly at home about an hour earlier. She was 50 years too young.

It's hard to believe all of this transpired in the last 36 hours, and as I said before it's hard to believe that any of this has happened at all. Mom's sudden death is a shock to all of us and a day later it still just doesn't seem real, but the fact of the matter is it's a shocking reality, not just the bad dream we're all hoping to wake up from tomorrow morning.

As a family, I hesitate to say we're doing OK, but we're doing the best we can right now. The Fraioli Family and the Kirwin Klan are a tight-knit bunch, and together we're gonna get through this - we always do. Plus, we've had a little help from our fantastic friends, and as I and the rest of my family have come to find out in the last day or so, there are many of them. To all of you out there, your support means a lot, just as my Mom means a lot to all of us.

So keep my Mom in your thoughts and prayers, and be sure tell your own Mom, Dad, or whoever it may be that you love 'em. They'll love you for it, believe me.

I love you, Mom, and already miss you more than I can put into words.

Auntie Shirley, with her other two favorite "kids", Sean & Alicia.

Homegrown inspiration

Let me say this. Amy Begley's furious finish in the women's 10,000 on Friday night might have been the most inspiring piece of running I've ever witnessed in my 26 years of existence, even if I wasn't there to see it firsthand.

That said, last night's injection of inspiration hit a bit closer to home, as from the comfort of my couch I watched New Balance Boston teammate and native Central Masser, Rebecca Donaghue, earn her spot in the 5,000-meter final Thursday night with a fifth-place, 15:38.95 finish in her qualifying heat.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, this was a 17-second PR - 17 seconds! - at the Olympic Trials no less!

It was both an incredible and inspiring performance, incredibly inspiring, in fact. I'll have more to add later, as well as my take on all the other action, but first I gotta go get my flimsy frame realigned before hitting the track tonight myself. Catch you clowns later.

Overdue outline

Believe it or not, I've got stuff to write about, but as is usually the case I don't have enough time to actually write, which presents a bit of a problem. I've got a few minutes right now, however, so here's a rough outline of a couple things I hope to touch upon sometime in the next millenium.

*Olympic Trials. First of all, I wish I was there, but I'm not, so my off-the-cuff commentary from across the country will just have to do. Day 1, or Night 1 for that matter, certainly didn't disappoint. If it weren't already known, Shalane Flanagan showed once again why she's the best female distance runner in the country, but it was Amy Begley who stole the show with her third-place, 31-minute, 43.6-second finish in the women's 10,000. From what I'm reading she, 1. PR'd by 16 seconds, 2. snuck under the Olympic A-standard, and 3. closed her second 5K in 15:33. Yes, 15:33, just 9 seconds off her all-time best 5,000. Sick.

* Training. Sorry, I've flat out sucked in providing any insight as to what I've been up to lately. I think that bringing back the Weekly Wrap-Up might not be such a bad idea.

* Running shoes. I manage a specialty running store, and as more people than I care to think about have mentioned to me lately, I apparently have this scary ability to remember people's shoes and sizes. I'll get more into this in another entry, but if I've ever run with you, leave a comment with your name and I'll rack my brain and see what I can come up with.

There's probably more to add, but because of - you guessed it - time constraints, that's gonna do it for now. I'll expound upon the above points at a later date and time, hopefully just not too late.

Take it easy out there in Blogland.

Discovery Blogosphere

In lieu of my infrequent posting of late, I offer a whole slew of newly discovered running blogs to add to your daily browsing arsenal.

Nate Brigham
Brendan Prindiville
Brennan Bonner
Carl Mease
Jim Johnson
Matt Germain
Robert Jarrin

I'll eventually add the above links to the logs-n-blogs column on the right side of this page, but that's a different project for a different night. No rush though, chances are this post will remain at the top of the page for a while anyway.

Goose egg and scrambled eggs

I didn't run today, my second zero in as many weeks. No, I'm not hurt and no, I'm not quitting the sport - just a little tired, that's all. Upon waking this morning I had this wild revelation that giving my legs a rest every once in a while might actually be of some benefit.

That, and JC stopped by on his way out to California and much breakfast was eaten at The Coffee Mug.

So let's recap...
1. Tired legs + full stomach = day off.
2. Worcester, Mass. is on the way to Chino Hills, California.

Note it.

Back on track

Man, talk about pre-race jitters. From the time I woke up Sunday morning until about 5 minutes before the gun went off later that evening I was shaking worse than a cokehead off the booger sugar. I also hit double digits for restroom visits on the day, which I'm fairly certain is a new record. But enough about the unsettled inner workings of my body, let's talk about the race.

Let me preface this report by saying that the New England Championships isn't exactly Mt. SAC. There was closer to four guys in the field than 40, but it was still 12-1/2 laps of the track and even though the winning time was closer to 15:20 than 13:20, it was still one heck of a race.

It was also a helluva night for distance running - 65 degrees, overcast and windless. Maybe a bit humid, but certainly nothing to complain about. For my first track race in almost exactly two years, the conditions couldn't have been more ideal.

OK, enough about the weather. Let's talk about the race, for real this time.

Following the traditional protocol of these things, the gun went up, the gun went bang and before I knew it I was two strides in front of the field before the smoke from the starter's pistol became a part of the upper atmosphere. Not exactly where I wanted to be less than 20 seconds into the race, but this isn't Nintendo - there's no restart buttons in this game.

And a game it was indeed. I led for a couple laps, then Matt Germain took over. I regained the lead, Matt quickly grabbed it back. Mark Mayall then took his turn at the controls and upped the tempo a few ticks, finally stretching the three of us out like an accordion. Within a couple hundred meters Matt reeled Mark back in, and because I didn't have anything better to do, I went by my teammate and took off after the tall guy in the baby blue singlet. I eventually caught him with about two laps to go, but that was my final flicker of hope as I absolutely got lit up over the last 600 meters. Mayall went by me, too, and my melted marathon legs held on for third in the field of thirteen, 15 minutes and 23 seconds the official time next to my name.

It wasn't the outcome I was hoping for, but looking back two days later I can honestly say this was a great race, a tactical chess match on the track even Bobby Fischer would have been impressed with. Not my greatest finish, nowhere close to my PR, but for where I'm at right now in my training, this was a solid effort and a step in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, I hate losing - fucking HATE it - and I'm not too thrilled about running 15:23 on the track, either, but as my college coach drilled into my head, it is what it is. I put myself in position to win with two laps to go and I ran out of gas. I turned the engine but the engine wouldn't turn.

Place and time aside, it was exciting to tour the tartan again and give myself a goal to build toward next spring. If I can successfully tweak my engine over the next year, the gas should burn more efficiently, the gears should shift a little easier and my overall cruising speed should be a whole lot faster. Throw in a pair of plated spikes instead of my all-weather rubber radials and I'm confident this car will be running better than ever before.

Cultural reimmersion

Next up on the racing docket, 5,000 meters this Sunday night at the New England Championships on the campus of Bentley College in Waltham.

Yes, 5,000 meters, none of this 5K road race crap - not this weekend, anyway. 12-1/2 laps of tartan-laced torture hardly even resembles the 3.1 miles of pavement pounding practiced by weekend road warriors hoping to score a quick paycheck. Hell, I don't think the two are even related. Distant cousins, at best.

It's not even worth trying to explain the differences between the two unless you've experienced both for yourself. Believe me, track racing, by its very nature, is much more nerve racking than road racing. There's no guy wearing an orange sleeve on his jacket with a gun in his hand telling you to take your marks at your local weekend 5K. Until you've crouched behind the half-mooned starting line with a dozen or so other brave souls, been spiked by a high back kick or had the taste of pennies permeate your mouth two laps into the most uncomfortable merry-go-round ride of your life, this mumbo jumbo will likely remain Greek to you.

For me, I'm just trying to relearn a little bit of the language before I completely reimmerse myself into the foreign culture of track again next spring, which is why I'll be rockin' my trusty ol' road flats on Sunday night instead of a shiny new pair of spikes. That, and I want to be able to run on Monday morning.

Flight school

So Casey and I ended up running 8 miles together yesterday, including four 200-meter strides on the Westboro High track for shits-n-giggles. After hitting the first three anywhere between 34.3 and 36.6 seconds, we finished up with a 31.2 and all I can tell you is I wasn't the guy leading it. Coach Kellogg looked so easy you'd never know the guy hasn't run a competitive race since the 800-meter final at the Big Sky Championships in 2005.

Bastard was floating. I hung on for the ride, but believe me the turbulance was rough.

If CK gets his ass in gear, I might -- correction, will -- be in trouble for our 1,500-meter showdown next June. Good thing I started flying lessons four weeks ago.

Friday fun

It's Friday, I got a job and I ain't got shit to do.

Except maybe run another 8 miles with my good buddy Casey after work. Luckily for me, his calendar is in sync with mine, he's also employed and he ain't got nuthin' better to do, either.

Of course, there's always the alternative, but they already made a movie out of that.

Just keep running.

Welcome to Anaerobia

15 minutes, 41 seconds. That's precisely how long I spent visiting the land of Anaerobia Sunday at the Rhody 5K in Lincoln, RI. Man, it's been a while since I've frequented that far off and unforgiving place, and my only regret is that I didn't cut a few more seconds off my stay. There's always next time, however.

Actually, my visit lasted a few seconds shorter than I had planned for it to - 4, to be exact - so I'll keep my complaints to a minimum. The race was about what I expected it to be - unusually short, uncomfortably fast and most assuredly painful. Hell, all races are painful to some extent, but after a year's worth of mostly aerobic over-distance training a fast road 5K will put a different kind of hurt into your legs.

The I-don't-know-what-just-hit-me-but-I-can't-do-anything-about-it kind of hurt. See below.

This was fun, I think. OK, maybe fun isn't the right word but it was definitely different than what I'm used to, that's for sure. Maybe I'll do it again in a little less than two weeks, maybe not. Stay tuned.

Friday fix

So it looks like Friday is blogging day, for this guy anyway. Not much excitement to speak of, but Disco Rick & The Chieftains did finish 6th out of 34 teams in the Men's Open division last Sunday at the Vermont City Marathon Relay. We clocked in at a 2:58:52, a few minutes ahead of our anticipated pace, but still 5-1/2 minutes behind a bunch of guys in banana suits. All in all it was a great weekend and a good time was had by all.

Other than my weekend away, the rest of the week was business as usual. It consisted of a few days of work, a bit of running and not enough rest, which is pretty much par for the course for me these days.

As for the running this week, I got in a solid 18 in Burlington on Sunday as part of the relay, with the first 6 miles at an average of 6:01 pace, the next 6 at a 5:35 clip and the final 6 at just under 7-minute pace. I bounced back pretty well from that and Tuesday night I got on the track with my 'mates for a healthy dose of eight 1,000-meter repeats, ranging anywhere from 3:06-3:10, with 1:45 for recovery between each 2-1/2 lapper. This morning I did a short fartlek consisting of ten 1-minute pickups just to spin the wheels one last time before the 5K on Sunday.

Oh yes, 5K. 3.1 miles of lung burning, lactic acid-laced pain taking over my body. It's been a while since I've subjected myself to such torture, but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless. I can't think of a better way to wake up my marathon-ravaged legs than by locking them in the hurtbox for 15 or so minutes of anaerobic distress. It should do the trick pretty quickly, in fact.

Quote of the Week

"This is the one sport that you can be tremendous at doing in an hour a day. It's the one sport where talent is the least important component to success. It's dedication and hard work."
- Buddy Bostick

Insert token (entry) here

So it's been well over a week since my last entry, I still haven't posted any pictures from my trip to Oregon and in general I've haven't been very good about updating this site on a regular basis. I have been running, however, so let's hope this token training entry to end the week can hold everyone over until I catch the blogging bug again.

After a brief two-week "break" from training, I'm back on the horse yet again, or more appropriately, back on the track as of two Tuesdays ago. My first workout on the oval in over a year was short-n-sweet -- 3 sets of 400-400-800, starting at 74-second pace for the first set and dropping the average lap pace one second per set as the workout progressed. No, it wasn't mind-blowing fast, but it wasn't supposed to be. Just "molding the tissues" as Bob Sevene matter-of-factly put it to me 2-1/2 years ago.

It was back to the track last Friday night after work for a 4-mile tempo run in the rain, goal pace of 80-82 seconds a lap. I completed the 16-lap tour of Westboro High's 1/4-mile raceway in 21:28, splitting miles of 5:28, 5:24, 5:21, 5:15 along the way. Why tempo 4 miles on the track, you might be wondering. I'm less likely to fuck it up that way, plain and simple.

This past Sunday I hit the trails with Greg for an hour and 50 minutes, which was a good run even though the two of us felt equally shitty. Greg's back at it after a winter sabbatical from running, so it was nice to catch up with him as well as have someone to share my misery with on the best network of trails in Central Mass. west of Carrara's house.

Speaking of Carrara, I finally got to work out with the man again for the first time since my left leg shit out on me back in early February. We hit the Bentley track two days ago, along with Sir Justin Maloney and Marky Mark Mayall, for 3 sets of 1200/800 with 2:30 recovery after the 12's and 3:30 between sets. Kevin called for 73-ish pace and for the most part we obliged. For all you number crunchers out there, the splits looked something like this...

3:42.00, 2:25.86
3:41.00, 2:24.93
3:39.36, 2:22.96

This was a solid session, made all that much more productive by the presence of the group. The four of us did a nice job of sharing the workload, which made hitting splits that much easier for everyone involved. To be honest, I do a very shitty job of getting myself up for workouts on my own, so having the luxury of a group to work out with on a weekly basis is huge for me. Of course, because of my inconsistent schedule I can't always make it to practice, but that's something I'm trying to change. Bottom line is I race better when I train consistently, so I've gotta make it to practice more consistently. It's a lot easier to push a workout back a day, bow out of one early or otherwise call it a day when it's just you and your own watch out there. Not so much when someone else is holding the watch and two or three other guys will have no qualms about running you over if the pace starts lagging.

Groups work. See Hanson's, old-school GBTC, Zap Fitness, a Kenyan or Ethiopian training camp, Team USA (insert location here) or any successful collegiate program if you need further proof.

OK, end rant. The week is finally over and I'm off to Burlington, VT for a few days of R&R - relaxation and a relay. Might be a while till I chime in again, but then again maybe not. You just never know - hell, I never know.

Off day

You'd think that with two days off from work I'd have plenty of time to fill this space with witty commentary and plenty of pictures, but au contraire, mon fraire. Such is not the case.

A day off for me is usually anything but, especially when I've got a never ending laundry list of - pardon my French - shit, that just needs to get cleaned up. Hell, why do you think I escaped to Oregon for four days?

The answer: It's nearly impossible to keep a dentist appointment, get your eyes checked, go grocery shopping, respond to e-mails, renew your license, paint the front door, cut the grass, clean your car, get your oil changed, tidy up your living area and save the world from 3,000 miles away.

OK, so those aren't the only reasons I headed west for a few days, but it was enough of an excuse to warrant waiting until after I got home to check stuff off the aforementioned list. Now that I'm back in the Bay State, however, it's back to reality, as they say.

Ah, but I digress. Before I go clean out a couple toilet bowls, here's the Cliff's Notes version of what I've been up to with my running since that little marathon I did a few weeks back.

First week post-Boston: 3 days "off off", followed by a few token 30-minute jogs and the establishment of a consistent routine of staying up late, drinking beer with buds and eating copious amounts of ice cream on an almost nightly basis.

Week 2: 48.5 miles of running, but no doubles, no run over an hour and not a mile south of 7-minute pace. I did do strides three times, however, and started to get my ass to bed before midnight again. Beer consumption dropped off quite a bit but I did continue to feed my sweet tooth pretty generously.

Week the 3rd: 68.4 miles of running, which far exceeded the never-to-be-disputed 15% increase proclaimed as gospel by the sacred text of the sport, Runner's World. No real long run to speak of, but I did double once and ran on trails every day in Oregon from Wednesday through Saturday. I kept up with doing strides, but decided to put off any sort of structured workout another week. Chomping at the bit, though.

Semana Numero Quatro: So far I'm at 24.5 miles of running for two days, including a short double yesterday. I did my first longer run, that being 93 minutes, on Sunday after work and closed that one with the last 15 minutes under 6-minute pace. The rest of the week looks like this...track workout tonight, recovery run tomorrow, longerish run with strides on Thursday, tempo run and short hills Friday and a recovery run on Saturday. Overall mileage will probably end up somewhere in the low 70's.

While in Oregon I had the chance to sit down with Kevin and map out a plan for the rest of the year. In a nutshell, the next 12 weeks will be devoted to 10K-type training, culminating with the Beach to Beacon 10K in early August. I've got a handful of other races on the schedule before that, but B2B is where I'd really like to rip a good one. After the 10K I'll take a week of active recovery and then it's full steam ahead to the Bay State Marathon in mid-October.

Why Bay State? It's close, it's flat and it's on the Grand Prix this year so it should (read: I hope) draw a solid local crowd. Without any hiccups, I believe I can get myself in sub-2:25 shape and contend for the win.

After the 26.2 in Lowell everything is still pretty much up in the air, but if I can get my legs back under me in time to pull off an abbreviated cross season I may do just that. If not, I'll take a little bit of a break and then get an early start on building a base for the 2009 track season. Yep, you read that right.

That's all I got for now. Pretty productive entry I'd say, minus the pictures. I do have a handful of shots from Hayward Field of Joanie, Catherine, Jeff and the star of the show, Barack Obama, but those JPEGs are still taking up temporary residency on my camera's memory card. Some day they'll move into the My Pictures folder on my laptop and eventually end up on this site, but today is not that day. I've still gotta clean a toilet bowl or two before heading to the track tonight, so the pictures will have to wait until later in the week to make an appearance.

Hey, it's my day off. Give me a break.

Freshening up

I'm back from the Beaver State, feeling refreshed and armed with a fresh perspective. It's amazing how four days of clean air in your lungs, soft woodchip trails underneath your feet and genuine kindness all around you can lift the mind, body and soul out of a monotonous rut. Of course, catching up with distant relatives, watching teammates race at historic Hayward Field and shaking hands with the man who will hopefully become our next president only added to the revival of positive energy I experienced this week. Sometimes a little escape can go a long way -- in more ways than one, in fact.

I've got thoughts to share and pictures to post from my trip, but I'll wait until tomorrow or Tuesday to do so since I've got the next two days off from work and to be quite honest, I'm pooped.

Sorry folks, but a guy's gotta sleep.

Update from Youjean, Orygun

Sorry folks, but I appear to have fallen off the face of the blogosphere over the past two weeks and for that I sincerely apologize. I actually had started two posts last week that I fully intended on publishing, but for one reason or another neither of them got finished and you've been stuck staring at the same old shit on a new background for a good 14 days now. I may still finish those two entries and eventually hit the Publish button on them, but unlike Hillary's forthcoming last ditch efforts to win the Democratic nomination, I'm not making any promises.

For the curious commenter on the post prior to this one, no, I haven't hung up the sneaks. Not yet, anyway. Despite the pummeling they took at Boston, I've got new life in these scrawny white legs of mine and I'm hoping to avoid a premature descent into the great abyss known as the middle of the pack. I figure I'll eventually end up there someday, so might as well see how close I can get to the front while I still can.

Presently, I find myself in Eugene, Oregon for 4 days of running, rest, relaxation and race watching. Not gonna lie, this brief respite from my regular routine is exactly what I needed. The first steps off the plane this afternoon were a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively, and it feels good not to have anything to worry about other than what woodchip trail I want to run on tomorrow morning. If only life's choices were this easy every day.

So that'll do it for now. I'll post an update again soon, and this time it won't take two weeks. That much I can promise.

Lessons Learned

OK, everyone can stop sitting, cease chirping, quit whining and start reading - without further a due, here's my much ballyhooed race report from last Monday's 112th running of the Boston Marathon.

So where to start? Good question, and not sure I have the answer to it, so let's begin by piggybacking off the same question every other person asks me after congratulating me on my incredible 56th-place performance a week ago.

(For the record, I'd use a few different adjectives to describe my own race, but since a 2:30:24 seemingly hinges on the border of incredible that's what we'll go with for the time being.)

Am I happy with my race?

For now, let's just say I'm not totally unhappy with it. I'll explain.

It's hard to be happy when 25 or so people pass you over the last 10 miles of a race, regardless if you still finish 56th in a field of 21,963. It's tough to crack a smile when you look at the results afterward and see that two guys you beat in a 10 miler nine weeks before were the same two guys who finished 23rd and 24th overall while you crossed the finish line a good 5 minutes and twenty some-odd places behind them. Sorry, but those are tough pills to swallow for any competitor, regardless of the circumstances. If they went down easy then I'd need to find myself a new hobby.

Disappointments aside, there's still a lot to keep my head up about. Aside from the incredible and unforgettable experience of my first Boston Marathon, I walked, err, hobbled, away from this race having learned a lot things - a lot about the marathon itself and a lot more about the guy who wore #1063 on his chest.

Lesson Learned # 1. Boston will beat the shit out of you. Run wisely.

The marathon experts - and there are many of them - seem to agree that the most efficient plan of attack for conquering a 26.2-mile footrace is to keep an even keeled approach from one mile to the next, that is running consistent splits, every 1,609 meters, for as long as your road-hardened legs will allow. Boston is no exception.

Let me repeat, slowly. Boston...is...no...exception.

I'm no expert, or apparently I just had a hard time practicing the lessons that those who are preach, but I did anything but run even splits from Hopkinton to Boston last Monday. Hell, the first and second halves of my race were about as uneven as my sideburns from that bad haircut I got in the eighth grade. Yep, that bad.

Going into Boston I figured that I was fit enough to average 5:35 per mile for 26.2 miles. In retrospect, it did me no good to average 5:26's for the first 10K only to muster 6:04's for the final 6.2 miles.

The lessons here? Never let the new girl at the barber shop cut your hair and don't go out in 1:12:13 for the first half of a marathon if you're gonna come back in 1:18:11. Both choices make for a long day and neither is worth the embarrassment.

Lesson Learned # 2. Once you commit, you're committed. Oh, and you're an idiot for doing so.

So if I was fit enough to run 5:35 a mile for 26.2 miles, why the hell did I commit to a pack that was running at a pace much faster than that?

It's called racing, and as we all know sometimes racing makes people do stupid things. Salazar said, "Standing on the starting line we're all cowards." Well, ol' Al was wrong. Standing on the starting line we're all idiots, at least I was last Monday. But hey, sometimes stupidity pays off. Idiots can win races, too, ya know.

The lesson here? You can get away with being an idiot in a mile, maybe even a 5 or 10K, but longer than that and it's likely you're gonna be in trouble. Big trouble.

Lesson Learned # 3. Sticking it out is well worth the effort, even if it damn near kills you.

At 15K into last Monday's 26.2 mile affair, the clock read 50:50, or 14 seconds faster than I had run two weeks prior at the Boston Tuneup 15K in undulating Upton, Mass. I'm not gonna lie, I knew at the 9.3-mile mark in Natick that I wasn't feeling as comfortable as I should have with roughly an hour and a half of running still ahead of me, but I was determined to keep going at the pace I was running for as long as my legs would allow. By the time I reached Wellesley three miles later I could feel the funkiness starting to creep its way into my legs, and when I crossed over 128 at 16-1/2 miles my pace had slowed considerably and I knew I was in big trouble. Good pal and former teammate Fran Guardabascio, taking it all in from the convenience of his employer's sidewalk, told me afterward that I "didn't look good." I sure as hell didn't feel good, either, and a few miles later I would feel, and look, much worse.

Cue Mile 19. This picture - taken by soon-to-be new momma Melissa Kinney - pretty much sums up my last 10 miles. The head is down and I'm hurtin' - bad. I covered the 5K stretch from 30-35K in 19:25, yep, an average of 6:19 a mile. I was suffering.

But I kept going. By Mile 20 all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and call it a day, but I didn't. I couldn't. I wouldn't let myself. I might have been dying but I sure as hell wasn't quitting.

I knew my brother was stationed at Mile 22 and my New Balance Boston teammates were camped out at Mile 23. Looking forward to seeing these people got me through those next few arduous miles.

That's when it happened.

What happened? Damned if I know, still trying to figure it out in fact, but something clicked. I hit Cleveland Circle and suddenly I was moving again. No, I didn't start dropping 5:30 miles - hell, I barely snuck back under 6's - but all of a sudden I had a new outlook on life. No longer was I feeling sorry for the idiot who went out way over his head, but instead I was charging toward the finish line with whatever life I had left in my legs, which admittedly wasn't much. I quit looking at my splits but I didn't quit on myself. I might have died - and died hard - to 2:30:24, but I can honestly say I gave it all I had for 26.2 miles, and that I can live it.

The lesson here?

Don't give up, though the pace seems slow
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt -
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

So back to that question everyone wants the answer to...

...Am I happy with my race?

All things considered, yeah, I guess you could say that.

Race Report: Boston Marathon

It's coming, I swear. Maybe tonight, most likely tomorrow or possibly even Friday if I continue to keep getting distracted. Sit tight.

Training Log: April 13-19

Sunday, 9:30 AM - 13 miles, 1:32:00. Relaxed romp on the trails with Ryan and Christy Mae. Legs didn't feel too bad, but they're not feeling good quite yet either.

Monday, 9:45 AM - 7.2 miles, 50:00. Six passes of Lake Park's perimeter, finishing up with 4 x 35-second strides on the track. Hopefully it's a little less windy a week from now.

Tuesday, 8:05 AM - 4.4 miles, 31:00. 4-banger around the block before work. Legs are starting to show some signs of life again.
7:10 PM - 4.5 miles, 30:00. Twilight trot around Westboro after work. First 10 minutes easy, 1 minute on/1 minute off for the next 10 minutes, last 10 minutes easy back to the store.
9:00 PM - Ice bath on Shadrock's suggestion. Filled the tub with cold water and a 10-lb bag of ice and sat there for 15 numbing minutes. I'll do this again on Thursday if my lower extremities thaw out before then.

Wednesday, 7:40 AM - 6 miles, 44:30. Slow going before work. Felt a bit on the flat side this morning.

Thursday, 8:50 AM - 9.3 miles, 1:03:00. 21:00 warmup, 3-mile PMP in 16:21 (5:26, 5:29, 5:26), 25:40 cooldown. 10 seconds faster per mile than I should have been, but better to make stupid mistakes now than on Monday.

Friday, 10:35 AM - 6.4 miles, 45:00. Out-n-back on the Rail Trail with Rob. No aches, no pains, but no life in the old legs either.

Saturday, 7:45 AM - 6 miles, 42:00. Sunny 6-miler solo before work. 6 x 20/40 strides on the way home to wake the legs back up again.

Totals: 56.8 miles, 8 runs. The week is over, the work is done and I'll be ready to rock & roll on Monday morning. For those of you also about to rock, I salute you.

Quote of the Week

"You can get serious about running Boston. It has a way of taking possession of your senses, of your life."
- Bill Rodgers

Training Log: April 6-12

Sunday, 8:50 AM - 8.1 miles, 1:03:50. Easy does it on the trails with Ryan, Christy Mae and special guest Jeff Caron. Everything felt pretty good except for the perpetually tight left calf and persistently pesky plantar of the same leg.

Monday, 11:45 AM - 22.2 miles, 2:25:00. Last long run before Baahstin out at the Sterling Rail Trail, where the ratio of crushed gravel to pavement was 14:8, or 7:4 for you mathematical purests. Did the 6-mile loop three times and finished up with a 4-banger so I could practice taking fluids and fuel at regular intervals. Took water at 3, 9, 15, and 20 miles, Gatorade at 6, 12 and 18, a GU at 8 and another at 15. The strategy worked out very well, no GI troubles and no lack of energy. Had to stop and stretch the calf a few times but felt fantastic otherwise. Finished the run in 2:25 on the nose, which is hopefully a good omen for two weeks from now.

Tuesday, 8:30 AM - Spinning, 30:00. Quick spin before the soccer moms took control of the bikes.
7:30 PM - 5.5 miles, 44:30. Short shakeout from the store with Rich after work. Legs felt pretty good despite going long yesterday and being on my feet all day today.

Wednesday, 7:50 AM - 5 miles, 36:30. Easy does it from home before work, 6 x 20-second strides on the way home. Calf finally seems to be loosening up a bit.
7:30 PM - 5.3 miles, 38:00. Short loop through Westboro, then four loops of the plaza so I could practice taking fluids from paper cups I set up on the back of my car. Might need to look into a Fuel Belt.

Thursday, 8:45 AM - 10.2 miles, 1:08:30. 19:00 warmup, 5-4-3-2-1 halftime fartlek, 27:30 cooldown. Started at low 5-minute pace for the first couple pickups and gradually got down to 4:50-5:00 pace for the last few. Felt strong, just not fast. Good news is I'm racing a marathon and not a 5K, so better to be strong than fast anyway.

Friday, 7:45 AM - 7.7 miles, 54:00. Steady 7's on the Bike Path before work. Legs are finally starting to come back around.

Saturday, 7:45 AM - 6 miles, 41:00. 20:00 easy, 4 x [1:30 on/1:30 off], 1:00 easy, 4 x [30 sec on/30 sec off], 4:00 easy back home. "On" stuff at 5-minute pace, if that.

Totals - Running: 70 miles, 8 runs. Spinning: 30:00, 1 session. Last real week of training for Boston as I'll be keeping things pretty low key through next Sunday. Monday's long run was the main focus of the week and it was good for my legs - and perhaps even more so, my head - to be on my feet and feeling good for 2-1/2 hours. I needed that. I recovered quickly too, which was also encouraging. All in all I'm happy with my last 5 weeks of training, and despite the mid-winter injury hiccup I believe in my fitness and am confident that I'll run well a week from Monday.

Finally, a BIG thanks to everyone who helped keep my head - and body - inline these past couple months. Physically and mentally I would have folded without you guys.

Quote of the Week

"Many times I had asked the question, 'Why me?' Whether it be after poor races, struggles in life, injuries, etc. It tends to be an easy question to ask when you feel sorry for yourself. In this moment, on the verge of my first U.S. title, I finally had the courage to put my arms up in the air and say, 'Why not me?!'"
- Andrew Carlson, 2008 U.S. 15K champion

Race Report: Boston Tuneup 15K

[photo courtesy of Ted Tyler]

Didn't originally have this race on the pre-Boston schedule, but given the unexpected hiccup after Foxboro I decided that it was necessary to include it. The plan was to run 10-15 seconds per mile faster than goal MP (5:35-40), so anywhere from 5:20-30 pace at a "comfortably hard" effort would suffice this morning. Well, the first 3 miles felt hard, the last 6.3 were a lot more comfortable and my average pace was 5:28 per mile, so in the end everything worked out pretty nicely. Tapply took off right before the 2-mile mark and I just let him have fun with that while I stuck to the plan of hitting pace, which was tricky at times with the unrelenting undulations this course is known for. Happy with the overall effort but even happier that my left calf, which was expectedly tight from the get-go, never blew up on me at any point during the race, or even afterward. Good day.

Mile-by-mile...
1. 5:30
2. 5:27 (10:57)
3. 5:40 (16:37)
4. 5:20 (21:57)
5. 5:32 (27:29)
6. 5:27 (32:56)
7. 5:34 (38:30)
8. 5:26 (43:56)
9. 5:33 (49:29)
9.3. 1:35 (51:04)

Training Log: March 30-April 5

Sunday, 8:15 AM - 19miles, 2:04:30. For a complete recap of this morning's long run, see the entry directly below this one. And when you're done with that, stop by the space of the newest member of the running blogosphere, my former high school rival turned college teammate and eventual roommate, best bud and one of the nicest all-around good guys you'll ever meet, Sean McKeon. Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.


Monday, 4:45 PM - 6 miles, 44:00. Easy jog around Pakachoag in a light drizzle. Left calf has been tight, sore and noticeably swollen since yesterday but didn't bother me much once I got going. Plan is to keep running until the leg falls off, explodes or just stops working all together, which isn't entirely unlikely.

Tuesday, 8:55 AM - 6 miles, 45:00. Easy does it on the dirt at Lake Park before work. Calf soreness/tightness still lingers in both legs and anterior left shin feels tender to the touch. Legs feel worse standing around than when running.
7:40 PM - 5.5 miles, 45:00. Easy run from the store after work with Rich. Knock on wood but everything felt pretty good tonight.

Wednesday, 8:20 AM - Spinning, 30:00. Worked just hard enough to get the blood flowin' and the sweat drippin'.
8:05 PM - 6.2 miles, 45:00. Short run after a long day. Felt good to get some fresh air, even if that air was 20 degrees colder than it was 24 hours ago.

Thursday, 9:15 AM - 10.2 miles, 1:11:30. 24:30 warmup to AHS track, 7 x 400m w/200m jog recovery, 4 x 200 w/1:00 jog recovery, 26:30 cooldown back home. 400's in 75.15, 73.09, 75.10, 75.90, 75.57, 75.68, 75.15. 200's in 36.54, 35.44, 35.57, 35.82. The idea was to spin the wheels a bit without taxing my legs too much for Saturday's longer effort. Left calf tightened up on the cooldown but otherwise the legs felt pretty good. 5-minute pace felt more awkward than anything else.

Friday, 10:00 AM - ART, adjustment and e-stim with Dr. V. She ripped my lower left leg to shreds but it was all for my own good.
11:50 AM - 9 miles, 1:01:30. Rainy run around the Fells with Jeff. Nice to get off the roads. Left calf tightened up again the last 20 minutes or so, otherwise no issues.

Saturday, 11:00 AM - 14 miles. 18:00 warmup w/strides, Boston Tuneup 15K (2nd, 51:04), 15:00 cooldown with John Brown and Tim Tapply. Race report can be found in the entry above this one.

Totals - Running: 76 miles, 8 runs. Spinning: 30:00, 1 session. Second straight week of solid running/sucky cross training, but I'd rather have it that way than in reverse so I won't complain too much. Got in two quality longer efforts covering 21 miles at MP pace or faster, along with a short turnover workout on Thursday, making this my most complete week of training in a long time. I'll get in one last long run this coming Monday and then start scaling things back so I'm ready to roll at Boston in two weeks. My tricky left leg seemingly finds a new way to annoy every couple of days but as long as I can keep it under control I don't think it will be an issue come race day.

Quote of the Week (courtesy of John Brown)

"I like running because it's a challenge. If you run hard, there's the pain – and you've got to work your way through the pain. You know, lately it seems all you hear is 'don't overdo it' and 'don't push yourself.' Well, I think that's a lot of bull. If you push the human body, it will respond."
-Bob Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers General Manager, NHL Hall of Famer

Dress Rehearsal

I, playing Kane Cloverdale, met up with the Vagtastic Voyager and McLovin', respectively played by Ian Nurse and Chris Voce, in Cleveland Circle at 7:30 this morning for a chauffeured limousine ride out to Mile 6 in Framingham. The three of us warmed up 4 miles to Mile 10, then Ian and I ran a 12-mile PMP to Mile 22 before regrouping with Voce at Mile 23 for an abbreviated cooldown around the BC Res, where we ran just fast enough to avoid the throngs of autograph seekers impressed by our collective display of speed along the marathon course. I opted out of a second Res loop so I could hit the road and get to my day job on time, which I was able to do without issue. All in all it was a very successful morning.

PMP breakdown...
10. 5:50
11. 5:35 (11:25)
12. 5:37 (17:02)
13. 5:32 (22:34)
14. 5:40 (28:24)
15. 5:27 (33:51)
16. 5:40 (39:31)
17. 5:34 (45:05)
18. 5:27 (50:32)
19. 5:38 (56:10)
20. 5:40 (61:50)
21. 5:27 (67:17)

Average mile - 5:36.4
6-mile splits - 33:51 (5:38.5)/33:26 (5:34.3)
4-mile splits - 22:34 (5:38.5)/22:21(5:35.3)/22:12 (5:33.0)

Very happy with this workout, even happier that I had Ian and Voce out there to keep me going when I wanted to throw in the towel. Thanks guys.

The wind blew, quite literally, for the first 7-1/2 miles of the PMP but didn't pose much of a problem after that. I experienced a few bad patches and had a couple good stretches, but if it weren't for Ian I surely would have cut this one short when the going got tough around Mile 18. Glad I hung in there and stuck it out for the full 12, heck the last 4 miles actually felt pretty good, as this was a perfect dress rehearsal for what it's gonna be like 3 weeks from now when there will be no refuge in mercy, there will be nothing to forgive and no one to issue dispensation. And at last, there will be no refuge in cowardice, because I will not afraid. There will be no alternative, it just has to get done.

OK, so I stole that last little bit there straight out of Once A Runner, but it was fitting. I'm pretty sure John L. Parker, Jr. won't mind.

Training Log: March 23-29

Sunday
8:35 AM - 9.1 miles, 1:03:45. Same loop as last Thursday; 6 x 20-second strides on the way home. Energy levels low but legs felt almost back to normal.

4:45 PM - Visited the stretch of asphalt pictured right in an attempt to make friends with a hill that's been known to break many a marathoner's heart. I'll find out in 4 weeks whether or not I was successful. Note the appropriately placed graffiti on the side of the road.

Monday
9:45 AM - 18.4 miles, 2:00:00. Relaxed pace for the first hour, 10 x [1:30 on/1:30 off] for the next 30 minutes, then back to a relaxed pace for the last half hour. Felt strong throughout and my gimpy left leg didn't blow up on me, so for my first long run in 4 weeks I'd say it was a huge success.

Tuesday
8:10 AM - Spinning, 30:00. Spin, spin, spin your wheels, all the livelong day.
7:30 PM - 6.3 miles, 46:35. Easy run around Westboro after work. Not a mile south of 7-minute pace - didn't even come close.

Wednesday
8:25 AM - Spinning, 30:00. Didn't work all that hard this morning, or didn't sweat all that much, I should say. It's amazing the difference a well-placed fan makes.
7:35 PM - 9.4 miles, 1:02:40. First 4 miles easy, 1 mile of stride the straights/jog the turns on the WHS track, 1 mile easy, last 3 full miles steady in 5:55, 5:45, 5:40. The faster I ran, the better I felt.

Thursday
10:05 AM - 10.1 miles, 1:13:15. Felt lethargic and heavy-legged but otherwise no complaints. Cumulative fatigue is starting to set in, which is probably to be expected.
8:15 PM - 4.1 miles, 30:00. First double in 5 weeks. Felt better than this morning.

Friday
12:15 PM - 9.1 miles, 1:00:00. Mid-day romp around A-town with Jeff. Avoided the forecasted wintry mix, which was awesome.

Saturday
7:45 AM - 6 miles, 42:30. Easy does it before work. Both calves a bit tight but otherwise felt pretty good. 6 x 30-second buildup strides on the way home.

Totals - Running: 72.5 miles, 8 runs. Spinning: 1:00:00, 2 sessions. Solid week. Very happy to get a good long run in, as well as get the overall running volume back up, but I'm a bit disappointed with my lack of diligence in regard to getting my ass on the spin bike. I think the increased mileage left me a little too tired to plant my ass in the saddle on a regular basis, so I've got to make a better effort this coming week to spin the wheels more often , even if it's only for shakeout purposes. Overall though, my injuries seem to be subsiding, or at least improving, so I'm very excited to finally be getting back on track.

The plan for this coming week is to keep the volume right around 70-75 miles, get in a good long run with some marathon-paced running mixed in and put forth a solid, but sub-max, effort at the Boston Tuneup 15K in Upton on Saturday. Call it a crash course in marathon training. Hey, cramming for tests worked in college.

Quote of the Week

"I'm going in and winning it. I have tremendous respect for Bernard. I have tremendous respect for Matt. But if you don't consider yourself one of the favorites, you're foolish."
- Chris Solinsky in this month's Running Times, regarding his goal for the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Training Log: March 16-22

Sunday
11:00 AM - 17.1 miles. New Bedford 1/2 Marathon (72nd, 1:15:03). Pre-race plan was 6-6:15 pace for the first 3 miles, then gradually cut it down to projected marathon pace or thereabouts over the last 10. Executed pretty well - 18:01 for the first 3 miles, 57:02 for the last 10.1. Had the pleasure of Bergie, Uncle Fire and Christy Mae's company for those first 3 miles but fought the wind by myself for the last 4-5. The tib didn't bother me during the race but it tightened up quite a bit, along with my soleus, later in the day. Complete race report can be found in the entry below this one.

Monday
3:10 PM - ART and an adjustment with Dr. V. Lots of work on the tib and soleus, both of which were tighter than a bull's ass during fly season.
5:00 PM - Spinning, 45:00. Apparently the bike becomes less mentally taxing after the first 30 minutes. That, or it gets even more mind-numbing.

Tuesday
8:40 AM - Spinning, 30:00. Steady as she goes on the spin bike.
7:30 PM - 8.5 miles, 1:01:00. I've been running around Westboro for almost a year and a half now and I've yet to come up with a clean loop over 4 miles. Tib didn't give me any trouble, soleus still pretty tight though.

Wednesday
7:45 PM - 8.5 miles, 1:01:00. Another random road run around Westboro after work. Tib felt good again, soleus a little less tight than yesterday. Progress is good. In a showing of weakness, however, I decided to sleep in rather than ride the bike this morning. Can't afford to have too many more lapses like this, but I think I needed the extra rest.

Thursday
10:05 AM - 9.1 miles, 1:00:20. 16:00 easy. 15 x [1:00 on/1:00 off], 15:20 easy. "On" stuff started at low-to-mid 5-minute pace and gradually got a little faster, "off" stuff much slower than that. Tib was well behaved, calf still a bit tight but man did it feel good to finally spin the wheels again.
8:30 PM - Spinning, 30:00. More wheel spinning, but of the stationary variety this time.

Friday
3:00 PM - 10 miles, 1:10:20. Met up with Pete Gleason and Shad Miller this afternoon. 27:25 warmup, 3-mile tempo in 15:55 (5:21, 5:19, 5:15), 27:00 cooldown. Short but solid effort on the wind-strewn roads of Grafton. Good company, too.
5:20 PM - Spinning, 40:00. Stopped by the Y on my way home to squeeze in a quick spin.

Saturday
7:50 AM - 4.1 miles 32:00. Short-n-slow before work. Soleus/calf still a bit tight but the rest of my gimpy left leg is holding up quite well. I planned on a second workout after work but the Y closed early and I stayed late at the store so I bagged it. Given how tired I felt after a busy day this probably wasn't such a bad thing.

Totals - Running: 57.3 miles, 6 runs. Spinning: 2:25, 4 sessions. Good week, everything is seemingly heading in the right direction. The injury is improving, my fitness is resurfacing and hopefully this trend will continue. As for training, I fell a bit short of my volume goals for the week but I nailed the quality days so I can live with that. New Bedford was a good way to kick things off and the back-to-back fartlek and tempo on Thursday and Friday was a nice capper. The plan from here is to really get after it for the next two-and-a-half weeks and then the hay will be in the barn as they say. I haven't put a whole lot in there of late but I think I've stocked up well enough the last few years that I should still be in pretty good shape four weeks from now.

Quote of the Week

"It’s good to be excited again."
- Ryan Warrenburg on recovering from a recent hip injury.

Race Report: New Bedford 1/2 Marathon

I went back and forth as to whether or not to call this entry a "race" report, but the fact that I filled out an application, forked over 35 bucks, put on my singlet and my name shows up in the results means I ran in a race yesterday, even if it wasn't the balls-to-the-wall, bust-a-nut, all-out effort I would have liked to put forth.

After almost 3 weeks consisting of four zeros in the log, a half dozen ART appointments, a few half-assed attempts at cross training and only one run in the double-digits, I figured it probably wouldn't be a wise move to butt heads with the dozen or studs positioned at the front of the starting line. In an effort to make sure I didn't foolishly change my mind at the last minute, I planted my ass four rows back of where I'd normally set up shop, took three seconds longer than usual to cross the starting line and proceeded to watch a couple hundred people who pretended to know what they were doing zig-zag all over the road like a bunch of wandering idiots in front of me. Man, what an odd feeling. I didn't like it, not one bit.

Luckily, I had my good buddy Bergs, Christy Mae and Uncle Fire to keep me company for the first 3 miles, which was reached in a dead-on nuts 18:01 - right on schedule. After that, I took aim at anyone wearing a Fuel Belt in front of me and worked on rolling along the rest of the way at a steady clip somewhere in the range of 5:30-5:40 per mile. Some splits were faster than that, others a bit slower, but the last 10.1 miles averaged 5:38 per, so aside from seeing a 1:15:03 result next to my name after all was said and done, I'm happy with the end result. Plus, I apparently out-kicked Grafton High cross country and track coach Peter Gleason, who I noticed was rockin' a pair of black Brooks Adrenaline we don't stock at my store. Maybe that will teach him! (Editor's note: We actually probably special ordered the aforementioned shoes for Pete, but by out-kicking him I secured bragging rights next time he visits the store.)

As for my troublesome tib, well, as they say, that's a whole 'nother story. Definitely nothing worth bragging about there, the thing flat-out sucks. It didn't really bother me during the race at all but tightened up quite a bit afterward and even more so as the day progressed. I went grocery shopping last night and the whole area - tib and soleus - hurt like hell pushing the cart around the store. This morning wasn't as bad, but it wasn't good either, so I decided to play it safe and just spin my wheels on the bike after my ART treatment this afternoon. Right now it's 10:50 PM and everything is feeling a lot better, so the plan is to ride the bike again tomorrow morning and follow that up with an easy run around Westboro after work if my hoof is feeling healthy. I'm sick of this day-to-day shit.

Training Log: March 9-15

Sunday
2:55 PM - 10.3 miles, 1:07:45. Snuck out of work for a windy run around Westboro. Picked up the pace for a mile in the middle (5:56) and again at the end (5:46). Tibial area tightened up a little but never got all that bad.

Monday
7:30 AM - 6 miles, 43:00. Easy run from home before work. Tibial area tightened up quite a bit, worst it's felt in a few days.
8:15 PM - Spinning, 30:00. Low resistance, high cadence. Probably gonna get my ass kicked by a bunch of middle-aged women tomorrow morning so made it a point not to push it tonight.

Tuesday
9:30 AM - Spinning, 1:00:00. First spin class, ever. Me, a bunch of soccer moms and a 60-year-old guy named Jim, who told me I was working way too hard when I was already sweating bullets five minutes into the ordeal. Didn't bother explaining to him what it was I was trying to achieve, just kept pedaling hard. Good workout, really got the heartrate up.
4:45 PM - 7.8 miles, 51:15. Threw in six 20-second strides on the way home to stretch my legs out a bit. Tibial area felt much better than yesterday, didn't really act up on me at all. Left side of my body feels way out of whack in general, though.

Wednesday
8:10 AM - Spinning, 35:00. Easy spinning for the first 5 minutes, then a steady effort for the next 30 at a moderate resistance level. It's amazing how much faster the time goes by with an MP3 player.
7:30 PM - 9.1 miles, 1:00:15. Hit the roads of Westboro after work. 3-mile warmup, 4-mile progression/tempo (22:20-5:45, 5:40, 5:31, 5:24), 2.1-mile cooldown. Felt like I hadn't done a workout in 2-1/2 weeks. Oh, wait.

Thursday
9:30 AM - Spinning, 52:00. 50-minute spin class preceded by a 2-minute warmup. A couple quick intervals, a few steady climbs and enough sweat to fill a gallon jug.
Noon - ART and an adjustment with Dr. V. What a difference a few snaps, crackles and pops make.
8:25 PM - 5.4 miles, 40:00. Short shakeout from the store after work. Tib a bit tight but not terrible.

Friday
8:30 AM - Spinning 30:00. Steady spin at a moderate resistance level, alternating between keeping myself planted in the saddle and standing up on the pedals.
7:25 PM - 9.1 miles, 1:03:25. 5 miles easy (36:55), 5 loops (1 loop = 0.35 miles) of Gibbons Middle School in 1:55.2, 1:53.0, 1:52.6, 1:52.5, 1:50.6 with 18-20 seconds float in between, easy jog back to the store to finish up. Knock on wood but the tib didn't give me any real trouble at any point during the run. Didn't feel too bad afterward, either.

Saturday
6:35 PM - 5.7 miles, 41:25. Easy does it after work. Tib felt good again. Hopefully I can say the same again this time tomorrow.

Totals - Running: 53.4 miles, 7 runs. Spinning: 3:27, 5 sessions. Better week than last, but still have a ways to go before I'm ready to run well five weeks from Monday. After talking things over with Kevin I've decided to run New Bedford tomorrow as a test of sorts, one that will give me an idea of my current fitness level but more importantly one that will reveal how much abuse my hurtin' hoof is capable of taking right now. Considering that I haven't run over 10 miles in the past 3 weeks, along with tomorrow's forecasted wind, rain and possible snow, it should make for an interesting day down by the water, to say the least. The plan is to run the first 3 miles with Bergie at a 6-6:15 pace and gradually cut it down to my projected marathon pace or thereabouts over the last 10 miles. Here's hoping I'm able to execute said plan.

Quote of the Week

"Be, Dream, and Believe."
- Zoila Gomez, The Road to Success Will Be Rocky

Training Log: March 2-8

Sunday
11:00 AM - 4 miles, 30:00. Easy out-n-back on the roads with Hodgie-San from miles 12 to 10 of the Stu's 30K course. Ankle a bit stiff but tolerable. Area was sore and creaky afterward but felt better when I was moving than when standing around.

Monday
12:20 PM - 7 miles, 47:15. Ran from my parent's house to take advantage of the flatter start. No trouble with the ankle at all for the first 4 miles or so, then it started to stiffen up on me. Not as creaky and sore afterward as yesterday, which is a small step in the right direction.
5:20 PM - ART with Dr. V. She really went to town on my ankle and it loosened things up quite a bit. Ran into NB Boston teammate and fellow wounded warrior, Ryan Fenton, on my way out. As far as I know this encounter will not be appearing on Flotrack anytime soon.

Tuesday
8:00 PM - 10 minutes on the bike followed by a good stretch and a 5-minute jog around the gym. I'm not even gonna include my pathetic attempt at the elliptical. Finished up with 30 minutes of deep-water running in the pool.

Wednesday
6:50 PM - 6.5 miles, 45:45. Hit the roads of Westboro before hosting a triathlon clinic at the store. Knock on wood, but the ankle didn't bother me one bit. Wasn't that sore or tight afterward, either. Not out of the woods yet, but I'm heading in the right direction.

Thursday
10:00 AM - ART and an adjustment with Dr. V. Last visit for the next week or so, hopefully. Being aggressive with the treatment seems to be paying off. This stuff might be voodoo, but count me among the believers.
11:20 AM - 6.8 miles, 44:15. Out-n-back to the starting line in Hopkinton, starting from just past the 5K mark in Ashland. No real trouble with the shin, knock on wood, just a little sensitive from the ART treatment an hour earlier. Planned on pool running after work but got stuck at the store later than I had planned.

Friday
11:55 AM - 7.7 miles, 52:15. Bike Path with my fellow wounded warrior, A-Ten. Tibial area tightened up and got sore as the run progressed. Two steps forward, one step back.

Saturday
8:10 AM - 8 miles, 53:25. Tibial area not as tight/sore today. I popped 3 aspirin before the run though, so that may have had something to do with it. Last couple miles in the low-6's.
7:00 PM - Spinning, 30:00. Forgot my bathing suit but luckily I had biking shorts in my gym bag. Sweat like a pig and really got my heartrate up on the bike with a nice mix of 30-second and 1-minute pickups along with some steady spinning. Somewhat enjoyable, actually, even without music. I think I'll be doing more of this than pool running.

Totals: 40 miles, 6 runs. Cross training: 1:15, 2 sessions. Second disappointing week in a row but things are finally starting to turn around. Physically I have some catching up to do but mentally I've made a lot of progress and that's 90% of the battle right now. It doesn't look like I'll be running as much as I would like anytime soon so I really have to start kicking up the cross training this coming week. Since a good training week for me when I'm healthy is roughly 9 to 11 hours of running, I'm gonna shoot for 11 to 13 combined hours of running and cross training this week. Optimistically, the ratio of running to cross training will be 7-4 or even 8-3, but I'm just going to take things one day at a time and adjust accordingly. I probably need to do more than that to achieve a similar training effect and really get rip-roaring fit but the fact of the matter is there's just not enough time in the day. I'll just do what I can, have faith in my training and give it my best shot six weeks from Monday.

Quote of the Week

"As a general guideline you should do twice the time cross training as you did running. So if you were running an hour and a half a day then you should do 3 hours of cross training. Yes this totally sucks."
- Nate Jenkins