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

Happy trail

An easy 45-minute jaunt this morning on the lovely little path pictured to your left. My feet never touched the pavement and the rest of my body loved every minute of it.

Anyway, here's where I currently stand -- 7 weeks out from my 26.2-mile debut at VCM...

75, 80 and 85 miles the last 3 weeks since New Bedford. No uber-impressive workouts to speak of, but a few solid sessions of note included a progression run on 3/23, closing the last 2 miles in 5:15, 5:11, a steady 19 on the Stu's 30K course with Greg on 3/25 and an ugly 5-mile tempo in 27:43 with Ryan on 3/27. Last Tuesday night we had a big group come together for 3 x 2-miles in 10:16, 10:16, 10:08 on the Charles and yesterday I fartleked 21 miles with LalalaRosa and Dan the Man, hitting a couple miles hard in the middle and finishing up the last 3-1/2 at a steady clip. Again, nothing crazy, but very consistent. After a couple years of training like a knucklehead, I now realize it's that second C-word that's going to lead me to a PR.

Anyway, Boston's just a week away and New England will be well represented with a solid local crew making its way to the starting line. While the rest of us bitch and moan, for their sake I hope the cooler weather sticks around just long enough that it's smooth sailing from Hopkinton into Boston on April 16. Best of luck to Ryan, Terry, Ely, Borling, Callahan, Bernie, Friedman, both Moultons, Kieron, Greg Saia, Kasie Enman, Kimmy, Emily, Andrea, Kristin and anyone else I'm unintentionally forgetting. Kick some ass!

Quote of the last week:

I vote for Fridays, not that I am ever there. It would give me two weekend nights to drink instead of one.

Mark Coogan, in response to switching Saturday morning practices to Friday night

Bounty on my legs

Perhaps one of the funniest things I've ever read in my life. Paul Collyer never ceases to amaze me.

http://coolrunning.com/results/07/ma/Apr2_AnCLia_set1.shtml

An Cù Liath Irish Pub City Run
Worcester, MA, April 2, 2007
Overall results
By Scott Stevens...Literary training: Somerville High ;)

An Cù Liath Irish Pub11 Kelley SquareWorcester, Massachusetts 01610Hosted by the Somerville Striders Athletic Club


Dash for cash in Worcester.....Two weeks in a row Mario Fraioli runs, two weeks in a row Mario Fraioli wins. Seems like this may be the future of our Monday Night Run. Mario is a superstar on the rise in New England road racing and tough to beat in any race. Another New England Road Racing superstar, race director extraordinaire P.W. Collyer has put up $100.00 cash to anyone who can beat "Super Mario" on Monday April 23, 2007. That's right one hundred George Washingtons right out of his own pocket. Not sure if it was the Guinness talking or not but it came out of his mouth and he is a man of his word. Worcester may or may not be a breeding ground for superstar athletes but one thing is for sure and that is money talks. If there are any speedsters out there let's hope they're listening. Paulie has an extra hundred burning a hole in his pocket and he wants to get rid of it.You beat "Super Mario" and win the race, it's yours. It is that simple!

In case you missed it check out the article from Sundays Telegram & Gazette about the run. The word is getting out there that this a race not to be missed. It is the only weekly race in the city and in fact one of very few races in the city. We have many regulars and most of them are friendly and welcoming of newcomers. Come down any Monday Night and be ready to run.

SS



Race web site

Route Map


3.5 Mile results:

1. Mario Fraioli Auburn 20:10 NBB
2. Peter Wojtas Greenville 23:29 CMS
3. Seamus Shanley Worcester 26:30 CMS
4. Kevin Morrisey Worcester 26:30.01
5. John Joyce Worcester 27:12 CMS
6. Karen Berni-Giarusso Worcester 28:01 CMS
7. Joe Carpenter Rochdale 28:26 RRR
8. Scott Stevens Holden 28:28 SSAC
9. Eddie Sanborn Worcester 28:30
10. Susan Leo-Johnson Worcester 31:07 BOB
11. Ken Dudley 31:17 CMS
12. Tracy Flynn Shrewsbury 32:39 CMS
13. Tony Lucia Agawam 35:14 EORC
14. Cyndy Curley Sterling 35:30 CMS


4.6 Mile Course:


1. Sarah Joyce Worcester 36:36 CMS
2. Dave Krom Worcester 36:38 CMS

1 Mile course:

1. Paul Curley Sterling 12:13 FBO


CMS= Central Mass Striders
SSAC= Somerville Striders Athletic Club
NBB= New Balance Boston
RRR= Rochdale Road Runners
FBO= Fat Bar Owners
BOB= Bringer of Brownies
EORC= Empire one Running Club

No more workin' for the weekend

9:47 on a Sunday night, I'm sitting comfortably on my ass watching TV, and it's everything I dreamed it would be. I'm still coming to grips with this abundance of free time and the absence of eight additional hours in my workday, but I think I'll eventually get used to it.

My newfound earlier bed time -- and subsequent pre-sunrise wakeup calls -- have been a bit of adjustment, but I'm enjoying having a little more structure to my sleeping schedule and to be honest its nice to have my main workout done before 9 a.m. In the long run -- no pun intended -- this should make race day early wakeup calls a little more manageable as well.

Speaking of managing things, life in my new position at PR Running is off to a good start. Actually, it's more a continuation of something that was already maintaining a steady rhythm, but I'm enjoying my added responsibilities as Rich's right-hand man and just having an overall good time with a couple of fun co-workers who make the hours go by at a fast clip. When 'work' hardly feels like work, you know you're in a good situation.

As for my running situation, that's looking good right now too. I came off New Bedford pretty well, and my two planned easy days of 5 miles on Monday and Tuesday proved to be a wise decision. By Wednesday my legs were back to normal, but I waited until Friday before kicking the intensity back up again. Greg and I paid tribute to old Stu Thurston today by touring his masterfully designed 30K course around the Wachusett Reservoir, but unfortunately the combination of undulating terrain, brisk pace, nagging cold and poor choice of Magner's Irish cider, pizza, nachos, pigs in a blanket and chocolate-covered strawberries for dinner last night didn't leave me feeling as energetic as I had hoped. I still got in a solid 19-mile run on a tough course so the main objective was accomplished, and that's whats most important. I was just glad to have Greg's company out there and equally as glad to get this one over with.

Well, it's about time I get this entry over with as well and get ready to hit the hay in an hour or so. Until next time, take it easy.

Quote of the day:

If you sit and talk to Steve Ovett you sense immediately for him it was always about winning races. I can’t think why you’d be doing the sport if you’re not trying to win the races. That’s what it is supposed to be about but we seem to have lost a generation who think like that.
- Nic Bideau, coach of Craig Mottram

View from the top

That's Ryan and I in the middle of the pack early on in the race this past weekend at New Bedford. Don't we look snazzy in our fancy new uni's?

And for those of you looking for some new reading material, check out Kevin Tilton's resurrected training blog. He's the nut in the blue CMS singlet just in front of Ryan in this photo.

That'll do it. Really off to bed now.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I'll make this brief because it's currently five past 10 and due to a variety of circumstances, this is now considered "late". Let me explain.

First things first, I've recently made a career change, switched jobs, or whatever you want to call it. My days on the desk at the T&G came to an end this past Sunday night, as I am moving into a fulltime position as Store Manager at the local running stop. Oddly enough, this will be my first full-time job since graduating from college, but even so, I will be working less than the 55-65 hours a week spread across the two jobs I've been holding down awhile now. Gotta grow up sometime I guess.

That being said, this was a difficult decision to make, but I really feel it's the best move for me at this stage of the game. My two-and-a-half years on the desk at the T&G were some of the most enjoyable times of my life and I will really miss performing on deadline with my fellow clowns under the big top on Franklin Street. I'll still be part of the traveling show from time to time, however, as my running column will continue to make its bi-weekly appearance.

As for the running thing, it's been going surprisingly well given the aforementioned hectic schedule. Hopefully these newfound regular work hours -- and absence of 12-15 hour days of going from one job to the next -- will be more conducive to hard training, but more importantly the adequate rest required recover from said hard training. I've fallen into a consistent pattern of 70-80 mile weeks of late which I hope to maintain, perhaps even add a little to, in building up to Vermont City on Memorial Day weekend. Consistency, above all else, is the key.

And while I'm on the subject of running, I've only raced once since Foxboro, that being this past weekend at New Bedford in the annual half marathon held there -- 30th annual in fact. In all honesty, it was my best race since graduating from college, as I crossed the line 8th overall in 1:09:53, a 54-second PR and a good confidence boost 10 weeks out from my 26.2-mile debut. Despite some vicious winds at certain points, I was able to stay confident and run strong the entire way. I'm thinking 2:24-26 isn't out of question at VCM if everything comes together at the right time. The last big race before May 27 will be the Broad Street Run in Philly on May 6, where a fast course and top-notch competition will hopefully bring me across the line in around 51 minutes. I'll also run Doyle's 5-miler on April 22, more as a speed workout than anything else, and maybe another short one if it fits into the schedule. Kevin and I still have some time to iron out the details there.

So, in a nutshell, that's what I've been up to of late. I should have some more time now to contribute to this space a bit more frequently than I have been, but I don't wanna make any promises just yet. Check back from time to time and see if there's anything new staring you in the face. Until I got something else to share, take it easy.

Quote of the day:

To suffer and learn a lesson, one pays a high price, but a fool can't learn any other way.
- Traditional Chinese proverb, and the story of my life

Not there yet

LOTS going on, but little motivation to write about it right now. Keep your RSS feeds ready though, because one of these days this sucker will come back to life -- I promise.

Hope all is well out there in Blogland. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherfucker in the world.
- Neal Stephenson

Help a brotha out

Well, the Excel file doesn't transfer very nicely over to Blogger, so until my technologically-challenged ass learns to fool around with HTML, have fun sorting through the mess of numbers below.

I recall Ryan had a similar problem a few months back, but it doesn't seem he's found the answer either. Any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.

Back to work.

Quote of the day:

Take a primitive organism, say a freshman. Make it lift, or jump or run. Let it rest. What happens? A little miracle. It gets a little better. It gets a little stronger or faster or more enduring. That’s all training is. Stress. Recover. Improve. You’d think any damn fool could do it. But you don’t. You work too hard and rest too little and get hurt.
- Bill Bowerman in Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, explaining something this damn fool came to find out the hard way.

Weekly Mileage Report (9/10/06 - 2/24/07)

Summary of my last 25 weeks of training since returning from the stress fracture.

Week Miles Long Run # of Runs Avg. Run Training Pace
9/10/2006 - 9/16/2006 6.0 2.0 3 2.0 7:30.00
9/17/2006 - 9/23/2006 12.0 3.5 4 3.0 7:57.92
9/24/2006 - 9/30/2006 12.0 4.0 3 4.0 7:24.17
10/1/2006 - 10/7/2006 20.0 5.0 4 5.0 2:02:23.75
10/8/2006 - 10/14/2006 26.0 6.0 5 5.2 7:13.27
10/15/2006 - 10/21/2006 30.0 8.0 5 6.0 7:14.50
10/22/2006 - 10/28/2006 35.0 9.0 5 7.0 7:16.86
10/29/2006 - 11/4/2006 42.0 8.5 6 7.0 7:14.88
11/5/2006 - 11/11/2006 50.0 9.0 7 7.1 7:20.59
11/12/2006 - 11/18/2006 55.0 10.0 8 6.9 7:14.25
11/19/2006 - 11/25/2006 56.0 10.0 7 8.0 7:21.35
11/26/2006 - 12/2/2006 55.0 13.0 7 7.9 7:18.75
12/3/2006 - 12/9/2006 43.0 8.0 6 7.2 7:05.00
12/10/2006 - 12/16/2006 60.0 12.0 7 8.6 7:04.29
12/17/2006 - 12/23/2006 60.0 12.0 7 8.6 7:10.23
12/24/2006 - 12/30/2006 65.0 13.0 8 8.1 7:06.15
12/31/2006 - 1/6/2007 55.0 13.0 7 7.9 7:21.00
1/7/2007 - 1/13/2007 70.0 13.0 7 10.0 6:59.12
1/7/2007 - 1/13/2007 70.0 16.0 8 8.8 7:05.17
1/14/2007 - 1/20/2007 75.0 14.0 7 10.7 7:03.60
1/21/2007 - 1/27/2007 65.0 16.0 7 9.3 7:41.11
1/28/2007 - 2/3/2007 75.0 16.0 8 9.4 6:59.70
2/4/2007 - 2/10/2007 75.0 15.0 9 8.3 7:23.79
2/11/2007 - 2/17/2007 70.0 19.0 7 10.0 7:01.14
2/18/2007 - 2/24/2007 80.0 18.0 7 11.4 7:17.12
Averages: 1,262.0 (50.5) 10.9 6.4 7.5

Testing, 1, 2

After taking some time to play around with Athleticore, an online training log I've been using since September '05, I've recently discovered some nifty filters which provide a nice breakdown of my daily, weekly and monthly training numbers. As a little experiment, I'm going to try and copy-paste some of this data on here and see how it comes out. Lemme know what you think.

Break from boredom, or not

Hey there, hello, it's been a while - almost a week to be exact. Same old story, not worth repeating, so I'll spare you from the boring stuff and get right down to the nitty gritty, which in all likelihood is just as boring. Here goes.

My recovery from last weekend's little jaunt around Foxboro was anything but quick, as I had some calf soreness through Wednesday and heavy quads both Thursday and Friday. The only hard efforts to speak of since then were a hilly 18 miles this past Thursday and a 14 x 1 minute fartlek with one minute recovery the following day. The week totaled a nice, round 80 miles, which if all goes according to plan, will be the case again this week before dropping it down the heading into New Bedford on March 18.

Yesterday was a productive semi-long run of 15 miles, including a 1-2-3-4-4-1-2-2-1 fartlek in the middle (all with 2-minutes recovery) and a 5:28 last mile to finish things up. If it weren't for an iced-over bike path in Millbury, the aformentioned fartlek would have resembled a perfectly symmetrical Egyptian pyramid, but the unplanned-for crappy conditions lead to a necessary alteration in said pyramid's construction.

As of this entry, my legs have seemed to bounce back from last week's Foxboro-induced funk and should be good to go for tomorrow night's hill session in Newton with the crew. Speaking of said crew, congrats to NB Boston teammates Rebecca Donaghue and Jess Minty, as well as the women's DMR on a few sterling performances this weekend at the USATF Indoor Championships.

That'll do it for now. Take it easy.

Quote of the day

Very hilly. At 3.5 miles wanted to jump in police car but it got better after that.
- Casey Moulton's log entry on his win at the Amherst 10-Miler this past weekend

Quote of the day

That's right, no longwinded mumbo-jumbo to sift through this evening, just a hilarious e-mail excerpt from a track dork listserv I happen to be a part of. Digest it well.

Yes my Gordon kids could learn from that. My 4:40 miler ran the first 100 in 14 and 200 in 29 and predictably spent the rest of the race dying. This despite that fact I have been telling him for 6 months now to not go out too fast. He has a 3.8 GPA in biology, once again proving my point that there is often no correlation between intelligence and being a smart runner.

Terrible 10

OK, not so much terrible as disappointing, but it was just one of those days this morning at Foxboro's Old Fashioned 10-Miler.

An ideal first five miles, followed by rough patch from 6 through 8 and a slightly encouraging rebound during 9 and 10 earned me a 53:46, seventh-place finish behind a group of studs who are priming themselves for some good stuff at a little marathon in Hopkinton some eight weeks from now. Also, a congrats to former Stonehill teammates Greg Saia, Kim Nolan and Emily Flowers, who all ran spectacular races today. Always nice to see familar faces and catch up with old pals on a leisurely cooldown.

Anyway, for you number nerds, here's the actual data from my trusty Timex, which unfortunately did not correlate with the not-so-trusty mile markers. You'll see what I mean.

5:24, 5:18, 5:19, 5:33, 5:05, 5:24, 5:35, 6:03, 4:53, 5:08.

As you may have surmised, mile markers 4, 5, 8 and 9 were a wee bit off. A double check of Ryan's, Terry's and Bernie's logs confirms this course calamity.

So, as old Kcoach B would say, it is what it is. What is was turned out to be a long, hard effort which will bode well in the grand scheme of things. Far from a complete disaster, I'm a bit disappointed, but not worried in the least. I'm well on my way to getting where I want to be.

Lastly, I just found out we have a shower here at the T&G, a luxury which was never previously revealed to me in the 2-1/2 years I've been working here. Looks like my commute just got a whole lot more environmentally friendly.

That's it for tonight. Take it easy.

Quote of the day

You look like you're ready for bed.
- Jorge commenting on my sleepy state tonight at work

Warming up to winter

So in the last 24 hours we've been slammed with snow, pelted with ice and been thrown into a tizzy over this most recent weather anomaly. Last time I checked, however, it was indeed February -- which is still a winter month in this hemisphere -- and Rand McNally hasn't deviated from referring to this area of the country New England as far as I know, so round these parts we needn't be surprised that the ground (gasp!) isn't clear. So here's to laying off the panic button, hitting the slow-mo, leaving a little earlier than usual and continuing to put one foot in front of the other. It's not the end of the world -- it's winter. The snow will melt, perhaps quicker than it ever has before. Hell, Al Gore guarantees it.

OK, onto other things worth wasting my breath about. The Foxboro Old Fashioned 10-miler is on tap for Sunday, and as always a solid field is shaping up. Last year I finished 5th in 53:17 and I'd like to improve upon both those numbers this weekend. Training has been about as consistent as death and taxes, so I do believe I'm ready to pop a good race.

Speaking of races, some good stuff went down in Boulder this past weekend, and more locally at BU. Alan Culpepper and Deena Kastor showed everyone that they still have it over hill and dale, and round these parts, 1. The studs from Stonehill continued to impress, with the DMR popping a 9:53 to win it all at the Valentine Invite. They're now # 3 in the country, I believe. 2. NB Boston teammates Jeff Caron (3K), Jess Minty (mile) and Christy Carrara (5K) all ran some big-ass PR's at the same meet, with times of 8:16, 4:47 and 17:23, respectively.

And as far as respect goes, this guy doesn't get enough of it. He placed seventh in the 12K this past weekend -- qualifying for World XC -- and last month ran 62:20 for the 1/2 marathon, beating an Olympic silver medalist in the process. I suggest to start noticing if you haven't already.

OK, time for bed. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

I'm not sure what it is, but I know they have it. And I know you can't buy it at Wal-Mart.
- Scott Winston on the drive of a champion

Kickin' it Old School...

Hodgie-San hooked me up with a new t-shirt the other day -- actually it's rather old -- but it's pretty cool nonetheless. On the front is an old warrior donning an Athletics West singlet with "Old School Track Club" emblazoned across the chest above him. On the back are the following practical pearls of wisdom....

OLD SCHOOL COMMANDMENTS

1. Avoid distractions.
2. Have good role models.
3. Be part of a good team.
4. Be serious about fitness.
5. Run on (for) giving surfaces.
6. Train on hills.
7. Incorporate race-speed training.
8. Take chances.
9. Listen to your body.
10. Reward outstanding performances.

Now whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be forever stuck in the slow heat. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will eventually have their place on the winner's podium.

The running gods have spoken. Now go forth my friends, and run fast.

Quote of the day:

For the majority of us, the marathon is a process that you just have to fine tune and you have to learn from each one. If you run enough of them, you understand it. I wish I would have known that 10 years ago.
-Pete Julian

Bippity bop

Scatterbrained as usual, here's a small smattering of what happens to be bopping around my train of thought at the moment....

* Le Supre Bowle. Nice job Peyton, you finally won the big one. You're still up on Tom Brady in horrendous TV commercials (by 634,456) and empty ring fingers (your 9 to his 7). Nice work.

*Work is still kicking my ass, but I was able to finagle a Friday switch in order to attend Reino's 25th birthday extravaganza at the Big City in Allston. Two Blue Moons, five games of pool and 15 of my good buds made for a fun night.

* The return of winter. Snot froze in my nose over the last few miles of my run today, which made relaxed breathing difficult, not to mention painful. Overall, however, it's been a solid season for running, so consider this the end of my weather-related bitching.

* Rage Against the Machine is rumored to be getting back together. Sorry Chris Cornell, but your incessant whining is no match for Zack de la Rocha's unadulterated, well, rage.

* Running miles topped work hours this past week, 75 to 62. If all goes according to plan, the gap between this A:B ratio should lengthen considerably over the next month or two, with A (hopefully) holding steady and B taking a 33% reduction.

* Two weeks till the Foxboro 10-miler and another six till the New Bedford 1/2 Marathon, two races which I am very much looking forward to. I'm feeling good about the progress of my fitness and do believe I'm ready to rip a couple good ones. Races, that is.

*Vermont City Marathon, May 27th. As the aforementioned Reino would say: Note it.

And that'll do it for tonight. A long-overdue eight hours of sleep is in order. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

So it’s kind of just a curiosity. I don’t have any crazy goals. I am just curious to see what eventually I can get out of myself. I have no idea how I will do at the marathon.
- Ryan Hall

Stupid is as stupid does

Anyone else think Forrest Gump resembles/sounds like Peyton Manning?

Sorry, that's insulting to Mr. Gump.

Go Pats, I mean Bears!

Quote of the day:

I'd like to get it. I like to get all the records.
- Craig Mottram

Crashing currently

I'm currently hungry, unmotivated and tired, so I think the logical solution will be to eat, watch TV and go to bed. Before I go, however, a quick shoutout to this speedy sunavabitch for shattering my short-lived Stonehill school record of 4:09.77 in the mile this past weekend at BU. Mr. Gill's 4:07.22 currently sits him atop the D2 rankings, and the scary thing is he's only gonna get faster. Good stuff continues to go down in Easton.

And as Mr. Carrara would say, that's all I got. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

To run 3:50, you have to train at that pace. Not 3:40-pace! 3:50 is 57.5 per quarter, so you need to be able to float at that pace. Training at 53 or 55 pace does not help on the 3rd lap when you get tired. You have to put in numerous workouts at the desired and attainable race pace -- and keep a training log.
- Jim Spivey

Uneven ratios

Sorry for recent lack of posting, but the proverbial man has had me tied down. Luckily, things are leveling off some — it looks that way anyway. Hell, I had my first complete day off today in 15 days, AND I have another one on Thursday. What the hell am I gonna do with my time?

Anyway, last week's mileage topped out at a six-month high of 75 with work hours totaling an even 60. The preceding 6 weeks' ratios looked a bit like this...

1/14-1/20 - 70:49
1/7-1/13 - 70:50
12/31-1/6 - 55:59
12/24-12/30 - 65:64
12/17-12/23 - 60:56
12/10-12/16 - 60:58

Good news is I'm feeling stronger every week. You may notice a bit of a 3 weeks up/1 week down pattern with my mileage which seems to be working out well. There is no such rhythm to my work schedule, however, but if anything, the craziness of holding down 2 jobs keeps me from overanalyzing my running. For now, it's a fair tradeoff.

As for specific workouts, there aren't many. For four weeks, I did a once-a-week basic hill workout prescribed by Kevin and a few fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants tempo runs. A couple races, some 20-30 second strides every now and again and exactly one track workout with 3 miles worth of low-intensity intervals pretty much sums up my last 20 weeks of training since coming off the stress fracture. No magic formula, just overall consistency and enjoying what I'm doing on a daily basis. Then again, that might be the magic formula right there.

Quote of the day:

What I’ve learned is why I look forward to getting out the door everyday. Those two years off had something to do with it. Things work out better when you treat them as they are. Running is just a sport, it’s no longer everything like it used to be. Now I can do whatever I want. There’s no limits — I feel like I’m unstoppable.
- Mike Smith

Poor planning

I failed miserably in my quest today to progress from 5:40 down to 5:20 pace at the Frostbite 15K in Raynham. As far as mistakes go, however, it wasn't too bad.

After a 5:24-that-felt-like-5:40 first mile, I decided to "not waste good time", as former Kenyan superstud John Ngugi would say, and maintain my effort level as long as it felt comfortable, which ended up being the entire 9.3 miles. I felt fantastic the entire way and I'd like to think I could have went another 4 miles or so without much added undue diress, but I'll wait for March 18 and the New Bedford 1/2 Marathon to see if that holds true.

For you number crunchers, the mile splits from my trusty Timex were as follows: 5:24.77, 5:16.14, 5:15.89, 5:23.93, 5:22.22, 5:17.71, 5:31.52 (hill), 5:15.39, 6:48.73 (5:13 pace for the last 1.3 miles, no 9-mile split) for a total time of 49:37 and a 5:19 average mile.

Although it deviated from the original plan, I was more than happy with today's effort. Placed me fifth out of 413 to boot, out of the money but good enough to win me a heavy duty, full-length ice scraper, which looks as if it will be getting a bit of use this week. More importantly, for the first time in about 2-1/2 years I'm feeling good, feeling strong and having fun. The fire's starting to heat back up again after smoldering for way too long.

That'll do it for tonight - a fine night I might add - as the Patriots booted by the Bolts and move on to face the Colts in an AFC title tilt next Sunday. Fitting, too, that the game was won on a field goal by Adam Vina, er, I mean Stephen Gostkowski. Hey, a Pats' win is a Pats' win. It doesn't matter who gets the credit.

Quote of the day:

At this rate, I'll be in a home in by the end of the year.
- Greg Ward, who is slowly losing it (read the quote closely and you'll see why)

Here's my plan...

...and I hope to stick to it. I've entered this race tomorrow with the goal of completing a 15K progression run in the following manner:

- 1st 5K @ 5:40 pace (17:30/17:30)
- 2nd 5K @ 5:30 pace (17:00/34:30)
- 3rd 5K @ 5:20 pace (16:30/51:00)

The idea is to get in a longer tempo-ish effort without completely thrashing myself. So why enter a race you might ask? Quite simply, it has to do with productivity. For me, it's much more effective to do such a workout in a race environment than to attempt a similar effort by myself. Banging out long runs, fartleks and interval sessions all by my lonesome has never given me much trouble, but without fail everything goes to shit when it comes to the one-man planned tempo run. Perhaps it's a mental block or some other undiscovered ailment, but a longer, steady workout with prescribed splits has never treated me well. For whatever reason, I'm much more focused when I'm around other people in a race atmosphere, even if I'm not actually racing. Make sense to anyone out there?

Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good about the progression of my fitness over the last 6 weeks, so I believe the biggest challenge tomorrow will be holding back if I'm feeling good. The only exception I'll make to deviating from the aforementioned plan is if I'm within striking distance of a top-3 placing with less than 5K to go. At that point 5:20-pace gets thrown out the window and it becomes a matter of winning back my entry fee. Call it the Road Whore's great dilemma.

Quote of the day:

Type:	Easy Run
Distance:	15 mi
Time:	1:33:00 (6:12 / mi)
Comments:	ymca track 113 laps

- From Casey Moulton's training log

How I spent my day off....

No, they're not mine, in case anyone thought I pulled a fast one. These two little monsters are my cousin Anthony's kids, 3-1/2 year old Sean and his 1-1/2 year old sister, Alicia, who my mom just happened to be babysitting today.

"Uncle Mario", as I'm inaccurately -- but affectionately -- called by the two of them, paid his second cousins a little visit today with half a dozen munchkins from Dunkin' Donuts. Well, the two of them were happier than pigs in shit and the three of us had a grand ole time this afternoon watching SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer and playing hide-and-go seek. Ahh, the joys of being young again...

That's it for now; I've gotta go hone my hiding skills. Take it easy.

Quote of the day:

- Me: How many munchkins are in the bag?
- Sean: [Takes out a chocolate one and stuffs it in his mouth] Five, Uncle Mario.

Delectable domination

Photographic proof of me dominating the infamous Italian grinder -- don't dare call it a sub -- from Oliva's Market on my lunch break at PR Running this afternoon. Just how impressive was my maiden mangia-fest with this gargantuan greasepile encased in half a loaf of Italian bread? I finished the entire thing in one sitting, an accomplishment I'm afraid can only be fully appreciated by two faithful readers of this blog, namely Ryan Carrara and Mark Driscoll. They both can vouch for the greasy goodness that only this $3.50 mass-produced Milford marvel can provide. And believe me, it was well worth every penny.

And with that, I'm off to bed in an attempt to sandbag some extra sleep heading into what's already shaping up to be another wacky, work-filled weekend. Take it easy all.

Quote of the day:

Running is who I am. I feel like I've lost part of my identity without it. I'm determined to get it back.
- Michael Mann

Set me free

About to head home in a lil bit, but my day was just made that much brighter by a 65-year-old woman who came in here looking for the Nike Free to run the Disney Marathon in this weekend solely because her "daughter recommended it." Unfortunately, we don't carry the shoe, but in retrospect I should have referred her to my buddy Nate Jenkins. Now that he's a Saucony guy, perhaps he has an old pair of his beloved Nikes lying around. Oyyyyyyy vei. And with that, I'm out.

Quote of the day:

In my opinion, I had three factors: The first one was the physical part; I was very well trained. Second, I was mentally and emotionally relaxed; I was very tranquil. And third, it definitely was my day! Everything that I did to prepare, and all the sacrifices I made, all came together on that day.
- Marilson Gomes dos Santos

Crawling along

Slow day manning the fort here at PR Running. Granted we've only been open for 45 minutes as of the posting of this entry, I've seen only one customer walk through the door so far this morning and all he bought was four pairs of women's underwear. Yes, he. Sometimes it's just best not to ask any questions.

Anyway, it appears to be shaping up as one of those days, so stay tuned. If this snail's pace keeps up, I just may be able to squeeze a week's worth of entries in as little as a few hours. That's wishful thinking, at least.

Take it easy.

Let's get it started

Yes, those are man tights and yes, this is a recent picture. As recent as this morning, actually, in what was my first race of 2007. So far I'm (laughably) undefeated in the new year with a 26:25 win at the Freezer 5 in Sterling. The name of the race was fitting because I'm not sure I've ever been so cold in my life. With temps in the mid-30's, a steady rain and persistant wind, I came up with the bright idea of wearing a singlet, light gloves and the aforementioned man tights. No problems to speak of until 3-1/2 miles when my arms tightened like a vice grip. I imagine this is what rigamortis feels like. Luckily, the 'ol legs didn't experience any problems and I held a comfortable lead through the chute. The finishing time was in the ballpark of what I thought I was capable of running and, more importantly, I felt strong and in control while clicking off some fairly consistent splits. In case you're curious, said splits looked something like this: 5:14, 10:31, 15:45, 21:10, 26:25.

Overall, I'm happy with the effort and feeling good about where I'm at right now as 2007 gets underway. I'm still a long ways off from where I want to be, but I'm on the right track and confident that I'll get there. To steal a line from Billy Mills: "Believe, believe, believe."

And that's it for today. Happy New Year!

Quote of the day:

Be the dream.
- John Chaney