Breakfast of Champions

10:50 AM - 8 miles, 57:00 - Rail Trail.
7:21, 7:06 for the two marked miles on the way out; 6:43, 6:43 on the way back. Easy does it the entire way.

6:40 PM - 6 miles, 43:30 - Easton Y.
Same route with the same crew as last week. 10 seconds slower though, cause we're getting old.


My world-famous cinnamon brown sugar chocolate-chip pancake, topped with real maple syrup. It pairs well with scrambled egg whites and a tall glass of OJ (not pictured). Good post-run recovery food, but sadly it only encompasses one of the four main food groups - syrup.

I am going to bed. You try not to salivate on your keyboard.

Quote of the Day

"Samuel's a name we haven't mentioned much today because the defense hasn't been on the field."
- Al Michaels during the Patriots' 56-10 stampede over the Bills last night.

Unlucky 13

11:30 AM - 13 miles - Franklin Park.
New England Cross Country Championships 10K (13th, 31:55). 20:00 warmup & strides, 28:00 cooldown.

5:45 PM - 5 miles, 37:55 - Pakachoag 5.
Post-race shake prior to the Pats game. Same loop as yesterday morning, but slower. A lot slower.

Bittersweet day at good ol' Franklin Park. Personally, I raced a helluva lot better than I did at Mayor's Cup, coming through 8K about 25 seconds faster today than I raced flat out for the distance three weeks ago. Teamwise, we ran pretty well on the whole but still lost to the rival Unicorns by a mere five points. Jeff, Roland and Justin placed 1, 2 and 4 respectively, but our fourth guy finished too far back for us to bring home the team title.

For the record, I was that fourth guy.

I fought and fought some more, but just couldn't close the gaps between myself and the blue singlets up ahead. Carter and Ferenc never came back after the initial split and Matt Ely absolutely lambasted my sorry ass over the final 2K. I tried like hell to pick up a few spots but I felt like I was caught between third and fourth gear for much of the race. Every time I tried throwing it into fifth to make a move, it was like the transmission got stuck. Hopefully some maintenance work over the next three weeks helps take care of this problem.

Disappointments aside, it did feel good to strap on the spikes again and get another race under my belt. I'm excited to do it again at Club Nationals in three weeks and I think our squad is ready to make some serious noise in the cross country capital of the Midwest, West Chester, Ohio.

Last, but certainly not least, congrats to the ladies of NB Boston on an impressive victory today, as well as our own Jeff Caron for taking home the individual crown in the men's race. Way to represent!

Quote of the Day

"6 miles...10,000 meters over hill and dale out in the middle of nowhere. Spit freezing on your goddamn chin. Five hundred complete wild men in the mud, running up on your heels with long spikes. Oh, I love cross country all right. I also like being flayed alive with a rusty straight razor."
- Everybody's hero, Quenton Cassidy, capturing the essence of this crazy business they call cross country.

XC, Round 2

7:45 AM - 5 miles, 35:20 - Pakachoag 5.
Easy run around the block before work. 6 x 20-second strides on the way in to stretch the legs out a bit.

Cross country coming back atcha tomorrow morning in the form of the New England Championships at Franklin Paaaahk.

Team titles at stake for the men and women of New Balance Boston, redemption on the line for yours truly.

Only a few hours till I'm spiked up and psyched up, but for now I gotta rest up so I don't suck it up. Goodnight.

Quote of the Day

"You don't run against a bloody stopwatch, do you hear? A runner runs against himself, against the best that's in him. Not against a dead thing of wheels and pulleys. That's the way to be great, running against yourself. Against all the rotten mess in the world. Against God, if you're good enough."
- Bill Persons, coach in Hugh Atkinson's The Games

All in a day off

No training log entry today because, well, I didn't train. I planned to, but to be perfectly honest, I just didn't feel like it.

[No, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm perfectly fine, so just keep reading.]

On my first day off since August 19th - and first voluntary one in who knows how long - I did, however, get a haircut, work a full day at the store, pick up my cross spikes from Ryan and have a delectable fried fish & chips platter from Ted's Pizza for dinner.

As for any semblance of meaningful forward motion, I'm putting it off until tomorrow.

And just like that, my first attempt at replicating JC's famous 36-hour trick has magically turned into an incredible 48-hour affair. What can I say, I'm just that good.

Quote of the Day

"I run for the thrill of competition. I enjoy beating people in races. It also keeps me fit and strong."
- Nick Arciniaga, 17th at the U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials

And for my next trick

8:00 AM - 8 miles, 1:00:00 - Westboro.

Easy does it with Casey from his place before work. Mix of roads and rocky trails but managed to make it through unscathed. Still feeling a bit tired, but three days of reduced mileage and increased sleep should help take care of that.

In an unprecedented act of unadulterated thievery, I'll be stealing a page out of Jeff Caron's book, or blog rather, by attempting to pull off the fabled 36-hour trick between my easy 8-mile run this morning and tomorrow evening's projected 6-miler and strides.

The reason for such a heist? In a word, recovery. With the New England cross country championships merely three days away and a few hefty training/work weeks solidly in the books, I figure now is probably as good a time as any to try and rest my weary legs a little bit.

Excluding the week leading up to Bay State somewhere around mid-October, I haven't really "tapered" for any of the handful of races I've contested since Vermont City, and that's been by design. The main goal this fall wasn't necessarily to set off a string of PR's (although I did manage to snag one, thank you down week) but rather to string together as many consistent, injury-free training weeks as possible to cement a solid base of strength in preparation for the big Boston buildup this winter. Minus a few minor niggles and one persistent (but healing!) hiccup, I've been successful in laying that sturdy foundation with some steady mileage and a healthy dose of hill workouts. There's still a long way left to go, but so far everything is right on target for hitting the bullseye at Boston on Patriots Day.

In the short term, however, I would like to not embarrass myself at Franklin Park on Sunday in the same manner I did at Mayor's Cup a few weeks back, so I'm going to scale things back just a wee bit over the next few days. Let's hope a little extra rest does the trick.

Quote of the Day

"He would describe it as an ongoing brutal dance, the pushing of the body right up to the edge, close to injury, to collapse, day after day. As he approached and then surpassed a hundred miles a week, it had all come back to him: the night sweats, the muscles twitching in bed like different wild animals somehow alive on him, the searing panicky thirsts out of nowhere, the random cravings for pickled beets, chicken-fried steak, artichoke hearts, herrings in sour cream, carrot juice. Just the general feverish nervous physical anxiety that seemed to animate a blob of protoplasm vibrating itself into a higher state of physical grace. It did indeed seem to have something in common with pregnancy or illness."
- Quenton Cassidy, making his third QOTD appearance this week. Go buy the book.

6 & 4 and not much more

7:35 AM - 6 miles, 43:30 - Industrial Park.

Tired and tight, but otherwise nothing to complain about.

7:30 PM - 4 miles, 30:00 - Westboro.

Solo shakeout after work. Nice night for an easy jog.

Busy, busy, biiiiiiiiiiiz-e. Too busy to blog right now, but stay tuned.

Quote of the Day

"Cross country running is all about the competition and the challenge. And it is a challenge. It is not easy running in dirt and on the grass. It will be a physical challenge."
- Benji Durden

12-hour Tuesday

7:50 AM - 4 miles, 31:10 - Hampton 4.

Slow going before work.

7:10 PM - 10 miles, 1:11:25 - Westboro.

14:30 warmup to Westboro High, 5 x ~250m hill, short jog to track, 5 x 200m in 33.42, 33.71, 33.73, 34.28, 34.72 (200m jog recoveries), jog back to hill, 5 x ~250m hill, jog back to track, 5 x 200m in 34.34, 33.74, 34.17, 33.94, 33.53 (200m jog recoveries), 16:45 cooldown back to the store.

Left the house at 9:20 this morning, returned at 9:20 this evening. Most important thing I learned during this lengthy 12-hour time period? Manhattan clam chowder was not a good pre-workout lunch choice. Good thing no one else was at the track, or anywhere in the surrounding area for that matter.

Quote of the Day

"It is important not to lose sight of why you run. If you enjoy what you do and it brings you happiness it is only then that you will be capable of your best."

- Ryan Bak

Monday in the Motherland

11:55 AM - 4 miles, 30:00 - Lake Park.
Short-n-slow on the soft stuff. 6 x 20/40 strides during the last mile.

6:45 PM - 6 miles, 43:20 - Easton Y.
Relaxed romp around Easton with Bergie, TJ and Timmy C. Good to be back running with these clowns.

Quote of the Day

"I'm not saying I haven't missed a lot of it. You know, the shenanigans, the weirdness. Real life becomes...mundane."
- Quenton Cassidy, telling it like it is.

Buh-bye week

8:15 AM - 18 miles, 2:00:00 - 122 Long.
New loop from home: Bike Path, through Millbury Center, out to 122 in Grafton and back. The goal was to get some time on my feet at a relaxed pace, which is exactly what I did.

All work and no Patriots makes Sunday a dull day.

OK, so the atypical blitz of customers upon opening the store at noontime made for anything but a dull workday, but the gaping hole left in my afternoon by the Patriots' required bye week took away from the accustomed joy of watching the local football football squadron beat up on yet another hapless opponent.

Alas, I'll have to wait another week before reclaiming my spot on the Carrara's couch to watch another AFC East rival get buffaloed, but that's OK - winning, and winning big, never gets dull.

Quote of the Day

"Today we beat every nation."
- Bill Rodgers after the 1979 Boston Marathon, where Boston-based runners finished 1, 3, 8 and 10.

It's a wrap!

Weekly Summary: November 4-10

Sunday - AM: 18 miles, 2:00:00. Last mile in 5:23.
Monday - AM: 6 miles, 40:15. 8 x 20/40 strides. PM: 6 miles, 44:55. Easy does it.
Tuesday - AM: 4 miles, 30:00. Pre-workout shake by the lake. PM: 12 miles. 12:30 tempo, 3-minute recovery, 8 x 1-minute hills, 3-minute recovery, 12:02 tempo.
Wednesday - AM: 8 miles, 58:00. Legs good, groin sore.
Thursday - AM: 12 miles, 1:12:40. 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 fartlek w/1-minute recovery jogs throughout.

Friday - AM: 8 miles, 56:10. 8 x 100-yd strides. PM: 4 miles, 30:00. Easy does it after work.

Saturday - AM: 6 miles, 43:35. Cold, but comfortable.

Totals: 84 miles, 10 runs. Best week so far this fall. Volume was good, long run went well, workouts were solid and I'm recovering quickly, too. I'll go long tomorrow before scaling things back a little bit before New England's next Sunday.

Quote of the Day

"There is a contract between the runner and his body: I will punish you and it will make me stronger. The worst that I will endure is pain. Every runner understands this credo. Ryan Shay lived it."
- Tim Layden

Friday fill-in

7:25 AM - 8 miles, 56:10 - Rockland 7.
Took a mid-run detour through the high school for 8 x 100-yard strides on the turf. Easy distance pace felt smooth and relaxed but strides felt slow and choppy.

7:10 PM - 4 miles, 30:00 - Westboro.
Easy does it on the "Casey Kellogg after-work loop", after work but without my buddy Casey. Might have to rename this one.

It's steady as she goes out here along the bumpin' backroads of Central Massachusetts. Training continues to go on full bore despite the nagging discomfort which has permanently parked itself just south of my center of gravity. Last week's MRI confirmed the suspected sports hernia and left me with the option of either dealing with the stupid thing or patching the sucker up for good.

Since the thought of a knife near my nuts and 10 weeks on the shelf didn't exactly have me jumping for joy, I passed on the patching option, for now anyway. Running doesn't seem to worsen any of my symptoms and the combination of twice daily icing sessions, the strengthening exercises James prescribed me and refraining from lower abdominal work, raucous laughter, coughing and sneezing have kept things pretty much at bay and allowed me to continue training at a high level with minimal restrictions.

I don't mind managing the situation as long as I can, well, manage, and for now I'm doing so without much difficulty. Hopefully it stays that way, or by some miracle of Ditka, improves altogether.

Quote of the Day

"Sell’s making the team is something deeply important to me, as well as others close to a number of us. It has an effect that is profound (but still difficult to convey). It is more than validating a training program (although this is very important). It is more than serving as inspiration to the all the 10 minute high school 2 milers (but I hope that all of those kids from our area in PA are following closely.) It is more than proving to one’s family a "delay in getting on with life" was worth it. The effect it had on me I think involves the process of the quest. I am old enough now to understand it is that which shapes us during the journey to our goal which truly gives the most meaning to our lives."
- Terry Shea, BAA long-distance stud and all-around good guy, reflecting on his Trials experience last weekend in NYC

Live like a clock

9:30 AM - 12 miles, 1:12:40 - Sterling Rail Trail.

Two spins of the standard 6-mile loop (38:10/34:30), broken down as such: 26 minutes easy, 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 fartlek at 5K-8K effort with 1-minute recovery jogs after each hard segment, then steady at 6-minute pace for the final 13:40 back to the car. Never felt really good or terribly bad at any point, but definitely felt stronger as the workout progressed. Very pleased with the effort.

Quote of the Day

"What Jumbo meant was keep to your schedule. If your morning run was always at 8 AM, you go out and do a token run at 8AM, even if you're like tapering for a big race or on summer break. You're not really training, you're just keeping your body on the same routine. Eat at the same time, sleep at the same time. Live like a clock."
- Bruce Denton, the "famous American clock cleaner", once again imparting his wisdom upon the always impressionable Quenton Cassidy

Three of a kind

7:35 AM - 8 miles, 58:00 - Horgan Track.

Easy out-n-back to the track. Legs didn't feel too bad but energy levels were a bit low this morning. Groin discomfort was more pronounced than it has been of late, likely caused by the long downhill stretch at the end of last night's workout.

Good times at Rosie O'Grady's in NYC on Friday night with Ricky, Bobby and seemingly every other non-participating marathon runner who just happened to be in the Big Apple for the weekend. And for the record, Hodgie-San wasn't rip-roaring drunk when this picture was taken, just very tired.

Quote of the Day

"The marathon is tempting to play with, especially in the beginning, like you would play with a little kitten. But you should respect it like you would respect a lion."
- Felix Limo

Tuesday twist

11:05 AM - 4 miles, 30:00 - Lake Park.
Easy shake by the lake. Wet, but wonderful.

6:15 PM - 12 miles - Heartbreak Hill.
20:31 warmup, 12:30 tempo from BC Res to bottom of Heartbreak, 3-minute recovery, 8 x Crack-to-Pole (18:52), 3-minute recovery, 12:02 tempo back to BC Res, 15:00 cooldown.

Good workout tonight with Ryan, Brad, Jeff, Maloney, Fabian and Nisekens. A little twist on the Tuesday night norm but variety, as they say, is the spice of life - or in this case, the spice of training. I'd write more about it but my copy of Again to Carthage came in the mail this afternoon, so I'm gonna start - and probably finish - reading it before Jeff's pre-ordered version finally makes its way to Medford. Thank-you, Breakaway Books!

Quote of the Day

"Sell knows what he can and can't do, and he loves marathon conditions that turn the race into a knock 'em down, drag 'em out slug fest. Just like the Trials."
- Amby Burfoot on the expected weather conditions that Brian Sell will face in Beijing.

Containing my excitement

10:55 AM - 6 miles, 40:15 - Sterling Rail Trail.
"Easy" actually felt that way this morning. Finished up with 8 x 20/40 strides on the way in for my boy Driscoll.

6:10 PM - 6 miles, 44:55 - Industrial Park.
Easy does it in the dark. Nocturnal vision needs some work, or maybe A-Town just needs to install some more streetlights.

Mondays aren't typically known for excitement and running is apparently no exception. Just some easy mileage today to let the legs recover from yesterday's long run, and since we'll probably be going hard on the hill tomorrow night there was no point in pushing it today. The only pushing I'll be doing, in fact, is with the buttons on the TV remote. I don't wanna feel like a boob-tube slacker, so I better get going on that. G 'night folks.

Quote of the Day

"I had one nervous stretch around the sixth and seventh miles. At that stretch my legs started to burn a bit on the uphills and I thought of letting the pack go but I decided that the damage was done and that letting people by at that point was counter productive. So I made up my mind to stick in the mix as long as I could and that if I had to drop at 18 or 20 miles then so be it."
- Nate Jenkins, 7th place, U.S. Olympic Trials - Men's Marathon

The thinking trail

8:25 AM - 18 miles, 2:00:00 - Rail Trail.
Out-n-back on the trail and over the hills. Threw in a 1-minute pickup every 10th minute for the first hour with easy to moderate running in between. Last hour was anywhere between 6-6:30 pace with the final mile in 5:23.

Lots of stuff floating through the old noggin' right now, so it was nice to have two hours to myself on the trail this morning to think things through. I still can't get yesterday's events out of my head, nor do I think I'll be able to anytime soon, but I never would have thought the unexpected death of someone I'd never actually met would totally flip my world upside down. When you can see a lot of yourself and your own close friends in that someone, even if you've never met that person, it really hits home. It did for me at least. You can't take anything for granted in this life - not your family, friends, talents, job, possessions or even life itself. It could all be gone tomorrow, so make sure to appreciate these things today. I'm not one for praying, but my thoughts are definitely with the Shay family. May Ryan rest in peace.

Quote of the Day

"If you had to die, and knowing what Ryan believed in, wanted and tried to accomplish, if something like this was going to happen, I guess that (Olympic Trials) would be the place."
- Joe Shay, Ryan's dad.

Trialed and true

FRIDAY
11:15 AM - 12 miles, 1:22:00 - West Hill.
Canal path, two loops at West Hill and back. Threw in a few steady stretches mid-run and finished up with a 5:42 last mile on the path. Felt comfortable, but thought for sure I was under 5:30.

SATURDAY
7:45 AM - 5 miles, 38:40 - Central Park.
All over the place with Hodgie and A-Ten while watching the Trials. Nothing but a whole lot of stop-and-go mileage, but made sure I clicked the watch every time.

I was positioned at the 6-mile mark of the men's Olympic Trials marathon in Central Park this morning, hootin' and hollerin' at the top of my lungs for the 120 some-odd studs who came flying by in a steady stream of sustained speed. One runner never made it to that early mile marker however, and all it took was one quick phone call before those excited chants turned into an eerie silence.

"Ryan Shay just went down," best bud Sean McKeon shouted at me from the other end of the phone.

"Did he trip?" I asked.

"No dude, they're giving him CPR," he informed me. "It doesn't look good."

Next thing you know an ambulance comes flying by with its lights flashing and people are wondering what in the hell is going on. About a half an hour later, rumor was floating around the park that Ryan Shay had passed away. The race, possibly the most exciting event I've ever had the pleasure to witness in person, suddenly didn't seem so important any more.

Needless to say, it's been an emotional day on many fronts. The race itself was exciting and inspirational - lots of positive energy making its way around the park this morning. Lots of impressive performances too, most notably Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, Brian Sell and local homeboy Nate Jenkins. Ryan's untimely death put a terrible twist on an otherwise fantastic day, but sometimes such a tragic event can help to put everything else back into perspective.

This life is short, so you need to make the most of it while you can. Ryan Shay sure did, and he's inspired me to do the same.

Quotes of the Day

"You can't think about 'what if I fail,' because it will cause negative thoughts, so instead you have to turn the energy around and feed off that energy. All these people are cheering for you. They don't know you, they just want you to do well."
- Ryan Shay. RIP, 11.03.07

"You’ve got to run smart, but you’ve got to have the faith that you can finish. You can’t get scared. If I go out and feel good, I’m not going to be afraid to run with that lead pack. You have to take that chance. If that means I’m running 2:25 and crawling home, then so be it. At the same time, if it’s late in the race and I’m coming up on people, if you have even a passing thought of not thinking you can pass certain people like Meb [Keflezighi], then you won’t make it. The time to be in awe of them is after the race. Until then, everyone’s equal and you go for it."
- Nate Jenkins. He wasn't afraid, he took that chance, he didn't crawl home and he didn't have a passing thought about passing Meb late in the race.

Big Apple picking

7:50 AM - 8 miles, 1:00:00 - Tufts.

Easy does it on the grass before work. First 30 minutes solo, last half hour with Casey. Hilly as hell but the soft stuff was a welcome respite for the legs.

I'm heading down to the Big Apple with Hodgie-San tomorrow afternoon to catch the men's Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday morning, so this will likely be the last you'll hear from me for a couple days.

So let's cut to the chase, who's gonna make the Olympic team?

Good question. I think a lot of guys have a good shot, and personally I'll be pulling for one of the dark horse, blue-collar types -- Brian Sell, Peter Gilmore, Jason Lehmkuhle, Fasil Bizuneh, etc. -- to pull through, but there's a handful of proven thoroughbreds -- Meb, Abdi, Alan Culpepper, Dan Browne -- who aren't making the trip to New York just to take a leisurely stroll through Central Park with 127 of their closest friends.

Don't forget about the pair of young studs -- Ritz and Ryan Hall -- who each only have one marathon under their belt, but are definitely two of the more talented, if not the most talented, guys in the field. Too inexperienced to win the big one? Perhaps, but way too talented not to be considered serious threats to actually pull it off.

Then there's a handful of unproven unknowns worth keeping in mind as well, including Josh Rohatinsky, James Carney, Ed Torres and Matt Gonzales, who have all been running well enough of late that they could really surprise some people. OK, a lot of people. It's not likely any of these fellas will actually make the team, but it's not entirely impossible either.

If one thing is for sure about the outcome of this race, it's that nothing is for sure. My gut feeling is that our Olympic marathon team will be made up of two of the established favorites, say Abdi and Alan Culpepper, and one relative long shot, let's call him Peter Gilmore.

Last, but certainly not least, there's a handful of guys with local ties -- Mike Smith, Terry Shea, Nate Jenkins, Marzuki Stevens, Ed Baker, Pat and Casey Moulton, Steve Meinelt and Matt Pelletier -- who I know are all primed and ready for a good race. I'll definitely be rooting for the members of this homegrown crew and I'm confident they'll do New England proud.

Hopefully I can join them in four years and do the same.

Quote of the Day

"Running sharpens the focus on life and intensifies the emotions. Is there any better reason to do anything?"
- Anton (Tony) Krupicka, trail running's "nature boy"

Boo!

7:50 AM - 4 miles, 31:50 - Hampton 4.
Dead-dog tired. First mile in 8 minutes, last 3+ not much faster.

7:30 PM - 9 miles - Westboro.
14:55 warmup to WHS track, 2 x 1 mile (5:02.44, 5:01.77), 8 x 400m (73.62, 73.12, 72.70, 73.22, 72.59, 73.86, 71.56, 71.63), 13:20 cooldown back to the store. 400m jog recovery (2:18, 2:13) after the miles, 200m jog recovery (1:00-1:10) after the 400s.

I didn't want to work out tonight. After waking up exhausted and putting in a pitiful 4 miles before work followed by almost 10 hours at the store, all I wanted to do was go home, get something to eat and get my tired ass to bed. The workout Kevin sent to me via e-mail earlier in the day would have to wait until morning. To make a long story short, it couldn't wait that long.

Now for the unabridged version.

Around 6:30 I went out to the car and brought in my gym bag after convincing myself I'd go for an easy 4-mile shakeout jog and strides after I closed the store up at 7. Right at the magic hour, Rich called to check in and see how the day went and told me about his workout earlier this morning - repeat 1,200s on the bike path with short recovery, the same workout he did a couple weeks back but faster. It got me fired up. Then I started thinking about my teammates, who at the very same hour were beating the shit out of each other running circles around the BC Res. Since I had to work the whole day and couldn't make it out to Brighton, I was forced to fly solo - never a welcome endeavor - but knowing that my mates were all running hard in the dark after equally long days at work, I had no excuse.

What I did have, however, was a watch whose Indiglo didn't work, which made Kevin's assigned workout of...

5 min tempo (2R) 5min tempo (2-4R) 10 x 1 min w/ 60-90 sec rest

1 min intervals should be in the 5K pace to 5K pace minus a couple of seconds.

...near impossible. So I improvised. Instead of running on effort over a number of minutes I decided to run by feel over a set distance. Since 5 minutes at tempo pace is just about a mile and 1 minute at 5K pace is a few ticks under a 400, and the only place to get accurate feedback when running at such speeds in the pitch-black is on a measured track, that's where I went.

Again, the Indiglo on my trusty Timex was out, so the best I could do was run on feel, click the split timer and look at the damage afterward. I was encouraged to see that although I was a little quick, I wasn't totally reckless. More importantly, I was consistent and under control throughout, and with Sunday's shit show still in the back of my mind, this made me feel a little bit better about myself.

Now that I've got a good workout under my belt and eaten enough to loosen that belt up a bit, I can finally go to bed. Goodnight.

Quote of the Day

"Writing, like running, is as much about faith as it is technique. Like the best runners, the best novelists are a little bit insane. However self-effacing a champion may act off the course, he's got to believe in himself. The best novelists don't just make the story up, they actually think it's true."
- Benjamin H. Cheever in a Runner's World piece about Once a Runner author John L. Parker.

Lucky 13

7:45 AM - 5 miles, 34:50 - Pakachoag 5.
Sub-7-minute pace before 8 AM. I really have no explanation for this phenomenon.

6:35 PM - 8 miles, 55:20 - Millbury.
Pitch-black prowl with Sean through the mean streets of Millbury. Oh how I've missed the two-mile climb at the end of this run. Not.

Quote of the Day

“I don’t think about what was. It was great, but you can’t bring those days back. Life goes on.”
- Ronaldo da Costa, former marathon world record holder

Mundane Monday

6:45 AM - 8 miles, 58:10 - RockPak 8.
Got out early before meeting with the electrician to do a walk-through at the new place. Started out in the dark, didn't realize it was only 32 degrees and underdressed accordingly. Had a pretty good run though - legs were in surprisingly decent shape, but the groin was a bit more uncomfortable than it has been of late.

Quote of the Day

"So in one sense, he's my best buddy and we're great friends, but when it comes to competition, he wants to take out my throat."

- Clint Verran on his good friend and training partner, Brian Sell.

Crossed up

12:00 PM - 10 miles - Franklin Park.
16 minutes up, Mayor's Cup 8K (57th - 26:02), 21 minutes down. Out in 4:52 and it was a steady decline from there.

5:45 PM - 5 miles, 38:10 - Carrara's Trails.
Easy shakeout from la casa de Carrara with Sean during halftime of the Pats game. Took advantage of the trails with what daylight we had left, then finished up on the roads.

Let's put it this way. Two weeks ago I raced 13.1 miles at an average pace of 5:19 per mile. This afternoon, I raced - and I use that term loosely - 8 kilometers, or just under 5 miles, at a not-so-blistering clip of 5:16 per mile. I'm not making any excuses, but deep down I know that today's finishing time isn't anywhere reflective of my current fitness level. To be honest, I'm not sure what it's reflective of, but I do know that I never felt good today - not even for a second. I couldn't make a move, or even respond to one, to save my life. Outside of my 26:11 debut on this course as a freshman in college, this was my slowest Franklin Park finish ever. Bottom line, I had a shitty race. It happens. I'm over it.

Luckily, I had a few teammates who had some pretty good races, so a quick congratulations to Jeff and Justin on their new PRs and Coogs, Brad, Ryan and Fabian on their own solid performances. The women tore it up as well, with Kristen and Erin cracking the top-15 in a stacked field. On the whole, NB Boston was well represented at Franklin Park this afternoon.

So, that's it. The first cross country race of the season is in the books and the fact of the matter is I'm our 7th man, not even taking into account the three studs who sat out for us today.

So what will I do now? I'll lace my shoes back up tomorrow morning, pack away a few more weeks of solid training and have a better race at New England's in three weeks. That's what I'll do.

Quote of the Day

"Aw, it's the same damn hill."
- Chris Voce cementing our decision to avoid Bear Cage Hill on the warmup this afternoon.

Sum it up

7:30 AM - 7 miles, 48:25 - Rockland 7.
Easy run in the rain before work. Threw in a few short random pickups just to stretch the legs out a bit. Hopefully they stretch out a little more before tomorrow.

Weekly Summary: October 21-28
Sunday - AM: 18 miles, 2:00.
Monday - AM: 6 miles, 42:15. 6 x 20-second strides.
Tuesday - AM: 4 miles, 30:00. PM: 13 miles. 10 x Bottom-to-Top on Heartbreak Hill.
Wednesday - AM: 8 miles, 57:40.
Thursday - AM: 7 miles, 48:00. PM: 5 miles, 37:50. 8 x 200m strides.
Friday - AM: 7 miles, 48:45.
Saturday - AM: 7 miles, 48:25.
Totals: 75 miles, 9 runs. Good week, and a busy one to boot. Lots of extracurricular stuff going on so my sleep suffered a bit but I should be OK for Mayor's Cup. I didn't really back off the training any since it's still early in the season, but I'm looking forward to getting back on the grass tomorrow and mixing it up over the shorter-than-usual 8K distance.

Quote of the Day

When you put yourself on the line in a race and expose yourself to the unknown, you learn things about yourself that are very exciting.”
- Doris Brown Heritage, 5-time world cross country champion

Tight squeeze

10:35 AM - 7 miles, 48:45 - Bike Path.
Managed to squeeze in a post-MRI, pre-work trot on the bike path. Felt pretty sluggish for the first 5 miles or so, but eventually snapped out of it.

Busy days, busy nights and no immediate end in sight. Other than posting the day's raw data, providing the occasional witty anecdote and searching high and low for an appropriately motivating or inappropriately funny Quote of the Day, don't expect much out of me for another week or so.

Come to think of it, that's no different from any other day here at the daily runaround, so forget what I just wrote. Don't expect much out of me, period.

Quote of the Day

"Any time you go through adversity, it’s character-defining. It’s an old cliché, but you don’t learn character on the mountaintops. You learn it in the valleys. Going through tough times, that’s what makes great runners."
- Todd Harbour, Baylor cross country coach

Into the black

7:50 AM - 7 miles, 48:00 - Rockland 7.
Reverse Rockland loop before work. Didn't feel overly terrible despite a short night of sleep.

8:00 PM 5 miles, 37:50 - Westboro.
Solo from the store after work. 13:04 up to the WHS track, 8 x 200m w/200m jog recovery in 35.19, 35.62, 33.83, 33.69, 33.39, 33.76, 33.36, 33.58, 12:28 down back to the store.

If you've never run repeat 200's on a deserted pitch-black track at 8:30 on a Thursday night at the end of October, I suggest trying it sometime. There's nothing like the isolated feeling of losing yourself in a rhythmic trance on the track as the crisp autumn air makes its way into your lungs and then escapes back into the night sky. I felt like Haile Gebrselassie in Endurance, only whiter and slower.

Quote of the Day

"I think the reason I did so well in that race is that I wasn't worrying about expectations. And that's something that I've really taken to heart that I've really learned from that experience. I want to go out there and do my best obviously, and I've prepared and done everything I can to do that. But I've learned that you can't allow expectations to get to you...So I love being in this situation. I can just go out there, know that I'm ready, be confident, race my best, and see what happens."
- Josh Rohantinsky, 2006 NCAA cross country champion, on his expectations for the Olympic Trials Marathon on November 3rd.

World Series Wednesday

7:40 AM - 8 miles, 57:40 - RockPak 8.
Easy run on the roads before work. Legs felt fine but the rest of the 'ol body is a bit on the tired side.

Good news: Dr. Davis was able to successfully appeal on my behalf and my MRI is now scheduled for 8:45 on Friday morning. Hopefully this marks the end of any insurance-related funny business in regard to this medical matter.

Bad news: None, really. Life is good.

And a World Series title would make it that much better. Let the string of sleep-deprived nights begin.

Go Sox!

Quote of the Day

"I would prefer to be 25 with fresh legs."
- Khalid Khannouchi. Me too, Khalid, me too.

No lights necessary

11:10 AM - 4 miles, 30:00 - Lake Park.
Pre-workout shake by the lake. Three big loops on the dirt, then a mile on the track in 5:57 (3:12/2:45) to finish up right at the magical 30-minute mark.

6:15 PM - 13 miles - Heartbreak Hill.
27:45 warmup including an abbreviated drill set, 10 x Bottom-to-Top (1:50, 1:52, 1:50, 1:51, 1:50, 1:50, 1:50, 1:47, 1:45, 1:41), 15:55 cooldown.

Hit the hill hard tonight with Fabian, Ryan, Nieskens and Jeff. It's always an adventure when going full throttle on a grass incline in the dark but we're certified experts in this stuff so we managed just fine. Luckily the rain held off for us but the humidity and wind were unusually nasty for an October night. Still, we had another solid workout as we head toward the start of the cross country racing season on Sunday.

Yep, the crazy three-meet post-collegiate fall cross country season starts this Sunday at Franklin Park with 18th annual running of the much ballyhooed Mayor's Cup. This will be my first off-road race in two years and if you guessed I'm excited, well, you obviously know me pretty well then. This weekend's 8K will primarily serve as a cross country rust buster of sorts, so I'm not gonna put much pressure on myself to hit certain splits or outkick a certain dude. I'll just race hard from gun to tape and let the cards fall where they may. Come to think of it, that's how a cross country race should be run anyway. Forgive me, it's been a while.

Quote of the Day

"I think you've got to have the genetic potential first...then you have to have a great spirit...lastly, you need mental toughness."
- Mickey Hall on what it takes to be a great runner. His son Ryan seems to have all three going for him.

Out of the rough

7:30 AM - 6 miles, 42:15 - Industrial Park.
Same loop as last Monday but about 5 minutes faster, which goes to show just how roughed up I was this time last week. 6 x 20-second strides mid-run to stretch the legs out a bit.

Sox went big, Indians went home. And I went to bed happy.

Bring on the Rockies.

Quote of the Day

"Everyone seemed to think that if I had that clock there, I would have got that one second. But I just ran as hard as I could for as long as I could."
- Steve Jones on just missing the marathon world record in 1985 after going through halfway in an absurd 1:01:43.

Good or bad?

8:35 AM - 18 miles, 2:00:00 - Carrara's Trails.

Relaxed romp through the pristine pine needle paths of the Memorial Forest and Assabet River Wildlife Refuge with Ryan and Christy Mae. Legs bounced back pretty well from yesterday's workout. Same old story with the groin.

Game 7.

Dice-K on the mound, World Series berth on the line.

Go big or go home.

Quote of the Day

"Good or bad?"
- Fasil Bizuneh

Saturday Summation

9:20 AM - 10 miles - Lincoln.
24:30 up, 4.6-mile tempo in 23:44 (4:59, 5:17, 5:16, 3:12 (0.6), 5:00), 15:35 down. Worked out with Fenton and Roland - well, ran with them for the first 2-1/2 miles, fell off the back of the float for a mile or so and then rejoined the parade for the final mile. Solid workout - out way too fast but adjusted accordingly and avoided falling apart.

Weekly Summary: October 14-20
Sunday - AM: 18 miles. Bay State 1/2 Marathon (5th, 1:09:48 - PR)
Monday - AM: 6 miles, 47:00.
Tuesday - AM: 6 miles, 43:30. PM: 4 miles, 30:00.
Wednesday - AM: 8 miles, 57:10. 4 x 200m strides in 35.16, 35.55, 34.59, 34.58.
Thursday - AM: 12 miles, 1:21:45. Light fartlek.
Friday - AM: 8 miles, 54:05. PM: 4 miles, 30:00. 6 x 20-second strides.
Saturday - AM: 10 miles. 4.6-mile tempo in 23:44.

Totals - 76 miles, 9 runs. Good week - started with a solid race, ended with a solid workout. Groin issue is still an issue but hasn't forced me to scale anything back. As long as that remains the case, it's full steam ahead.

Quote of the Day

"Every runner needs to be a little bit vain. They need to think more of themselves than they are. They need to think more of themselves than anybody else does. Or else you just aren’t going to get to that next level...The time to be in awe of (other runners) is after the race. Until then, everyone’s equal and you go for it."
- Nate Jenkins

Healthcare hassles

10:00 AM - 8 miles, 54:05 - Rail Trail.
Out-n-back 6 on the trail, followed by a train track add-on and another out-n-back mile on the trail. Best run in a week, which isn't saying much.

4:00 PM - 4 miles, 30:00 - Pakachoag.
Afternoon stroll past my new place, down Hampton Street and back home the short way. 6 x 20-second strides on the way in. Hip seems to have loosened up a bit.

I should be laid out horizontally in an MRI machine at the Worcester Medical Center right now but a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit on the insurance side of things has me sitting vertically in front of the computer instead, all the while hoping Dr. Davis can successfully appeal on my behalf Monday morning.

Pissed off would be a severe understatement. Fuck the healthcare system.

Quote of the Day

"I have such a passion for competing, and I hate to lose. I suppose this gets me into trouble sometimes. Mostly I think it helps. I mean, you have to push really hard in running. That's where our greatest moments come from. And the worst. They both spring from the same place."
- Dathan Ritzenhein

What's next?

9:20 AM - 12 miles, 1:21:45 - West Hill.

Canal path, two loops at West Hill and back. Threw in a handful of random pickups ranging from roughly a minute to 3-4 minutes in duration to stretch the legs out a bit. Left calf is almost back in good working order, groin discomfort held steady at Level 6 but left hip is now annoyingly tight. If it ain't one thing, it's two or three others as well.

So who wants to place a bet on what part of my anatomy will fail on me next? In addition to my midsection malady, tight calf and persistent plantar pain, my left hip has been locked up for two days now. Keeping the aforementioned information in mind, the entire right side of my body and all areas above the waist on my left side are still fair game. I'd go in big before the flop because chances are something else is gonna go before any of the above get much better.

Anyway, I've got the MRI tomorrow night which should shed some light on the gray area around my groin. The other stupid shit seems to come and go and I'll deal with those annoyances accordingly. My midsection is the main concern right now. I'm sick of rolling up in a ball to get in and out of bed, writhing in pain when someone tries to make me laugh, putting ice that close to my (ahem) and running around with a persistent ache in my midsection.

I'm not sure what's left of my fall season but I'm gonna do what I can with it for as long as I'm able to. In the meantime, let's hope nothing else shits out on me.

Quote of the Day

"You know, when Rolling Stone called I said I'd do it. It's a great opportunity, you know, and then I get to the shoot and they want me to do the cover photo topless, and you know, that's not something I normally do but the agent I was with at the time said this is how everyone gets into the business - you gotta do Rolling Stone with no shirt on, so I did it."

- Mike Smith, Central Mass. native and Olympic Trials marathon qualifier, "telling it all" from Flagstaff. Hilarious.

Biding my time

7:15 AM - 8 miles, 57:10 - Rockland 7.

Took a mid-run detour at the AHS track for 4 x 200m strides w/200m jog recovery, hitting 35.16, 35.55, 34.59, 34.58. Left calf has loosened up a bit, but groin noticeably tight and uncomfortable throughout.

Quote of the Day

"Just bide your time. People who are beating you now may not be beating you a year from now - or five years from now, or maybe ten years from now. If you enjoy your running and go at it patiently, you'll be around ten years from now and you'll be the one who is up there...Running is never a waste. Everything you are doing now is part of the grand plan."
- Bill Rodgers, Marathoning, p. 115

Money well spent

10:55 AM - 6 miles, 43:30 - Rail Trail.
Out-n-back from the parking lot. Left calf still pretty tight but seems to slowly be loosening up, groin no better or worse than it was yesterday.

6:05 PM - 4 miles, 30:00 - Lake Park.
Twilight trot on the dirt. The 'ol legs are starting to show some signs of life again.

I forgot to cancel today's appointment with the orthopedist that I begrudgingly scheduled 12 days ago, so instead of being slapped with a $25 cancellation fee for bailing the day of, I kept the appointment, paid my $20 co-pay and saved myself $5 and a shitload of bureaucratic hassle. I also figured a second opinion probably wouldn't hurt, so in the end everyone except my wallet benefits in some way.

Not gonna lie, I thought this would be one of those appointments where I walked into the exam room, told the doctor what was wrong, confused him with my symptoms and went home $20 poorer than I walked in with only a vague diagnosis of a groin strain and a prescription to "stop running, put some ice on it and schedule an appointment with the PT office on Goldstar Boulevard" to show for it.

I'm happy to report that I was wrong. Still $20 poorer, but very wrong.

After checking in with the receptionist, I was immediately shuttled away to X-ray and had my midsection zapped before being hustled into the exam room where I met with my assigned orthopedist, Dr. Susan Davis. And no, Susan is not a dude, but she is a damn good doctor.

Dr. Davis' own thorough evaluation of the circumstantial evidence confirmed what James told me last week, which is that my persistent lower abdominal discomfort is likely being caused by a sports hernia. To be sure, however, she has me scheduled me for an MRI this Friday and a follow-up appointment a week from today because "we don't want to be guessing with one of these things." In the meantime, she told me to keep with the exercises James gave me and "not to stop running, although that may change a week from now."

Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but on the flip side of things this is the kind of pull-no-punches, up-front approach I've been looking for from a medical professional. Unlike when I suspected a stress fracture in my pelvis 16 months ago and had to fight for a CT scan to confirm it, I didn't so much as have to even mention my own suspicions to either James or Susan this time around because both of them appreciated the ferociousness with which I thrash my body on a daily basis. And while I'd rather not be in this position to begin with, I feel confident for once that I'm in good hands and taking the right steps to getting this newest problem fixed.

Now, if I could only eliminate them altogether.

Quote of the Day

"There is nothing like the feeling of standing on a wind-blown, dew slicked, intramural field awaiting the sound of a gun to send you hurtling forward through a mass of sharp elbows and knobby knees toward your own threshold of pain."
- Brendan O'Keefe on the beauty of cross country.

The Aftermath

7:50 AM - 6 miles, 47:00 - Industrial Park.
Short-n-slow slog before work. Lower left leg a tight and mangled mess, felt like it was just being dragged along for the ride. Groin discomfort also made an unwelcome return to Level 6. Hopefully a few easy runs and lots of ice will help solve the first problem and keep the second one at bay.

Quote of the Day

“I’m not too high on expectations, but I’m not intimidated either. I’ll stick my nose in there. And if I blow up, I blow up.”
- James Carney

Run of the Mill

8:30 AM - 18 miles - Bay State 1/2 Marathon.
15 minutes up, strides, Bay State 1/2 Marathon (5th - 1:09:48), 22 minutes down with Jeff and Paul Ryan.

5th place and a 5-second PR for 13.1 miles this morning in the scenic Mill City better known as Lowell, Massachusetts. I was pretty pumped with the end result until I got home and read that Deena spun a 1:09:38 in Udine at the IAAF World Road Running Champions. Bitch.

I'm kidding, of course.

I have plenty more to write about the race and will do so sometime later this week, but for now I've gotta get my tired ass to bed. A quick congrats to Casey on the impressive win today, Keith on a sly second-place showing, Paul on a great debut, Matt Pimental on a solid run in fourth and Kerry on a kickass second-place finish in the women's race. And a BIG thanks to Kevin and Jeff for keeping me going out there when the going itself was getting tough. Much appreciated.

And for all the number dorks out there, here are those mundane mile splits for you to salivate over. Enjoy.

1. 5:12
2. 5:15
3. 5:27
4. 5:17
5. 5:15 (26:26)
6. 5:14
7. 5:20
8. 5:26
9. 5:34
10. 5:32 (53:32)
11. 5:18
12. 5:12
13.1. 5:46 (1:09:48)

Quote of the Day

"Ryan, I know she has pneumonia but go upstairs and pound your wife."
- Uncle Fire to Ryan after the Patriots' first touchdown this afternoon. And for the record, he's referring to a fist pound. No, one of these, you sick bastards.

Ready, set...

7:45 AM - 4 miles, 29:15 - Pakachoag 4.
Slow slog around the block before work. Easy today, hard tomorrow.

No time for writing, only resting. 12 hours till go time.

Quote of the Day

"Ultimately, all I want from the Trials race is to hit the finish line knowing I pushed as hard as I possibly could. All the preparation is aimed to that end. Never hanging it all out on the line in the workout, but always edging up against that razor-thin line between quality training and overtraining. I finish every workout knowing I could have gone a little faster or a little longer. Hopefully I’ll finish the Trials knowing I could not possibly have done more than I did."
- Chris Lundstrom

Quick six

7:45 AM - 6 miles, 40:50 - Fallon 6.
3 x [2 minutes hard/2 minutes easy] mid-run. Last little leg-stretcher before Bay State on Sunday. 4 x 100m strides afterward.

Quote of the Day

"I never expect to lose. Even when I'm the underdog, I still prepare a victory speech."
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

6 + 4 = 10

9:50 AM - 10 miles, 1:09:05 - Sterling Rail Trail.

6-mile loop in 42:35, then 26:30 for the 'ol 4-banger. Call it a slow man's progression run.

This morning marked the last run of any significant distance before this weekend's race in Lowell. Given that I hit the hills hard on Tuesday night with Jeff, I kept things relaxed the entire way to make sure I get all the shit out of my legs before Bay State. I'll do a short maintenance workout of 3 x 2 minutes at steady clip in the middle of my 6-miler tomorrow morning and follow that up with an easy 4-mile jog on Saturday before thrashing myself for 13.1 miles on Sunday morning. Call me masochistic, but I'm really looking forward to it.

Quote of the Day

"It’s a one step at a time thing. I would like to just progressively keep getting better and stay healthy...I think so long as I stay focused and healthy, I’ll be in the running."
- Paige Higgins, who ran an 8-minute PR to finish seventh in 2:40:14 at Sunday's Chicago Marathon

Inside and out

7:50 AM - 7 miles, 53:25 - Bike Path 7.
Steadily slow from the get-go; 7:16 and 7:11 for the last 2 miles and that was top-end speed. Feeling a bit tired from a short night of sleep but otherwise no complaints.

The view from the front.

Interior decorating at its best...

...but the landscaping job may be even more impressive.

Quote of the Day

"Seeing Meb cross that line in Athens let me know anything can happen in this sport, as long as you put in the effort and hard work.”
- Good advice from the Black Cactus, aka Abdi Abdirahman.

Examining the evidence

10:45 AM - 4 miles, 30:00 - Hopedale.
One loop of the pond with a small add-on to make it 30 minutes. Easy does it, workout tonight.

6:10 PM - 13 miles - Heartbreak Hill.
28:45 warmup including drills, 10 x Bottom-to-Top (1:50, 1:52, 1:49, 1:51, 1:51, 1:49, 1:49, 1:49, 1:48, 1:45), 16:20 cooldown. Ran with Jeff, who dropped my ass on the last few, but I held my form strong throughout and had a real solid workout. Two more reps and a much faster overall average than the same workout three weeks ago.

Not much to insight to share on the training side of things, but I did finally have my kitchen inspected this morning by James at Ashland Physical Therapy, so I'll offer up those results instead. After 30 minutes of insightful questioning and thorough testing, the circumstantial evidence points toward a sports hernia as the likely culprit causing the discomfort in my lower abdomen. James' theory is that I have a small tear deep in the abdominal wall, which thankfully - albeit slowly - seems to be healing. Since running doesn't seem to make matters worse, I'll continue putting one foot in front of the other on a daily basis, but I'll also start doing the four exercises that James prescribed me this morning in an effort help strengthen the muscles around the sore spot and bring blood flow to the effected area, which will speed up the healing process. As long as the tear doesn't rip any further James thinks I should be able to avoid surgery, which was music to my ears. The whole appointment, in fact, was music to my ears as James was able to provide me the clear explanation and sound treatment plan that I was in search of, and I'm confident that under his guidance I'll have the mess in my kitchen cleaned up sooner than later.

That'll do it for tonight. Gotta get my ass to bed, only to roll out of it again in a little less than 8 hours so I can put in a slow 7 miles before work. Let the mini-taper heading into Bay State begin!

Quotes of the Day

"I don't really get nervous about races anymore or performing a physical test...I've put so much work into training that not performing is not an issue." - E-mail this afternoon from Brockton Bad Boy James Campbell, the most hardcore motherfucker I know.

"Katie is such a great role model. If I could accomplish anything she’s accomplished, I’d just be so happy. I saw how she came into her career and how she left. It’d be an honor to be mentioned (alongside Gwyther)."
- Current Quinnipiac stud Kristin Stevens on the first lady of QU XC, the one and only KG

Globlogalization

7:50 AM - 7 miles, 50:25 - AHS Track.

22:30 down to the high school, 4 x 200m strides w/200 jog recovery in 34.62, 33.90, 34.35, 33.18, 22:22 back home.

It's official, the daily runaround has gone global.

A fella by the name of Patrik from Sweden commented on yesterday's entry, the first such missive, I believe, from a foreign reader. I'm continually surprised that this blog has an audience, much less an international one, but it's cool to know people are stopping by on a regular basis, regardless of how boring, whiny, redundant and rushed some of my scribble tends to be.

So let me offer a quick thanks to those of you who check in regularly, read carefully and comment occasionally. Your feedback is appreciated and doesn't go unnoticed. For the lurkers out there, and I know who some of you are, if I don't inspire, entertain or infuriate you enough to let me know about it, that's cool too. Since you keep coming back, I guess I'll let it slide.

In the meantime, however, I'm gonna slide my ass into my bed and get some shuteye. I've got an appointment here tomorrow morning with James, who can hopefully help clean up the mess in my kitchen.

Last but certainly not least though, a quick congrats to the lightning-fast ladies of NB Boston, second to Hanson's-Brooks squad at the Tufts 10K earlier today. PR's all-around!

That'll do it for tonight. Hasta mañana, hombres.

Quote of the Day

“You just try to survive. (You) keep pushing. When you have stretches where you feel good, you try to take advantage of those. When you get into a tough stretch, you need to be positive.”
- Mike Cox, 8th place at yesterday's Chicago Marathon and the last qualifier for next month's Olympic Trials in an article by the hilariously named Tom Bone, who can be reached via e-mail at tbone@bdtonline.com. No joke.

Chef's special

8:20 AM - 14 miles, 1:36:05 - Rail Trail.

Out-n-back 10 over the hills with Greg, then 4 miles solo on the trail with the last one in 5:20.

Abbreviated long run this morning with fellow chef Greg Ward, who is also dealing with a persistent disturbance in his kitchen. Aside from sharing in each others pelvic misery, we spotted a Bald Eagle about a quarter mile into the run and proceeded to dodge joggers, walkers and other fitness wannabees on our way to conquering the Manning Street mini mountain. After summiting, we tackled a tricky set of switchbacks before doubling back and playing the dodging game again on the main trail. After parting ways, I tacked on another 4 miles while Greg blasted out 50 of his own on the bike. Even if I didn't have to be at work for noon, I wanted no part of tearing up the roads on two wheels with Mr. Ward. Chasing around a guy who can average 20 mph on a hybrid just isn't my idea of fun on a Sunday morning.

Enough about my own running. I had plans to post a weekend race recap but Jeff has already put anything I would have come up with to shame. Close finishes, breakout performances and hot temps were the themes of the day. Props to best bud and former high school rival turned college teammate and eventual roommate, Sean McKeon, on a nice 2:41:32 debut for 26.2 on a sweltering day in Minnesota. And best of luck to the ladies of NB Boston tomorrow as they try to defend their team title at the Tufts 10K.

On the non-running side of things, the Patriots looked good again today in Foxboro, well, they sounded good on the radio at least as they romped over the Browns to push their record to 5-0. That win, combined with the Sox slamming of the Angels to secure a spot in the ALCS made for an excellent day in the Boston sports world. Heck, even the Celtics and the Bruins won yesterday. Anyone know how the Revs are doing?

That'll do it for today, gotta get back to watching the rest of the Yankees game.

Man, I can't believe I just typed that - new low.

Quote of the Day

"In my delirious state I forgot to stop and went right by the stupid thing."
- The aforementioned Mr. McKeon on his apparent desire to take advantage of the aid tent in the latter stages of his first marathon.

Weekly Wrap-Up: September 30-October 6

Sunday - 8:50 AM: 17 miles, 1:55:45. Tour de trails con las Carraras.
Monday - 6:30 PM: 9 miles, 1:06:30. Easy does it in Easton with Bergs and Timmy C.
Tuesday - 10:45 AM: 4 miles, 30:35. Pre-workout shake at the park by the lake. 6:15 PM: 13 miles. Workout: 6 x 4 minutes hard w/2 minutes recovery.
Wednesday - 7:35 AM: 7 miles, 50:00. Slow stroll before work. 7:10 PM: 4 miles, 30:05. Easy shakeout w/Casey after work.
Thursday - 7:35 AM: 10 miles, 1:07:30. Steady as she goes, 26:40 for the last 4.4 miles.
Friday - 7:15 AM: 10 miles. Track workout: 4 x 1 mile w/1 minute recovery (5:10, 5:09, 5:07, 4:56).
Saturday - 7:45 AM: 6 miles, 45:30. Started slow and kept it that way.

Totals: 80 miles, 9 runs. Good week with two solid workouts. Other than the nagging discomfort in the kitchen, I'm very happy with how things are going. I'm feeling fit and ready to race so I'll scale things back a bit this week in order to freshen up for the Bay State 1/2 next Sunday.

Quote of the Day

"My brother takes his own direction, and I take mine.”
- Casey Moulton in a pre-Trials feature profiling he and his brother Pat, who is now running for Hanson's.

Cruise control

7:10 AM - 10 miles - AHS Track.
21:30 up, 4 x 1 mile in 5:10.58 (57.58 recovery); 5:09.88 (58.56); 5:07.78 (57.52); 4:56.26, 23:15 down.

Solid workout at the track this morning -- yes, the track. Normally the men and women of New Balance Boston wouldn't step foot on one this time of year, and most of them likely still won't, but I was forced to fly solo in lieu of working out with the team tomorrow and wanted to make sure I didn't mess up Kevin's assignment. I figured the most idiot-proof way of achieving this goal would be by making use of the brandy new 400-meter oval at Auburn High School, quite the upgrade from the 357.5-meter cinder diamond we used to race around back in the day.

It proved to be a good choice. An even better choice was waking up 45 minutes earlier than usual and downing a cup of coffee, but those are min.

Kevin wanted me to do a set of cruise intervals, specifically 4 to 5 times a mile at 5-10 seconds faster than tempo pace with a scant minute recovery between each repetition. Since tempo pace for me right now equates to something in the 5:20-ish range, 5:10-15 is where I set my sights this morning. Given the length of Tuesday night's workout and an up-tempo finish to yesterday's run, I settled on stopping at the fourth mile before I even set foot on the track, but my main goal was to keep the effort consistent and make sure I didn't finish the workout any slower than I started it.

Mission accompished, and then some. I started out right at 5:10 for the first mile, then settled in at 5:09 and 5:07 for the next two before bringing it home in 4:56. Most importantly, everything felt good, even the intentional gear change over the last two laps of the final mile. It wasn't a spectacular workout by any means but it was a solid effort and easily the best workout I've done before 8 AM, ever.

The discomfort south of the border still remains though, but thankfully hasn't gotten any worse. It doesn't affect my mechanics or cause me to keel over in pain, but it's there and not getting any better either. Luckily, I won't have to wait 12 days to see a sports med specialist as James Casady over at Ashland Physical Therapy was able to squeeze me in this coming Tuesday morning. James refers a lot of his patients to us at the store, has a great reputation for diagnosing and treating running-related injuries and is a decent runner himself to boot. I'm thankful he was willing and able to fit me in on such short notice and am looking forward to figuring out what's going on down south and then taking the necessary steps to fix it.

For now though, I'm looking forward to a Sox victory followed by a sound night of sleep. Who am I kidding, the win alone will suffice.

Quote of the Day

"I ran as much as I could. I had a dream.”
- Marilson Gomes Dos Santos, Brazilian marathoner

Step outside

7:35 AM - 10 miles, 1:07:30 - Crack Path 10.
Started slow and gradually picked it up to a steady clip. 40:50 for the first 6 miles, 26:40 for the last 4.4. Kitchen discomfort held steady at Level 4 throughout the entire run.

This morning's trip to my primary care physician proved to be as uninsightful as I imagined it might be. The verdict? No hernia. How about a sports hernia? He's never heard of such a thing. The solution? A referral to go see an orthopedist, who was conveniently able to squeeze me in 12 days from now on Tuesday the 16th at 2:30, and "will run the appropriate tests he deems necessary."

This is load of shit even a bull wouldn't produce. It's unacceptable. I'm no different than any other patient but I'm not waiting 12 days to get a flippin' answer either. In the meantime, I'll make some calls and see what I can accomplish outside the system.

Quote of the Day

"I've been able to start to believe again. Because I'm healthy, I'm able to do the workouts I need to. Because I do the workouts, I have the confidence I need to start to think the way I need to."
- Kara Goucher

11 miles down, 11 wins to go

7:35 AM - 7 miles, 50:00 - Rockland 7.
Legs felt fine, kitchen started off as a 6-7 on the discomfort scale but settled in around 5-6 for most of the run.

7:10 PM - 4 miles, 30:05 - Westboro.
Easy shakeout from the store with Casey after work. Discomfort level down around Level 4-5. Fortunately, I think things loosen up a bit throughout the day.

This will be quick since I just got home and need to nourish myself while belatedly relishing in the Sox' 4-0 blanking of the Angels.

The internal strife that I've been suffering through of late still remains a struggle, but I will continue to soldier on, hopefully, until at least Bay State. On the proactive side of things, I have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow morning, and while I don't think he'll be able to tell me something I don't already know, I'm hoping he can set me up for a scan of some sorts to better shed some light on my, uh, situation.

That's all I got time for right now, but stay tuned for a full update tomorrow.

Peace, love and Josh Beckett for the 2008 AL Cy Young Award.

Quote of the Day

"He’s aggressive, competitive, and tough. You play any game with him, and he just wants to kill you. And he takes it personally if you beat him. Running is an aggressive sport, and you need to be out there thinking aggressively. Brian maintains that tenacity in training every day. He might not be the fastest guy over a quarter-mile, but he can take a pounding like I’ve never seen.”
- Clint Verran on Hansons' teammate Brian Sell

Dirty day

10:45 AM - 4 miles, 30:35 - Lake Park.
3 big loops on the dirt, followed by a mile on the track with 4 x 100-meter strides on the back straight.

6:15 PM - 13 miles - BC Res.
25 minutes up, drills, 6 x 4 minutes hard w/2 minutes recovery, 25 minutes down.

Solid workout on the dirt tonight with both Ryans, Jeff, Nieskens, Fabian and Maloney. Pace was supposed to be at 10K effort but I think we were a bit faster than that, perhaps 4-mile effort, whatever that means. Regardless, I felt good at the pace we were running and just focused on keeping the effort consistent and my breathing relaxed. It was a nice rebound from Saturday's stitch-induced shit show.

No new trouble in the kitchen to write about, just the normal discomfort. I did have a bloody nose after the workout, however, as well as some blood in my spit, and while I don't think it's related to the malady in my midsection, it does have me mildly concerned.

I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and get this thing looked at sooner rather than later, which is unfortunate because I just got my new cross spikes tonight and I really really want to lace 'em up at Franklin Park in a few weeks. At this point though, I've just gotta take things one day at a time and watch out for my well-being.

Quote of the Day

“You don’t understand. It’s not whether you get there. It’s the journey.”
- Al Oerter, Olympic discus champion, who died yesterday at the age of 71.

Final edit

6:30 PM - 9 miles, 1:06:30 - Easton Y.
Some unbelievably good timing and a pure stroke of shit luck allowed me the always welcome company of Easton's newest post-collegiate, Tim Catoggio, for the entire duration of this run. After a quick stroll through the Sheep Pasture we picked up Bergie for the final 30 minutes before joining the rest of the fellas for pizza and wings at Brockton's finest bar, Owen O'Leary's.

The theme of random run-ins over the past few weeks continued this evening as I crossed paths with Tim-may Bellagio back in the Motherland. Salvaging what little daylight was left, we made our way through the Sheep Pasture and added on a short loop through campus before picking up Bergie around the 30-minute mark back at the Y. 36 minutes and a serious lack of sunlight later, we finished up and booked it over to Owen's, where we were men without a table despite the fact we showed up almost 45 minutes before kickoff. I can guarantee we won't run into problem again for at least another year.

As for the run itself, no real disturbances to speak of in the kitchen area except when I laugh or sneeze. Unfortunately for me, Timmy made a funny mid-run and my laughter didn't last very long. The joke was good, but the consequences were cruel. Such is life I guess.

Quote of the Day

"The only way to accomplish anything is outside the system"
- Keith Hanson, speaking the truth.