Sunday, December 25, 2011

Running week ending 12/25

Monday-7 miles in 45:00. This was a good run, I was trying to be a little quicker on this run. I went out a bit faster, rigged up around halfway, jogged for a mile or so and then picked it up for the rest of the run. The last mile of this run is up hill, it's no drummer hill, but it's a good hill and I managed to run just under 6 for it, so I was happy enough.

Tuesday- 8 miles. Squeezed in an easy run out at the Kingman Farm trails down in Durham. Not really many loops but there is a gorgeous huge open field out there that was a lot of fun to run laps around.

Wednesday- 0. Meant to run this morning, but wound up going out to breakfast with family that was visiting.

Thursday- 7.5 miles. Ran the long way down to the track and then did an easy speed work out. 3 sets of 400,200,200 on 200 rest. Just something fun and easy to get the legs stretched out. I went 72, 34, 34-72, 34, 35-70, 34, 34. Not the most awe inspiring work out, I felt pretty tight, and felt like I was struggling go under 35 for a 200. I got in some faster stuff and felt good about it though.

Friday- 3.5 miles easy shake out run.

Saturday- BU mini meet 9 mi total. I met Chirp down in Concord and headed down to the meet with him, feeling pretty nervous about my first track race in 3 years. It was great to see some other friends when we got down to Boston, and then it was time to warm up and get rolling. The 3k was ok, I went out in 4:57 or so and things started to get a bit tough from there on. I told myself to focus for two more laps after the mile split and I did, but I started falling off the pace big time from there on out. I kept a pretty good effort, but I came in at 9:38, which was not what I was hoping for, but it was ok for my first track race in three years.
The mile went much better I'd say, I haven't punched the times into a calculator to see which is better, but I felt a lot better. I got out in last place and sat at the back of my heat for most of the first half picking off a guy at a time. around half way I started trying to move up, but I was running faster than I have in a long time so it was pretty difficult. at 400 I started trying to go, but was sort of boxed in, when we went through the bell I broke out into the second lane, and dropped a kick like I haven't had in years. I went around about 5 or 6 guys including digging hard to get someone in the final 50. I finished up in 4:45, which I was actually really happy with, I haven't even split 800's on that pace in work outs yet so it was encouraging. I felt awesome kicking on that last lap, it has been so long since I have finished a race with guts like that, and it felt great to give myself a glimpse of the gutsy runner that I used to be.

Sunday-It's Christmas, if Haile doesn't have to run neither do I.

Week Total-35, another week that I haven't run as much as I wanted to, but hopefully next week I get in some more miles.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Running Week ending 12/18

Monday- am 3 mi, pm 7.5 track 1600, 800, 800, 400, 400. 4:59, 2:35, 2:35, 70, 70. Good work out. I was hoping to run 5:00 pace for the 800's too but they were pretty tough. I was planning for four 400's but my hip was starting to get a little tight by that point. It's been feeling great during my easy milage, but when I try to do any hard work it gets very sore for a while afterwards. I wanna run some indoor though, so I'm gonna try and just do my work outs til it hurts and then cut it there.

Tuesday- pm 5.5 easy. My legs were tight as hell after the speed work out on monday, I ended up having to stop and stretch three or four times. Glad I ran though, because there's only one way to break up the shit in the legs.

Wednesday- 7 miles, Liberty Hill loop. Felt better than monday, but finished the loop about 7 or 8 minutes slower than usual. Still sore from the work out but getting better.

Thursday- 7 miles with Abbey. Went down to Edwards St. to look at christmas lights. It was a nice fun relaxing run. Finally feeling better since Monday's work out. (had some issues going on with my peroneal tendon on the run yesterday. During my push off i would feel a sharp pain that was really reducing the strength of my push off on the left leg.)

Friday-3.5 miles. It was a long day at work, but I got out the door for a shake out run around 9:30 pm. I was planning on racing at BU on saturday so I went down to the track and stretched for a while and did some strides and ran home. Felt good.

Saturday- 7 miles. I woke up early and hit the road but it was snowy and I was slipping all over the place on my bald tires, I decided that it was too stressful of a ride in the snow for a meet that doesn't really mean anything and decided to stay home. Wound up running the Saddle Hill 7 miler with Abbey, that's the one with the 30 minute climb to the top, felt good and managed to get a pretty good run in. I was pretty dissapointed I missed a good day of running, but I'm getting snow tires on this week and so hopefully I'll make it down to boston this weekend.

Sunday- 0 miles. Work 9am-10pm oh well.

Total- 40.5 miles. Meant to get a bit more running in this week. We'll see how things go next week.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Running week ending 12/11

On a much deserved vacation this week out in Michigan to visit Abbey's grandparents and relatives. It's been a great week of running. We're way up north by the fingertips and it is some beautiful scenery, if you don't mind the wind. this is how the week has gone.

Mon-7.5 miles. nice easy run mostly on roads. Lots of wind.

Tues- 5 miles am. Ran to a little diner in the next town and ended the run with hot coffee and breakfast. can't beat that.
          6 miles pm. I was just planning to run for a half hour, but I felt great and decided to add in a couple more.

Wed- 6 miles. Nice and easy, took a trail that went out to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes and right out to Lake Michigan. The wind was blowing up so much sand once we got out there we couldn't even look towards the lake. We hastily ran back to the woods in retreat, and when we got back I found that the wind had been blowing hard enough to give me pockets full of sand.

Thurs- 6 mile. A nice run around "the block". This was a good run. We went to a stretch yoga class in the morning and Abbey and I were both noting that we felt too stretched out, like we had no snap. So we just plodded along enjoying the setting sun over the Michigan farm lands. For about a mile or two the wind was blowing so hard that we were almost standing still. I put in a good hard surge for about a half mile into the face of the wind and it didn't make things much better. It did feel good to churn the legs though.

Friday- 11 miles. Windy the entire time. This was a tough run, it was 22 degrees when we started with a stiff wind. We toughed it out and got it done. Lots of hills too. I was feeling the hip after the yoga yesterday, but I think it's ok.

Sat- 0 traveling

Sun- 6 miles . We picked up Tucker from the Kennel and then ran out and back on Sandwich Notch Rd. with him. It's tough running out there, very hilly. We were moving pretty quick out there, which felt good. Felt good.

Total: 47 miles in 6 days. Not a bad week.

Running Week Ending 12/4

This was a busy week. I worked 70 hours, and when I wasn't at work I was working on my house getting prep work done for some plumbing we needed done. I think I got about 10 miles and two runs in this week. Oh well, my hip feels much better now so an unintentional week off may have been just what I needed.