Wednesday July 30 - Day off

Took the day off and went to a Red Sox game instead.

Day 0M
Week 18M
Summer 312M

Tuesday July 29 (pm) - 13M - RACE

Yankee Homecoming 10M race in Newburyport - 62:58 (6:18 pace)

It was lovely evening for running, and even though my time here was slower than last year, considering the last several months and the injury, this was a much better race for me. I warmed up about 15 minutes, then ran fairly conservative splits through the early miles when everyone else was going out fast. Having recently run an 8-miler, I kept comparing splits, and was encouraged to be hitting the miles faster, even though it felt very smooth.

Had a very good last four miles: 6:14, 6:22 (hill), 6:18, 6:10, passing quite a few people.

Day 13M
Week 18M
Summer 312M (Over 300! Aiming for 500 now!!)

Monday July 28 (pm) - 5M

I intended to run only 3M tonight, since I'm racing tomorrow, but ended up doing five slow miles with Matias, Dana, and Henry. Very nice run on a nice evening (for a change) with lively conversation.

Day: 5M
Week: 5M
Summer: 299M

Sunday July 27 (am) - 8M

Easy run with Jonathan and Tom along the Minuteman Trail.

Day 8M
Week 42M (felt like less, somehow)
Summer 294M

Saturday July 19 (noon) - 5M

Five miles very easy with Bob and Ben Chasen in Weymouth, mostly along the paths through the new, as-yet-unused golf course in South Weymouth.

Day 5M
Week 34M
Summer 286M

Friday July 18 - 4M

One of the only times this summer that my run was constrained by having to be somewhere at a certain time. I had it in my mind to run 5-6 but ran into Tom Davis after a mile and talked with him for 5-10 minutes, so could only manage 4 miles.

I needed an easy day. My legs were very weary from Thursday's water-logged tempo run.

Day 4M
Week 29M
Summer 281M

Thursday July 24 (pm) - 6M

This was actually a very hard run. Leaving work at 5:50, I made a late decision to try to get to Fresh Pond in time to run (if not race) the five miler there. Not only did I have to drive there (30 minutes on the best days), I had to get gas for the car, and change my clothes beat the traffic. Luckily, I arrived just as Sue McNatt was arriving with the table. I never did pay my 50 cent entry fee, though.

Started slow, since I had only warmed up with a few hundred yards of jogging and a little stretching, and was immediately left behind by Tom, Terry, and Jonathan. Did I mention it was also raining steadily? After a mile or two I started feeling pretty good, and ran the last 3 miles at closer to a tempo pace. The whole thing was by myself, though. Jogged a mile after it was all over to make six.

Day 6M
Week 25M
Summer 277M

Wednesday July 23 (pm) - 7M

We totally lucked out with tonight's NSRP run. An hour before it was pouring rain, and a couple of hours after it was pouring again. In between, there was a nice break of cool, placid weather.

My run went very well, as I went a little longer and a little faster than usual, covering about 7 miles with Mike W in about 49 minutes.

Day 7M
Week 19M
Summer 271M

Tuesday July 22 (pm) - 6M

This kind of run has been typical of this summer: I felt very sluggish going out the door, and felt like I was just kind of stumbling stiffly along the road for the first half mile of my usual 6-mile loop. Eventually, I felt better but throughout the run felt as though I were moving very slowly, and was conscious of fatigue in my quads and calf muscles -- leftover from the race on Sunday, no doubt.

But then, a huge surprise, I finish and my watch says 41:42, and average of better than 7:00 pace. I'm running pretty fast but feeling as thought it's really slow.

Spent a lot of time stretching afterwards.

Day 6M
Week 12M
Summer 264M

Monday July 21 (pm) - 6M

A nice six mile run from Cold Springs with Jamie and Alistair Wilson, Mike, and others from NSRP. Felt pretty good after yesterdays race.

Day 6M
Week 6M
Summer 258M

Sunday July 20 (am) - 11M - RACE

Ran the Stowe 8 Miler this morning.

Warmed up with an easy 1.5M and a couple of drills, but didn't feel great. My goal for the race was to run at "long tempo" pace of around 6:15 per mile, making sure to not go out too fast. The first mile of the race I felt very sluggish and not at all fluid. Ran a 6:21 split and wished it had been a few seconds faster. Second mile felt a little bit better but was a 6:22. Then a 6:26. After a long downhill, my stride seemed to open a up a bit and the second half of the race went pretty well. I kept running the same pace or a bit faster, and kept passing people. I ran the last mile at 6:04 and felt like it was a good effort, finishing in 50:28 (6:19 pace).

Cool down about 1.5M

Day 11M
Week 38M
Summer 252M

Saturday July 19 (pm) - 3M

Visiting friends Rick and Catherine in Stowe, Vt. and planning to run a race tomorrow, so ran a very easy 3M in the late afternoon after a lazy day of hanging out in Stowe. VERY humid.

Day 3M
Week 27M
Summer 241M

Friday July 18 - 0M run (14M bike)

Got up REALLY early and biked to work, about 14M, not very fast. Was tired anyway.

Day 0M
Week 24M
Summer 238M

Thursday July 17 (pm) - 5M

Drove to Fresh Pond (well, close), jogged for about 1.5M to warm up, and then ran the Fresh Pond Race as a tempo run, aiming for 6:00 pace. My time was 14:47 and Jon Wyner tells me it is actually 2.45 miles, or about 18-20 seconds fast (at 6:00 pace), so I was pretty close.

My legs felt fairly unlively, but I didn't have any real trouble maintaining the pace. I hope I feel better Sunday, though!

Ran an easy 1M afterwards to get back to the car.

Day 5M
Week 24M
Summer 238M

Wednesday July 16 (pm) - 5M

A short 5M with the Newton group. Took it very easy and had a nice relaxing run, with Popsicles afterwards.

Day 5M
Week 19M
Summer 233M

Tuesday July 15 (pm) - 7M

I'm not quite sure why, but when I run by myself as I did tonight, I can't help running too fast. I started out feeling a bit tired, but by the second mile was cruising along at better than 7:00 pace. I ran the River loop, through Lyons Park, past the Watch factory, the river path along the Waltham side of the Charles, and back Albemarle Road.

Total distance was 7M, total time about 49:30. Breathing was fine but had a lot of aches and pains. Overall feeling is I would have been better off with an easier day.

Day 7M
Week 14M
Summer 228M

Monday July 14 (pm) - 7M

Ran 5+ with Cliff and others from Cold Springs, quite slowly, and then a much faster lap of the Park to make approx 7 miles. Legs felt good, and I felt like I could have gone much faster at any point.

Day 7M
Week 7M
Summer 221M

Sunday July 13 (am ) - 7M

IN MAINE

Last day in Maine. Got up early and drove with Ann to other side of the island. She dropped me off at Eagle Lake and I ran the loop around it plus an extra mile, stopping at 51:30.

Legs still felt rather dead. Probably from the combination of activities yesterday. No breathing difficulties, just dead legs, and a little bit of soreness in my right quad.

I kind of missed doing a long run in Maine this year, but I wouldn't have wanted to do anything longer than 7M today.

Day 7M
Week 41M
Summer 214M

Saturday July 12 (am) - 6M

IN MAINE

Finally managed to get up early enough to run before breakfast (finally caught up on sleep). I chose a very easy route out the driveway and along Rt 102, which was very quiet on a Saturday morning. Legs felt quite dead after last two days.

Afterwards, went on a 3M walk with Tim, Kiki, and Ann, and had lunch and popovers at Jordan Pond House. Went kayaking in the afternoon. I think I might finally be getting the hang of this vacation thing.

Day 6M
Week 34M
Summer 207M

Friday July 11 (noon) - 6M

IN MAINE

Ran 6M on Long Pond Rd. in 42:06. Not as hard as yesterday (avoided the really big hill) but I was also feeling tired from that effort. Wouldn't have wanted to go a step farther. Thought about hitting 200m for the summer.

Day 6M
Week 28M
Summer 201M

Thursday July 10 (noon) - 7M

IN MAINE

This was the hardest run I have done in a long time. I ran to Long Pond and back, very hilly course in 48:24 (6:55 pace), working pretty hard on the way back to maintain form on the hills. The big hill up from the Pond and the shoulder of Western Mtn is a killer.

Day 7M
Week 22M
Summer 195M

Wednesday July 9 (afternoon) - 4M

IN MAINE

4 miles on Long Pond Road (out and back)

Legs tired after long drive.

Day 4M
Week 15M
Summer 188M

Tuesday July 8 (afternoon) - 4M

Ran my usual 4M course through the Flowed Meadows, ran a bit extra to make it an even 30 minutes.

Needed an an easy day, as legs were pretty cooked from recent long runs.

Day 4M
Week 11M
Summer 184M

Monday, July 7 (pm) - 7M

Ran 7 miles with Josh Seeherman and others from Cold Spring Parks, heading West and picking up the Wellesley Crosstown trail for about 3/4 of a mile, then back pretty much the same way. This was all at a decent pace, although we slowed the last 1.5 mile. Joes spent most of the time telling me abut research he has been doing in the library about Newton H.S. track history in the 60's and 70's.

Day 7M
Week 7M
Summer 180M

Sunday July 6 (am) - 10M+

Ran 16.4K on the Minuteman Trail this morning with Jonathan, Terry, Tom, and Sean -- out in 40, back in 38+. My legs were tired at the beginning, but the run was at a very forgiving pace and the trail was soft from all the rain.

Day 10M
Week 47M
Summer 183M

Saturday July 5 (pm) - 7M

Surprisingly ok run. I started very slow and felt pretty stiff after yesterday's race. Aftre about a mile, I stopped to talk to Joni who was driving away from Trader Joe's. After a five minute break, I started up again and felt much better! I guess all that circulating blood has loosened everything up. Anyway finished the rest of the run (six more miles averaging better than 7:00 pace and didn't feel like I was straining.

Day 7M
Week 37M
Summer 163M

Friday July 4 (am) - 7M / Race

Woke up at 7:40 and within a half hour was on my way with Ann to Concord for the Minuteman Classic 5M race. My history with this race is that I ran it twice before and went off course both times, so it was a major accomplishment to finish without mishap this year. Actually, the race went quite well and I ran 29:56 for what Jonathan's GPS tells me is 4.94 miles -- still the fastest 5 miles I've run in a while, going all the way back to a year ago at the Wellesley 5 miler.

I went out quite at a conservative pace, putting me in 33rd place at a half mile. Picked off people throughout the race, and caught one guy in the final sprint. Legs felt tired but no real pain or discomfort. All in all, a very encouraging effort.

Day 7M
Week 30M
Summer 156M

Thursday July 3 (pm) - 4M

An easy 4-mile run through Flowed Meadows, with legs still pretty tired from Wednesday's longer, faster run with NSRP.

The run began with dark black storm clouds hovering, and fitful gusts of wind. I just did manage to finish the run and a little cooldown before the thunderstorm hit.

Day 4M
Week 23M
Summer 149M

Wednesday July 2 (pm) - 7M

This was by far the most ambitious run of the summer so far, not because of the distance, but because I ran for the first half with Rex and Ruben, who are 100-mile-a-week, 24:20 for 8K kind of guys, and for the second half with Mike, Jerzy, and Matt, all of whom are young and fit and capable of hammering me into the ground.

And... I tried to keep up my end of the conversation the whole way.

So, 7 miles at about 7:00 pace once we got going. very encouraging.

Day 7M
Week 19M
Summer 145M

Tuesday July 1 (pm) - 6M

Ran the Johnny Kelley loop in 42:02, so the fastest I've done that for a while. Felt stiff starting out, and tight esp. in hamstrings, but loosened up pretty well. Stopped for a few minutes at the statue to talk to Jon Wofsy, who was cycling down Comm Ave.

Day 6M
Week 12M
Summer 138M