I am now 38 miles in to my 50 mile week. The plan for tomorrow is to pull off my first 20 miler for the Mystic Places Marathon. I ran a slow and easy 4.5 miles this morning, had a cup of coffee at Jerry's Place and plodded on home.
My enthusiasm for running is definitely back. I will finish this week with close to 60 miles down, not bad for a vacation. My marathon training plan is simple. Run alot of 20 milers and try to fit in weekly speed work outs. If I can pull off 6 to 8 twentys over the next 10 weeks I will be in great shape.
Yesterday I pulled off a 17 mile run in heat and high humidity. The run was flat, and the pace was also. I ticked off mile after mile at 8:30 intervals. The course took me down Rte 47 through potato and tobacco fields, then across over to UMass, and back up a less scenic highway to Deerfield.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Vacation Mileage or Lack of It
I am on vacation this week with no travel plans. Day trips with Ben and Lisa, and good list of house hold products. There should be plently of time for some serious mileage. The reality is proving a bit different. It has been Africa hot here in New England, but it ain't the heat it is the humidity that has made life outside really ugly.
I was able to blow off Saturday's run ( made only 2 miles) because I had a long run planned for Sunday. Sunday morning came and I decided to plan a later in the day run since Lisa had a morning Temple board retreat. Later in the day I had to go back to work to finish office work that would allow me to actually be on vacation.
Yadda. yadda, yadda, you get the drift of this do't you?
This morning, Wednesday, I did hit the road by 7:00 AM, about an hour later than planned, so my 14 miles became 10. Oh, well. I log my training from Monday through Sunday, so at least I have put some miles in log. It is getting pretty damn hot right now. The plan for today, paint the floor on the porch. empty back room and paint about 3/4 of the floor in the back room. It is about 9:00 AM, time for a shower.
A little over thirteen weeks before the Mystic Places Marathon. Here are my goals for Mystic Places: run a 7 minute pace marathon, 3:03:24 or better, 3:05 or less 7:04 pace, or 3:06 - 7:06 pace. This should be fun.
Shower time.
I was able to blow off Saturday's run ( made only 2 miles) because I had a long run planned for Sunday. Sunday morning came and I decided to plan a later in the day run since Lisa had a morning Temple board retreat. Later in the day I had to go back to work to finish office work that would allow me to actually be on vacation.
Yadda. yadda, yadda, you get the drift of this do't you?
This morning, Wednesday, I did hit the road by 7:00 AM, about an hour later than planned, so my 14 miles became 10. Oh, well. I log my training from Monday through Sunday, so at least I have put some miles in log. It is getting pretty damn hot right now. The plan for today, paint the floor on the porch. empty back room and paint about 3/4 of the floor in the back room. It is about 9:00 AM, time for a shower.
A little over thirteen weeks before the Mystic Places Marathon. Here are my goals for Mystic Places: run a 7 minute pace marathon, 3:03:24 or better, 3:05 or less 7:04 pace, or 3:06 - 7:06 pace. This should be fun.
Shower time.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
The Road to Niantic goes through Newburyport..
I am looking forward to the Yankee Home Coming 10 Miler in Newburyport next month. This race is a odd in that it is on the first Tuesday night in August. No weekend or holiday, just a couple of thousand runners on the road. Chuck Adams told me about this race a few years ago, and I thought how wierd. It turned out I was in the Boston are the day of the race, and I made my way up to Newburyport.
For the last four years I have taken the day out of work to make it to this race. The course is flat and fast. For me it is more than a two hour drive, but well worth it.
Tonight I ended up at the Y on a trend mill when it appeared that I would be running into a thunderstorm. I had a good time, and did some descent speed work. My favorite workout is to simple increase my speed every minute by a tenth of a mph. I usually top out at 10 mph for the last minute or two. Seven miles went by in just under 49 minutes, and I finished my 50 minute work out with the final minute running at 10 mph.
For the last four years I have taken the day out of work to make it to this race. The course is flat and fast. For me it is more than a two hour drive, but well worth it.
Tonight I ended up at the Y on a trend mill when it appeared that I would be running into a thunderstorm. I had a good time, and did some descent speed work. My favorite workout is to simple increase my speed every minute by a tenth of a mph. I usually top out at 10 mph for the last minute or two. Seven miles went by in just under 49 minutes, and I finished my 50 minute work out with the final minute running at 10 mph.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Massanutten Trails 100 Photographs
I got my copy of the Sugarloaf Sun today and thought that I should include a few photographs from the Massanutten Trails race.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
14 Weeks before the Mystic Places Marathon
Two nights ago I signed up for the Mystic Places Marathon and reserved a motel room in Groton for October 22. I am officially committed to my fall marathon. This will be #6 for me, the 5th in two years. Am I nutz, healthy, or just mildly obsessed? All three seem to fit.
I ran 18+ very hilly miles in Deerfield on Sunday. Sore feet, sore legs and I was wiped out by the heat on Monday. I had great run though. Slow, but flowing. Tom made a comment in his email about the first mile being the most familiar because it is the hardest. I ran long on Sunday, and I ran hard. It was a great experience, but until I reached the bustlin center of commerce, goverment and culture that is South Deerfield I was ready to call it a day. The town square is little over a 1/2 mile from my door.
When the alarm goes off early on a Sunday morning, what seemed like such a great idea the night before really does not look like such great plan right now. Come to think of it, I had the same experience often in college back 20 years or so. Oh, were we talking about running?
It is dark, the bed is comfortable, my wife and son are asleep and I am leaving them for the next three hours. Why does any one run? Fortunately, I remember how running makes me feel when I have couple miles under me and I am cruising. I don't totally believe this until I am out the door, but I am good at going through the motions. With a bowl of oatmeal, gatorade, a couple quick cups of strong coffee I am on the road and there is no turning back.
It is now Tuesday evennning, and I am heading out the door for an easy 5 miles. Gotta go, BYE.
Keep running,
Mark
I ran 18+ very hilly miles in Deerfield on Sunday. Sore feet, sore legs and I was wiped out by the heat on Monday. I had great run though. Slow, but flowing. Tom made a comment in his email about the first mile being the most familiar because it is the hardest. I ran long on Sunday, and I ran hard. It was a great experience, but until I reached the bustlin center of commerce, goverment and culture that is South Deerfield I was ready to call it a day. The town square is little over a 1/2 mile from my door.
When the alarm goes off early on a Sunday morning, what seemed like such a great idea the night before really does not look like such great plan right now. Come to think of it, I had the same experience often in college back 20 years or so. Oh, were we talking about running?
It is dark, the bed is comfortable, my wife and son are asleep and I am leaving them for the next three hours. Why does any one run? Fortunately, I remember how running makes me feel when I have couple miles under me and I am cruising. I don't totally believe this until I am out the door, but I am good at going through the motions. With a bowl of oatmeal, gatorade, a couple quick cups of strong coffee I am on the road and there is no turning back.
It is now Tuesday evennning, and I am heading out the door for an easy 5 miles. Gotta go, BYE.
Keep running,
Mark
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Running through the weeks
As runners go I have been very lucky avoiding injury. I rarely get sick, and in my day to day existence I do not have any health conscerns. So, why am I such hypochondriac about running? This weekend I threw my back out lifting a cooler of god knows what. I pretty soon became an exrunner, former runner, injured person. Then my pain subsided and went away and I am a runner again. My back is still sore, but it is not spasming the way it had been.
Another odd thought. Before any race when I run to warm up, my legs feel like they made of lead. It does not matter if the race is the marathon I have been in training for 6 months, or a 10 K that I have no real investment in. I always feel weak and slow before a race. I expect it, and it does not conscern me any more. As soon as the race begins every thing changes and I feel great.
It is late, and I have not been out running since 7 very hilly miles in Maine on Sunday. I plan to run about 9 miles after tomorrow night 's wieght watchers meeting. I have a good pair of loops in Greenfield that have me running over Poet's Seat.
The next race is in four weeks. I have signed up for the Yankee Home Coming 10 Miler in Newberyport on August 2. This is a great race, flat, pretty, lot's of other runners. It is run at 6:30 PM on a Tuesday evenning. The race, combined with a 5 K attracts 1500 to 2000 runners. ( Any one in Western Mass. interested in car pooling should leave a comment at the end of this posting). Doug Adams told me about this race 4 or 5 years ago. I thought it was a nutty idea driving out over a 100 miles for a Tuesday night race. Now I make a point of just taking the day as a vacation day.
Keep running folks.
Mark
Another odd thought. Before any race when I run to warm up, my legs feel like they made of lead. It does not matter if the race is the marathon I have been in training for 6 months, or a 10 K that I have no real investment in. I always feel weak and slow before a race. I expect it, and it does not conscern me any more. As soon as the race begins every thing changes and I feel great.
It is late, and I have not been out running since 7 very hilly miles in Maine on Sunday. I plan to run about 9 miles after tomorrow night 's wieght watchers meeting. I have a good pair of loops in Greenfield that have me running over Poet's Seat.
The next race is in four weeks. I have signed up for the Yankee Home Coming 10 Miler in Newberyport on August 2. This is a great race, flat, pretty, lot's of other runners. It is run at 6:30 PM on a Tuesday evenning. The race, combined with a 5 K attracts 1500 to 2000 runners. ( Any one in Western Mass. interested in car pooling should leave a comment at the end of this posting). Doug Adams told me about this race 4 or 5 years ago. I thought it was a nutty idea driving out over a 100 miles for a Tuesday night race. Now I make a point of just taking the day as a vacation day.
Keep running folks.
Mark
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