The Pub Series returns!!
Elizabeth and I took a ~5 hour break from our vacation to drive the two hours over to Pawtucket to race the Irish Music Festival 5k.
The race started off fine, with a twisting and turning downhill that had me just a bit behind ChrisK, TJ, and Shawn Wallace. After hitting the mile in 5:17, I was feeling fine, but stuck in a bit of no man's land with the main pack pulling away, and a younger kid just ahead of me.
Mile two sucked. I'm not sure if it was 180 turn, the headwind or what, but the gap between me and the younger runner started to grow and I slowed to a 5:26/mile, which feels like a mental lapse. I was at least able to keep him within shouting distance, but I should have been running shoulder to shoulder and I'm disappointed that I wasn't.
The third mile was much better as my legs felt really good. The gap remained, but I felt like I was moving really well with a long easy stride, which isn't always there. The gap however, had grown to about 7 seconds, and so I was using that energy to maintain some type of contact.
I clicked off a 5:12 third mile, but the final section of the race I really had to work to make it even a little bit interesting. I heard the young runners coach shout something about the gap, and I could see him start making his ascent on the final two-tiered hill. He was working, but didn't seem to have that low gear and his coach was urging him on to dig dig dig. I'm sure my form wasn't as focused as it is for the Thursday night repeats that Terry's been keeping on the calendar - but I felt the lift and the power. What had been a seven second gap was clearly diminishing and I knew that if he could get his stride back then I had no chance - but if he remained tied up after cresting the hill I'd have a chance...and I did have a chance. However, as I was quickly closing the gap, the announcer got excited and said, "and here we have another finisher and..and..oh no! here he comes!" HAHA! Thanks a lot! The young runner put his head down for a final acceleration and was able to just hold me off at the line. BOGUS! I'm still happy with that final push. Final time of 16:36 and good for 6th place.
Based on the final results of the race, the Pub Series is looking extremely interesting heading into the Paddy's 3m.
Results
Photos
Pub Series Article
Pub Series Standings (Men)
Pub Series Standings (Women)
Elizabeth is in 7th place, with a chance to move into 6th, and a longshot chance to move into 5th depending on the depth of the competition and how she fares at Paddy's.
Monday, September 18, 2017
Thursday, September 14, 2017
8/20/17 to 9/9/17: Slacking on the Blog, Not on the Running
The final three weeks of summer were quite productive. I had a two week hiatus from the track once due to fatigue and once because I was on vacation. August 24th, August 26th, and September 3rd were each notable days of running though, that made up for the missed workouts.
The 24th wasn't particularly impressive by any stretch, but I'm always a lot happier when I'm able to combine two workouts - in this case a tempo + hills.
The 26th was particularly encouraging. I ran a 10 mile tempo with Neil averaging 6:23/mile, but more importantly we were holding a conversation the whole time (and it was warm). I don't have any plans to run a fall marathon, but if I did this would be highlighted.
And finally, on the 3rd, once again I had a great run with Neil. He had plans to run a 22 miler, and I was a little hesitant to run the full distance with him, but I'm glad I did. We were on the Cape and ran the vast majority on single track trails under an overcast sky, with light drizzles. I have to say, this was the easiest 20+ miler I've ever run, and although I was tired, my legs felt great. For the final four miles or so we unknowingly increased sped up the pace just a bit, but it all felt completely under control. This was yet another run that would be highlighted if I were training for a marathon. One notable moment on that run came during the final mile as Neil and I were running down a dirt road, we could see three other runners with their two dogs heading towards us. We were fairly zoned out, so when their two dogs bolted towards us barking and bearing their teeth, we didn't have the energy to be scared, instead we both kept moving and adjusted our direction just a tad to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, I was just behind Neil, so as one of the dogs did a 180, I turned and it bit me on the arm! Thankfully, I'm sure the dog was just scared we were running to attack its owners and it didn't bite down. I mumbled, "eh, didn't break the skin" and we kept on truckin. Overall a wonderful run.
Well, here it is:
The 24th wasn't particularly impressive by any stretch, but I'm always a lot happier when I'm able to combine two workouts - in this case a tempo + hills.
The 26th was particularly encouraging. I ran a 10 mile tempo with Neil averaging 6:23/mile, but more importantly we were holding a conversation the whole time (and it was warm). I don't have any plans to run a fall marathon, but if I did this would be highlighted.
And finally, on the 3rd, once again I had a great run with Neil. He had plans to run a 22 miler, and I was a little hesitant to run the full distance with him, but I'm glad I did. We were on the Cape and ran the vast majority on single track trails under an overcast sky, with light drizzles. I have to say, this was the easiest 20+ miler I've ever run, and although I was tired, my legs felt great. For the final four miles or so we unknowingly increased sped up the pace just a bit, but it all felt completely under control. This was yet another run that would be highlighted if I were training for a marathon. One notable moment on that run came during the final mile as Neil and I were running down a dirt road, we could see three other runners with their two dogs heading towards us. We were fairly zoned out, so when their two dogs bolted towards us barking and bearing their teeth, we didn't have the energy to be scared, instead we both kept moving and adjusted our direction just a tad to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, I was just behind Neil, so as one of the dogs did a 180, I turned and it bit me on the arm! Thankfully, I'm sure the dog was just scared we were running to attack its owners and it didn't bite down. I mumbled, "eh, didn't break the skin" and we kept on truckin. Overall a wonderful run.
Well, here it is:
| 20-Aug | Battle Road Long Run | 2:06:39 | 16.15 | AM: Battle Road long run at 7:50/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 21-Aug | Easyish | 1:03:48 | 8.57 | AM: 8+ at 7:25/mile. Almost caught meeting with Bert in the woods! | ||||
| Easyish | 1:06:12 | 8.36 | PM: 8+ at 7:55/mile. First six quicker, then Raleigh. | |||||
| 22-Aug | Easyish | 1:02:40 | 8.09 | AM: 8m at 7:45/mile. | ||||
| Harvard Track | 1:34:00 | 12.03 | PM: Commute home then drove to track. 800/(1200/800/400)x2. Supposed to be 5k/8k/mile pacing, but a little slower on everything except the mile paced stuff. Super soupy out. Almost didn't go to the workout as my commute home was brutal. | |||||
| 23-Aug | Easy | 1:03:32 | 8.12 | AM: 8m commute at 7:49/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:49:12 | 6.3 | PM: 6+ at 7:49/mile. | |||||
| 24-Aug | Easy | 1:01:42 | 8.08 | AM: 8m commute at 7:38/mile. | ||||
| Tempo + Hill Repeats | 1:33:44 | 11.76 | PM: 5m tempo home averaging 6:30/mile followed by CSU Hill Repeats and another fun night hosting. | |||||
| 25-Aug | Easyish | 1:01:12 | 8.06 | AM: 8m commute at 7:36/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:38:12 | 5.11 | PM: 5m run home at 7:29/mile, then me and Eli road our bikes to the Red Sox game. They got smoked, but it was a fun time. | |||||
| 26-Aug | MLR Tempo | 1:19:30 | 12.03 | AM: 10m tempo with Neil averaging 6:23, and 6:37 for the whole workout. Very hilly, good stuff. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Walked a bit. | |||||
| 27-Aug | Long Run | 2:06:19 | 16.01 | AM: 16m on Battle Road at 7:53/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | Off. | |||||
| 28-Aug | Easyish | 1:13:41 | 10.04 | AM: A bit on the quicker side for a solid 10m at 7:21/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:54:53 | 7.25 | PM: Commute home feeling good at 7:34/mile. | |||||
| 29-Aug | Easyish | 1:01:13 | 8.33 | AM: 8m commute at 7:21/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:55:38 | 7.16 | PM: 7+ at 7:47/mile. | |||||
| 30-Aug | Easyish | 0:58:59 | 8.03 | AM: 8+ at 7:21/mile. | ||||
| MLR Easy | 1:19:17 | 10 | PM: 10m at 7:56/mile. | |||||
| 31-Aug | Easy | 1:02:05 | 8.09 | AM: 8+ at 7:40/mile. | ||||
| Hills and Bugbee Pub | 1:36:35 | 11.41 | PM: Commute home then hill repeats & Bugbee Pub! | |||||
| 1-Sep | Easy | 1:04:10 | 8.1 | AM: 8m commute at 7:55/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:47:45 | 6.2 | PM: 10k at 7:42/mile. | |||||
| 2-Sep | MLR | 1:28:00 | 11.59 | AM: 11+ at 7:36/mile. | ||||
| Off/hike | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: 4.25m hike! | |||||
| 3-Sep | Long Run | 2:55:45 | 22.34 | AM: 22+!?!? Easiest 22 miler I've ever done though. Got bit by a loco k9 with 1 mile to go, but barely a scratch. Averaged 7:52/mile with some quicker ones towards the end. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off | |||||
| 4-Sep | Easy | 1:03:52 | 8.07 | AM: 8m at 7:55/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off | |||||
| 5-Sep | MLR Tempo | 1:10:50 | 10.2 | AM: 10m at 6:57/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off | |||||
| 6-Sep | MLR | 1:38:36 | 13.58 | AM: 13+ on a great trail run at 7:16/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off | |||||
| 7-Sep | MLR | 1:23:51 | 10.05 | AM: 10m at 8:21/mile w/ a big chunk with Eli and Raleigh on the trails. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off | |||||
| 8-Sep | Easy | 1:00:57 | 8.11 | AM: 8+ at 7:31/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off | |||||
| 9-Sep | Irish Music Festival 5k *Pub | 1:00:00 | 8.5 | AM: 6th place at the Irish Music Festival 5k in Pawtucket. A solid effort, and I'm fairly happy with the race. | ||||
| Off/hike | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Dune hike! |
8/22 Splits:
800-2:46.65
1200-4:12.12
800-2:46.49
400-1:12.89
1200-4:10.91
800-2:43.26
400-1:09.75
Week Ending 8/26 Total: 112.66
Week Ending 9/2 Total: 112.21
Week Ending 9/9 Total: 80.85
Thursday, August 24, 2017
2017 Memphis Soul 5k BBQ Race Report
I was a little worried about this race. It had obviously been on the calendar for quite some time, but so had day-1 of the ultimate frisbee tournament, which fell one day prior to this race. So, in the weeks leading up to Pub Series race #4, I was doing my best to put in hard workouts prior to ultimate games. Not an easy task in the summer heat, but I think in the end it worked out.
Elizabeth and I were lucky to not have 90+ degree heat on the day of the tournament. It was warm and we played three full games, but we weren't left terribly sore and dehydrated. A quick side note - I really enjoy the fact that all my running leaves me, generally speaking, never tired during ultimate. While a lot of players were gassed for the third game, I finally felt like I was warmed up!
Anyways, the morning of the race also had me worried and excited for different reason. My legs felt ok, but the 11am start time meant we'd be racing in some very hot and humid conditions. We arrived a little bit late, and I spotted Terry and Kevin just beginning their warm up. Elizabeth wanted to do her own thing, so I joined them for a course preview. Immediately I could tell that the strategy I used at the Corrib race would be a bad idea - I would not be going out fast.
On the line, we all enjoyed hearing the race director, his buddy, and their thick Boston accents talk about how the race was back where it belonged in Union Square. I was glad to be momentarily distracted. When the gun went off, there were a handful of runners who went out super hard, but had the familiar stride that left me focusing on my Pub Series rivals. I was hanging with the lead pack for probably three quarters of a mile before I started backing off. I passed the mile in 5:20, feeling warm, but not in danger of overheating.
As the lead pack gapped me, I looked back to see who I could potentially run with and it was none other than Pickle-man. His normal strategy of sneakily waiting to pounce was out the window! I slowed just a bit to make sure we were even, and we started working together to keep the distance between us and the lead pack manageable. Mile two had a sharp turn and a gradual hill that kept us working, and we passed the marker in a 5:36 mile.
Up ahead we could see Wallace was pulling away, Klucznik was running strong, TJ was falling back from Klucznik, and Lee was falling back from TJ. We both were staying steady, but just as we entered mile three, Pickle-man made a hard move as we were going uphill. I began to cover it, and realized I actually felt alright. His move ended up being short lived and as I passed him he shouted words of encouragement to "go get him!" I don't know how he could manage to speak - I was hurting!
I was closing on Lee, but I felt like I was running out of real estate. I made a hard 20-step push to close as much of the gap as I could - squinting my eyes, I began to count every left-footfall. As I approached his shoulder, I made as much of an effort as I could to continue to tighten the screws. We turned a corner to approach the finish, and a spectator said something to encouraging to me then I looked back to see Lee and the same spectator said, "he looked back! Lee, you got him!" HA! I certainly heard that, and said to myself "not today!" I hammered the downhill as hard as I could while trying to keep myself from biffing it. I did the old Dmukauskas windmill and felt my toes get red hot from the friction. Finally, at the bottom of the hill I could see the finish and kept going hard straight through the line - good for 5th overall.
Worth mentioning that Elizabeth had a very solid showing, averaging 7:03/mile off of minimal training. Since the race, she has been getting out there a lot more frequently though - so I'm looking forward to see how she fares in the next Pub Series race.
Results
Pub Series
Pub Series Standings
Strava
Elizabeth and I were lucky to not have 90+ degree heat on the day of the tournament. It was warm and we played three full games, but we weren't left terribly sore and dehydrated. A quick side note - I really enjoy the fact that all my running leaves me, generally speaking, never tired during ultimate. While a lot of players were gassed for the third game, I finally felt like I was warmed up!
Anyways, the morning of the race also had me worried and excited for different reason. My legs felt ok, but the 11am start time meant we'd be racing in some very hot and humid conditions. We arrived a little bit late, and I spotted Terry and Kevin just beginning their warm up. Elizabeth wanted to do her own thing, so I joined them for a course preview. Immediately I could tell that the strategy I used at the Corrib race would be a bad idea - I would not be going out fast.
On the line, we all enjoyed hearing the race director, his buddy, and their thick Boston accents talk about how the race was back where it belonged in Union Square. I was glad to be momentarily distracted. When the gun went off, there were a handful of runners who went out super hard, but had the familiar stride that left me focusing on my Pub Series rivals. I was hanging with the lead pack for probably three quarters of a mile before I started backing off. I passed the mile in 5:20, feeling warm, but not in danger of overheating.
As the lead pack gapped me, I looked back to see who I could potentially run with and it was none other than Pickle-man. His normal strategy of sneakily waiting to pounce was out the window! I slowed just a bit to make sure we were even, and we started working together to keep the distance between us and the lead pack manageable. Mile two had a sharp turn and a gradual hill that kept us working, and we passed the marker in a 5:36 mile.
Up ahead we could see Wallace was pulling away, Klucznik was running strong, TJ was falling back from Klucznik, and Lee was falling back from TJ. We both were staying steady, but just as we entered mile three, Pickle-man made a hard move as we were going uphill. I began to cover it, and realized I actually felt alright. His move ended up being short lived and as I passed him he shouted words of encouragement to "go get him!" I don't know how he could manage to speak - I was hurting!
I was closing on Lee, but I felt like I was running out of real estate. I made a hard 20-step push to close as much of the gap as I could - squinting my eyes, I began to count every left-footfall. As I approached his shoulder, I made as much of an effort as I could to continue to tighten the screws. We turned a corner to approach the finish, and a spectator said something to encouraging to me then I looked back to see Lee and the same spectator said, "he looked back! Lee, you got him!" HA! I certainly heard that, and said to myself "not today!" I hammered the downhill as hard as I could while trying to keep myself from biffing it. I did the old Dmukauskas windmill and felt my toes get red hot from the friction. Finally, at the bottom of the hill I could see the finish and kept going hard straight through the line - good for 5th overall.
Worth mentioning that Elizabeth had a very solid showing, averaging 7:03/mile off of minimal training. Since the race, she has been getting out there a lot more frequently though - so I'm looking forward to see how she fares in the next Pub Series race.
Results
Pub Series
Pub Series Standings
Strava
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
8/6/17 to 8/19/17: Keeping Busy & Maintaining Mileage
Feels kind of like summer is nearing an end, though I hope that's not the case! The schedule has been full at virtually all times, and I'm managing to find time to get in my runs - but I'm getting tired. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up, stay healthy, and keep this train rolling.
Anywho, the stuff:
8/8 splits:
Anywho, the stuff:
| 6-Aug | Long run | 2:07:45 | 16.09 | AM: Long run w/Eli for a bit. | ||||
| Shakeout | 0:33:03 | 4.16 | PM: 4+ shakeout. | |||||
| 7-Aug | Easy | 1:21:34 | 10.16 | AM: 10+ at 8:02/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 8-Aug | Easy | 1:03:24 | 8.12 | AM: 8m commute at 7:48/mile. | ||||
| Track and Ultimate | 1:53:20 | 15.2 | PM: Ran to Harvard. 800/(1000/200)x4 at 5k and mile pace. Then ran to ultimate in Medford. | |||||
| 9-Aug | Easy | 1:07:23 | 8.04 | AM: 8 slow miles. | ||||
| Easy | 0:54:32 | 6.73 | PM: 6 slow miles. | |||||
| 10-Aug | Easy | 1:05:51 | 8.05 | AM: 8 slow miles! | ||||
| Easy | 0:57:48 | 7.17 | PM: 7+ slow miles. | |||||
| 11-Aug | Easyish | 1:00:10 | 8.09 | AM: 8+ feeling good. 7:26/mile. | ||||
| Easish | 0:37:21 | 5.07 | PM: 5m good again at 7:22/mile. | |||||
| 12-Aug | BUDA | 0:22:50 | 2.88 | AM: ~3m warm up at whatever. | ||||
| BUDA | 0:08:44 | 1 | PM: 1m cool down after three ultimate games today. | |||||
| 13-Aug | Memphis BBQ 5k *Pub | 0:40:00 | 6.04 | AM: 5k, long course, fifth place, hot, ran smart, good stuff. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | Off. | |||||
| 14-Aug | MLR Moderate | 1:16:01 | 10 | AM: 10m at 7:35/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 1:02:07 | 8.03 | PM: 8 at 7:43/mile. | |||||
| 15-Aug | Easyish | 1:01:36 | 8.08 | AM: 8m at 7:37/mile. | ||||
| Harvard Track | 2:01:18 | 15.46 | PM: Run home then to track. 800/(800/600/200)x3. 5k, 3k, mile pacing. | |||||
| 16-Aug | Easy | 0:50:41 | 6.1 | AM: 6m SLOW! | ||||
| Easy | 1:03:29 | 8.01 | PM: 8m at 7:56/mile. | |||||
| 17-Aug | MLR Moderate | 1:23:47 | 11.03 | AM: 11m at 7:35/mile. | ||||
| Hill Repeats | 1:28:43 | 10.51 | PM: Commute home then hill repeats, followed by Bugbee Pub.' | |||||
| 18-Aug | Easy | 1:08:55 | 8.64 | AM: 8 at 7:58/mile. Slower thanks to Raleigh for the first 2m. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Long drive. | |||||
| 19-Aug | Hot Run Tempo | 0:58:22 | 8.38 | AM: 8+ at 6:58. More of a progression, and dang it was hot! | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | PM: Off. |
8/8 splits:
800-2:42.3
1000-3:25.3
200-36.5
1000-3:22.9
200-35.0
1000-3:21.6
200-35.1
1000-3:19.6
200-33.1
8/15 splits:
800-2:43.25
800-2:43.10
600-1:57.76
200-36.20
800-2:41.38
600-1:56.31
200-34.20
800-2:40.89
600-1:56.29
200-32.76
Totals: 100.76 and 100.28
Thursday, August 10, 2017
7/23/17 to 8/5/17: Two Good Weeks of Running
A solid two weeks leading up to the pub series. I got in the long runs. Got on the track. Got in hill repeats. Had a great tempo on the 29th. And twice followed up track with a run to Medford for ultimate - not quite a 'special block' but awfully close.
Hopefully I can recover well and get some pop in my legs, because with that volume back to back in the heat I'm feeling it. We'll see!
Here it is, see!!:
Splits:
7/25
1000-3:25.7
400-1:16.3
400-1:14.3
1000-3:24.3
400-1:13.3
400-1:14.4
1000-3:26.1
400-1:14.4
400-1:12.7
8/1
400-1:15.2
400-1:13.2
400-1:14.5
800-2:48.2
400-1:17.4
400-1:15.4
400-1:15.9
800-2:51.3
400-1:16.3
400-1:14.9
800-2:51.9
Hopefully I can recover well and get some pop in my legs, because with that volume back to back in the heat I'm feeling it. We'll see!
Here it is, see!!:
| 23-Jul | Long Run w/4 Quick | 2:04:32 | 16.1 | AM: 16+, some with Eli. Then did 4 quicker miles towards the end. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off, late ferry and drive home. | |||||
| 24-Jul | Easy | 1:06:36 | 8.57 | AM: 8+ commute at 7:46/mile. 'Traffic.' | ||||
| Easyish | 1:00:59 | 8.14 | PM: 8+ at 7:29/mile. | |||||
| 25-Jul | Easy | 1:03:09 | 8.07 | AM: 8+ at 7:50/mile. | ||||
| Track & Ultimate | 1:53:59 | 15.03 | PM: Commute to track. (1000, 400,400) x 3. 5k and mile pacing with 1min and 2min rests. Then ran to ultimate in Medford!! | |||||
| 26-Jul | Easy | 1:03:59 | 8.09 | AM: 8+ at 7:55/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:50:41 | 6.28 | PM: 6+ easy at 8+. | |||||
| 27-Jul | Easy | 1:02:01 | 8.1 | AM: 8+ at 7:39/mile. | ||||
| Hill Repeats | 1:40:06 | 11.7 | PM: Commute home then hill repeats with TomW and Terry. | |||||
| 28-Jul | Easy | 0:39:03 | 5.25 | AM: 5+ at 7:26/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:48:04 | 5.38 | PM: Slow with Eli and Raleigh. | |||||
| 29-Jul | MLR Tempo | 1:05:42 | 10.1 | AM: 10m tempo at 6:30/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 30-Jul | Long Run | 2:04:39 | 16.2 | AM: Battle Road! 16+ at 7:42/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Lifting | |||||
| 31-Jul | Easy | 1:11:21 | 9.01 | AM: 9m at 7:55/mile | ||||
| Easy | 1:02:47 | 8.08 | PM: 8+ at 7:46/mile. | |||||
| 1-Aug | Easy | 1:03:04 | 8.08 | AM: 8+ at 7:48/mile. | ||||
| Track and Ultimate | 1:59:54 | 15.28 | PM: Ran to Harvard. (400x3/800)x2/(400x2/800). 1min rest between reps, 2min between sets. BRUTAL!! Then ran to ultimate and someone recovered to play. | |||||
| 2-Aug | Easy | 1:07:03 | 8.05 | AM: 8+ slow at 8:20/mile. Recovery. | ||||
| Not Easy | 0:47:16 | 6.31 | PM: 6+ quicker thanks to t-storms. 7:30 pace felt like a sprint on dead legs. | |||||
| 3-Aug | Easy | 1:03:28 | 8.01 | AM: 8m at 7:55/mile. | ||||
| Hill Repeats | 1:41:46 | 11.69 | PM: Ran home then hills with Elizabeth, Terry, and Amory. And Raleigh. | |||||
| 4-Aug | Easy | 1:11:52 | 9.05 | AM: 9+ at 7:56/mile. | ||||
| Easyish | 0:32:21 | 4.35 | PM: Snuck in 4m before heading to the Cape at 7:26/mile in the heat. | |||||
| 5-Aug | Easy | 0:45:49 | 6.01 | AM: 6 at 7:37/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. |
Splits:
7/25
1000-3:25.7
400-1:16.3
400-1:14.3
1000-3:24.3
400-1:13.3
400-1:14.4
1000-3:26.1
400-1:14.4
400-1:12.7
8/1
400-1:15.2
400-1:13.2
400-1:14.5
800-2:48.2
400-1:17.4
400-1:15.4
400-1:15.9
800-2:51.3
400-1:16.3
400-1:14.9
800-2:51.9
Total: 110.81
Total: 110.12
Total: 110.12
Friday, July 28, 2017
2017 Wellfleet 5 Miler Race Report
A little late...
To start my week of vacation on the Cape, I made the short drive from Truro to Wellfleet for another attempt at the Wellfleet 5 Miler. Last year's race was a lesson in what not to do the night before a race. This time around, I had only run ~15 miles total the previous two days, which left me relatively fresh. And, more importantly, I was well behaved the previous Saturday night.
I arrived early and had plenty of time to get in a little under five miles for my warm up, plus strides, light drills, and I made my way to the line feeling good. It was a warm and muggy morning, and the course is hilly - but those things worked in my favor. With very little speed work since Boston, I'm not remotely sharp. However, I've been mixing in hard running on hilly routes whenever the legs feel up for it, and I've run everyday regardless of the heat & humidity. So looking back now these conditions were ideal.
On the line I noticed last year's winner, a guy in a Janji singlet who looked familiar, and a small handful of other guys that looked ready to run fast. When the gun went off, I did what seems to be my normal routine at road races lately, and took the lead. I wasn't going out quite as hard as I did at the Truro 5m, but I still passed the one mile mark in a 5:25. At that point I had probably a 10 meter lead on the pack behind me. I was comfortable and felt in control, though expecting company at some point soon.
The second mile has a gradual hill that then has a steep decent on the back end. I pressed just a little bit before trying to take big advantage of the downhill. Knowing the third mile has a much tougher hill before the turnaround point, I gave myself a bit of a cushion so I could get a glimpse of the chase pack and mile two passed in 5:35. I was definitely working hard as mile three gains ~150ft of elevation. I made my way around the Great Island parking lot, and back towards the start/finish. I saw that I had one runner hot on my trail about 10 meters back, while the rest of that chase pack must have broken up on the hill. I past mile three in 5:45, and approached the base of the hill that I had previously taken advantage of when it was a downhill.
I was starting to really overheat at this point, and I slowed a bit to pour some water on my head. The cool water hit my bald spot, and felt like hot tea by the time it hit my neck. As I began to ascend the hill, I purposefully slowed more to let myself get caught. I then ran stride for stride with the runner who was chasing me, and tried to get an idea as to how he felt. I gave up the lead for about 5 seconds on the hill and watched him as he didn't seem to have an extra gear to pull away (thankfully!). If he had pushed hard at that point to the top of the hill, he may have fooled me, but on such a warm day perhaps he would've overheated as well. In any case, those few seconds of slowing down, and the water on my head really did the trick as I took back a lead that I would not relinquish again.
The long gradual uphill during mile one was now a long gradual downhill heading towards the finish, and I was feeling strong. I made note of two landmarks during my warm up, and as I passed the first landmark - a set of cottages just prior to the wide turn on Kendrick Ave - I turned the screws. I had roughly a half mile to go at this point and after passing my second landmark - a small single level cottage - I changed gears again and started to sense the daylight between us.
He was still there as we both turned into the parking lot, but there was now a couple meters between us. Once we hit the straight I was going to the well for my kick, and thankfully it was there! I passed the line in 26:50 for the win.
This was a full minute faster than last year, and against some good competition. It's a short course, so I can't count it as a PR, but it's one of the top races of 2017 so far.
Results
Garmin Stuff
To start my week of vacation on the Cape, I made the short drive from Truro to Wellfleet for another attempt at the Wellfleet 5 Miler. Last year's race was a lesson in what not to do the night before a race. This time around, I had only run ~15 miles total the previous two days, which left me relatively fresh. And, more importantly, I was well behaved the previous Saturday night.
I arrived early and had plenty of time to get in a little under five miles for my warm up, plus strides, light drills, and I made my way to the line feeling good. It was a warm and muggy morning, and the course is hilly - but those things worked in my favor. With very little speed work since Boston, I'm not remotely sharp. However, I've been mixing in hard running on hilly routes whenever the legs feel up for it, and I've run everyday regardless of the heat & humidity. So looking back now these conditions were ideal.
On the line I noticed last year's winner, a guy in a Janji singlet who looked familiar, and a small handful of other guys that looked ready to run fast. When the gun went off, I did what seems to be my normal routine at road races lately, and took the lead. I wasn't going out quite as hard as I did at the Truro 5m, but I still passed the one mile mark in a 5:25. At that point I had probably a 10 meter lead on the pack behind me. I was comfortable and felt in control, though expecting company at some point soon.
The second mile has a gradual hill that then has a steep decent on the back end. I pressed just a little bit before trying to take big advantage of the downhill. Knowing the third mile has a much tougher hill before the turnaround point, I gave myself a bit of a cushion so I could get a glimpse of the chase pack and mile two passed in 5:35. I was definitely working hard as mile three gains ~150ft of elevation. I made my way around the Great Island parking lot, and back towards the start/finish. I saw that I had one runner hot on my trail about 10 meters back, while the rest of that chase pack must have broken up on the hill. I past mile three in 5:45, and approached the base of the hill that I had previously taken advantage of when it was a downhill.
I was starting to really overheat at this point, and I slowed a bit to pour some water on my head. The cool water hit my bald spot, and felt like hot tea by the time it hit my neck. As I began to ascend the hill, I purposefully slowed more to let myself get caught. I then ran stride for stride with the runner who was chasing me, and tried to get an idea as to how he felt. I gave up the lead for about 5 seconds on the hill and watched him as he didn't seem to have an extra gear to pull away (thankfully!). If he had pushed hard at that point to the top of the hill, he may have fooled me, but on such a warm day perhaps he would've overheated as well. In any case, those few seconds of slowing down, and the water on my head really did the trick as I took back a lead that I would not relinquish again.
The long gradual uphill during mile one was now a long gradual downhill heading towards the finish, and I was feeling strong. I made note of two landmarks during my warm up, and as I passed the first landmark - a set of cottages just prior to the wide turn on Kendrick Ave - I turned the screws. I had roughly a half mile to go at this point and after passing my second landmark - a small single level cottage - I changed gears again and started to sense the daylight between us.
He was still there as we both turned into the parking lot, but there was now a couple meters between us. Once we hit the straight I was going to the well for my kick, and thankfully it was there! I passed the line in 26:50 for the win.
This was a full minute faster than last year, and against some good competition. It's a short course, so I can't count it as a PR, but it's one of the top races of 2017 so far.
Results
Garmin Stuff
Monday, July 24, 2017
6/11/17 to 7/22/17: Last Six Weeks!?!?! - Lazy Blog Updater
Yeesh! I've been lax. Let's just go with a bullet point summary...
- high dew points have me struggling
- I went on vacation and had a down week for mileage
- only one track workout the whole time (!?!), and it was on the shorter side
- three races, two wins, no PRs
- lots of ultimate
- lots of tempos
- Yoga once (through CSU)
- struggling to establish an XT/core routine and make it a habit
- three long runs
The stuff:
- high dew points have me struggling
- I went on vacation and had a down week for mileage
- only one track workout the whole time (!?!), and it was on the shorter side
- three races, two wins, no PRs
- lots of ultimate
- lots of tempos
- Yoga once (through CSU)
- struggling to establish an XT/core routine and make it a habit
- three long runs
The stuff:
| 11-Jun | Ocean to Bay 5m | 0:54:00 | 9.2 | AM: Ocean to Bay 5 Miler, 1st place in 28:17. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Was going to do a shakeout, but no time. | |||||
| 12-Jun | MLR | 1:22:36 | 11.07 | AM: 11+ at 7:27/mile. Not bad Patrick, not bad. | ||||
| Easy + strides | 1:04:37 | 8.10 | PM: Commute home then a bit with Eli and Raleigh and some barefoot strides at Fresh Pond. Tot 8+ at 7:58/mile. | |||||
| 13-Jun | Easy (but not really) | 1:14:39 | 9.29 | AM: OOF! Slogfest. 9+ at 8:03per. | ||||
| MLR/Ultimate | 1:19:28 | 10.16 | PM: 10+ towards ultimate. I can't believe I averaged 7:50/mile. Felt like I was crawling. Then played ultimate, or at least some of it. Hamstring and calf cramps. Another OOF! | |||||
| 14-Jun | Easy | 0:57:42 | 7.04 | AM: 7+ at 8+. I feel so sluggish. | ||||
| Easy | 0:52:31 | 6.3 | PM: 6+ at whatever. Really exhausted. No XT no nothing tonight. | |||||
| 15-Jun | Progression | 0:56:35 | 8.07 | AM: 8+ progression starting at 8per down to 6:20ish. | ||||
| Easy/Ultimate | 0:46:58 | 6.32 | PM: 6+ at 7:26/mile followed up by Ultimate. | |||||
| 16-Jun | Easy | 1:05:03 | 8.36 | AM: 8+ commute at 7:47/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:47:44 | 6.3 | PM: 6+ at 7:35/mile. | |||||
| 17-Jun | MLR Moderate | 1:16:48 | 10.52 | AM: 10+ at 7:18/mile. Not sure why, but a bit quicker. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 18-Jun | Long Run | 2:06:58 | 16.04 | AM: 16+ at around 7:55/mile. First ~4m w/Eli and Raleigh. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 19-Jun | Easyish | 1:04:52 | 8.47 | AM: 8+ at 7:40/mile. | ||||
| MLR Brutal Weather | 1:17:20 | 10 | PM: 10 soggy miles at 7:44/mile. Really wiped. | |||||
| 20-Jun | Easyish | 1:02:24 | 8.04 | AM: 8+ at 7:46/mile. Oof. | ||||
| Harvard Track | 1:50:13 | 13.4 | PM: Commute home and to Harvard. 200x2/800/600/400/200 with decreasing rest 3/2/1. Garmin was funky, and I felt terrible. | |||||
| 21-Jun | Easy | 0:42:51 | 5.17 | AM: Work meeting. Only 5+ slow. | ||||
| Easy + Barefoot Strides | 1:19:19 | 10 | PM: 10m, part commute, part running Raleigh, part barefoot strides. | |||||
| 22-Jun | Easy | 1:02:49 | 8.13 | AM: 8+ commute at 7:43/mile. Took my legs awhile to feel good, but eventually felt alright. Bumped into Morgan Uceny at a red light and chatted for a few minutes. Pretty cool. | ||||
| Easyish | 0:50:00 | 6.83 | PM: 6+ at ~7:20/mile. Forgot to hit stop on the Garmin. | |||||
| 23-Jun | Easy | 0:53:45 | 7.19 | AM: 7+ at 7:29/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 24-Jun | Easy | 0:57:03 | 7.2 | AM: 7+ at 7:55/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 25-Jun | Long Run | 2:11:04 | 16.1 | AM: 16+, first 10m w/Eli on the slower side, then the final miles solo fastish. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Drive home. | |||||
| 26-Jun | MLR Moderate | 1:12:06 | 10.04 | AM: 10m at 7:11/pace. Legs felt pretty good after the first mile, so I went a little quicker. | ||||
| Easy + Strides | 1:22:46 | 10.05 | PM: 10m with ~8m at probably 7:45 and some slow miles with Luke, then again with Raleigh. Finished w/four Poplar strides. | |||||
| 27-Jun | Easyish | 1:11:26 | 9.27 | AM: 9+ at something like 7:45/mile. | ||||
| Tempo + Ultimate | 0:40:24 | 6.27 | PM: 6+ w/1m warm up 5m tempo very short cool down. Averaged probably 6:0x. Drove to ultimate. | |||||
| 28-Jun | Easyish | 1:09:44 | 9.15 | AM: 9+ at 7:37/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 1:03:14 | 7.72 | PM: 7+ at whatever. Finished with Raleigh slow. | |||||
| 29-Jun | MLR | 1:18:11 | 10.03 | AM: 10+ at 7:48/mile. | ||||
| Easy | 0:48:05 | 6.31 | PM: 6+ at 7:38/mile. | |||||
| 30-Jun | Easy | 1:03:34 | 8.08 | AM: 8+ at 7:52/mile in Truro. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Nada. | |||||
| 1-Jul | Easy | 1:00:44 | 7.6 | AM: 7+ at 8 per. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 2-Jul | Wellfleet 5m | 1:10:00 | 10.4 | AM: Wellfleet 5m. Good race, won it! 26:52, but short course. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 3-Jul | Easy/Trails | 0:58:00 | 5.86 | AM: 5+ in the trails. Raleigh slowed us down a lot. Still fun. | ||||
| Moderate | 0:34:58 | 5.04 | PM: 5m at 6:56/mile. A little quicker just to get it over with. | |||||
| 4-Jul | Moderate | 0:45:28 | 6.41 | AM: 6+ at 7:05. Again, a little quicker. | ||||
| Easy | 0:46:44 | 5.22 | PM: 5+ through some new trails with Eli, then a pretty long walk along the beach back to Longnook. | |||||
| 5-Jul | MLR | 1:15:17 | 10.17 | AM: 10+ at 7:24/mile. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 6-Jul | Easy | 2:05::39 | 9.35 | AM: Not really 9. Another run where we parked at beach A, ran to beach B, then walked along the water back to beach A. I like this. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 7-Jul | Tempo | 0:44:18 | 7.03 | AM: 7m at 6:18/mile. Solid longer tempo. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. | |||||
| 8-Jul | Easy | 0:40:30 | 5.06 | AM: 5m at 8 per. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | Our Vacation | |||||
| 9-Jul | Easy | 0:54:30 | 7.14 | AM: 7+ at 7:38/mile. Just squeezing in a run before we have to head back to Cambridge. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Didn't have the energy to double up like I was hoping. A much longer cleanup before we left. | |||||
| 10-Jul | MLR Tempoish | 1:11:57 | 10 | AM: 10m at 7:11/mile. Not bad! | ||||
| Easy | 1:03:11 | 8.28 | PM: 8+ at 7:38/mile. | |||||
| 11-Jul | Easy | 1:05:12 | 8.32 | AM: 8+ commute at 7:50/mile. Tired. | ||||
| Easy | 0:49:12 | 6.08 | PM: 6+ at 8+. Wow, out of it. Had to skip both track and ultimate. | |||||
| 12-Jul | Easy | 1:07:47 | 8.5 | AM: 8+ at 7:58. Taking it easy. | ||||
| Easy | 0:56:47 | 7.21 | PM: 7+ at 7:52/mile. | |||||
| 13-Jul | Easy | 1:05:30 | 8.3 | AM: 8+ at 7:53/mile. Meh. | ||||
| Easy & Ultimate | 0:48:17 | 6.05 | PM: 6+ at around 8 per, followed by ultimate. | |||||
| 14-Jul | Easy | 0:40:47 | 5.02 | AM: 5m nice and easy. | ||||
| Friday Night Lights 10k | 1:00:00 | 9.08 | PM: 34:18. Not bad, not great. Perfect weather to run fast, and I couldn't do it. | |||||
| 15-Jul | Easy | 0:56:21 | 7.09 | AM: 7+ tot. First bit very slow with Eli and Raleigh. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. Played hoops, hr derby, marco polo, etc. Fun day with the family. | |||||
| 16-Jul | Long Run | 2:03:07 | 16.09 | AM: BATTLE ROAD!!!! | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | Arizona Bugbee's in MA | |||||
| 17-Jul | Easyish | 1:02:52 | 8.28 | AM: 8+ after driving the Jeep back to work. Solid pace though thanks to no backpack or shirt. ~7:30/mile. Hot. | ||||
| Easy & Yoga | 1:10:00 | 8.46 | PM: Commute home, then run to Yoga from Eli's work. Hot. | |||||
| 18-Jul | Easyish | 1:05:20 | 8.04 | AM: 8m commute slow. Dew point above 70. Oof. | ||||
| Easy & Ultimate | 0:57:25 | 7.07 | PM: 7+ normal then slow with Raleigh. Then Ultimate. | |||||
| 19-Jul | Easy | 1:03:47 | 8.07 | AM: 8+ commute slow. | ||||
| Easy | 0:54:02 | 6.25 | PM: Ran home from work cookout. Worst side stitch ever. | |||||
| 20-Jul | Easy | 1:04:54 | 8.06 | AM: 8+ slow. | ||||
| Off | 0:00:00 | 0 | PM: Off. Drive & ferry to Long Island. Got in late. | |||||
| 21-Jul | Moderate | 0:50:09 | 7.17 | AM: 7+ at 7flat. Not bad I guess. | ||||
| EAsy | 1:04:23 | 8.08 | PM: 8+ a bit slower. Super humid. | |||||
| 22-Jul | MLR Moderate | 1:14:51 | 10.26 | AM: 10+ at 7:18/mile. Just ended up quicker. | ||||
| Quick | 0:30:13 | 4.27 | PM: 4+ at 7:05. Quicker again. |
Totals: 100.73, 100.47, 100.62, 64.54, 91.07, 100.1
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