Chicken run

So, I spent most of Sunday doing a minor construction project. Had to run back and forth from the work site to the garage a bunch of times, lifted heavy wood, etc. I guess you could call it exercise, but really that's just an excuse to post a picture of our chicken coop, which is finally done and inhabited by three chickens.

We got our first egg this morning. Thanks for indulging me. I'll keep to the real training next time...or maybe I need to start a homestead blog like 1/4 Acre.

On the running front, the plan is to do a moderately long one tomorrow morning. Leaf Peepers half marathon is on Saturday, and I'm contemplating doing 6.5 prior to the race to get in a 20 miler before the marathon. Big week, and I'm feeling the stress of under-preparation.

Check the box

Very sore and tired today after yesterdays hard (weather & pace) run. I had forgotten how much bad weather can take a toll on a run. Went out this morning for a short run (2 miles / 8:55 pace) to check the box off for today.

Workaday Run

Sometimes, sitting at work, unallocated, has its advantages. In a lull in my already lulling day, I stepped out for 40 minutes. I ran down Dartmouth, through Copley Square, to Storrow Drive and over a pedestrian bridge to the Charles River. I headed west along the Charles for 14 minutes or so. I made it past the BU sailing pavilion and turned around at a point where the scenery got sort of minimal -- close to Storrow, weedy trees to my right, just about across from the train yard under the Mass Pike.

The run was pretty uneventful until I decided to cross Storrow at the Kenmore on/off ramp area.
That was a little hairy, and I only caused one fender bender when somebody stopped short and the guy behind rammed him. Just kidding, I ran a straight out and back. The out was 20:11 and the back was 20:06, for a pretty even pace. The temp was nice, the pathways were quiet. One more meeting and homeward bound. My Body Glide is on its last legs, so I'll need to replace that.

The Weaker Sex

I realized this morning that, after running for almost 8 weeks, I had yet to run in anything but perfect weather. My morning routine has me go from garage to garage and the weather can vary greatly from my house to work. I stepped out of my building this morning and almost turned around. Windy, rainy, cool/cold. Fortunately, most of the wind was just around my office and not the rest of my route. The rain never stopped, but it wasn't too bad. I definitely had several moments of panic where I thought I was going to stop and walk, but managed to pull through. It was a weird feeling, I was fresh from not having run for several days, but tired from less than ideal sleep over the weekend. I ended up running 10K in 59:24 or about 9:25 pace. Goal was 9:30 without consideration for the weather; so I'm was happy with the outcome. Goal is 15 miles for the week.

Interesting side note. I usually see around 10-15 runners/walkers on this route. Mix is 60/40 women/men. Today I saw 8...all women.

Advice

I'm looking to gear up for the colder weather. I know what I want for pants. Any recommendations or thinkgs to look for in a jacket? I'd like something that I can wear over a long sleeve tech shirt that will keep me warm enough for the early morning run's November - March.

Home town run

Breezed into the home town for 15 hours over last weekend and managed to get in a 12.3 mile run (just gmapped it). Felt pretty good, but man was the air thick with humidity this morning. I was drenched with sweat by about 20 minutes in. The run took 1 hour 44 minutes for an 8:27 pace.

I'm dealing with one minor issue that I haven't faced before -- a blister on my big toe on the side/bottom where it rubs the next toe. The thing has been around for a week without popping, and it finally started to hurt half way through this run. It has spread a bit by the time I was done, so Mrs. VTR did some minor surgery to pop, drain, clean and cover it. I'm hoping that does the trick. It's more of a nuisance really, but I thought I'd share.

Looking to maybe do a shorter run tomorrow and then it's right back into the morning deal.

Later boys.

San Francisco, Run #33

I went into a Nike Town in San Francisco on Thursday. Now you have to give Nike props for its profound influence on how we view athleticism, and how its Just Do It campaign inspired lots of people. But in Nike Town I couldn't help but conclude that Nike has sacrificed its athleticism creds on the high altar of hip urban fashion. The same was true in the NorthFace store up the street.

Anyway, morning runs still seem much more difficult to me than evening runs. I got out before 5:45am Friday morning and struggled along for 32 minutes. I won't bother to measure the distance. I ran from my hotel to the end of a pier on San Francisco Bay, where I stopped to watch a cruise ship pass by, silently and swiftly and huge, and lit up like a beacon, or many beacons, in the early morning darkness. That was an unexpected treat. And I am pleased with my performance on the San Francisco hills. I didn't run up Lombard Street, but climbed some hills nonetheless. I am feeling the benefits of leaning forward, and leading with my head.

Back at home today, and taking the weekend off.

Night running & changing technique

Hi all,

Hit the weights on Monday for an hour and then hit the pavement Tuesday night for an 8:30 PM run. Not sure I wanted to do this, but I wore the safety gear and headed out. The night was very cool, almost cold and it felt good to be in some true fall air. At one point of the run, I hit a pocket of warm air and then it was gone. Very neat experience. The run felt okay, but my calves hurt due to changing a little of my running style. I read something the other day about folks trying to run barefoot or in a new type of shoe that simulates barefoot running and the article said you should try to strike the ground with the midfoot where there are more bones in your foot to displace the impact of striking the ground. (By the way the foot contains 25% of all bones in the human body.) According to the article, too many runners strike the heel at the end of the run causing a more jarring and slower running experience. Not enough research to prove the theory yet, but there are some very cool shoe options out there as you can see by the photo above.

Anyways 4.4 miles, just under 38 minutes....

Cheers....

San Francisco Run, #32

Hit the town tonight in San Francisco for a big run. I covered 4.4 miles in 45 minutes. It was a good 10 minutes and 1.5 miles longer than anything I've done so far. I took some Alleve, and am feelin' good.

I ran from my hotel near Union Square Park down Post to Market all the way to the Embarcadero, under the Oakland Bay Bridge, past AT&T Stadium (the Giants were playing...), then up 4th back to Market, and a zig-zag back to my hotel.

It was pretty cool to be out in a different place, with no real plan or route in mind. I just wanted to run for more than 30 minutes and headed off into the quadrant of the city I know best. Traffic forced me to stop and wait a bunch, but it forced me to look around more, too.

I'll be here through Friday afternoon. Resting tomorrow, and aiming to get out again Friday morning.

Enlightenment

Got out at 6AM for a 12 mile run today before work. It was dark on my drive downtown to meet the two folks that I ran with -- a beautiful time of day, but enlightening? Not really.

I ran with a friend of ours and her coach (also a woman). These two are extremely strong runners. One won a 30K race last weekend and the other is a personal trainer and, as I mentioned, a running coach. It was cool to be out with such accomplished striders, but that wasn't the enlightening part either.

The enlightenment came with the "girl talk" they launched into within 1 minute of starting the run. I'll just say that these two aren't big on inhibition, and boys aren't the only ones who can throw down the locker room talk. It was a trip. Refreshing. Enlightening even.

The run was tough but good. I got a kick out of ripping off 12 miles before work mid-week. Never done that before. Doing it with 2 new running partners made it even better as the community nature of running that we've all talked about here was palpable.

Afternoon, Again

I got out late afternoon again today for just about 34 minutes. I felt only so-so today but am glad that I got out. Yesterday's tightness was not present on the run but showed up afterward, definitely an allergic thing. I don't know how far today's route is but it's most likely somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.25-4.5 miles if I had to guess. I'll measure it one of these days. Terrific running weather. Again. That's it.

Castle Island 6

Despite a lack of sleep for the past 2 nights (premier week), I felt good this morning (relative at 5:30) and ran my Castle Island 6 mile loop in 57:35. The weather was perfect and watching the sun rise over Boston harbour is a great sight. This bests my distance PR by a mile and the pace was 30 seconds faster than my previous 5 mile run. Almost stopped to stretch the calves as they were tightening up around the 2 mile mark. I tried to think more about lifting my knees and less about pushing off my toes to adjust my stride. It worked. By mile 3, no more calf issues. Adding a mile to my route added a moderate hill at the 2/4 mile mark that went surprisingly well. I should be able to get in 3+ over the next couple of days to get back to my target weekly mileage post hammy. I'm also thinking about running a 5K in the home town in late October. I would be a good time to get a baseline. There's a 10k option as well, but that might be pushing it.

Run 31

I attended a seminar today, uptown, starting at 9:30, so with Mrs. FA taking the girls to school I had a rare morning of leisure, with a run and a long shower and a late start to the day. I was super sluggish. It felt VERY different from my evening runs. 5k took me 33 minutes, 3 minutes longer than my last two 5k runs. It was a beautiful morning, though, and totally worth spending three more minutes outside.

Pre-prandial

I got out today for a pre-prandial trot. I finished a little presentation I am working on for an internal project and shot it out to my team in an email at 5 PM that basically said of "check it out, feel free to comment/edit, we'll talk tomorrow, I'm going running. . . " I did my 5.2 mile route for the first time in a long time. I've had a mental block about going out for 5 for some reason and am glad that I got over it and got out today.  You'd think the 10K of a week ago would have helped, but there was something about running this route that was holding me back, not sure what, but I did it.

It took about 3 miles to get comfortable and find my rhythm but once I did it was smooth sailing.  I was disociating a lot for the first half, thinking about work etc. and not focusing on what I was doing. Once I embraced the run it fell into place and I finished strong and felt quick -- 41:21.9. The weather was perfect for running, dry and cool and the late day sunlight was gorgeous. I'm having some allergy thing right now (pretty typical at this time of year) with lots of PND and my chest is a bit constricted but nothing to keep me off of the roads.

Get out of my head

I'm not perfect,
No I'm not.
I'm not perfect,
But I like what I've got.
I do my very best,
My very, very best,
But I'm not perfect
And I hope you like me a lot.

Laurie Berkner and I went for a 30 minute run at 6:30 AM Monday morning. She wasn't invited, but I just couldn't shake her. Realized that I really prefer running without music...even if it's all in my head.

Short Runs

I've been negligent in my posting. Last Friday went for 2 miles at 9 min pace. Had planned on running further but forgot about a dentist appointment at 7:30 AM. Worked for 8 hours in the yard on Sunday pushing an aerator and a power seeder. I was actually winded at times. It was probably the best workout I've had in years. Ran 2 miles again Monday morning. I was sore and tired but managed to drop the pace down to 8:30. Took today off as I'm even more stiff today. Plan to run 5 tomorrow. The good news is that the hammy handled everything in stride. Aside from sprinting/striding, I think I'm back to full strength.

Working, working...

Since last Wed. when I last wrote.

Wed. night - Yoga for 1.5 hours
Thursday - P90 X lifting (legs and back) - hurt like hell
Friday - 38 minute run, 4.4 miles HR average 170
Saturday - 36 minute run, 4.2 miles HR average 160
Sunday - rest and watch football. Sorry about them Pats, but go Bills...
Monday - 36 minute run, 4.2 miles HR average 165
Tuesday - up and coming........

Training is going well and you just need to keep moving and encouraging yourself to hit the road or workout. Keep it up everyone!

Saturday Stroller Run

One of the difficulties of Saturday running for me is leaving hearth and kin and heading out on the road after a week of getting up and going. Last night I prepped the kids to come with me -- it took minimal convincing -- and after lounging around a bit this AM we headed out together at around 8:40.

We took a very different route than normal for a stroller run and wound through neighborhoods rather than running through the middle of town.  The traffic was minimal in the neighborhoods and it was pretty chill. I nearly bailed around the 12 minute mark but sucked it up, focused on running and found my rhythm.  It was a total instance of mind over matter:  focus on the purpose, the breathing, the stride and spice it with some dissociation et voila, a nice run. Based on the data on the watch it wasn't a super strenuous run (AHR: 144 MHR: 159) but we ran for 37:27 and it felt good. The last mile might have knocked down my HR because I had to stop and correct some behavior issues in the passenger cabin but all in all it was really fun.  One of the best parts, and I don't mean this sarcastically, was a stretch of several minutes where no one said anything.  We just absorbed.  It was cool.

A three hour tour

Well, two hours fifty five minutes, actually.

It was quite an event this morning. I joined the early risers club, leaving the house at 6:17am, and it was gorgeous. The moon was still bright in the sky, air crisp with some low-lying fog that looked like...well...clouds (creativity escapes me -- I guess all the energy went to the legs). Whenever I get up that early, I think it should happen more often because of the serenity of early morning. Too bad the bed is so comfortable or it might actually happen more.

Anyway, the run was an event. I ran about an hour before meeting a friend for the final two. To say the route was hilly would be an understatement, and I threw in a couple of out and backs over the tough sections due to poor planning. I was toast at the end. Shuffling, not running. But I did it, and I feel really good for that. I iced down in a cold bath after, and now I'm ready to pop a bunch of ibuprofen to get me through some stiffness. No bad pain to report, which is always good.

Put this one into the books. Not sure of the distance, but it's the time on the road that counts for me (mental prep as much as anything). One month to go. I'm trusting that the work will pay dividends on the Cape.

Enjoy the weekend!

Run 30!

I threw on another ~5ker tonight after work, before the long drive north. Same Central Park Resevoir route, same time, almost on the nose, 31.10 minuntes, as Run 29. It was a fresh, crisp afternoon, great for being outside. (I love running without finishing drenched with sweat.)

Mrs. FA threw on a 45 minute run along the East River today, immediately before a Home/School Association meeting at the little artists' school.

Lovin' NYC.

Run 29 et al

Had a great one last night. Temps in the 60s, clear skies, beautiful skyline. I ran my usual loop, hills and all, and felt good and strong the whole way. Not much more to say. I did pay more attention to my time along different segments of the route, and now think it is a half-mile longer than I thought previously. That would make it ~3.5 miles, and I ran it in 31 minutes flat.

Happy happy happy to have some cooler weather, and some new gear to shop for, long pants, windbreakers, et al. Putting on a new pair of running socks last night, I felt like Homer Simpson with a crispy creme. (Mmmmm.....wigwams......)

Late Start

I  got out of the house late today -- 7:20.  I did my short route (3.3 miles) and ran it in 25:57 which I think might be a record for me for that loop.  It was a fairly uneventful run, I felt good and quick, the sun was up and the sky was crystal clear.  The temps were in the low-mid-40s.  I wore a long sleeve technical shirt, but shorts.  I did see my first jacketd, tighted, hatted runner -- though she had her jacket unzipped and was sweating pretty good.  Today is the type of day that makes you really appreciate the seasonal change -- it's can be so beautiful.

Inspired

I was between projects today (this being my last week before the new job starts, I have a lot of projects), thinking about what to do next, when I stole away for a quick peak at the blog. I came away inspired and just ran a fast 3 or so miles.

Now that's what this is all about. Thanks boys.

The Whole World

The moon was descending in the western sky when Child Two and I hit the road at 6:45 today.  He saw it and started asking a torrent of questions about the moon and the Earth and the globes and the whole world:

Is the moon ever the globe?  Where's the whole world?  Will you show me the whole world?  Hello trees.  Hello wall.  Hello leaves . . . .

It was great and we did our usual stroller-loop (4.78 miles) in just under 40, and did the back quicker than the out even with a stop to unfurl the sun visor for C2 -- we were heading directly into the rising sun.  The weather was crisp and at one point while putting down the visor with the sun was at my back I was steaming in the sunlight and he asked me if I had dust coming off of me.  I love running with my kids.

Still running...

Went out for my short 2 mile work loop at 5:30 this morning. I dropped over a minute from my pace compared to yesterday as I was feeling more confident in the hammy. Iced it once I got to my office. It was still stiff during the run. I'm going to try and stay on flat routes until it loosens up a bit. Taking tomorrow off and will try to run 4 on Friday if all is well. I'm fighting the urge to run hard as my legs are fresh. However, VT Runner's experience earlier this year with the ankle is helping to keep me in check.

Running in the morning might be too early....

Hi all,

Hit the road at 6:20 this morning for a 30 minute run. The problem is the route was too short, but I did get a 3 miler in at just over 26 minutes. Some of the P90 training definitely paid off, but you really need to consistently have cardio in your exercise routine, otherwise you are just not building capillaries for running. Also, the extra muscle needs to be fed oxygen and I think my body was still adapting to going back to running. Beautiful fog bank over the ocean this morning and I feel privilege to live in such a beautiful place in the world.

Have a great day boys and keep on trucking.

Training

Hi all,

Hope you are well. Have pushed through about 63 workouts from the P90x
system over roughly 100 days along with 6 days of running. Feeling pretty good, but I have not stuck to the diet as well. I hope to be in pretty good shape for the CCM and help the team out with some decent miles. Once I let
my shoulder heal a little bit, I will start the P90 program over again, probably in November, so let me know if any of you would like to get in on
it. Good for everyone staying motivated. Keep it up.

Look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Cheers!

Tuesday Trot

I was feeling groggy today and almost bailed, but I got up and out and went for a run.  The blog motivated me.  I did my 4 mile loop, and was saying to myself "go slow, take it easy, ease into the week." I went out and did another 32 minute 4 miles (32:09).  Then I chatted for about ten minutes with my neighbor on my cool down. It was a classic suburban moment, and this guy is one of my favorite neighbors. The weather was perfect -- cool and a bit overcast, but dry and comfortable.

I'm a bit achey and sore right now which seems sort of natural as the season seems to be winding down (even though I'm adding in more activities). I'll monitor it all and keep working to the CCM Relay and assess where I am after that. Part of me thinks I might scale back for the end of October and first half of November, but the cool decent weather of those months is good for building up the base before embarking on training for the Vermnot City Marathon which I want to tackle again (and whch will start in late January, which is not that far off, amazingly!).

Back in the saddle...

Its been two weeks and a day since the brain cramp/hamstring injury. I have had no pain in the hamstring since last Wednesday. On Saturday I walked 18 with a caddie (~4.5 miles) with no ill affects. So I targeted today to run 2 miles. Other than feeling tight, it went well. I ran at exactly 10 min pace, forcing myself to slow down at times. I'm struggling with this injury as I've never pulled a hammy before. I can't tell if its tight because I haven't used it much in the last 2 weeks or if its still on the mend. I'll probably know more tomorrow morning.

1:45

3 Shot blocks (Margarita with salt)
1/2 Cliff Bar, Blueberry (not bad)
2 water bottles -- refilled at playing fields' bubbler (Yes, bubbler. You can take the kid out of MA, but you can't...)
1 hour 45 minute run
12 or so miles, haven't mapped it yet
1 ice cold bath to soothe my sore legs.

No injuries, but this one hurt.

Ten and Ten

I had a good weekend.  I was thinking about FA and his (and Mrs. FA's) Komen Run quite frequently and that motivated me to get out and be active.  FA wrote a a great post and it sounds like he and theMrs. had a nice first step into the world of road-race running.  I take the fact that FA was a bit disappointed in his time as a good thing -- it's fodder now for further improvement and motivation to keep going.  Congrats!

Saturday I had hoped to get in a trail ride but instead went for a ten mile road ride into a neighboring town towing Child One in the Chariot (w/bike atachment).  C1 enjoyed the ride despite the sand in her face (even through the screen) which we remedied at the turnaround by using the rain shield.  It was a little hectic through the center of town on a Saturday afternoon but it just inspired me to ride more quickly and get to "safer" roads.  I used my regular shoes on the clipless pedals -- I didn't need anymore complications with such precious cargo -- and it was totaly fine.  I put on a pair of workout shorts, but rode in a cotton tee and didn't have on my watch.  I covered the ten miles in under an hour.  Cardiovascularly speaking it was not overly challenging but I have some sore muscles that I'd forgotten about -- the right glute!

On Sunday I did a 10K loop from my house and covered it in 49:37.  All in all it was a good run though my lunch was sitting like a stone in my stomach and I threw up once in my mouth -- more a chunky burp really -- which was pretty nasty.  My ankle was pretty sore last night and I flash froze it (and my foot) in a bucket of ice and water.  It feels fine today and I'll hit the road again tomorrow -- I thought it best to rest it today rather than push it for another run though everything else felt good enough to go today as well.

Komen 5k

So Mrs. FA and I ran the Komen for the Cure 5k this morning.

Temps were in the mid-80s, and the humidity exceeded 80%. There were 25,000+ people at the event, between runners, walkers, volunteers, etc. Central Park West was a veritable sea of pink and white t-shirts.

The course started at 77th Street and headed uptown on CPW, turned onto the Park Drive at 90th Street, followed the Park Drive down the West Side past the Great Lawn, 'round the bottom, and then up the East Side to finish at the 72nd Street Crossover.

I ran the first mile in 10:24, but it felt like 3 minutes. Adrenaline? The crowd? Don't know, but the first mile flew by. At about 1.5 miles we hit the first of two steady inclines, just before the Great Lawn. The other was on the East Side, and to my chagrin I walked both, which of course slowed me down. (Lessons learned: 1. Hills. I haven't trained on hills. At all. I need to do that, starting tomorrow. 2. Hydration. It was super humid, and I was sweating like a fiend before we even started running. Should have tanked up better before the run.) I pushed hard 1/2 mile before the finish. My time was 34:27 minutes.

I am slightly disappointed by my time, but it's tempered by how much this one experience taught me about participating in big running events. It is going to pay dividends for the CCM. And Mrs. FA and I had a great time doing it together. There was spectacle...celebrities, politicians, tons of organization, and a huge crowd. We will do this again.

Another One

I'd planned on taking today off but mid-way through my workday yesterday I got the urge to go out and run on Friday, so I did.  I was on the road by 6:45 AM or so with Child Two in the stroller and we went out for our usual route.  I'd planned on 45 minutes but was feeling slow and only did 40.  I've got a little mental block against longer runs right now and hope to break out of that this weekend.  I'm not running tomorrow -- 5 runs including Sunday's tri-run is a nice total and I'm up around 18 miles for the week.  I'm going to try and do a trail ride tomorrow morning, we'll see how motivated I am to leave the the hearth and kin folk on a Saturday morning.

I'm actually a bit excited about the inspiration because I'm getting to a point where I want to go out and do something active, and actually feel the need to be active so this is a good thing.  I hope that I can perpetuate this inspiration to be physical.

In Memoriam

Mrs. Agricola looked at me at breakfast today, after my run, and said:

"You had to run today . . . "

To which I responded:

"I did."

Run 26

Run 26 was a very poor effort. Lots on my mind tonight, and my heart wasn't there. Very disappointed, but not concerned about Sunday's race, for which I feel fairly well prepared.

The NYC skyline this week features the twin beams shining into the dark sky where the World Trade Center still stood, seven years ago today.

Peace, fellas.

Quick Run

I went out this morning at about 6:50 AM.  I did my 4.021 (I love the thousandths) route and did it in 32:01.6 which puts me right around an 8 minute mile.  This run was one of those weird ones where I felt really slow, but I wasn't, and didn't realize it until the end when I looked at my watch.  I try not to look at my watch while I run.  One god thing was that this run wasn't an easy run but it wasn't crazy painful either -- it was a good solid, hard run and a a good workout on a gorgeous day.

Off-Road Triathlon Report

WAVE 1 BIB 71 

WAVE TIME 1:03:56 

OVERALL PLC 49 

DIVISION PLC/TOT   6/17   

SWIM 

 RANK SPLIT

 55   8:19   

T1

RANK SPLIT

65   1:40 

BIKE 

RANK SPLIT   

59   35:28 

T2

RANK SPLIT 

123  1:11

RUN  

RANK SPLIT

31   17:18
 

The above is the tale of the tape from my first-ever triathlon. It was super fun and I had a blast. I'm sort of bummed that the tri season is winding down but training for this completely energized my training. Here's my breakdown.

Swim -- 400 yards
My split time above was pretty close to what I did Tuesday night thought it was not at all as smooth as my first go-round with group, open-water swimming. My flight was Men 44 and under -- it was a big group, much bigger than Tuesday night and much more hectic. A bunch of us hit the water and started trashing. People were bumping me and swimming over me. The water was murky as I mentioned, I was swimming with my head out of the water a bit (a la water polo) to see in front of me and there was a bit of chop on the pond and I drank more than a little water . . . I ended up breast stroking my way around and never got a good freestyle rhythm going. The crowd got my adrenaline up and while adrenaline can be your friend on dry land it made me feel a bit panicky and thrash-y in the water. All in all though I was happy with my time.

Bike -- 5.5 miles
This was the part where I figured I'd get most smoked but I think that I held my own on the course which got sort of crowded as I headed into the second phase of the ride (two concentric circles). I felt much more comfortable on the bike again and made up a bunch of time in the last third -- a good climb and descent on paved/semi paved road. I dumped twice within about 25 seconds of each other. I came around a corner into a hill and got going too slow because of traffic. I went over pretty easily to my right into some mossy ground. I picked myself up got one my bike missed my pedal and went over to my left, bounced off a guy who was struggling by and scuffed my back on his bike. No biggie, just what happens in a race. A little girl caused a big tie up in another part and she was really cute and flustered and apologetic. Again, it's what happens. There were lots of flats and dropped chains and some snapped chains and some dudes with serious road rash from some dumps. It was fun and I think my time was respectable.

Run -- 2.3 miles
Overall I'm happiest with my run though there was one section where I walked for about 60 seconds and I wish I hadn't. I reeled in like 5 guys who were ahead of me -- all but one my age or younger. I reeled in another 37 year old guy in the final 200 yards whom I'd been tracking for a while. I think I was a bit gassed after my bike ride and I caught all of the guys I caught heading uphills or just over the tops of hills. The section I walked was two steep little ups on wood chips and they happened just after I passed a couple who was walking along the trail we were running on. For some reason their idyllic stroll broke my concentration . . . I'm annoyed about the walk part but I still caught the guy I'd targeted even with it. I saved some energy (I rationalize) and made it happen. I didn't feel like the flailing geek kid for long on this run though the uphills were painful. Speaking of painful,I tweaked my ankle just after passing a Clydesdale but kept going. It's all fine now and it seems as if rubber ankle will be with me for years to come.

Overall
I really enjoyed this experience, I'm psyched that I did it and I want to do it again. I'm really into the idea of more off-road tris and want to find some more to do. I met two goals (do a tri, do some trail running), added some other workouts into my regimen (I'm considering joining the Y to keep swimming and looking forward to getting in a trail ride this weekend just because -- I hope I have the time). I made it onto the first page of results of a race for the first time, finished in the top third, or so of the entire field, the top half of my gender/age-group and was really only 4 minutes out of placing. I see some potential with more practice but also don't want to get hung up on numbers and stats because it was just super-fun to compete in the three disciplines, get dirty and spend some time in the woods. It rocked.

Finally, I also felt good enough that I went out and took both kids on a 34 minute run Monday morning. I rested today but am psyched to get back to it tomorrow.

Run 25

I got out last Thursday (run 24) and again tonight for run 25. I ran 5k in 30 minutes and 26 seconds. I ran the first 1.5 miles feeling strong, dragged a bit for the middle mile, and pushed on the last half mile. Two laps around the resevoir is 5k, almost on the nut. I did the first lap in 14.26, the last lap in an even 16 minutes. I feel pretty good about the time.

The Komen 5k is Sunday. Please render your opinion on the plan: Wednesday I aim to run 4+ miles. I'm not going to focus on time, but want to know how it feels to run past the race distance. If I can leave the office early enough, I'll run the course on Friday. If I can't, I'll get in 5k closer to home. No running on Saturday. The race is 9:ooam Sunday. Planning to spend some time next week on the bike for a change of pace, then focus on the CCM.

Since the CCM requires that I get up to 10k in about five weeks, I'll look to the blog for advice, and inspiration.

VTRunner...still

I came within 5 minutes of changing my name to MA Runner last Friday, but things worked out on the job front. I am still a (transplanted) Vermonter and plan to be for a long time. I'd be happy to share details off-line, but I'll leave you with this -- if you ever need coffee from the Green Mountain state, give me a ring.


So, today I refocused on the running and got in a great 11 miles in about 1:40, minus a few minutes in the port-o-let (lifesaver). Not sure I've ever appreciated my loop more. Saw about a half dozen turkeys on the way and three cars along the way. I really do love this state.

Later boys.

Ice, Ice, Baby...

4x a day, I've been icing the hammy. Both ways on the commute, in bed, and at least one other time as convenient. I was able to walk yesterday with out a limp for the first time. I can also apply pressure to it without too much pain. It feels different now, almost as if its tight from lack of use rather than injury. I went to the golf range yesterday for an hour and played a few holes (in a cart) to see how it would hold up. This morning it felt better. I'm thinking the stretching and light activity helped. I think next week I'll hit the gym for stretching and upper body during my usual running window. If all goes well, I hope to hit the road again in a week. These are dangerous times. I feel better and need to stretch, but don't won't to overdue it and re-injure. I was talking to a guy at the course who has done multiple marathons (including a 3:10 at age 60!) He lost three years due to a hamstring injury a few years back. I was sufficiently frightened.

Foul

I intended to go running yesterday but I woke and everything huhrt -- my whole body ached.  It was like a delayed reaction from Tuesday night's endeavor.  It was a good ache and sort of cool though.

I got out this morning and the air was foul.  It wasn't too hot but it was super humid -- around 90%..  I had a weird dream about not being able to breathe and woke up feeling sort of congested, but I ran anyway.  I did my short route and kept off on the pace becuse of the humidity.  I didn't have my HR monitor on today.  I felt strong through the short distance -- sometimes you need short runs for confidence, I think --.I finished well and am glad that I got out.  I was making breakfast post-run and was leaving footprints all over the clean kitchen floor -- that's how much I was sweating. 

35.54

Got out for a quick run of 35.54 minutes. Strong pace and no injuries, aches or pains. Supposed to do a long run with an accomplished runner friend tomorrow, but had to bail due to other commitments. Bummer. Still hoping for (and looking forward to) a long one over the weekend.

Dress Rehearsal

I did the dress rehearsal for my tri last night.  It was a blast and I thoroughly enjoyed it -- I was totally amped when it was over.


Swim -- 400 yards
I'm not sure if the swim was really 400 yards or not because my workout swims were tougher.  There about 35 people in all and I came out of the water in the top 10.  I covered the distance in 8:17.00.  I had one small moment of panic when I thought "I'm swimming into the middle of a pond . . . "  I quickly put those thoughts aside and kept on going.  The pond water is a bit murky and it was hard to see people around me.  I knew I was gaining on someone because I could feel the turbulence of their wake as I approached from behind.  I was really happy with the swim, and more than a little surprised.

Transition 1
I learned a lot on this transition.  First, have your socks & shirt right side out.  Second, have Gatorade or whatever in a squirt bottle.  Third, use the box that I bought (and that I saw more experienced triathloners using) to keep my stuff in to actually hold water to facilitate de-sanding my feet.  Fourth, definitely bring the old floor-mat that I'd considered bringing to sit on to put on socks and shoes.  My time was an unimpressive  3:19.70.

Ride -- 5.3 miles
I came into the ride with little confidence, to be honest and figured that I'd get smoked.  I headed out with about 5 other folks and two blew away from us and another guy dropped off.  I then proceeded to follow a woman in the group for the majority of the loop.  She offered to let me pass and I said no worries, this is only my fifth time on a bike in 10 years and my third with toe clips . . . She and I caught some guy on a nice bike who was struggling and we eventually picked up another guy with a nasty pedal gash puncture wound on his calf.  I had trouble through one section -- a really rocky old road -- and I hit a rock head-on that shot me over my handle bars that I somehow managed to clear and land basically unscathed.  I caught back up to my partners and proceeded on.  I dumped one other time when I got stuck in a sand pit near a beach but that fall was pretty minor and on sand -- better than landing on a boulder . . . The woman in the group was riding a hybrid with narrow tires, running shoes and no clips baskets or anything.  She was very quiet and still on the bike and I told that I was trying to absorb her Zen style.  She laughed.  It was funny, the three guys in the group, including me, were sort of all over the place and grinding gears etc.  She just trundled along.  It was a good lesson and my confidence and comfort grew and grew.  I eventually passed her and dropped my group on a paved road section of the course about a mile out. The guy on the nice bike was saying to me "there's a reason this bike is 12 years old, and my road bike is a year old . . . "  He was not comfortable on the bike last night.  I covered the distance in 37:49.4 -- this includes transition to the run as well.

Run -- 2.3 miles
The run was fun and fairly uneventful.  I entered the trail alone and saw nobody until the second half.  No one caught me either.  This was my first ever bike-run brick and it took nearly the first mile to feel like I knew how to run.  I felt as if I were that kid on the grammar school playground (there was one in each school) who ran all knock-kneed with his elbows locked at the waist and his forearms and wrists flapping at his sides . . . anyway, I just kept focusing on my stride and let myself breathe hard -- my HR went up very quickly and I was winded pretty quickly which I think is related to the transition from one discipline to the next and using new muscles.  I got myself together, saw a guy a few hundred yards ahead and then reeled him in.  I tweaked my ankle a bit but kept going.  I passed him in the final 200 yards, and asked him how he was doing as I passed.  I covered the distance in 17:15.9.

Total Time: 1:06:42

I had a great time in all three phases and am looking forward to Sunday!  I'll probably just take some light runs the rest of this week and maybe a light bike ride as well just to keep in form.

Final Leg for Komen

So the Komen to the Cure 5k is a week from Sunday. I ran last night for the first time since Mrs. FA and I ran in Jasper. That was nine days ago. Last night was tougher than I had hoped.

Still, I think this is going to be very doable. Last night I went out on my regular loop from the apartment, around the CP Resevoir, and back to the apartment. I ran the 1.58 mile lap around the resevoir track in 15.20 minutes. After a short walk I ran the half mile before arriving at home in 4.38 minutes.

So, I am aiming to put on a bunch of miles between now and next week, and am aiming to run the course before the race. On race day, Mrs. FA and I are going to subway to 86th Street, then warm-up run to the starting line at 77th.

I'm amending my goal of a sub-30 minute 5k to sub 32 minutes.

30 minutes

I had my August lull, so now I'm trying to get back on track. Did a "fast" 30 minutes today. 10 miles on tap tomorrow, and I have a plan for somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 miles set up on Friday.

Time to get to business.

Board Shorts

I got out to the pond for an end of summer swim and did my customary 450 yards.  It had been about a week since I last swam so I don't know whether or not to attribute the labor involved in this 15 minute swim to that or to the fact that I was wearing board shorts.  I'm going to go with the latter and make a note to myself no to wear board shorts this coming Sunday.

I'm going to a workout this evening in which we string all three disciplines together . . . wish I'd done that bike- run brick this weekend so I know what to expect . . . oh well, let it fly!

Done

I'm done for a while. 48 hours later I still have significant pain, not to be confused with soreness, in the hamstring. I've been icing it 3-4 times a day and taking Naprosyn (prescription Alleve, technically for my wrist). What I find strange is that nothing else is sore. If I was pushing too hard, I would have thought I'd be sore in other places. I figure I'll give it a week and then evaluate whether I should get the referral for PT.