Monday, August 31, 2009

3 miles

Slowly, stiffly, running like on tree stumps.
Achy, lamely, the wonder of the run.
(For some strange reason, I started this post with the Phantom of the Opera in my head. Re-read my first two lines to that tune for fun. I'm tired today.)

Anyway, 3 miles at around 2:00 today. I was completely unproductive and had to get some energy to salvage the day. It worked, although the run was nothing to write home about.

Coupla Weeks

Well, I've been quietly sort of running over the past couple of weeks. The week after Falmouth was a bust despite my motivation -- lots of work to do from the cape and not much rhythm. I got in one swim but it wasn't much to write home about. I may have done a short run, but I honestly don't remember. I returned from the Cape and went to tri training session the following week. I mis-read the schedule and brought my sneakers when I should have brought my bike... I swam and went for a short run, somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-30 minutes. It was super humid and the black flies were assaulting my head.

I got in one more run that week but don't remember which route I did, it may have been a shorty. Can you see that I'm really into it right now?

Last week I did the tri training, swim/run and one more run, a short one. I just got back from tri training and did a swim and bike ride. I'm awful on the mountain bike when I ride it like 4 times each year. I need to get in another ride or so to get comfortable on the clipless pedals. The swim was fine, i wasn't super motivated, but did it. The ride was fun despite not being 100% comfortable. I went slow and gabbed with a fire fighter from Cambridge. There is a full run through a week from Wednesday.

I'm rediscovering that I really love the running etc., more than drinking and that it makes me feel better than drinking... right now I'm a drinker with a running problem more than a runner with a drinking problem. I think I'm going tomorrow for a run. I like how it makes me feel, and though one wouldn't think so, I need to keep reminding myself about how much I like the exertion.

One bit of business that's going undone: I have an entry form for the CCM Relay. Who's in? I want to fill it out tomorrow even though it's going to cost more because it will be in after 9/1. Also, psyched to hear VTR is considering VCM '10. I've been thinking about it and I'm in. I need to run it.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Dipping my toe in

Here are a few thoughts from my first run in a long time:
- Alternate post titles considered as I neared the end of my run -- Wow; Ouch; Weak; Tight; Interesting...
- Aches and pains are way better when caused by over-exertion than by complete and total inactivity
- Had the thought that I'd run Burlington next year. I like/need a running goal. Still noodling that one a bit.
- The blog is tough to follow when you can't log on at work. Not that I'm a total slacker at work, but you know....

Later boys.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Losing Count

I haven't been counting runs, as is my habit. But I had a good Central Park Reservoir run this week, on a very hot and humid Tuesday evening. Didn't think I could sweat so much. I broke down and did the unthinkable, removing my shirt and running in the park, topless. I pity my fellow runners who had to watch, but I was considerably more comfortable.

I brought my sneakers ro Lexington, KY for a Wednesday/Thursday business trip, aiming to run Thursday morning. Alas, I drank too much bourbon Wednesday night and slept in Thursday. I only roused myself to shower and dress in time for a breakfast meeting. It was super humid there, too.

Aiming for a 7 miler today in the Champlain Valley. Will post.

Peace, fellas.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Humidity is a Bee-atch

So here's what I've been doing:

Mrs. FA and I got down to Bermuda last Sunday for a few days alone. We got out for a run on Tuesday morning. The humidity was impressive, so we didn't go far. Spend the rest of the day kayaking and snorkeling and so redeemed the short run. We spend three very active days down there eating fish and drinking dark rum, so it was a worthwhile getaway and overall healthy interlude, but for the rum.

Friday, I ran the hilly uptown loop of the Park on another humid day in NYC.

Today in the steaming Champlain Valley I set out from church and planned to run to the lake, a distance of about 6 miles. I stopped around mile 4.5 with painful blisters in my heels. I was wearing very low cut socks, and the tops of my shoes wore down the skin on my lower achilles. I stopped, took off the shoes, walked the mile to the house, found a better pair of socks, and finished the run. When I arrived, I probably spent 45 minutes sitting still in the lake, cooling down. It is about 89 degrees up here, and humid.

Happy to hear of Agricola's solid time at Falmouth.

Peace, fellas.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Falmouth Road Race 2009

S0, yesterday was my 6th Falmouth Road Race, and true to form -- a mediocre year (2008) followed by a decent year (2009) -- I had a pretty good run yesterday. I covered the course in 58:06 which is a time I can live with -- it was 1:20 faster than 2008 and about 56 seconds slower than 2007 (57:10). I think that it should keep me in the blue corral/second flight next year. We'll see.

I was happy with the run because I feel like I ran a good race. I eased into the first mile and let the crowd carry me along, and I also just ran with it, not burning energy to pass. The first three miles seemed to go by very quickly and I felt good coming into the beach portion of the run. As it does through that section the sun sucked the life out of me a bit and I worked hard to mile four. Things got better at 5 but five to six was a grind and I felt my pace slacken a bit. However, once I hit 10K my legs came back a bit and I got a second wind for the final two climbs. It was not my fastest up the final steep climb, but I powered through it and took momentum over the top and had a nice kick for the last three hundred yards or so and I crossed the finish line in full stride.

The post race feeling was great, I recovered well, and have only tiniest bit of soreness right now -- I could go out and run today, and may. I'm definitely going for a swim. My goal is to always go sub-60-minutes at Falmouth and I feel good about yesterday's run. As I knew it would it's pumped me up for the rest of the summer. The weather was warm/hot, but low humidity which was a blessing. Some of the splits I remember: 17:11 for the first two miles (with a 9:09 for mile 1 I think). Five K to 10K are sort of a blur, I think I came across the 10K at 52 and closed it out the last .8 in 6 minutes or so. It was fun and it's amazing what a difference a minute can make!

I did a 10K training run on Friday, that I neglected to post about, but those two 10Ks helped immeasurably and if I'd gotten in one more I would have been even stronger.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Phew!

I went out for 10K today in preparation for Falmouth on Sunday. I'm on a bit of a crash course training right now but it's OK. The run felt pretty good despite that fact that I think the inside of a rice cooker is less humid than the air right now. I'll try and do one more either tomorrow or Friday. It was tough to breathe but it was good to get out and move.

I'm looking forward to Sunday, I actually feel more prepared this year than the last though not sure why -- it might be mental at this point more than physical but last year I was empty and this year, right now, I'm not. Either way, I'm just running to run and keep up a tradition of running this race until I have a collection of at least 12 coffee cups (it's the yearly race gift). I'm going to run, enjoy it and not stress about time -- the goal, as always, is to run under 60 for 7 miles. We'll see where I net out.