Slowwwww....

Howdy all,

I have been working out on and off for the past few months, but I have to kick my training into high gear. P90x yesterday morning and then today a 3 mile bike followed by a 3 mile run in order to prepare for the Timberman Sprint Triathalon in August. My legs felt like lead after the transition and lets just say my running time was not great, but no worries as I kept my HR at 170 and I felt okay. Also have a contest going on here, from beginning of June to beginning of September, winner takes $100 from each of the contributing members. Should be fun and a good goal. Congrats to Torn Ligaments for really burning up the track. Nice work!
Hope you all are well!

Keep on running. I read way more than I post, but you all are an inspiration and a constant reminder for me to get up off the couch and do something. So thank you for the motivation.

Quick Hello from FA

I got out for three half-hearted runs this past week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I considered them more about maintaining the habit than contributing to any kind of fitness. More from me soon.

Get It In Gear

I took the kids skiing this weekend, and did 3.6 with Mrs. A yesterday.
I need to get it in gear or I'll never be ready for my races. I've devised a new approach for next year -- no spring marathons. My typical yearly training trajectory brings me into best shape in the fall -- so, why stress to run a run spring marathon?

Train for Lowell or something in the fall and cap the year that way. Then from Christmas until now, just run to maintain, get in a couple of races, but not kill myself and take my kids skiing which is tons of fun and something that they are loving. I'm stoked I got them back to the mountain this weekend and they really enjoyed it. Their lessons reinforced what they've picked and whetted their appetite for next year. So, I'm putting it in gear, and am energized by revelation about running and the yearly trajectory.

Welcome Back, Me

So, it's been like 11 days since my last run. That's awful. I've got too many races coming up to be a slacker. I got in a nice weekend of skiing last weekend, but it's not great for running training. I'm taking the kids back skiing this weekend to lock down the lessons they took last week. So, this is it for skiing this year -- three times in 8 days. I'll get in a longer run Sunday and it's time to get down to brass tacks.

I was a beast before my run, and even today's lousy run (hey, it was 11 days off) was still good. It was pouring rain and windy, but it wasn't the weather that made it bad, it was the runner. Back on it.

Weekend

I got out for a quick 4+ on Friday evening while at my parents' house. I hadn't run the route in a long time, so it was fun to run it. While the run didn't feel as awesome as Thursday's it was still pretty nice. I covered the ground quickly and was back fast enough that my father said, that was a short run. That felt goo.

We'd intended to go out on Saturday but ended up vegetating.

Sunday I ran with BR on his Birthday -- the families got together and I dragged him out for a 4.5. I'd been planning on doing a tenner, but wasn't in the mood. It was windy and cold and gray and blah: classic February. We had a great run and it was really great to run with a friend.

Finding the Flow

As we all know sometimes ballplayers get in a slump. They lose their stroke. The only thing to do is to keep on swinging, keep on taking your cuts. Well, today I came out of my slump.

I found my stroke again. I also achieved a really nice level of flow that I've not reached in months -- surprisingly so. I headed out today in a poor mood -- angry, mainly. Sometimes anger is good for a run, sometimes it blows it up. You go out too hard to burn off the aggression and whatever hormones, and amino acids and residue of your fit are coursing through your veins amps you up early and leaves you flat later and it ends up being a lousy run. Today, I went out just to burn off the substances and see what would happen.I settled into a comfortable rhythm early and just ran -- it was a lope, really. Everything came together, and nothing bothered me. Stop for a light, or to wait for traffic while crossing a street? No worries. Run along some icy stuff -- why not slide it, it's fun. Shoe untied -- tie it. I'd pick right up where I left off. Right into my lope, right into my zone. It was fluid. I found my stroke and reached that state of comfort and exertion that is very rare. It felt great. I came back in a good mood, with my anger dissipated. With sadness (which I think is the flip-side of anger) abated. I fed off the energy of my emotion and burned it steadily along the course. Ah yes, running as therapy. I found my stroke. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Up & Down

Not sure what it is, but my training runs have been very up and down these past few weeks. I think I need the adrenaline of races to help me -- but no adrenaline is to be found as I grind it out solos through the streets of suburban Boston. Oh well. Spring is on the way -- today was mid-30s, bluebird and lovely. Tomorrow forecasts to be a bear. Winter returns. Pitchers and catchers report soon, this weekend maybe. Almost there. I think I can I think I can I think I can.

This post pretty much appears verbatim on my posterous running site -- I don't have it in me to be creative there and here and here and there today. Hope you guys are good. Can't wiat for winter to end.

February Begins

February is here. I got out today after a meeting north of Boston. I headed out for 4 miles at 3:30 this afternoon. It was brisk, in the low-30s but that's hot compared to what we've been experiencing. There was a stiff head wind on the way out, and a nice tail wind on the way back. It wasn't a great run, but it will do: a solid 4 miles, covered briskly. On the way back my hands actually got too warm in my warmer gloves and I removed them. The days are getting longer -- the sun wasn't plummeting at 3:30, it was still bright out when I got home, I'm noticing some buds appearing on trees. I'm feeling positive, feeling good. Today's run left me energized and focused. I'll get out tomorrow too.

Bye-Bye Zen

So, I've been running Zen for about the past year or so. By Zen I mean I just go out and do it. I don't time it, record the distance, monitor HR, pay attention to the weather (too much), ignore pace etc. I just try to let the run come to me, seek a flow and go. Well, it's time to say bye-bye to my Zen running experiment. I've got a bunch of double-digit-distance races coming up and a 10K in two weeks (less actually), and I need to train and I need to pay attention to distance and pace and HR and track my progress. I'm going to get my watch up and running again, I'm going to pay more attention to the weather (my legs froze this AM without a sufficient base-layer on and it was miserable), and while I'm going to look for the flow and let the runs come to me I'm going to buckle down a bit harder, work harder at running and being fit and bending my schedule to the run. There is a relentless logic to training -- the more you do the better you get the easier it becomes to train the more you can train the better you get and on, and on, and on. I dragged my sorry butt out of bed at 6:20, and was on the road by 6:30. It was cold and dark, but it felt good to be moving and good to know that whatever today brings, it won't make me miss my run. It's time get type-A about this thing. I'll be on the road tomorrow at 6:30 AM again. See you then.

A Pair

I've gotten in a couple this week. A solid handful on Sunday and another solid handful today. The Sunday I enjoyed it and modulated my pace to keep it interesting and spent some time thinking things over. It was a good and fun run. I was scheduled for yesterday but the weather was Nasty (note the capital "N") so I bailed. I got out today though it was pretty good. Footing was crummy, lots of crud, rhime, water and poor footing. I enjoyed it though, and it was good to get out in the middle of the day.

I signed up for the Timberman Tri. That should be fun. Weekend at PR's place in August!

Planetary Alignment

So, just because I've got a Posterous account with other folks doesn't mean I'm abandoning this -- you are my boys and this is our blog. The Posterous move was an experiment to see what it's like to do a team blog over there -- it's smooth and easy and provides an alternative forum for people to share training stories.

I've been goofing with running this past year and it's time to get serious. I did 5.2 today, and including cool down walk it was all done in ~50 minutes. I felt good. It was cold and dark and the footing uneven in places but it was nice to get out and 5.2 is the furthest I've done in a while. I need to go in the mornings and that's a goal for the new year return to AM trots.

The stars were out and Mars & Jupiter were in the sky, so it was cool to be out. I did two 40 minute yoga workouts with Mrs. A this past weekend and we might try and do another tonight. It felt good and it was tough. I'm looking to work more of that sort of stuff too this year, focus on the whole body. One 20 minute session did lower body, and the other did upper -- I enjoyed and felt better the next day though the lower body workout made my legs sore which was totally unexpected.

Slacker!

So, it appears we've all been a bit hamstrung over the holidays. It's tough, very tough. I got out today. It was cold (ice in full sun is not melting) and I't'd been a while since I'd run. Not sure how far I went but felt OK through the first 3/4s then lousy the last 1/4. Wine, beer, cocktails (manhattans, egg nog, things on rocks), cookies, chocolate take their toll, that's for sure. I'll go again tomorrow. I'm contemplating the local New Year's Day 5K on Friday. I'm not anticipating any land speed records for that one -- I'm ending 2009 slower than I started it, that's for sure -- but it will be good to get out and run.

Catch up

I got in a quick one on Friday afternoon/evening.It was dark and cold. I felt pretty good until the end when my legs weren't quite working right due to the cold -- they were tight and not turning over all that easily. I should have worn one more layer on my legs I guess.

Yesterday I shoveled out our house and cleaned cars for a couple of hours. Hoping to get out today, but it's going to be hectic.

Couple to report

Got a nice 4.75 mile run last Sunday. I felt good and had fun and beat the rain. I didn't get out again until Wednesday and did my bread run to Trader Joe's. I felt better on the way back than on the way out -- total head-wind on the way out and a lovely tail-wind on the way home. It's cold today, but I hope to get out today for a quick one. Should be doable.

Clarifying

Of all of the things I like about being my own boss what I don't like is the never-off nature of starting our own thing. It interferes sometimes with my life which is really much more important than my work (and always has been). I tend to get short lately and have little patience. Running helps me deal with that -- a reality hammered home when I'm not running as much as I should. I got out yesterday afternoon in the dark. It was cold and windy. There were no other runners out. The Christmas lights were on in folks' houses. I went 3.3. It was beautiful and clarifying both physically and metaphysically. I was strong and quick (I can run!). I pondered some stuff and settled on a course of action. It was good. I then got home, showered, hydrated & drank a beer. I yelled at my kids about something stupid. I've still got a ways to go. Embrace the process. Find the center.

More Like It

I went out late today, around 4:15 PM. I didn't run over the weekend. I worked hard on Saturday to finish my yard work. Today was the first run of the 09-10 winter running season as far as I'm concerned: sub-40 F, dark, snow on the ground, badly shoveled sidewalks in places, hat gloves tights, shell & reflector. I had no real route in mind, I just went out and did my thing and ended up having a beaut of a run in the 4 mile neighborhood. I even threw in my end of 10K hills and did well. Last week may have been an anomaly, it may have been the week off, too much food at Thanksgiving, I don't know. My body reacted well and I enjoyed tonight. I felt quick, I liked my tempo, my CV felt good, my legs were solid. Mrs. A is happy to see us back on the blog.

Short Friday Run

Went out for 3.3 today. Nothing major, but I felt better than yesterday so that's heartening.
IT was chilly but I got out in shorts, gloves, hat not pulled all the way down technical-t and poly pro undershirt (long sleeved). My shorts kept riding up in my crotch and as I ran by this little gas station and Dunkins these morons across the street in an SUV told me to pull down my shorts. If there hadn't been 4 guys with hockey sticks (Aluminum sticks were visible in the back seat, running along the top of the door on the driver's side) I would have stopped, flipped them the bird and asked why they were looking at my shorts and crotch any way... but I rose above and carried on. I've never been hassled around here before (but have in rural Michigan) and think that people in cars who hassle runners are compensating for something.

I entered my name in the lottery for the Cherry Blosson 10-miler on 4/11/10 in D.C.. If you're interested let me know and I'll give you some inside scoop -- there is some HC momentum and we're trying to get in as a group, one from NE one from the Mid-Atlantic.

I also just signed up for the Vermont City Marathon.....here we go.

Wake Up Call

Beautiful day (sunny and 70 F), horrible run. This run was a wake up call for me. I need to be more conisstent in my runing, my diet, my hydration, my sleep habits. I need to structure my day better and remember to take time for myself and focus on running. I did about 4ish and it was one of the worst runs I've had in years. I raked and worked in my yard but haven't run since Thursday. The frustrating thing about consistency is that it's all in my control -- I just need to plan my days better.

OK, done venting. Thanks.

Kind of Running

So, I threw down the gauntlet and it worked! Nice job guys way to get out and go. I then got buried under work and fell off the wagon. I had a great week three weeks ago 4 runs capped by a beaut on Cape Cod in which I felt strong fast and very alive. then I ran once the next two weeks. I'm seeking consistency and balance, something hard to do these days.

I've gotten in 2 runs this week with the Hingham Turkey Trot this Thursday. Looking forward to running the BR, VTR and Mrs. VTR. It will be fun. See you soon.

Going

Got out again today for a decent run. Ran parts of various roots. I have no idea how far or how long, but it was definitely in the 3.1-3.5 range. It felt good to get out and I beat the rain.
So that's my three runs and 2 blog contributions for the week. Where are you all?