Big Weekend Workout(s)

Saturday, May 3rd
9am: Target: 8-10 mile progression from 7:00-6:20
Actual: 9.75 miles w/8 steady @6:26 avg. (7:12, 6:26, 6:29, 6:26, 6:29, 6:23, 6:28, 6:19, 6:27, .75 @7:15 pace)
4pm: Target: 10 miles @MP (6:05-6:10)
Actual: 2.25 mile w/u
10 miles @61:00/6:06 avg. (6:14, 6:06, 6:08, 6:06, 6:04, 6:07, 6:00, 6:06, 6:03, 6:03)
.5 mile c/d
Total: 12.75
Daily total: 22.5

Sunday, May 4th
2.25 mile w/u
Run for HAWC "5 Miler" in 29:40 (actually 4.82): 5:55, 6:06, 6:10, 6:20, 5:08 @6:15 pace 
1st place female; $150
3 mile c/d
Total: 10 miles

Weekly total: 95

Whew! Just writing down all the above details took a considerable amount of energy. The fact that all three of these workouts took place within a 24-hour period means I definitely earned the 2+ hour nap with my kitty this afternoon! I'm glad to have this monster block behind me and even more pleased with the outcome.

If you've been following my blog for a while (and if you haven't, what else could you possibly have been doing with your spare time??), you know that usually once a training block I embark on a "double workout day." In the past, this has typically consisted of something shorter and faster in the morning, like a 10k tempo, followed by a longer effort at marathon pace in the evening. The focus is always on the second session, with the objective being to simulate the fatigue of the marathon and practice running fast on already heavy legs. Before Philly, I crushed both sessions and achieved arguably the greatest distinction of my running career, dropping a half-injured, totally unfit Jordan twice in one day. Prior to CIM, I had to get creative due to weather and ended up pounding out a 10k tempo on the indoor track at Harvard (that's a cool 50 laps) and then struggling mightily during a solo point-to-point tempo in hurricane force winds later that afternoon.

This time around, Coach Jordan was either feeling unusually beneficent or seriously doubting my fitness, because he scheduled my morning workout as a fairly relaxed uptempo run rather than something faster than marathon race pace. We set out together on our familiar "double bridge loop," a loop in the true sense of the word that runs from Salem to Beverly and back again without ever doubling over itself. This route is not particularly fast, with plenty of zigs and zags and several rolling sections, but that was sort of the point. Jordan wanted this to feel as much like a "normal" run as possible, allowing my legs to settle into pace naturally. Fortunately I had no problem doing so, and save for a few tricky sections--a gusty incline up the Beverly Bridge in mile 7, and Jordan sprinting to (unsuccessfully) chase down a curmudgeonly driver who honked at us in mile 2--this felt like a jog. The pace fluctuated naturally with the terrain and wind direction, and I never felt like I was pressing or strained. With my legs only moderately fatigued, I was confident round two would be a breeze.

After what seemed like only a few short hours of lounging around trolling the interwebs, Sarah arrived at our door ready for the marathon paced tempo. Have I mentioned how glad I am that she decided to stick things out after a disappointing Boston and run Vermont with me?? With our queenmaker at the helm, we set off on a course that would take us from Salem into Marblehead and back with a short addition at the end. There was only one problem: I was dying. From the outset. My legs felt heavy, my breathing was short and erratic, and I was by no means comfortable at the pace I was supposed to be able to maintain for almost three hours. In hindsight, I think this was because we were charging straight into a 15-mph headwind down an unusually busy street (damn you nice weather for bringing the Salem tourists out in droves). If nothing else, I can find solace in the fact that there's no possible way the marathon will be this much of a cluster--weaving in and out of cars and pedestrians, creatively crossing busy intersections, ignoring various and sundry catcalls (and the creepy guy who drove sloooowly alongside us for almost a quarter mile blasting terrible '90s music like some sort of unrequited soundtrack). This run was neither easy nor particularly fun for me, but all that matters is we got it done on the faster end of our desired pace range and still had enough energy to walk over to our favorite neighborhood pub for a celebratory drink afterward.

Needless to say, I woke up on Sunday morning without the desire to move, much less run, much less run quickly. However, it had been brought to my attention earlier in the week that a race was taking place in Salem that started and finished less than half a mile from our house and offered a tempting $150 prize purse. How could we not jog over and give it a shot?? But after shuffling through two creaky warmup miles at a blistering 8:15 pace, I was less than optimistic. If attaining the victory meant running a single step under six minute pace, I was screwed. Fortunately, all our hopes and dreams came true. No one showed up and the course was short! In fact, my new friend Mariah, whom I met through Larissa last weekend, decisively took second--and she was only running the race as part of her long run. As expected, my legs were utterly and completely trashed and I artfully executed a textbook positive split. (A stiff headwind for the entire second half didn't exactly help.) If yesterday's afternoon effort was meant to feel like the second half of a marathon, this morning definitely felt like the last five miles.

Not a bad way to start the morning: JoKin and I both bringing home the W (and the Benjamins)

But overall, I'm pleased. And tired. Very, very tired. The upcoming week will be a delicate balance of recovering from this weekend's shenanigans and still stringing together one more big chunk of high mileage and respectable workouts before starting the gradual taper process. It all hinges on a very unscientific combination of compression socks, pizza, Nuun, kale smoothies and wine.

T-minus three weeks! 

better than water

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Being a Runner is Funner with Friends

This entry could've more boringly been titled "February in Review." (Yes, that's how far I've fallen with my blogging; I now find it totally acceptable to lump an entire month into one succinct entry.) But I do love me some alliteration AND assonance (God bless my freshman English teacher), and more importantly I really do feel like the opportunities I've had to run and workout with other people comprise the only legitimate training I can claim for the month. In addition to a weekend in the Southeast with Jeannette and some solid miles on the Boston course with Sarah, there's been another exciting development: a new training partner right here on the North Shore! (Oh, and for the record, my weekly mileage for February was: 70, 74, 80, 82. Booooring.)

As many of you know, other than Jordan (when he's in town) and Abbey D (when she's spending a few days at home in between winning national titles), I don't really have any training companions in the Salem-Beverly-Marblehead area who I can logistically run with every day. Driving into Boston and back before work simply isn't feasible, and going there in the evening is usually the last thing I want to do after a long day at the office. Last Sunday, at the 10-miler in Amherst, I ran into Larissa Park at the awards ceremony. I'm not sure if we'd ever been formally introduced, but we were familiar with each other from local races and from her trouncing me at the Beverly Homecoming 5k this past summer. When she told me that she and her husband had recently relocated to Marblehead from Somerville, I was more than pleasantly surprised. She was so close by that we could run to meet each other! She would actually ensure that I got up when my alarm went off in the morning! We immediately took advantage of this newfound proximity by meeting up three separate times last week: on Wednesday morning for a speed workout devised by her coach (in 15 degree-weather), on Friday morning with Jordan for a 10-mile progression run (which was inconceivably even colder than Wednesday), and on Sunday with Jordan and Sarah for some long leisurely miles through Marblehead and Salem. In the span of one week, I'd already done more quality mileage with Larissa than the treadmill slogging I would've suffered through in her absence. If this is a sign of things to come, I think my spring training could finally be looking up!

This happened on Friday morning...

...and, as a result, so did this. #sweatsicles

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Meanwhile, In 2014

Jan 13-19
80 miles
14-mile long run
9-mile hilly uptempo at 6:28 pace
3 runs in Pittsburgh
1 treadmill run

Jan 6-12
65 miles
15-mile long run with the BAA
6 treadmill runs
3 canceled flights

Dec 29-Jan5
70 miles
13-mile long run with Hilary
4-mile race in 23:18
3xmile, 2x800 cutdown at Harvard indoor with Melissa and Sarah B
4 treadmill runs

So, you may have noticed I did not pen an effusive "2013 Year in Review." Or, maybe you didn't. Either way, I haven't written one, largely because there's not much to review in terms of running accomplishments. Honestly, in thinking back to my mindset a year ago, I may have been a bit...overzealous with my aspirations. After all, I was coming off a year of PR's in every distance from 10 miles up to the marathon, and I naively assumed that this trajectory of success would continue to skyrocket on a perfectly linear path right on through the next 12 months.

But, to sum up 2013 in a nutshell: it didn't happen. And that's okay.

Looking ahead, I'm no less motivated or determined to improve than I was last January, but this time around my optimism is also tinged with a healthy dose of reality. In running as in eating airport sushi, there are no guarantees, and I know I need to appreciate exactly where I'm at right now while at the same time striving to get back to--and eventually surpass--where I've been. I can only take it one week at a time.

Despite that heartwarming sentiment, it would be disingenuous of me to claim that the first 19 days of this new year have been all midgets and peanut butter. (Although there was a midget working the water stop at my New Year's Day race. But I digress.) It started out on a promising note, with the aforementioned four-miler on January 1st that took place on our familiar training roads here in Salem. Despite frigid, windy weather (first time I've ever raced in thermal tights, and I was never in any danger of overheating) I managed a halfway respectable 5:50 pace. So you're saying there's a chance! But the first snowstorm of the year roared in less than 24 hours later, ushering in the now-legendary polar vortex, which meant I spent much of the following week trying to convince myself that five and five on the YMCA treadmill was a perfectly acceptable double. Suffice it to say my momentum came to a sputtering halt.

But this week has been better. The air is thawed, the snow banks melted, the black ice practically a distant memory. I got in a few solid runs on a business trip to Pittsburgh, including a 12x1 minute workout that I was way more proud of than could ever possibly be warranted. (One of the ancillary benefits of easing into training again: excessive boosts of pride and self-esteem instantly gained by clearing the lowest of hurdles. Courageously soldiered on for six entire treadmill miles instead of stopping at a lowly five? Brilliant! Only hit the snooze button once this morning? YOU ARE AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE.) On Saturday I took to one of my favorite training grounds (the Marblehead Neck) in some of my least favorite conditions (36 degrees, windy, raining), and surprised myself with a very comfortable uptempo effort on the unrelenting hilly terrain. In another exciting development, I was greeted upon returning from my trip this week by a care package from Nuun, welcoming me as an official member of their 2014 racing team. Rarely is a Nuun bottle far from my grasp whether I'm running, working, traveling or just lounging around pantsless drinking wine and updating my blog (gotta stay hydrated!), so needless to say I'm thrilled to make our relationship official.

Just a small sampling of my goodies from @nuunhydration

Will this trend of positivity continue? All signs point to yes...but, realistically, not next week. I'll be spending Monday night through Sunday in Salt Lake City at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, our biggest trade show of the entire year, and it's a doozy. The week entails a punishing schedule that includes four long days on the expo floor (not including an additional day of setup and a half day of breakdown) consisting of one presentation after another after another. I'll be eating like crap, drinking too much, sleeping too little and thoroughly exhausting myself by having to be unfailingly nice to people the whole damn time. I will also, ineluctably, end up with a cold. This will be my third year in attendance and the first time I'm aspiring to maintain some semblance of training throughout the whole endeavor. (Two years ago it was the week after the Trials, and last year I was darn proud of myself for getting up every morning to slog through six miles on the hotel treadmill.) Best case scenario, I'll get in a few miles of altitude training and not return home sick or morbidly obese. Stay tuned!

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Week in Review

101 miles
5 doubles
20-mile long run
3 successful workouts
14 days until CIM

Wow, what a week. Though it wasn't originally intended as such, this was by far my most intense, high-quality block of the training cycle...and I crushed it! Balancing and adapting to the weather proved to be the most challenging hurdle, but I think I did a pretty good job of rolling with it and maintaining my equanimity. From here there is little left to do but rest up, recover, race the 104th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race in Cincinnati and then taper all the way to the starting line!

Personal success aside, by far the most rewarding part of my week was having the opportunity to hang out with the Fit Girls from Village School in Marblehead on Thursday afternoon. The head coach of Fit Girls, an organization similar to Girls on the Run with over 140 participants, invited me to attend one of their practices and spend some time with the girls. There was never a program like this for me to participate in when I was their age (4th-6th grade), and I can only imagine how many more young girls from my hometown would be engaged in the sport of running if there were! I had a blast and will be cheering these girls on virtually as they complete their target 5k on the same weekend I'm racing CIM.

Which is in exactly two weeks. Yikes!

 

 

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Week in Review

100 miles
5 doubles
3x20 minute workout
2xmedium long run (12 and 13)
4 AFDs

Things are finally starting to come together. The only missing piece this week was a true long run, but I aspire to knock that out tomorrow morning. I could've/should've done it today, but my legs were just too fatigued from yesterday afternoon's lengthy workout. Instead I did an easy 13 with my boss and devoted the rest of the day to recovery (read: eating pizza in my underwear). I'm nervous and excited to tackle 20 tomorrow--SOLO, no less--and I think the way I feel after the two-hour mark will be a reliable harbinger of what's to come in three weeks.
 

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Week in Review

92 miles
4 doubles
4 AFDs

Despite today's disastrous race, I'm actually feeling relatively encouraged about my training. I've felt consistently better on runs and workouts the past few weeks than in the months prior, and other than some hamstring tightness and general body fatigue I'm healthy and strong. With four weeks to go, it's critical that I hit a handful of big workouts and longer runs, but I'm confident I can get it done.

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Week in Review

99-100 miles
4 doubles
1 night in NJ
1 night in PA
2 nights in NYC

I can't be certain that I actually cleared triple digits this week--in reality, 99 is probably more accurate--but regardless I'm darn impressed with myself. Despite a majority of the week spent on the road, a hectic work schedule and far more socializing than usual, I still managed to hit two solid workouts and otherwise squeeze in the miles. I doubt every week of my 31st year will be this eventful, but it's certainly a good one to start with.

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Week in Review

80 miles
3 doubles
2 successful workouts
2 chiropractic appointments

After two scheduled down weeks--the days before and after Hartford--I'd planned to ramp back up to triple digits beginning this past Monday. Thanks to my hip injury scare, that didn't exactly happen. In fact, I'm actually surprised I hit 80 considering I felt like I did virtually nothing from Wednesday to Friday, and had no long run to speak of unless you count Saturday's workout. Assuming my body continues its quick mending process, I hope to return to full-blown marathon mileage next week. With CIM a mere six weeks away, there's simply no time to waste.
 

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Week in Review

77 miles
3 doubles
2 days in MI
1 day in WI
2 days in IL

I generally try to be positive in my blog posts. Nobody wants to read about someone else feeling sorry for herself because she missed a few workout splits or had a less than stellar race when that person is clearly dealing with the epitome of first-world problems. And don't get me wrong; there are plenty of times throughout the course of a given week when I feel pretty darn good about myself. But to be completely honest, Dad (and the other nine people who are reading this), I'm fairly discouraged right now with how my training is going and my prospects for CIM. It's totally unfair, but I can't help comparing each workout and race to how I felt and executed similar workouts and races during my Philly buildup last year. I was running so strong and tough, doing the bulk of my workouts solo (due to an injured queenmaker), and yet I was feeling good and crushing all of them. This time around I don't seem to be making much progress, and even when I do run somewhat fast it's a constant struggle. I know that every training cycle is different, and I realize I have three extra weeks this time around--trust me, I'll need every single one of them--but I'm just being realistic: maybe it's time to reevaluate my goals and expectations for the race. 2:37 is looking like a monumental challenge right now, especially when I'm struggling to run faster than marathon pace during shorter races and workouts. We're still too far out to make any definitive goal changes, but a come to Jesus talk with my coach might be imminent in a few weeks' time if I can't turn things around.

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Week in Review

72 miles
3 doubles
3 days in Hartford
13.1 miles of misery

As I said in my race recap, I've still got a long way to go before I'm ready for CIM. Fortunately, I've got plenty of time! Eight weeks is more than enough to round into shape if I keep plugging away. After yesterday's rough race, I plan to take one more slightly down week before ramping things back up for the bulk of the marathon segment. First things first: a relaxing Sunday and a beautiful seaside wedding for one of our coworkers!

Proof that Jordan and I actually shower sometimes!

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Week in Review

98 miles
5 doubles
5 attempts for 2 workouts
no long run

This wraps up a five-week streak averaging 100 miles (105, 100, 96, 100, 98). This week's workouts posed particular challenges, albeit for very different reasons, but ultimately I was able to execute the quality work. I'm looking forward to a massage tomorrow night, another solid workout on Wednesday morning, and then a two-week mini-taper before the Hartford half on Saturday. 

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Week in Review

100-101 miles
4 doubles 
2 successful workotus
15-mile long run
48 hours in NYC

When asked by a few people if I had a good time in New York this weekend, I replied with total honesty that it was perfect. Though jam-packed, it was 48 hours filled with just the right amount of everything: running, friends, wine, shopping and cake (gluten-free, per the birthday boy's new dietary restrictions). I loved spending time with my favorite Charlotte buddies as well as getting to know Jay's parents and other friends a bit better. Perhaps my favorite part of the weekend was Sunday's long run in the Park, which doubled as a reunion with some of my favorite girls (accompanied by the birthday boy, of course) and included special appearances by Betsy and even Teresa, who is newly transplanted to Brooklyn after a year-long Fulbright Fellowship in India. I barely noticed how tired my legs were from the day before as the miles passed with great conversation.

Looking forward, I'm just under two weeks out from the Hartford Marathon Half. This means I'll likely have two substantial workouts next week before dialing it back with a mini-taper before the race. I'm not quite sure what kind of shape I'm in, but the next fortnight should be very telling.

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Week in Review

96 miles
4 doubles
1 giant check
5 AFDs

Though I wouldn't call this a "down" week, it did end up falling a bit short of my typical weekly mileage due to several factors, mainly work- and head cold-related. Nevertheless, it included many highlights, such as my Saturday morning giant check and a weekend spent in Providence with friends. Today was the CVS 5k, which also doubles as the US 5k Championships, which gave us an opportunity to cheer on Karhu athlete Joe Moore and make ourselves at home as per usual with Kim and Pat. This time around her parents were also visiting from New Zealand, so it was a full and quite jovial house. After watching Molly defend her title and Joe crack the top 10 on Sunday morning, we all headed out to the bike path for Kim and Amy's tempo workout. I jogged easy with Jon and Joe (who was completing his approximately seventh run of the day, including the race) and then tried to conceal my mixture of awe and despair as Jordan paced Kim and Amy to a 5-mile tempo at a clip faster than my one-mile PR. Talk about a totally different level...

Speaking of races, now is a good time to mention I've officially decided to "only" run the half at Hartford in a few weeks. While my fitness is coming around, I'm almost certainly not in shape to win the full marathon and definitely not primed to attain the coveted sub-2:37 A-standard, so frankly what's the point. Instead I'll continue to plug away, race my little heart out in the half-marathon division of the New England's Finest program, and set my sights firmly on the Cal International Marathon in December. It will be hard over the upcoming weeks and months watching my speedy friends race to fast new PRs while I keep training quietly on the sidelines, but I trust the process and am confident it will all be worthwhile come December 8th. 

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Week in Review

100 miles
5 doubles
18-mile long run
2 donuts
2 PSLs

No time to elaborate but wanted to put the numbers out there. Another triple digit week in the books.

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Week in Review

105 miles
3 doubles
3 days in NYC
3 workouts
5 AFDs

Without question, this is the biggest week I've successfully completed since returning to "normal" training at the beginning of July. Not only did I hit my mileage goal, but I actually got in three quality efforts. Further, I had four single runs of 12 miles or more--the longest being Saturday's 17-mile workout, which actually ended up being farther than Sunday's 15-mile "long run" with Jay, Katie and a special guest appearance from Heidi--and those four runs occurred on four consecutive days (Thursday-Sunday). So, while I might have just thrown myself a pity party in the previous entry about my woeful lack of fitness, seeing these stats written down gives me confidence that huge gains are just around the corner.

Running aside, the weekend in NYC was awesome. Mom and I witnessed an epic women's final at the US Open on Sunday (complete with a Bill Clinton sighting! Eek!) and otherwise enjoyed the beautiful weather by taking leisurely walks on the Upper East Side, dining al fresco and taking in a spectacular Broadway production of Kinky Boots. If you are in New York anytime soon and haven't seen this show, make it a priority! (Just don't make the same mistake we did and end up seated next to the most obnoxious, demonstrative, excessively emotional person in the entire audience. Seriously, people, pipe down. It's a play, not a college football game.)

Our view in Arthur Ashe Stadium just before the women's final

And so, just like the final bite of icing from a Sprinkles cupcake (consumed while prone on the floor after Sarah demolished me Saturday morning), all good things must come to an end. Tomorrow is back to Boston, back to work and back to the quotidien. My only solace is knowing that Caitlin and I will be back in three weeks for Jay's epic 30th birthday celebration, which promises revelry and merriment and many more miles with friends. I can't wait!

But in the meantime...I'll just keep grinding.

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(Down) Week in Review

81-82 miles
3 doubles
15-mile long run
2 AFDs

Nothing to see here. Cut it back due to work constraints and the general need for a break in mileage, but ended up with a little bit more than expected without realizing it. Hey, if it felt like enough of a reprieve, then it was! My Friday-Sunday mileage is probably what bumped up the totals due to Jon G. being in town. Jordan and I accompanied him on a Friday morning tempo + evening double, then dragged him around the Neck with Emily for his prescribed 15-miler on Sunday. 

Now that it's finally/already September, it's time for me to get serious. I might actually, you know, start doing some workouts and perhaps try to get in shape. I'll kick things off with a 7k race on Labor Day (guaranteed to be a PR, since I'm pretty sure I've never heard of, much less participated in, a 7k) before hitting the track for some light intervals on Wednesday and then teaming up with Sarah for something frisky in Central Park on Saturday. Let's get after it!

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Week in Review

100 miles
5 doubles
18-mile long run
4 days in MD/VA/DC

Of all the 100-mile weeks I've run over the past few years, I can honestly say this is the one I'm proudest of. Not necessarily for the overall quality or quantity of miles, but for overcoming the challenges posed logistically, mentally and physically by my exhausting work and travel schedule. Many of these runs took place at sunrise or sunset, just before or immediately after yet another busy day on the road. And yet, paradoxically, I felt better on some of these runs than I have in quite some time. Thursday night in particular I had an amazing run along the C&O Canal in Maryland. I'd been traveling and working with my coworker Nora since she picked me up at 6:30am at my hotel. Twelve hours later we were finally finished for the day and headed back toward her house in Maryland. I knew that any run shorter than 90 minutes would put me behind the eight ball for my necessary weekly mileage, but at the time I could barely fathom jogging for 30 minutes. So, I resorted to drastic action. I asked Nora to drop me off at one of the locks along the canal and pick me up 10 miles down the road. I would have no choice but to keep putting one foot in front of the other until I reached our designated meeting place.

Maybe it was the unseasonably autumn-like weather or the change of scenery--I've run on this towpath, which starts in Georgetown, many times but never on this section--but within the first few steps I could tell it was going to be a good run. Countless times in the first 30 minutes I kept cautioning myself to slow down, anticipating the inevitable bonk that would deliver a powerful wallop to my weary body at any minute. But the faster I ran, the better I felt. At 50 minutes I finally allowed myself to release the brake and accelerate to whatever pace my legs dictated. I cruised comfortably through 10 miles in just under 65 minutes, feeling fresher than when I'd started and indescribably rejuvenated. This never, and I mean never, happens to me. More often than not the opposite is true, and I find myself slogging miserably through runs that should feel far easier than the resultant pace indicates. But on this night I honestly felt like I could've run forever, faster and faster, without a care in the world. I'd pay a healthy sum of money to bottle this one up, but maybe its rarity is what makes it so special. (Nah, who am I kidding...I could handle feeling this good every day!)

On Sunday, I capped off the week with a solid solo long run in DC. I'd spent the night with my bestie Jilane after--you guessed it--a long workday on Saturday, and I relished the opportunity to sleep in before heading out the door at the leisurely hour of 9am into an unseasonably cool, gray, drizzly morning in the District. I knew the general route I wanted to traverse, having done variations of it several times before, and the miles passed quickly as I clicked off the familiar DC landmarks. We capped off the morning with our favorite takeout brunch and homemade pop tarts from Ted's Bulletin before Jilane dropped me at the airport. Another crazy, eventful, productive, successful week in the books!

Mmmm Ted's poptarts: chocolate Nutella, blueberry cheesecake, strawberry, cinnamon sugar and PEANUT BUTTER BACON

P.S. If you haven't already, pick up this month's Running Times magazine with my seasonal training buddy and fellow North Shore resident Abbey D'Agostino on the cover! I first met Abbey on Thanksgiving last year when I crushed her spirit she jogged with a friend at the Gabe's Run XC race in Hamilton. We exchanged contact info there and have since taken to meeting for miles anytime she's in town on break. Although this summer that's been a few times per week, in characteristically humble Abbey fashion she didn't so much as mention that she would be the subject of a lengthy feature story (much less the cover model!) in this month's edition until it showed up in my mailbox at work on Tuesday. Naturally, I begged her to autograph it after our Wednesday morning run but she declined. Guess I'll have to find something else to put on e-Bay. But seriously, read about her story and amazing attitude--you'll be inspired!

I'm saving this for when she makes it to the Olympics--Rio 2016!

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Week in Review

96 miles
25k long run in 1:46
5 doubles
4 runs with Jon G.
4 airports (BOS, ATL, BNA, PHL)
1 AFD (oops)

Despite my most valiant effort, I couldn't quite eek out triple digits this week. Actually, that's not true; I could've doubled back for a four-mile slog after my long run on Sunday, but there would be absolutely no point or purpose other than to pad the total. I was actually proud of myself for exhibiting that much self-restraint (aided by a full belly and light buzz after my boss's birthday BBQ on Sunday afternoon, but still).

That said, overall it was a solid week of training, buoyed by runs with some of my favorite people (Wil in Atlanta, occasional guest blogger Jon in Nashville) on some familiar stomping grounds like the Chattahoochee River and the Shelby Bottoms greenway. On Thursday night I was all set for a fun cross-country style race at Percy Warner Park in Nashville with Jon (newly transplanted to the area--as in, he just moved there Monday) but, alas, the typically mercurial summer weather intervened in the form of thunderstorms and torrential downpours, so it was not meant to be. Instead, we did 8x20 second strides on Friday morning and I felt quite accomplished.

Back at home on Saturday morning, I slept in delightfully late only to realize I had managed to miss the entirety of the World Championships marathon (as if I didn't already feel lazy enough). To my surprise, one of my new Italian acquaintances from my Sardinia trip took the silver medal! I "raced" against Valeria at the Chia Laguna Half-Marathon (I use that loosely, seeing as she finished over a mile ahead of me and probably did not walk four times) and I spent a bit of time with her and her family at the resort throughout the trip. She's a nice woman with an incredible story, and it was cool to see that she courageously led the entire race and pushed the pace despite the conditions, prevailing over all but one competitor for a silver medal. If that wasn't enough inspiration for my long run the next day, I don't know what is!

While there are probably no medals of any color in my immediate future, I'm happy to report that I felt stronger and fitter this week than I have any time in recent months. Slowly but surely, my fitness is coming along and I'm making progress toward a great fall season!

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(Down) Week in Review

76 miles
4 doubles
1 day off
2 races in 48 hours
6 avocados

After four weeks of progressive mileage building, it only made sense to take a step back this week, especially when factoring in two weeknight races. I hadn't planned on taking a day off, but after sleeping in on Friday morning I found myself with exactly zero motivation to run after work. So, I didn't. Instead, I read a book and drank a few glasses of wine and fell asleep at 10pm. It was glorious. I capped off the week with two mid-day 20k runs, Saturday with Emily and Jordan around the Marblehead Neck and Sunday with Jordan through Salem and along the coastline in Beverly. 

Most productive part of the weekend: buying new sheets. Weezy approves.

Next week I plan to return to high-mileage business as usual, although things will start with a whimper thanks to a 6:30am flight tomorrow. Starting off with a Monday morning goose egg will make it all the more challenging to hit triple digits--as will the weather in my destination cities, Atlanta and Nashville, which will likely approach triple digits themselves--but I'm up for it. I can feel myself getting stronger with each passing week, and I'm excited to keep laying the foundation for a great fall season!

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(Triple digit!) Week in Review

101 miles
12 runs
15-mile long run
3 runs in Pittsburgh
9 avocados

For the first time since October, I finally broke the century barrier this week--and actually felt good doing it! Maybe there's something to this whole "gradual progression" business. It helped that the weather was much milder, and that I found a great park and nice rail trail while traveling for work in Pittsburgh mid-week. I punctuated the week with an epic fall on the Lincoln trails at Walden Pond on Sunday, but it was still well worth the time spent with friends and a final run with Terry before he and Carly move later next week.

Speaking of next week, I decided today (possibly in a thirst-induced daze at the end of our challenging trail run) to sign up for the Yankee Homecoming 10 Miler in Newburyport on Tuesday night. I'm definitely not race ready, but the prize money goes four deep and I think/hope it's a bit out of the way for most of the metro area's heavy hitters. This wouldn't be an entirely big deal except for the fact that I'm also committed to the Beverly Yankee Homecoming 5k on Thursday night, a race I won last year which boasts exactly zero prize money but does come with hometown bragging rights. Considering how fatigued and wobbly my legs felt at the end of today's effort, I'll need a miraculous turnaround between now and Tuesday if I want to turn in any halfway respectable times. Either way, next week is sure to bring opportunities for future fitness gains!

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