Yankee Homecoming 10 Mile Race Recap

AM: 4 miles easy PM: 1.5 mile w/u Target: Top 4; 60-61 mins. Actual: 5th; 61:33 (including bathroom break) Results 1 mile c/d Total: 13 miles Daily total: 17 miles Coming off of my highest mileage week in the better part of a year, I really had no idea how this race would go. I haven't done a 10-mile race or tempo effort in quite some time, and I certainly wasn't tapering for the effort. Between Sunday's long trail run and Tuesday night's race, I managed to shuffle three short, easy runs around Salem, fervently willing my legs to miraculously...

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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...

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Fall Marathon(s) Announcement!

After much consideration, I am pleased to announce I will be racing not one, but two, fantastic marathons this fall! On October 12th I will be competing for over $6000 in prize money as part of the New England's Finest program at the ING Hartford Marathon. Since moving to the Boston area I've heard nothing but positive comments about this race and New England's Finest, and I'm incredibly excited to have been invited to participate. Last year's winner and a new friend of mine, Hilary Dionne, will be returning to defend her title and improve upon...

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Week in Review

95 miles 5 doubles 1 road race disaster 16-mile long run success 4 AFDs This week was the ultimate test of mental and physical fortitude, as the relentless heat wave continued to grip the Northeast with absolutely no mercy. The weather finally broke late Saturday night, but until that point every run felt like a death march.  No more acutely was this emphasized than at Saturday's Seacoast Seven, a road race in Gloucester that I'd scouted online because it was less than 30 minutes from our house and promised prize money (though how much was...

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Week in Review

90 miles 11 runs 1 trail race victory 3 runs in PVD 12 avocados Still not quite the triple digits I was hoping for, but overall I'm pleased with this week especially in light of the recent heat wave that has relentlessly gripped all of New England. Having spent plenty of summers on the precipice of hell in Atlanta, Charlotte and East Texas, I can honestly say this ranks right up there with the sweatiest of them, and with no sign of breaking for...

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Hillies Havoc 4 Mile Trail Race

AM: 10k easy PM: 3 mile w/u Target: win, don't get lost, don't fall Actual: 2 for 3 First place. OVERALL. North Shore Timing don't lie, y'all. Results Total: 7 miles Daily total: 13+ miles For the second Thursday in a row, this time in the evening, Jordan and I would be setting up the 'ol Karhu tent for the next installment of the North Shore YMCA Road Race Series. Despite the series moniker, this would actually be its sole trail race, although...

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Week in Review

85 miles 11 runs 1 road race victory 1 hitchhiking incident 10? avocados  This wasn't a perfect first week of training, but it was a start. I'm learning pretty quickly that I need to relinquish the mindset of making direct comparisons to last summer. Back in the glory days of July '12, it was so easy, so seamless (at least in hindsight) to transition into triple digits. This time around I seem to be working harder and struggling more on "easy" runs, although in my defense I think it has to be due in no small part to this oppressive heat...

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Lynn Woods "Long Run"

Emily and I have been meaning to get out to Lynn Woods for quite some time. In particular, I've heard rave reviews from North Shore residents and many of the Thursday night Wicked crew. In fact, at a 4th of July BBQ with said Wicked runners I spent several minutes chatting with my friend Mickel about the possibility of a Saturday morning group run. I passed along the news to Emily, and we agreed to meet up with their crew, at least at the outset...

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Happy 4th! Firecracker 4 Mile Race Recap

1.5 mile w/u Target: Win, don't die of heat stroke Actual: 23:47, 1st place female, 9th overall Results 1 mile c/d Total: 6.5 miles Full disclosure: if Karhu and Craft didn't sponsor the YMCA North Shore Road Race Series, there's no way I would've been able to summon the energy to get up early and race this morning. It's a holiday and, more importantly, it's just way too hot. In fact, when I took my first few steps out the door I was instantly reminded of the oppressive weather from another four-mile race in Charlotte several years ago. As we...

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