Day 31 - The last day of the first month of the new year found myself, Frank G., Glenn S., Jim Q., and Andy C. at Gold's Gym in Chelmsford for the weekly group run. Missing this morning is Fil (foot issues acting up) and Jim R. (last minute cancellation).
Today was a good opportunity for me to finally make up some ground on Fil in overall mileage. Coming into this morning I had 155+ and Fil lead with 168+. This was the first weekend run in a long time that I didn't run with my buddy Fil. Oh how I'll miss kicking his butt.
Frank and I planned to put in 15 at about a 7:30 pace. Glenn & Co had their own targets for the day. The weather was about the same as yesterday's Fudgicle race, but a tad bit "warmer". It was about 10 degrees, and sunny, when the group departed from Gold's at about 8:15AM.
The group hung together through the first 3 miles, and I chatted it up with Jim Q. I learned that he was going back to the Azores this summer and I think he managed to convince me to go with him. His planned, daily itinerary for his August trip? Run, eat, Run, eat, Run, eat, get drunk, fall down. I'm in!
Frank and I broke off from the group around mile 5, and we were starting to edge closer to the 7:30 pace by the time we came up on Robin Hill Road at mile 5.75. The actual hill itself is about 1/4 of a mile from bottom to top, and then it's a steady downhill for about 2.5 miles.
Mile 10 found the two of us sprinting the hill on Mill Rd, and once again, we managed to keep pace, and actually pick up our pace to 7:25, by the time we got to the bottom at mile 12.
The final stretches of the run took us down Stedman St for a rolling 2 miles, where we managed to pick up our pace once again, before turning onto Westford St, and back to home base at Gold's. We completed this stretch in sub 7's, but I struggled as Frank the Tank easily took off down Drum Hill Road.
The final tally for our run ended up being roughly 15 miles in 1 hr 49 mins (7:16 pace).
I actually felt better today than last weekend in Derry, thanks in large part to a calf muscle that cooperated.
Glenn ran all over creation, and thensome, to get in 17.5 in 144+ minutes (8:16 pace).
Jim and Andy can post their results below.
Excellent running overall.
Post Script: Fil just texted me and said he managed to put in 6.25 miles through the scenic streets of greater Lowell in about 48 minutes. He encountered one pit bull, so that explains how he was able to run so fast. Nice job, Speedster!
Jan 30th, 2010 - Race - Tewskbury, MA - 3.14
Day 30 - So it's not an official Fudgicle series unless the temps reach -10? Well, Dave, it's now official.
Well, not until we get the official results posted, but I am going to have to call it official with the temps reaching dangerously close to the "permanent walnut impairment" level. That's good enough for me.
Before heading out and bundling up this morning, I pulled a Glenn S. (or to be more precise, Glenn S.'s grand kid) and wrapped an Ace Bandage around my sore calf. It really works!
As for bundling up, I had on two layers down below, four layers up top, my "bakclava" (yum), beanie, head warmer, two pairs of mittens, sunglasses, and brain damage. Even with all of this on, I still could not feel a couple of my toes, and either hands, for about 2 miles during the race.
I don't know what it is or how the body works, but everything completely warmed up a little after mile 2. Temps were still the same, and there was even a headwind, but hands and feet completely warmed up. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the walnuts though.
The race itself was uneventful (where was Frank!?) for some of us. I managed to run the same time as last week (19:22), and once again captured 2nd place (Thanks, Dan!). Only notable event for me was my mini duel in the "sun" with a "new face". He passed me, to take over 2nd place, at about the half mile mark going pretty strong, but I managed to pass him back, a little before the 2 mile mark, to recapture 2nd for the remainder of the race.
I could definitely feel the benefits of the weekly track workouts with GLRR coming into play today. When I noticed that new face was struggling with keeping his hands warm, I made a surge and passed him easily. Typically, I would have fallen back a bit after passing someone this early in the race, but because of the track workouts, I was able to hang on and even kick it up a notch for the final mile. Very nice feeling to see the hard work pay off (Thanks, GLRR!).
It appears that Andy C. had an eventful day. Apparently, he was late to the starting line by about 1 minute (even though Fil and I saw him warming up). What happened Andy? Andy is usually right on my tail at this race, and it wasn't the same not having him breath down my neck for at least a part of this race. Andy still managed to make up a lot of ground on the the majority of runners though. Nice job!
Maybe a long run with most of the GLRR crew tomorrow morning from Gold's Gym.
Well, not until we get the official results posted, but I am going to have to call it official with the temps reaching dangerously close to the "permanent walnut impairment" level. That's good enough for me.
Before heading out and bundling up this morning, I pulled a Glenn S. (or to be more precise, Glenn S.'s grand kid) and wrapped an Ace Bandage around my sore calf. It really works!
As for bundling up, I had on two layers down below, four layers up top, my "bakclava" (yum), beanie, head warmer, two pairs of mittens, sunglasses, and brain damage. Even with all of this on, I still could not feel a couple of my toes, and either hands, for about 2 miles during the race.
I don't know what it is or how the body works, but everything completely warmed up a little after mile 2. Temps were still the same, and there was even a headwind, but hands and feet completely warmed up. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the walnuts though.
The race itself was uneventful (where was Frank!?) for some of us. I managed to run the same time as last week (19:22), and once again captured 2nd place (Thanks, Dan!). Only notable event for me was my mini duel in the "sun" with a "new face". He passed me, to take over 2nd place, at about the half mile mark going pretty strong, but I managed to pass him back, a little before the 2 mile mark, to recapture 2nd for the remainder of the race.
I could definitely feel the benefits of the weekly track workouts with GLRR coming into play today. When I noticed that new face was struggling with keeping his hands warm, I made a surge and passed him easily. Typically, I would have fallen back a bit after passing someone this early in the race, but because of the track workouts, I was able to hang on and even kick it up a notch for the final mile. Very nice feeling to see the hard work pay off (Thanks, GLRR!).
It appears that Andy C. had an eventful day. Apparently, he was late to the starting line by about 1 minute (even though Fil and I saw him warming up). What happened Andy? Andy is usually right on my tail at this race, and it wasn't the same not having him breath down my neck for at least a part of this race. Andy still managed to make up a lot of ground on the the majority of runners though. Nice job!
Maybe a long run with most of the GLRR crew tomorrow morning from Gold's Gym.
Jan 29th, 2010 - Training - Dracut, MA - 3.1
Day 29 - Highlight of the day? Found the opening theme for 365 Days The Movie: The Distance by Cake
Extremely cold day today, so running outside was out of the question. I didn't want to risk running on a sore calf in these temps.
Managed to get home early from work to try to get in the 3 miles, but quickly discovered that both deathmills at my apartment were out of commission. Good. I hope they take them out back and put them out of their misery, and get some new ones.
Had to call in reinforcements (thanks, Kelly!) at the last minute to get in my 3 miles. Kelly let me use her gym over at her place, and off I went. Nice and steady 5k, with more of a focus on the workout afterwards. Time to ramp up on the sit-ups and push-ups in anticipation of FBI Phase III workout next week at the Harvard track.
Adding sore collar bone to the injury list. Most likely the result of my spill last night in Lexington High parking lot.
Expected temps for tomorrow's Fudgicle 5k? -10!!!!! Might have to just take it easy to avoid injury. Yeah, right.
Extremely cold day today, so running outside was out of the question. I didn't want to risk running on a sore calf in these temps.
Managed to get home early from work to try to get in the 3 miles, but quickly discovered that both deathmills at my apartment were out of commission. Good. I hope they take them out back and put them out of their misery, and get some new ones.
Had to call in reinforcements (thanks, Kelly!) at the last minute to get in my 3 miles. Kelly let me use her gym over at her place, and off I went. Nice and steady 5k, with more of a focus on the workout afterwards. Time to ramp up on the sit-ups and push-ups in anticipation of FBI Phase III workout next week at the Harvard track.
Adding sore collar bone to the injury list. Most likely the result of my spill last night in Lexington High parking lot.
Expected temps for tomorrow's Fudgicle 5k? -10!!!!! Might have to just take it easy to avoid injury. Yeah, right.
Jan 28th, 2010 - Track Workout - 6
Day 28 - The cold has finally returned, and so has my hatred for New England winters. The windchill factor brought the outside temps down to almost 0 degrees! when Fil and I drove out to Lexington for our weekly track workout with the GLRR crew.
Tonight's workout schedule consisted of a 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400 ladder, and to top it off, 4 x 1 slices of buffalo chicken pizza at Mario's. Speaking of schedules, I apparently can't keep one. Fil and I showed up late to the workout due to the fact that I forgot that all James Cameron films are 3 f'n hours long! I'm more sore from sitting through Avatar then from my workout (really fun film by the way, but you have to see it in IMAX 3D!).
Glenn & Co were already stretched out and warmed up by the time Fil and I got to the cousin of the Hamster-Dome, the Rat-Dome. As a matter of fact, Fil and I took two hard falls before we even got started! I took my spill out in the parking lot looking for my Garmin watch, and Fil took his spill on the stairs going to the little boy's room. NO RUNNING or HUMPING on ice!
For the first time, Fil and I had to pace our workout without the aid of Atomic (Clock) Man Jim S. Our lonely twosome workout wasn't as much fun as when we got to run with the big boys, but Fil and I made due with what we had.
I suck at pacing, so I went out like a bat out of hell for the 400 & 800 intervals, and brought it back down to earth for the 1200 & 1600. I did manage to eek out a sub 6 minute pace for my workout, which ended up being a total of 4 miles. Fil was somewhere above 6's throughout his workout, so what does that usually mean when someone else runs a little faster than someone else on a short track, especially in the 1600 meter event? You got that right!;)
Overall, it was a great workout other than the fact that my left calf (tightness from Derry, still) felt like it was ready to pop. Fil's planter fascimile (it's late, I'm not looking up the spelling) was starting to act up again.
Useless side notes:
- I spilt beer all over myself at Mario's (I was debating whether to include this in the blog tonight, since it is
MY blog).
- Colin spilt beer all over the table (This was definitely going in the blog, since it is MY blog).
- Fil taught me my first Portuguese word, but I still can't figure out if it's a swear or not.
- It was when he asked me to pass the knife in his native tongue. Excuse me?!
Tonight's workout schedule consisted of a 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400 ladder, and to top it off, 4 x 1 slices of buffalo chicken pizza at Mario's. Speaking of schedules, I apparently can't keep one. Fil and I showed up late to the workout due to the fact that I forgot that all James Cameron films are 3 f'n hours long! I'm more sore from sitting through Avatar then from my workout (really fun film by the way, but you have to see it in IMAX 3D!).
Glenn & Co were already stretched out and warmed up by the time Fil and I got to the cousin of the Hamster-Dome, the Rat-Dome. As a matter of fact, Fil and I took two hard falls before we even got started! I took my spill out in the parking lot looking for my Garmin watch, and Fil took his spill on the stairs going to the little boy's room. NO RUNNING or HUMPING on ice!
For the first time, Fil and I had to pace our workout without the aid of Atomic (Clock) Man Jim S. Our lonely twosome workout wasn't as much fun as when we got to run with the big boys, but Fil and I made due with what we had.
I suck at pacing, so I went out like a bat out of hell for the 400 & 800 intervals, and brought it back down to earth for the 1200 & 1600. I did manage to eek out a sub 6 minute pace for my workout, which ended up being a total of 4 miles. Fil was somewhere above 6's throughout his workout, so what does that usually mean when someone else runs a little faster than someone else on a short track, especially in the 1600 meter event? You got that right!;)
Overall, it was a great workout other than the fact that my left calf (tightness from Derry, still) felt like it was ready to pop. Fil's planter fascimile (it's late, I'm not looking up the spelling) was starting to act up again.
Useless side notes:
- I spilt beer all over myself at Mario's (I was debating whether to include this in the blog tonight, since it is
MY blog).
- Colin spilt beer all over the table (This was definitely going in the blog, since it is MY blog).
- Fil taught me my first Portuguese word, but I still can't figure out if it's a swear or not.
- It was when he asked me to pass the knife in his native tongue. Excuse me?!
Jan 27th, 2010 - Training - Lowell - 6
Day 27 - What a whirlwind day!
I woke up at 5AM in NYC, went to my interview/exam at the FBI office at 7AM (I think I nailed it!), got out of there at 10:30AM, hailed a taxi and booked it to LGA by 11AM, changed my flight from 7PM to 12PM, landed in Boston at 1PM, Rachel (believe it or not, she had a crazier day than me. She really had a WORLD wind day) picked me up at Logan at 1:30, went out to lunch, got home by 2:30, unpacked, "threw out the keys", took a nap from 3:30 to 6, went out for a 6 miler around the river, worked out in the gym, had dinner, and now I am typing this long ass run-on sentence at 10PM. I'm tired. Good night.
I woke up at 5AM in NYC, went to my interview/exam at the FBI office at 7AM (I think I nailed it!), got out of there at 10:30AM, hailed a taxi and booked it to LGA by 11AM, changed my flight from 7PM to 12PM, landed in Boston at 1PM, Rachel (believe it or not, she had a crazier day than me. She really had a WORLD wind day) picked me up at Logan at 1:30, went out to lunch, got home by 2:30, unpacked, "threw out the keys", took a nap from 3:30 to 6, went out for a 6 miler around the river, worked out in the gym, had dinner, and now I am typing this long ass run-on sentence at 10PM. I'm tired. Good night.
Jan 26th, 2010 - Training - NYC - 3.1
Day 26 - This was my first trip back to NYC since the marathon back in Nov '09. It wasn't my best marathon (3:20) last year, but I love coming back to this city! There's something about this city that makes you want to run: the energy, the sights, the sounds, the traffic? Definitely the traffic.
I was back in NYC for my interview with the FBI (Special Agent candidate - Phase II) the following morning at 7AM. My original plan was to put in a run around the city once I got to the hotel around 9PM, grab a bite to eat, do some studying, and go to bed.
Unfortunately, my flight from Boston got delayed by an hour and I didn't land in NYC until about 9:30PM, and then it was a 30 minute taxi ride from LGA to my hotel, which overlooked Ground Zero. More about that later.
I checked into my room at 10:30 and boy was I was hungry! I knew I wouldn't want to go for a run on a full stomach, and then it would be too late to go for a run once the food digested, so I decided to just suck it up and head down to the gym and get in my 3 miles for the day.
The hotel gym was on the 5th floor, and it was completely empty (I guess nobody else had to put in their 3 miles for their own pact). The equipment was very nice (it better be for $300 per night!), but the most amazing aspect was the view! It overlooked what was once the World Trade Center towers, Ground Zero, and now the construction site of the forthcoming towers. It was a very emotional moment to look out over what was once there, but at the same time, very awe-inspiring to see what was going to rise out of the ashes.
I quickly put in a 5k (6:41 pace) and headed back to the room to grab some dinner at 11PM! Ordered chicken soup and a chicken salad wrap...$45!! Our tax dollars hard at work.
Time for bed. I am so tired that I couldn't think of one single witty thing to add to this entry....pants on the floor!!
See.
I was back in NYC for my interview with the FBI (Special Agent candidate - Phase II) the following morning at 7AM. My original plan was to put in a run around the city once I got to the hotel around 9PM, grab a bite to eat, do some studying, and go to bed.
Unfortunately, my flight from Boston got delayed by an hour and I didn't land in NYC until about 9:30PM, and then it was a 30 minute taxi ride from LGA to my hotel, which overlooked Ground Zero. More about that later.
I checked into my room at 10:30 and boy was I was hungry! I knew I wouldn't want to go for a run on a full stomach, and then it would be too late to go for a run once the food digested, so I decided to just suck it up and head down to the gym and get in my 3 miles for the day.
The hotel gym was on the 5th floor, and it was completely empty (I guess nobody else had to put in their 3 miles for their own pact). The equipment was very nice (it better be for $300 per night!), but the most amazing aspect was the view! It overlooked what was once the World Trade Center towers, Ground Zero, and now the construction site of the forthcoming towers. It was a very emotional moment to look out over what was once there, but at the same time, very awe-inspiring to see what was going to rise out of the ashes.
I quickly put in a 5k (6:41 pace) and headed back to the room to grab some dinner at 11PM! Ordered chicken soup and a chicken salad wrap...$45!! Our tax dollars hard at work.
Time for bed. I am so tired that I couldn't think of one single witty thing to add to this entry....pants on the floor!!
See.
Jan 25th, 2010 - Addendum - 4
Day 25 Part II - Breaking News! Supreme Court Justice Glenn Stewart over-ruled our previous decision, which had certified that our 3 mile pact was still in fact intact (say that one time fast!). This was based on our actions earlier in the day in which Fil and I made a half-hearted attempt to continue our 3 mile streak by cross-training on the stationary bike. Stewart ruled that stationary bikes are for wussies and it does not, and should not, fall under the terms, "In Any Manner". Because Justice Stewart has already logged in 230+ miles for the year, we feared for our lives knowing that he could kick our ass any day of the week. Besides, he was nice enough to post my blog on the GLRR website!! Thanks, Glenn!
Besides, Glenn has a point. Under the current pact terms, we could technically cover the 3 mile minimum in our cars....hmmmm....
Without further ado, here's Part II to Day 25...
Why are there 24 hrs in a day? So people like Fil and I can run while most people are getting ready for bed. Poor Fil. He should be either starting or finishing up his make up run right about now, and it's 11PM! See also OCD.
It all started innocently enough. I got up this morning and my left calf was still sore. The weather was wet and crappy. Fil was still recovering from his head cold. We were both hurting from the Derry 16 Miler. I even took a mental health day to get some stuff done and to put in a workout with Fil at lunch time at a nice leisurely pace.
I got to the gym and we decided to do some cross-training to get in our 3 miles. I mean our pact does say, IN ANY MANNER! I did 3 miles on the bike, Fil did 4+. Then he did 1.5 on the treadmill, and I did 1. On some planet, that must be the equiavalent of 3 running miles, right? WRONG! On Planet Stewart, that's the equivalent of 1.5 miles and 1 mile! In other words, bikes are for wussies! There's no biking in running!
We did our workout and I went home to enjoy the rest of the day. I was in such a good mood that I wrote up the blog entry nice and early for all to enjoy. It was when I got to the GLRR meeting at 7:30 that Glenn made his ruling. Thanks for kicking my butt and calling me out, Glenn:) You don't need a VP to kick butt, you do that well enough on your own!
So, after downing a beer, a slice of pizza, and a handful of stale popcorn, I went home, put on my running gear and headed back out the door. To hell with a strained calf muscle! To hell with running in the dark, through the streets of Lowell! To hell with hell! I was going to legitimately keep the streak alive, even if it meant me laying face down in a dirty ditch.
It was a gorgeous night for a run: 55 degrees with a cool breeze. I was wearing shorts in the middle of the night in the middle of winter! It felt so good that I decided to dedicate this run to the Good Times Series. I ran most of my add on miles along the 5k course.
Twenty-two minutes later, I finished the evening off with a total of 3 miles, and 4 total for the entire day (7 if you're from Planet Biking Should Count as Running Miles). The good news, both of my calves feel the same now. The bad news, my right calf hurts just as much as my left calf!
Oh, what about Fil? He reffed a game up in Milford, NH and left there around 9:30PM. That's when he got wind of the landmark ruling by Justice Stewart. Fil is not keen on running outside in the middle of the night, in the middle of NH (He only does that for 200 mile relays). So what did he do? He drove 35 minutes from Milford to his work's gym in Chelmsford to get in his 3+ miles! It's now 11:30 PM and he's finally in the showers after putting in 3.25 miles. That my friend is good old fashioned OCD in action! Good luck getting to bed before 2AM, buddy!:)
Well, it's 12AM here and it's officially Day 26, so I'll shut up until I write again in about 23 hrs from Gotham City!!
Interesting Fact: Guiness Records just notified me that I have set the world record for having the most useless links in a running blog.
Besides, Glenn has a point. Under the current pact terms, we could technically cover the 3 mile minimum in our cars....hmmmm....
Without further ado, here's Part II to Day 25...
Why are there 24 hrs in a day? So people like Fil and I can run while most people are getting ready for bed. Poor Fil. He should be either starting or finishing up his make up run right about now, and it's 11PM! See also OCD.
It all started innocently enough. I got up this morning and my left calf was still sore. The weather was wet and crappy. Fil was still recovering from his head cold. We were both hurting from the Derry 16 Miler. I even took a mental health day to get some stuff done and to put in a workout with Fil at lunch time at a nice leisurely pace.
I got to the gym and we decided to do some cross-training to get in our 3 miles. I mean our pact does say, IN ANY MANNER! I did 3 miles on the bike, Fil did 4+. Then he did 1.5 on the treadmill, and I did 1. On some planet, that must be the equiavalent of 3 running miles, right? WRONG! On Planet Stewart, that's the equivalent of 1.5 miles and 1 mile! In other words, bikes are for wussies! There's no biking in running!
We did our workout and I went home to enjoy the rest of the day. I was in such a good mood that I wrote up the blog entry nice and early for all to enjoy. It was when I got to the GLRR meeting at 7:30 that Glenn made his ruling. Thanks for kicking my butt and calling me out, Glenn:) You don't need a VP to kick butt, you do that well enough on your own!
So, after downing a beer, a slice of pizza, and a handful of stale popcorn, I went home, put on my running gear and headed back out the door. To hell with a strained calf muscle! To hell with running in the dark, through the streets of Lowell! To hell with hell! I was going to legitimately keep the streak alive, even if it meant me laying face down in a dirty ditch.
It was a gorgeous night for a run: 55 degrees with a cool breeze. I was wearing shorts in the middle of the night in the middle of winter! It felt so good that I decided to dedicate this run to the Good Times Series. I ran most of my add on miles along the 5k course.
Twenty-two minutes later, I finished the evening off with a total of 3 miles, and 4 total for the entire day (7 if you're from Planet Biking Should Count as Running Miles). The good news, both of my calves feel the same now. The bad news, my right calf hurts just as much as my left calf!
Oh, what about Fil? He reffed a game up in Milford, NH and left there around 9:30PM. That's when he got wind of the landmark ruling by Justice Stewart. Fil is not keen on running outside in the middle of the night, in the middle of NH (He only does that for 200 mile relays). So what did he do? He drove 35 minutes from Milford to his work's gym in Chelmsford to get in his 3+ miles! It's now 11:30 PM and he's finally in the showers after putting in 3.25 miles. That my friend is good old fashioned OCD in action! Good luck getting to bed before 2AM, buddy!:)
Well, it's 12AM here and it's officially Day 26, so I'll shut up until I write again in about 23 hrs from Gotham City!!
Interesting Fact: Guiness Records just notified me that I have set the world record for having the most useless links in a running blog.
Jan 25th, 2010 - Training - Chelmsford, MA - 3
Day 25 - Fil and I had to consult with our lawyers today, and they brought out the 3 mile pact contract to see if we were in violation of any convenants. After a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo, back and forth, abacadabra, it appears that Fil and I are still in good standing thanks in large part to my foresight. I included a line in the original contract to say, "In Any Manner".
Even if I didn't I would have just gone back and edited my original post to say that. YAY for time travel!
The reason for all of this hoopla is the fact that Fil and I were the walking wounded this morning as a result of yesterday's Derry 16 Mile Death March. My left calf muscle was still tight and sore, and Fil wasn't feeling that great either.
We hit the stationary bike, at his work gym, for 3 to 4 miles, and completed a mile or two on the greatest thing ever invented, the treadmill! Based on my calculations and conversion chart, we ended up doing the equivalent of a marathon today, but we'll just round down and say it was just 3 miles worth of running. That should make the lawyers happy.
Tomorrow may be the first "run before work" attempt for myself. I won't have time after work as I will be whisked away in an unmarked, black, government chopper to a secured, undisclosed location for my interview...well, not quite that dramatic, but you get the picture.
Serious Note: GLRR meeting tonight at Hookslide's in Lowell - 7PM. Improv Nite! No cover charge and you can watch Glenn try to come up with something to say. OK, it was a half serious note.
Even if I didn't I would have just gone back and edited my original post to say that. YAY for time travel!
The reason for all of this hoopla is the fact that Fil and I were the walking wounded this morning as a result of yesterday's Derry 16 Mile Death March. My left calf muscle was still tight and sore, and Fil wasn't feeling that great either.
We hit the stationary bike, at his work gym, for 3 to 4 miles, and completed a mile or two on the greatest thing ever invented, the treadmill! Based on my calculations and conversion chart, we ended up doing the equivalent of a marathon today, but we'll just round down and say it was just 3 miles worth of running. That should make the lawyers happy.
Tomorrow may be the first "run before work" attempt for myself. I won't have time after work as I will be whisked away in an unmarked, black, government chopper to a secured, undisclosed location for my interview...well, not quite that dramatic, but you get the picture.
Serious Note: GLRR meeting tonight at Hookslide's in Lowell - 7PM. Improv Nite! No cover charge and you can watch Glenn try to come up with something to say. OK, it was a half serious note.
Jan 24th, 2010 - Race - Derry, NH - 16
Day 24 - There's only one Boston Prep 16 Miler, and thank heavens! I don't know if I could handle doing another race like this. Oh wait, there is another race like this, it's called the Boston Marathon: A fast start, lots of early downhills, a demoralizing uphill portion near the end, and a finish filled with delight! The only things missing are screaming Wellesley girls, drunk BC students, a Sox game in progress, and a left turn finish.
The 15th edition of the Prep was put on by the great folks over at GDTC. Dave Breeden & Co always put on an incredible event with an incredible spread afterwards. I've timed this race for Dave many times in the past (including the year where our timing devices froze!!), so I made it a note last year that I wanted to run this race in 2010. Thanks for the entry, Dave!!
Fil, myself, and 705 of our closest running friends and enemies descended (ascended) onto Derry for this annual rite of passage. For many of the runners today, Fil and I included, it was a stop on our journey towards Boston 2010.
I got to the Derry Village School (race central) relatively early and was ready by the time 10AM rolled around. Temps were in the mid 20's when the gun went off at 10:10. Patrick Moulton (2007 winner) and Andy McCarron (2009 winner) led the lead pack (pretty much for the entire race). Patrick won in a time of 1:25 (gulp). To put things in perspective, I was at about mile 12.5 at this point!
But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Shortly after the start, I dropped in behind a fellow running buddy who I knew wanted to run about the same pace (7's ) as myself. Fil on the other hand, was battling a head cold, so he dropped a little further back and wanted to run his own race. An amazing effort by Fil considering all of his whining, some of it must have been true:)
I continued on my race agenda of starting "slow", but miles 3 through 8 made it extremely difficult as there were a lot more steep downhills then I had antipicated. Everybody talks about the hills after 9, but nobody mentions the downhills (except for Andy C, but I didn't get his message until I got home from the race!). I can't imagine running these downhills, like in prior years, when the conditions are a lot slicker. Like Andy said, it could be a suicide romp.
My left calf muscle didn't take too well to the beating dished out by the Derry downhills. The muscle (stupid muscle) decided to call it a day at some point after mile 5. It started with a slight "tweak" that continued to tighten, and that's when I knew I could be in for a long day. I just prayed that it didn't tighten up any further or else I would be walking real quick, and real slow. This is what I get for stretching, for the first time ever, before a race. I should have taken the lion's advice. Does he stretch before chasing his prey?
I was way ahead of my pace at this point in the race (6:35's). On the one hand, it was nice to have a pace buffer heading into the hills, on the other hand, I knew I was going out way too fast and could not keep up that pace without dying before the finish.
The first serious hill around mile 9 was a blessing and a bane. A blessing in that it helped me stretch out my calves without stopping. A bane because it was a god damn hill! I was actually looking forward to the hills to see what all the hype was about, and to get them out of the way. Overrated! Just kidding.
The uphills were as nasty as advertised, but they flew by for me at this point. Fortunately, I had finally managed to settle into the runner's high around mile 8, where my breathing was matching up perfectly with my turnover. Everything felt effortless, but the thought of my left calf muscle cramping up, completely, was always in the back of my mind. This probably cost me at least five minutes in the overall picture as I did everything I could, short of stopping/stretching, to prevent it from locking up.
I reached the half-marathon mark right around 1 hr 30 mins, just about what I had projected. The final 2.5 miles of the course is a steady downhill leading right to the final quarter mile, uphill finish. I didn't want to, but had to take some GU around mile 14 in order to get a much needed boost for the final stretch. I was completely out of the runner's high of earlier, and right into a runner's low around mile 14.5. I couldn't have been happier when I finally saw the mile 15 marker. Whatever adrenaline (GU) I had left in my body kicked in and that in turn help me kick it in for the final uphill portion.
I crossed the finish line in 1 hr 52 mins with a nice finishing kick, which is what I am most proud of. I take pride in my finish, and today was no different. Thankfully, my left calf muscle cooperated in my effort (sorry for calling you stupid earlier). 57th overall, (15/41 Age Group), 7:01 pace...so close!
Fil finished in 151st place (48/139) with a time of 2:03 (7:44 pace) and one nasty head cold. Way to go, sicko!:)
Needless to say, Fil and I got in our 3 mile run for today.
Other fellow GLRR members/Facebook friends (that I recognize) finishing the race. Please let me know if you find others that I can add to this list:
Alton Eckel: 149th (4/51) - 2:03 (7:44) - 2nd in Age Group award winner!
Cullen Madden: 310th (34/41) - 2:14 (8:26)
Jessica Costa: 522nd (63/105) - 2:32 (9:31)
Doug Sylvester: 696th (122/124) - 3:16 (12:17)
2010 Boston Prep 16 Miler Results
Overall, it was definitely a VERY difficult race, but the ideal race conditions (30's, overcast, clear roads), considering the weather history of this race, made it relatively "easier". I now look forward to taking on its Big Brother, Boston 2010.
Epilogue:
I jumped in the shower after getting back home, and got the shock of my life. I think other fellow male distance runners can relate to the pain that I am talking about:)
The 15th edition of the Prep was put on by the great folks over at GDTC. Dave Breeden & Co always put on an incredible event with an incredible spread afterwards. I've timed this race for Dave many times in the past (including the year where our timing devices froze!!), so I made it a note last year that I wanted to run this race in 2010. Thanks for the entry, Dave!!
Fil, myself, and 705 of our closest running friends and enemies descended (ascended) onto Derry for this annual rite of passage. For many of the runners today, Fil and I included, it was a stop on our journey towards Boston 2010.
I got to the Derry Village School (race central) relatively early and was ready by the time 10AM rolled around. Temps were in the mid 20's when the gun went off at 10:10. Patrick Moulton (2007 winner) and Andy McCarron (2009 winner) led the lead pack (pretty much for the entire race). Patrick won in a time of 1:25 (gulp). To put things in perspective, I was at about mile 12.5 at this point!
But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Shortly after the start, I dropped in behind a fellow running buddy who I knew wanted to run about the same pace (7's ) as myself. Fil on the other hand, was battling a head cold, so he dropped a little further back and wanted to run his own race. An amazing effort by Fil considering all of his whining, some of it must have been true:)
I continued on my race agenda of starting "slow", but miles 3 through 8 made it extremely difficult as there were a lot more steep downhills then I had antipicated. Everybody talks about the hills after 9, but nobody mentions the downhills (except for Andy C, but I didn't get his message until I got home from the race!). I can't imagine running these downhills, like in prior years, when the conditions are a lot slicker. Like Andy said, it could be a suicide romp.
My left calf muscle didn't take too well to the beating dished out by the Derry downhills. The muscle (stupid muscle) decided to call it a day at some point after mile 5. It started with a slight "tweak" that continued to tighten, and that's when I knew I could be in for a long day. I just prayed that it didn't tighten up any further or else I would be walking real quick, and real slow. This is what I get for stretching, for the first time ever, before a race. I should have taken the lion's advice. Does he stretch before chasing his prey?
I was way ahead of my pace at this point in the race (6:35's). On the one hand, it was nice to have a pace buffer heading into the hills, on the other hand, I knew I was going out way too fast and could not keep up that pace without dying before the finish.
The first serious hill around mile 9 was a blessing and a bane. A blessing in that it helped me stretch out my calves without stopping. A bane because it was a god damn hill! I was actually looking forward to the hills to see what all the hype was about, and to get them out of the way. Overrated! Just kidding.
The uphills were as nasty as advertised, but they flew by for me at this point. Fortunately, I had finally managed to settle into the runner's high around mile 8, where my breathing was matching up perfectly with my turnover. Everything felt effortless, but the thought of my left calf muscle cramping up, completely, was always in the back of my mind. This probably cost me at least five minutes in the overall picture as I did everything I could, short of stopping/stretching, to prevent it from locking up.
I reached the half-marathon mark right around 1 hr 30 mins, just about what I had projected. The final 2.5 miles of the course is a steady downhill leading right to the final quarter mile, uphill finish. I didn't want to, but had to take some GU around mile 14 in order to get a much needed boost for the final stretch. I was completely out of the runner's high of earlier, and right into a runner's low around mile 14.5. I couldn't have been happier when I finally saw the mile 15 marker. Whatever adrenaline (GU) I had left in my body kicked in and that in turn help me kick it in for the final uphill portion.
I crossed the finish line in 1 hr 52 mins with a nice finishing kick, which is what I am most proud of. I take pride in my finish, and today was no different. Thankfully, my left calf muscle cooperated in my effort (sorry for calling you stupid earlier). 57th overall, (15/41 Age Group), 7:01 pace...so close!
Fil finished in 151st place (48/139) with a time of 2:03 (7:44 pace) and one nasty head cold. Way to go, sicko!:)
Needless to say, Fil and I got in our 3 mile run for today.
Other fellow GLRR members/Facebook friends (that I recognize) finishing the race. Please let me know if you find others that I can add to this list:
Alton Eckel: 149th (4/51) - 2:03 (7:44) - 2nd in Age Group award winner!
Cullen Madden: 310th (34/41) - 2:14 (8:26)
Jessica Costa: 522nd (63/105) - 2:32 (9:31)
Doug Sylvester: 696th (122/124) - 3:16 (12:17)
2010 Boston Prep 16 Miler Results
Overall, it was definitely a VERY difficult race, but the ideal race conditions (30's, overcast, clear roads), considering the weather history of this race, made it relatively "easier". I now look forward to taking on its Big Brother, Boston 2010.
Epilogue:
I jumped in the shower after getting back home, and got the shock of my life. I think other fellow male distance runners can relate to the pain that I am talking about:)
Jan 23rd, 2010 - Race - Tewksbury, MA - 3.13
Day 23 - 65 early risers/insomniacs braved the 13 degree temps for Fudgicle #4 in Tewksbury, MA.
Today's race was a chance for me to capture a different place finish for the fourth week in a row:
Week 1 - 3rd
Week 2 - 4th
Week 3 - 2nd
Week 4 - 1st?!? 5th?!?
Ha, like in week 3, my hopes of a 1st place finish were once again dashed away by Dan V. I sure didn't want to settle on 5th today, so I stuck close to Frank G. right from the start. Frank had just come off of a strong 5k race out in the wilds of Canada...OK, Rochester, NY.
Frank and I settled into a nice and steady 6:14 pace for about the first 2 miles. Dan was about a minute ahead, with Andy about 20 seconds behind us. It was around the 2 mile mark that I decided to make my move on Dan. Unfortunately, Dan was probably close to finishing at that point.
I could still sense Frank on my tail over the last mile and all the way to my 2nd place finish, averaging a 6:08 pace. Thanks for the push, Frank! So much for taking it easy before the 16 miler tomorrow.
Overall, the run felt great and I really enjoyed the "slower" start, with close to even splits through most of it.
2 Jason Bui 19:22 Lowell
3 Frank Georges 19:44 Lowell
4 Andy Chandonnet 20:08 Lowell
10 Fil Faria 21:21 NH Hudson
12 Jim Stronach 22:11 Lowell
13 Mike "Hurtin' for Certain" Hurton 22:20 Tewksbury
14 Mark Blaisdell 22:46 Wilmington
17 Glenn Stewart 23:03 N.Chelmsford
Time for a little R&R before Fil and I climb the hills of Derry.
Today's race was a chance for me to capture a different place finish for the fourth week in a row:
Week 1 - 3rd
Week 2 - 4th
Week 3 - 2nd
Week 4 - 1st?!? 5th?!?
Ha, like in week 3, my hopes of a 1st place finish were once again dashed away by Dan V. I sure didn't want to settle on 5th today, so I stuck close to Frank G. right from the start. Frank had just come off of a strong 5k race out in the wilds of Canada...OK, Rochester, NY.
Frank and I settled into a nice and steady 6:14 pace for about the first 2 miles. Dan was about a minute ahead, with Andy about 20 seconds behind us. It was around the 2 mile mark that I decided to make my move on Dan. Unfortunately, Dan was probably close to finishing at that point.
I could still sense Frank on my tail over the last mile and all the way to my 2nd place finish, averaging a 6:08 pace. Thanks for the push, Frank! So much for taking it easy before the 16 miler tomorrow.
Overall, the run felt great and I really enjoyed the "slower" start, with close to even splits through most of it.
2 Jason Bui 19:22 Lowell
3 Frank Georges 19:44 Lowell
4 Andy Chandonnet 20:08 Lowell
10 Fil Faria 21:21 NH Hudson
12 Jim Stronach 22:11 Lowell
13 Mike "Hurtin' for Certain" Hurton 22:20 Tewksbury
14 Mark Blaisdell 22:46 Wilmington
17 Glenn Stewart 23:03 N.Chelmsford
Time for a little R&R before Fil and I climb the hills of Derry.
Jan 22nd, 2010 - Training - Chelmsford, MA - 5
Day 22 - Went out for a lunch time run with Dad, aka Fil, today to shake off some of the buildup from last night's track workout. 5 miles at a nice 8 min pace with a strong finish.
Nice to get the run out of the way, and have the rest of Friday to just relax! Even nicer to get this stupid blog out of the way! What am I going to do tonight? Maybe go for a run.
Fudgicle #4 awaits us on Saturday morning, and then it's off to Derry, NH for a small race on Sunday.
Question of the Day: How many different names have I given to the treadmill on this blog? Name them by leaving a comment below. (My way of finding out to see if anyone other than Fil reads the crap that I write). Winner gets my Boston Prep cotton shirt and a $100 Circuit City gift card. Good Luck!
Nice to get the run out of the way, and have the rest of Friday to just relax! Even nicer to get this stupid blog out of the way! What am I going to do tonight? Maybe go for a run.
Fudgicle #4 awaits us on Saturday morning, and then it's off to Derry, NH for a small race on Sunday.
Question of the Day: How many different names have I given to the treadmill on this blog? Name them by leaving a comment below. (My way of finding out to see if anyone other than Fil reads the crap that I write). Winner gets my Boston Prep cotton shirt and a $100 Circuit City gift card. Good Luck!
Jan 21st, 2010 - Track Workout - 5.6
Day 21 - What a workout! 10 x 400's tonight with the GLRR crew: Glenn, Jim S., Mark B., Fil, and a few others. My legs are so sore, not so much from the workouts, but from kickng Fil's ass at these workouts. Fil, I kid because I care!
The whole group pretty much went all out averaging between 5:30's and 6's throughout the entire workout! We were cruising through the 400 meters in about 88-90 seconds per interval (sometimes a little faster depending on whether the blonde was watching or not) with a little less than a 200 meter rest.
Jim S. is such a great pacer that I am now setting my watches to him, especially when I want my watch to run faster than expected!
By the end of the workout, Fil even had the gall to try to past me on the final lap of the final interval! My last running buddy tried that....once. Fil's gasping for air betrayed his position, allowing me to kick it in for the final few meters. Nice try, Speedster!
Lunch time run with Fil planned for tomorrow. Will be going easy for the next couple of days leading into the Boston Prep. Unless Fil tries to pass me again tomorrow.
Time to ice my foot. You should do the same for your ass, Fil:)
Stat of the week: I still owe Fil $9.53.
Bonus stat of the week: Finally broke 100 miles since this whole thing started.
The whole group pretty much went all out averaging between 5:30's and 6's throughout the entire workout! We were cruising through the 400 meters in about 88-90 seconds per interval (sometimes a little faster depending on whether the blonde was watching or not) with a little less than a 200 meter rest.
Jim S. is such a great pacer that I am now setting my watches to him, especially when I want my watch to run faster than expected!
By the end of the workout, Fil even had the gall to try to past me on the final lap of the final interval! My last running buddy tried that....once. Fil's gasping for air betrayed his position, allowing me to kick it in for the final few meters. Nice try, Speedster!
Lunch time run with Fil planned for tomorrow. Will be going easy for the next couple of days leading into the Boston Prep. Unless Fil tries to pass me again tomorrow.
Time to ice my foot. You should do the same for your ass, Fil:)
Stat of the week: I still owe Fil $9.53.
Bonus stat of the week: Finally broke 100 miles since this whole thing started.
Jan 20th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 3.1
Day 20 - A MILESTONE DAY!!
Fil managed to breach the century mark on the 20th day, and he kept on going! His 6 miles on the road at lunch put him easily over 100, and at 103+ miles since the start of the 3 mile pact way back on Day 1, Jan 1st, 2010 (Day 1 wasn't even about Fil!). My boy's all growns up!
Congrats, Fil, but watch your back, as Pacino once said, "I'm just getting warmed up"!
As for me? I'm trailing in second, lurking close behind, waiting for the kill. Ended the day with 96+ miles, since day 1, with a 3.1 mile run on the Death Mill. Knees are sore from yesterday's falls, but ready for the Boston Prep.
Another track workout with Glenn & Co tomorrow in Lexington (10 x 400's) is in store for Fil and myself tomorrow night. Looking forward to the most expensive pizza ever afterwards!
Fil managed to breach the century mark on the 20th day, and he kept on going! His 6 miles on the road at lunch put him easily over 100, and at 103+ miles since the start of the 3 mile pact way back on Day 1, Jan 1st, 2010 (Day 1 wasn't even about Fil!). My boy's all growns up!
Congrats, Fil, but watch your back, as Pacino once said, "I'm just getting warmed up"!
As for me? I'm trailing in second, lurking close behind, waiting for the kill. Ended the day with 96+ miles, since day 1, with a 3.1 mile run on the Death Mill. Knees are sore from yesterday's falls, but ready for the Boston Prep.
Another track workout with Glenn & Co tomorrow in Lexington (10 x 400's) is in store for Fil and myself tomorrow night. Looking forward to the most expensive pizza ever afterwards!
Jan 19th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 8
Day 19 - A wise runner once said, the secret to running on ice is to not fall down. Unfortunately, I could not heed my own advice and took two nasty spills on my run from the apartment to Panera Bread in Drum Hill. Why Panera Bread? Because it's there! Actually, Kelly "dared" me to meet her at Panera Bread when I told her I was going for a run. Good thing she wasn't in Boston! I love it when someone tells me to meet them somewhere right before I go for a run, as a joke. Who's laughing now?! This was probably the most fun I had ever had running...well, since Sunday.
The round trip run came out to 8 miles in 62 mins. Roads were slick and there were plenty of slush puddles to fall into. I took my first spill in front of the Hess station down the street from the UMass Lowell South campus. I just wasn't paying attention and slipped on a little slope covered in ice. More a bruised ego than a bruised knee type of fall. Walnuts still in good shape.
Going to give a rare shout out to Fil here for picking me up a nice pair of runner's lingerie the other night. Thanks, Fil! The tights are perfect for 30+ degree weather. Definitely going to wear them at Boston Prep. Good thing you didn't pick up the crotchless pair!
I eventually reached Panera Bread, and Kelly, at the 4 mile mark. She was studiously studying when I surprised her. Boy, it was nice and cozy in there. I only spent 5 minutes chit-chatting with Kelly as I didn't want to cool down too much. I still had 4 miles to go even though Kelly offered me a ride home. Thanks, Kelly!
I headed out for the run home, jumping in and out of the well-worn, snow covered sidewalks. What an incredible workout when you're not falling down! My second spill came around mile 5 in front of Market Basket on Wood St. I jumped over a pile of plowed snow and landed on a patch of ice on the other side. Down goes Frazier! It was more painful than embarrassing this time around, banging my knee on the frozen cement as I tried to catch myself. It took me about another mile before I was able to shake the pain.
All in all, I felt great on tonight's run, and felt that I could have continued on for at least another 8. It was definitely a nice change from running on the death machine the night before. Here's to running on the road!Of course, Fil chickened out and ran on the dreadmill at lunch time for a total of 3.6 miles. Fil, want some crumpets with your tea? Wuss:)
The round trip run came out to 8 miles in 62 mins. Roads were slick and there were plenty of slush puddles to fall into. I took my first spill in front of the Hess station down the street from the UMass Lowell South campus. I just wasn't paying attention and slipped on a little slope covered in ice. More a bruised ego than a bruised knee type of fall. Walnuts still in good shape.
Going to give a rare shout out to Fil here for picking me up a nice pair of runner's lingerie the other night. Thanks, Fil! The tights are perfect for 30+ degree weather. Definitely going to wear them at Boston Prep. Good thing you didn't pick up the crotchless pair!
I eventually reached Panera Bread, and Kelly, at the 4 mile mark. She was studiously studying when I surprised her. Boy, it was nice and cozy in there. I only spent 5 minutes chit-chatting with Kelly as I didn't want to cool down too much. I still had 4 miles to go even though Kelly offered me a ride home. Thanks, Kelly!
I headed out for the run home, jumping in and out of the well-worn, snow covered sidewalks. What an incredible workout when you're not falling down! My second spill came around mile 5 in front of Market Basket on Wood St. I jumped over a pile of plowed snow and landed on a patch of ice on the other side. Down goes Frazier! It was more painful than embarrassing this time around, banging my knee on the frozen cement as I tried to catch myself. It took me about another mile before I was able to shake the pain.
All in all, I felt great on tonight's run, and felt that I could have continued on for at least another 8. It was definitely a nice change from running on the death machine the night before. Here's to running on the road!Of course, Fil chickened out and ran on the dreadmill at lunch time for a total of 3.6 miles. Fil, want some crumpets with your tea? Wuss:)
Jan 18th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 3.1
Day 18 - Not much to see here. 3.1 for me on the, as Glenn S. likes to say that I like to say, Dreadmill. Boy was it dreadful tonight. 3.55 for Fil, also on the human conveyor belt.
Current weather predicted for Boston Prep: 39 degrees, overcast! This can't be the same race, could it?
Current weather predicted for Boston Prep: 39 degrees, overcast! This can't be the same race, could it?
OK. Bye now.
Jan 17th, 2010 - Training - Chelmsford/Tyngsboro - 10.15
Day 17 - Why do we get up at 7AM to run? So that we can run with early risers like Glenn S., Jimmy R., and John B.
This was going to be the first Sunday morning run, for Fil and I, with the "Gold's Gym" folks. Our original Sunday morning plan was to sleep in. And oh yeah, do a hill workout at a more reasonable hour for a lazy Sunday. Me being me, I agreed to join Glenn & Co. at the morning run the night before without consulting with Fil. Of course, Fil being Fil, couldn't let me gain any more mileage on him, so he came and chaperoned me on the run.
We all met up at Gold's Gym in Chelmsford, and after a quick exchange of greetings we set off on the run. How far? We'll see. How fast? We'll see.
On a side note, it's always nice to meet up with other local runners. I didn't recognize Jimmy at first without the camera in front of his face, but I eventually got use to him being around without snapping a picture of me. Thanks Jimmy for all of the great running pics over the years!
The local historians in the group decided to discuss the local eateries of past and present, just as I was ready to sit down to breakfast. Ummmmm, cold pizza.
We were about 2 miles into our run, going at a nice steady pace (for some) when Jimmy caught sight of a "bunny" and took off after it. He was nearly out of sight about a half mile later. That just left myself, Fil, Glenn, and John in the chase pack. We cruised on through North Chelmsford and Tyngsboro for about another 2 miles at an 8:20 pace. It was around this time that I recalled a nice, short, steep hill near my parent's place that would be perfect for the hill workout that I had originally planned for myself and Fil.
Fil and I departed from Glenn and John's route and started on our hill workout. Glenn and John continued on the "River Run" route and ended up putting in 15.5 miles for the morning! Very nice job guys!
Since it was our first hill workout in forever, and we still had 4.5 miles to look forward to afterwards, Fil and I worked on hill repeats for only 10 minutes. Although it was short, it was an intense workout that will definitely help us at the Boston Prep next Sunday.
We did our cool down by running the 5 miles back to Gold's Gym at a 9 minute clip.
All-in-all, it wasn't a bad way to start off a Sunday morning, and it was only 10AM!? WTF!? Back to bed!
Totals for the day:
10+ miles
5 x .13 hill repeats @ about 6 min pace (for myself); 6:30 pace for Fil
10 times I threw the F bomb running up the hill
34 yawns before 8AM
20 doorbell rings before my parents woke up and answered their door to give us water
0 photos taken by Jimmy
This was going to be the first Sunday morning run, for Fil and I, with the "Gold's Gym" folks. Our original Sunday morning plan was to sleep in. And oh yeah, do a hill workout at a more reasonable hour for a lazy Sunday. Me being me, I agreed to join Glenn & Co. at the morning run the night before without consulting with Fil. Of course, Fil being Fil, couldn't let me gain any more mileage on him, so he came and chaperoned me on the run.
We all met up at Gold's Gym in Chelmsford, and after a quick exchange of greetings we set off on the run. How far? We'll see. How fast? We'll see.
On a side note, it's always nice to meet up with other local runners. I didn't recognize Jimmy at first without the camera in front of his face, but I eventually got use to him being around without snapping a picture of me. Thanks Jimmy for all of the great running pics over the years!
The local historians in the group decided to discuss the local eateries of past and present, just as I was ready to sit down to breakfast. Ummmmm, cold pizza.
We were about 2 miles into our run, going at a nice steady pace (for some) when Jimmy caught sight of a "bunny" and took off after it. He was nearly out of sight about a half mile later. That just left myself, Fil, Glenn, and John in the chase pack. We cruised on through North Chelmsford and Tyngsboro for about another 2 miles at an 8:20 pace. It was around this time that I recalled a nice, short, steep hill near my parent's place that would be perfect for the hill workout that I had originally planned for myself and Fil.
Fil and I departed from Glenn and John's route and started on our hill workout. Glenn and John continued on the "River Run" route and ended up putting in 15.5 miles for the morning! Very nice job guys!
Since it was our first hill workout in forever, and we still had 4.5 miles to look forward to afterwards, Fil and I worked on hill repeats for only 10 minutes. Although it was short, it was an intense workout that will definitely help us at the Boston Prep next Sunday.
We did our cool down by running the 5 miles back to Gold's Gym at a 9 minute clip.
All-in-all, it wasn't a bad way to start off a Sunday morning, and it was only 10AM!? WTF!? Back to bed!
Totals for the day:
10+ miles
5 x .13 hill repeats @ about 6 min pace (for myself); 6:30 pace for Fil
10 times I threw the F bomb running up the hill
34 yawns before 8AM
20 doorbell rings before my parents woke up and answered their door to give us water
0 photos taken by Jimmy
Jan 16th, 2010 - Race - Tewksbury, MA - 3.14
Day 16 - Saturdays have become race day for myself, Fil, and a handful of other GLRR members at the Fudgicle series in Tewksbury. The several decades old series is a weekly, no-frills "5k" that can measure anywhere between 3.10 and 3.17, depending on how many corners you can cut.
My personal goal on this "warm" (30's) morning was to just improve on my time from the previous week (19:55), and of course, to beat Fil. Fil's goal was to not puke.
Dave Corbett (winner of the previous two weeks) was absent this morning, and Frank G. was out in Rochester, NY running a 5k for a n.i.n.e.p.r. of 18:38. Nice job, Frank! This meant that I had a good shot at placing in the top 2, perhaps 1st, for this week.
Those dreams of placing 1st quickly dashed away from me at the start when Dan Verrington from CMS took off like his walnuts were on fire. Dan ended up taking this week with a winning time of 17:45. I followed "closely" behind in 2nd with a time of 19:16, bettering my Fudge series PR by 39 seconds!
Unfortunately, and to my disappointment, Fil did not puke, but he did manage to shave 41 seconds off of his previous week's time, to finish in 7th with a time of 21 FLAT! Nice job, youngster!
Other notables: Andy C. - 19:59; Jim S. - 21:20; Cullen M. - 21:31; Hot Dog Guy - 21:36.
Off to the hills of Lowell for myself and Fil tomorrow morning. We'll enventually join you Glenn on one of your Sunday morning runs!
UPDATE: Fil and I have decided to join Glenn & Co on their Sunday morning run, and then head to our hill workout. God save us.
My personal goal on this "warm" (30's) morning was to just improve on my time from the previous week (19:55), and of course, to beat Fil. Fil's goal was to not puke.
Dave Corbett (winner of the previous two weeks) was absent this morning, and Frank G. was out in Rochester, NY running a 5k for a n.i.n.e.p.r. of 18:38. Nice job, Frank! This meant that I had a good shot at placing in the top 2, perhaps 1st, for this week.
Those dreams of placing 1st quickly dashed away from me at the start when Dan Verrington from CMS took off like his walnuts were on fire. Dan ended up taking this week with a winning time of 17:45. I followed "closely" behind in 2nd with a time of 19:16, bettering my Fudge series PR by 39 seconds!
Unfortunately, and to my disappointment, Fil did not puke, but he did manage to shave 41 seconds off of his previous week's time, to finish in 7th with a time of 21 FLAT! Nice job, youngster!
Other notables: Andy C. - 19:59; Jim S. - 21:20; Cullen M. - 21:31; Hot Dog Guy - 21:36.
Off to the hills of Lowell for myself and Fil tomorrow morning. We'll enventually join you Glenn on one of your Sunday morning runs!
UPDATE: Fil and I have decided to join Glenn & Co on their Sunday morning run, and then head to our hill workout. God save us.
Glenn, is that you?!
Jan 15th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 4
Day 15 - The malaise of the work week had finally dissipated by the time I got my tired ass out on the road tonight for my run. Fil had once again beaten me to the punch and got in 5 miles at lunch time. Fil, do you work?
I had planned to just put in the minimum of 3 miles tonight and then tack on a workout in the gym, but of course, you can't just have 3 miles and be satisfied! I ended up running all over creation (Lowell) to get in 4 miles. In that time, I saw 2 people get pulled over by Lowell's finest, and about 15 homeless people wandering the streets.
It was a beautiful night for a run, 40 degrees with oil slicked roads, covered in fresh potholes.
Ahhhh, there's a lot to like about Lowell!
Race in the AM at week 3 of the Fudge series with Fil, and then it's time to clean the apartment...maybe I'll just do a long run instead.
Intense hill workout planned for Sunday with Fil on Christian Hill (2nd Ave). Prepping for Boston Prep.
Have a good weekend, folks!
I had planned to just put in the minimum of 3 miles tonight and then tack on a workout in the gym, but of course, you can't just have 3 miles and be satisfied! I ended up running all over creation (Lowell) to get in 4 miles. In that time, I saw 2 people get pulled over by Lowell's finest, and about 15 homeless people wandering the streets.
It was a beautiful night for a run, 40 degrees with oil slicked roads, covered in fresh potholes.
Ahhhh, there's a lot to like about Lowell!
Race in the AM at week 3 of the Fudge series with Fil, and then it's time to clean the apartment...maybe I'll just do a long run instead.
Intense hill workout planned for Sunday with Fil on Christian Hill (2nd Ave). Prepping for Boston Prep.
Have a good weekend, folks!
Jan 14th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 3.17
Day 14 - Blah blah blah. That's actually how I felt today. After yesterday's workout, I didn't have much left in the tank for today's 3 miler, but it had to be done. Fil had 4.3 miles for lunch. YUM! Not much else to report other than the fact that I need to get some sleep before I pass out. Good night!
Jan 13th, 2010 - Track Workout - Lexington, MA - 8
Day 13 - Fil and I were formally intitiated into the GLRR Running "Gang" tonight. The beat down took place at Lexington High at the hands of Glenn and Jim S. The method of torture consisted of 4 x 1 milers at 5k pace, with a little less than a half mile rest interval in between each mile.
Fil and I had never participated in a track workout before and didn't know what to expect. Ignorance is bliss!
After a slow and steady 1.5 mile warmup, the four us were off to the races!
Something to keep in mind. The Lexington High indoor track is a banked track with each lap covering about .09 miles. Yeah, that's a lot of laps for 1 mile (11 laps). You can get real dizzy, real quick.
The goal pace for tonight was about a 6:35-6:40 pace per mile interval, which equates to about 30 seconds per lap, give or take a few tenths of a second.
It was fun and exciting to be working out with a "larger" group of runners at that pace, and a nice change of "pace" from our prior 12 day routine. The laps were literally flying by and before I knew it, the first mile interval was done in about 6:35. Right on target. Fil and I were running with the real deal tonight!
It got real hot, real fast by the third mile interval and taking off my first layer, and hat, made a world of difference. I could now feel the air flowing through my hair and stinky shorts. Fil probably didn't appreciate the smell though.
Glenn took charge in the fourth and final mile interval and pulled Jim and I around the track for 10 laps. Thanks, Glenn (considering you ran 20 miles the day before!!).
Fil had fallen back a little bit by this point in order to run at his own target pace. By the 11th lap of my final mile, I saw Fil in my sights and had to take him down. It didn't hurt that Jim was right on my tail, and pushing me to the finish. The mini duel between Jim and I began on the back half, and we kicked it into high gear as we barely passed Fil at the very end of the final lap! Photo finish!
If my running career ended tonight, I would have accomplished everything I've set out to do in this lifetime. The last thing on that bucket list being, "to lap Fil". Just kidding, Fil. Love ya buddy and great running tonight!
We ended the night with some great pizza, great beer (Thanks, Glenn!), and great company at Mario's in Lexington Center.
Even though we all had a great night of running, nobody had a better night than the waitress with the 100% tip. Hey, she was cute.
Footnote: Glenn, don't forget to remember what I was suppose to remind you not to forget, because I have completely forgotten what I was suppose to remind you not to forget.
Fil and I had never participated in a track workout before and didn't know what to expect. Ignorance is bliss!
After a slow and steady 1.5 mile warmup, the four us were off to the races!
Something to keep in mind. The Lexington High indoor track is a banked track with each lap covering about .09 miles. Yeah, that's a lot of laps for 1 mile (11 laps). You can get real dizzy, real quick.
The goal pace for tonight was about a 6:35-6:40 pace per mile interval, which equates to about 30 seconds per lap, give or take a few tenths of a second.
It was fun and exciting to be working out with a "larger" group of runners at that pace, and a nice change of "pace" from our prior 12 day routine. The laps were literally flying by and before I knew it, the first mile interval was done in about 6:35. Right on target. Fil and I were running with the real deal tonight!
It got real hot, real fast by the third mile interval and taking off my first layer, and hat, made a world of difference. I could now feel the air flowing through my hair and stinky shorts. Fil probably didn't appreciate the smell though.
Glenn took charge in the fourth and final mile interval and pulled Jim and I around the track for 10 laps. Thanks, Glenn (considering you ran 20 miles the day before!!).
Fil had fallen back a little bit by this point in order to run at his own target pace. By the 11th lap of my final mile, I saw Fil in my sights and had to take him down. It didn't hurt that Jim was right on my tail, and pushing me to the finish. The mini duel between Jim and I began on the back half, and we kicked it into high gear as we barely passed Fil at the very end of the final lap! Photo finish!
If my running career ended tonight, I would have accomplished everything I've set out to do in this lifetime. The last thing on that bucket list being, "to lap Fil". Just kidding, Fil. Love ya buddy and great running tonight!
We ended the night with some great pizza, great beer (Thanks, Glenn!), and great company at Mario's in Lexington Center.
Even though we all had a great night of running, nobody had a better night than the waitress with the 100% tip. Hey, she was cute.
Footnote: Glenn, don't forget to remember what I was suppose to remind you not to forget, because I have completely forgotten what I was suppose to remind you not to forget.
Jan 12th, 2010 - Training - Chelmsford, MA - 4.5
Day 12 - So this is what it feels like to be human, or at least like Fil. With the bosses away, I was able to make my way up Rt 3 to Fil's workplace for a lunch time run, and get a glimpse of what Fil does during the day.
This was going to be my first lunch time run during the work day since 2007! I need to find a new job, maybe on Jan 28th, perhaps?!
I got down to Fil's place by 12, and we were on the road by 12:15. Our goal today was an easy 3-4 miler. Of course, I couldn't keep it as an easy run, and Fil couldn't keep it to 3-4 miles. We ended up doing 4.5 at a pretty good clip.
Fil's workmate (forget his name) joined us, and was with us the whole way even though he was getting over a hacking cough. That's just weakness leaving the body, right? Or his last breath...
It was a great run, and now I didn't have to worry about putting in a run when I got home, but I was pretty dang sleepy for the rest of the afternoon. I guess I'm too use to my night running/sleeping.
Boss is away for another day on Wednesday, but the plan is to put in a track workout with GLRR in Lexington after work. Should be fast and fun!
This was going to be my first lunch time run during the work day since 2007! I need to find a new job, maybe on Jan 28th, perhaps?!
I got down to Fil's place by 12, and we were on the road by 12:15. Our goal today was an easy 3-4 miler. Of course, I couldn't keep it as an easy run, and Fil couldn't keep it to 3-4 miles. We ended up doing 4.5 at a pretty good clip.
Fil's workmate (forget his name) joined us, and was with us the whole way even though he was getting over a hacking cough. That's just weakness leaving the body, right? Or his last breath...
It was a great run, and now I didn't have to worry about putting in a run when I got home, but I was pretty dang sleepy for the rest of the afternoon. I guess I'm too use to my night running/sleeping.
Boss is away for another day on Wednesday, but the plan is to put in a track workout with GLRR in Lexington after work. Should be fast and fun!
Jan 11th, 2010 - Training - Dracut, MA - 3.5
Day 11 - Today brought some good news on the career front, but otherwise, it was an uneventful day of training for both Fil and I. He did his usual lunch time run (4 miles), and I did my gym workout (3.5 miles on the tread mill with a 2% incline for most of it). Thanks, Kelly!
I hate to admit it, but I am starting to like the dreaded tread mill. Very easy on the knees and definitely helped in my ITB recovery, while bringing my stamina back up. Still, the road is my first true love, just not in the dark and ice cold...sounds like my marriage...JUST KIDDING RACHEL!!!!:) Seriously, I was just kidding. Please, no angry e-mails from Taiwan. I mean it. Love you!
In other news, our little Google Running Spreadsheet group continues to grow. Two more members tonight. Check out this link to follow our progress and get all the dirty details:
Running Spreadsheet
Plan is to go on a lunch time run with Fill tomorrow afternoon at his workplace. I finally get to see what Fil does for work, mainly run and eat lunch.
Hill workout planned for this Sunday. Sorry, Glenn!
Rachel, remember, I was just kidding up there:)
I hate to admit it, but I am starting to like the dreaded tread mill. Very easy on the knees and definitely helped in my ITB recovery, while bringing my stamina back up. Still, the road is my first true love, just not in the dark and ice cold...sounds like my marriage...JUST KIDDING RACHEL!!!!:) Seriously, I was just kidding. Please, no angry e-mails from Taiwan. I mean it. Love you!
In other news, our little Google Running Spreadsheet group continues to grow. Two more members tonight. Check out this link to follow our progress and get all the dirty details:
Running Spreadsheet
Plan is to go on a lunch time run with Fill tomorrow afternoon at his workplace. I finally get to see what Fil does for work, mainly run and eat lunch.
Hill workout planned for this Sunday. Sorry, Glenn!
Rachel, remember, I was just kidding up there:)
Jan 10th, 2010 - Race - Nashua, NH - 3.10
Day X - Another day, another run, another race. On the schedule for Fil, Kelly, and I on this spring like morning...wait a second. What I meant to say was, on this hell-freezes-over like day...hold on. Something doesn't look right. Oh! What's Kelly's name doing in that sentence?! Ms. Goldilocks was still in bed when Fil and I were preparing for the first race in the, appropriately named, Freeze Your Buns series, put on by Gate City Striders.
Freeze Your Buns
Kelly was right though, it was too cold, but that's what bed is for, right Kelly?;) Race time temp hovered around 10 degrees, about 20 degrees below what is required for your buns (or nuts) to freeze off.
Fil and I have been well tempered over the past couple of weeks to handle these temps at this point in the winter racing season. Buns frozen at 20 degrees is the same as buns frozen at 10 degrees for us, it's just a matter of how frosty you like your buns. Hmmmm, fresh buns.
Speaking of fresh buns, this race really brought out the youngins'. Whatever happened to sleeping in and watching cartoons on Sunday mornings?! Get a hair cut, hippie!
My goal for today was to just improve on my 2010 5K time of 19:55, set the previous day at the Fudgicle 5K. Looking at this crowd, I knew I'd have more than a few bunnies to chase down and help pull me to a 2010 PR.
The race itself was uneventful for me. I started out in 6th, and stayed in 6th for the entire race. Felt great and finished with a 2010 5K PR time of 19:02 (soooo close). How the heck did I ever consistently run below 19 without hacking up a lung? Should be back there again shortly.
Note to self: Don't wear Newtons in sub-freezing temps. It's like running on bricks with bricks beneath those bricks. That's a lot of bricks to be running on.
Fil finished in 9th with a 20:27, also a 2010 PR for him. I am happy to report that his walnuts remained toasty today.
Entry Fee: $5
Results
Another week of training runs, with a possible track workout with GLRR on Wednesday, is on the schedule.
Now if only the Pats can stop stinking up the joint like my laundry.
UPDATE: The Pats stink worse than my stinkies.
Freeze Your Buns
Kelly was right though, it was too cold, but that's what bed is for, right Kelly?;) Race time temp hovered around 10 degrees, about 20 degrees below what is required for your buns (or nuts) to freeze off.
Fil and I have been well tempered over the past couple of weeks to handle these temps at this point in the winter racing season. Buns frozen at 20 degrees is the same as buns frozen at 10 degrees for us, it's just a matter of how frosty you like your buns. Hmmmm, fresh buns.
Speaking of fresh buns, this race really brought out the youngins'. Whatever happened to sleeping in and watching cartoons on Sunday mornings?! Get a hair cut, hippie!
My goal for today was to just improve on my 2010 5K time of 19:55, set the previous day at the Fudgicle 5K. Looking at this crowd, I knew I'd have more than a few bunnies to chase down and help pull me to a 2010 PR.
The race itself was uneventful for me. I started out in 6th, and stayed in 6th for the entire race. Felt great and finished with a 2010 5K PR time of 19:02 (soooo close). How the heck did I ever consistently run below 19 without hacking up a lung? Should be back there again shortly.
Note to self: Don't wear Newtons in sub-freezing temps. It's like running on bricks with bricks beneath those bricks. That's a lot of bricks to be running on.
Fil finished in 9th with a 20:27, also a 2010 PR for him. I am happy to report that his walnuts remained toasty today.
Entry Fee: $5
Results
Another week of training runs, with a possible track workout with GLRR on Wednesday, is on the schedule.
Now if only the Pats can stop stinking up the joint like my laundry.
UPDATE: The Pats stink worse than my stinkies.
Jan 9th, 2010 - Race - Tewksbury, MA - 3.14
Day 9 brought Fil and I back to race mode, and back to the Fudgicle Series in Tooksberry (what's with the town names in MA?). Week 2 of the series saw a dramatic jump in registration (50+ runners?) and a couple more familiar race faces.
GLRR's fearless leader, Glenn S., was back. Andy C. was back. Frank G., Doug S., Cullen M. appeared in their cameo roles.
It was nice to be racing again after 5 straight days of training runs. The footing was a lot better this time around, but the race time temps (18 degrees) were not.
Stayed in the top 4 throughout most of the race with Frank passing me around Mile 1, and Andy catching me around Mile 2. I always enjoy running alongside someone like Andy and Frank who make it look so effortless. Great run Frank and Andy!
Awesome job to all the brave Fudgicles that ran today!
Fil, Cullen, and myself finished the morning run off with a repeat of the course for a nice cool down run. Felt great, but Fil kept on mentioning his "frozen nuts". I don't think he brought walnuts with him either.
Jason - 4th Place - 19:55
Fil - 10th Place - 21:41
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/10/ma/Jan9_Fudgci_set1.shtml
Notes:
- Tried out and enjoyed new compression sleeves.
- ITB is at about 99%. No lingering pains.
- Back is sore from ITB compensation in prior weeks.
- Too bad Global Warming isn't for real.
GLRR's fearless leader, Glenn S., was back. Andy C. was back. Frank G., Doug S., Cullen M. appeared in their cameo roles.
It was nice to be racing again after 5 straight days of training runs. The footing was a lot better this time around, but the race time temps (18 degrees) were not.
Stayed in the top 4 throughout most of the race with Frank passing me around Mile 1, and Andy catching me around Mile 2. I always enjoy running alongside someone like Andy and Frank who make it look so effortless. Great run Frank and Andy!
Awesome job to all the brave Fudgicles that ran today!
Fil, Cullen, and myself finished the morning run off with a repeat of the course for a nice cool down run. Felt great, but Fil kept on mentioning his "frozen nuts". I don't think he brought walnuts with him either.
Jason - 4th Place - 19:55
Fil - 10th Place - 21:41
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/10/ma/Jan9_Fudgci_set1.shtml
Notes:
- Tried out and enjoyed new compression sleeves.
- ITB is at about 99%. No lingering pains.
- Back is sore from ITB compensation in prior weeks.
- Too bad Global Warming isn't for real.
Jan 8th, 2010 - Training - Dracut, MA - 3.15
Day 8 was short and sweet, just like this entry and me.
Like clockwork, Fil put in his usual lunch time run (5.50 miles), while I did 3.15 miles on the broken conveyor belt. We're both starting to feel the wear and tear of running without a rest day. We ended the day and week at Tbones in Hudson reminiscing about our first 8 days of the journey. Only 357 more of these go. Man, Bug Light taste like crap, but it's cheap!
Off to bed as there is a race to be run'ed in the wee early morning. Who the heck puts on a weekly race series at 8AM in the middle of winter?! Oh, GLRR does. BTW, here's the link to the GLRR page:
http://www.glrr.net/
It's the best running group around. C'mon, you know you want to. You can hang out with crazy running people like myself, Fil, Glenn & Co.
Stat of the week: Fil is kicking my ass in mileage (38 vs 33) so far. What he doesn't realize is that I stopped running after Day 2.
To catch up on what's happend so far, here's a link to the actual blog where all of this useless crap is being stored for eternity: http://jbrunningink.blogspot.com/
The blog has been given a shiny new name since this adventure is no longer about me. It's now about me kicking Fil's ass over the next 357 days.
Breaking News: We may have another entrant into the "3 mile pact". Stay tuned!
YOUR ADVERTISEMENT HERE
Sorry, I lied. This post was neither short, nor sweet...but I still am!
Like clockwork, Fil put in his usual lunch time run (5.50 miles), while I did 3.15 miles on the broken conveyor belt. We're both starting to feel the wear and tear of running without a rest day. We ended the day and week at Tbones in Hudson reminiscing about our first 8 days of the journey. Only 357 more of these go. Man, Bug Light taste like crap, but it's cheap!
Off to bed as there is a race to be run'ed in the wee early morning. Who the heck puts on a weekly race series at 8AM in the middle of winter?! Oh, GLRR does. BTW, here's the link to the GLRR page:
http://www.glrr.net/
It's the best running group around. C'mon, you know you want to. You can hang out with crazy running people like myself, Fil, Glenn & Co.
Stat of the week: Fil is kicking my ass in mileage (38 vs 33) so far. What he doesn't realize is that I stopped running after Day 2.
To catch up on what's happend so far, here's a link to the actual blog where all of this useless crap is being stored for eternity: http://jbrunningink.blogspot.com/
The blog has been given a shiny new name since this adventure is no longer about me. It's now about me kicking Fil's ass over the next 357 days.
Breaking News: We may have another entrant into the "3 mile pact". Stay tuned!
YOUR ADVERTISEMENT HERE
Sorry, I lied. This post was neither short, nor sweet...but I still am!
Jan 7th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 3.15
Day 7 was a close call. It's fitting that I am writing this entry 13 minutes into Jan 8th. What a loooooooooong day. Meeting in Boston went well, but it over ran by about 30 minutes. It's the government, what can you do? The first night of the rest of my life. Big chance in March. Enough about that though. You came here to read about Jason and Fil's 3 mile pact.
I got back to Lowell around 9:45PM, and got myself and the boys dressed for a night of river running. The most difficult part so far in this experiment has been trying to find clean running clothes! I've mixed and matched every piece of clean running gear I could find. It's gotten so bad that I've started to dig into my high school clothes. It's time to either do my bi-annual laundry load or go to the Salvation Army this weekend. That's a toss up.
We got down to the river by 10:15 and it was a toasty 28 degrees outside. How the heck do those ducks hang out on the water all night?! QUACKs!!
The boys ran 1.50 miles with me and then quickly hopped back into the car to take a nap. I continued on at a faster pace and finished with a total of 3.15 miles for the day/night. It was close, but I got in the run to keep the streak alive.
Fil reported in earlier with another doozy of a running day, racking up 6.25 miles. The Old Man is giving me a run for my money. Fil takes a commanding 2 mile lead, but it's still early in the race. I'll just kick his ass when it really counts, like this weekend at the two races we have scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.
All I can say is, TGIfF.
I got back to Lowell around 9:45PM, and got myself and the boys dressed for a night of river running. The most difficult part so far in this experiment has been trying to find clean running clothes! I've mixed and matched every piece of clean running gear I could find. It's gotten so bad that I've started to dig into my high school clothes. It's time to either do my bi-annual laundry load or go to the Salvation Army this weekend. That's a toss up.
We got down to the river by 10:15 and it was a toasty 28 degrees outside. How the heck do those ducks hang out on the water all night?! QUACKs!!
The boys ran 1.50 miles with me and then quickly hopped back into the car to take a nap. I continued on at a faster pace and finished with a total of 3.15 miles for the day/night. It was close, but I got in the run to keep the streak alive.
Fil reported in earlier with another doozy of a running day, racking up 6.25 miles. The Old Man is giving me a run for my money. Fil takes a commanding 2 mile lead, but it's still early in the race. I'll just kick his ass when it really counts, like this weekend at the two races we have scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.
All I can say is, TGIfF.
Jan 6th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 5.51
Day 6 of the Fil and Jason running resolution was uneventful. Fil was able to put in his usual 5.5 miles while the sun was still out AND still have time for lunch. It appears that the only requirement to be a designer is a 7 minute pace and a packed lunch.
Jason on the other hand had to suffer through another run in the wee hours of the evening through the icy streets of Lowell/Dracut. Managed 2.1 miles on the road and another 3.41 on the Dread Mill for a total of 5.51 miles (that's no accident either).
The highlight of the night was definitely throwing back a few cold ones with my running bodies, FF and KG. This is why I run.
Weather: Sucks
Tomorrow may see the end of the 3 mile pact. Work, and then meeting in Boston until late. Stay tuned.
Jason on the other hand had to suffer through another run in the wee hours of the evening through the icy streets of Lowell/Dracut. Managed 2.1 miles on the road and another 3.41 on the Dread Mill for a total of 5.51 miles (that's no accident either).
The highlight of the night was definitely throwing back a few cold ones with my running bodies, FF and KG. This is why I run.
Weather: Sucks
Tomorrow may see the end of the 3 mile pact. Work, and then meeting in Boston until late. Stay tuned.
Jan 5th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA
Day 5 was another tough one for me to get in at least 3 miles, but I managed. Fil got in 6 miles at lunch and skated to a win at Janas Rink. Fil's the Ironman of semi-professional atheletes.
Fil - 6 Miles
Jason - 5 million millimeters (sounds better than 5k).
Weather: Cold getting old.
Planning to run after work with Fil. Here's my chance to put Fil back in his place.
Mileage year-to-date:
Fil - 20.85
Jason - 21.08
Good night.
Fil - 6 Miles
Jason - 5 million millimeters (sounds better than 5k).
Weather: Cold getting old.
Planning to run after work with Fil. Here's my chance to put Fil back in his place.
Mileage year-to-date:
Fil - 20.85
Jason - 21.08
Good night.
Jan 4th, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 5.0
Day 4 of our 365 day journey really put our 3 mile pact to the test. It was the first business day of the new year, so that meant back to work for both Fil and I. Given that Fil is a designer, he had no trouble finding time in his "busy" schedule to put in a 5 mile run at lunch time. Coincidentally, the FBI and state police were looking for a bank robbery suspect around this time and in the same area as Fil's run.....
I on the other hand had to save the world from exchange rates and subsidiaries running out of funds, so I had to wait until I got home before I could get my run in. Unfortunately, I didn't get home until 7PM, and after taking the "boys" out and feeding them, it was already 9PM before I was on the road to uphold my end of the 3 mile pact.
I can happily report that the 3 mile pact is still intact.
Weather: 32 Degrees at lunch time; 27 Degrees at 9PM.
Fil - 5 Miles - 39:42
Jason - 5 Miles - 38:00
Robbery Suspect #2 - 26+ miles - 1 hr 58 mins
I on the other hand had to save the world from exchange rates and subsidiaries running out of funds, so I had to wait until I got home before I could get my run in. Unfortunately, I didn't get home until 7PM, and after taking the "boys" out and feeding them, it was already 9PM before I was on the road to uphold my end of the 3 mile pact.
I can happily report that the 3 mile pact is still intact.
Weather: 32 Degrees at lunch time; 27 Degrees at 9PM.
Fil - 5 Miles - 39:42
Jason - 5 Miles - 38:00
Robbery Suspect #2 - 26+ miles - 1 hr 58 mins
Jan 3rd, 2010 - Training - Lowell, MA - 3.5 Miles
Day 3 brought some of the worse running weather so far this winter (cold, snow, and plenty of WIND). Fil and I were up to 2AM discussing (and goofing around on Google calendar) our options for a run:
- Option 1: Run with Glenn & Co at the weekly GLRR 8AM Sunday run. That was out of the question by the time we went to bed at 2AM. Sorry Glenn! Amazing job on your part (and Jim Q's.) for putting in 11+ miles in those conditions!! Fil and I still need to work on dedication.
- Option 2: Run a 5 mile road race out in Fitchburg. Looking at the prior year results for this race, there were 38 finishers and the race was held on JUNE 2ND! We didn't want to drive 45 minutes to a race that had a good shot of being cancelled.
- Option 3: The Nuclear Option. Put in our "3 mile pact" on the Dread Mill.
We decided to go with the Nuclear Option and both got in 3.5 miles on the rat wheel.
Run Time: ~11AM
Weather: Room Temperature
Entry Fee: Irreprepable psychological damage from running on the Dread Mill.
Weather for the rest of the week looks a little bit better, but busy work schedule might lead to some really late night runs for myself.
- Option 1: Run with Glenn & Co at the weekly GLRR 8AM Sunday run. That was out of the question by the time we went to bed at 2AM. Sorry Glenn! Amazing job on your part (and Jim Q's.) for putting in 11+ miles in those conditions!! Fil and I still need to work on dedication.
- Option 2: Run a 5 mile road race out in Fitchburg. Looking at the prior year results for this race, there were 38 finishers and the race was held on JUNE 2ND! We didn't want to drive 45 minutes to a race that had a good shot of being cancelled.
- Option 3: The Nuclear Option. Put in our "3 mile pact" on the Dread Mill.
We decided to go with the Nuclear Option and both got in 3.5 miles on the rat wheel.
Run Time: ~11AM
Weather: Room Temperature
Entry Fee: Irreprepable psychological damage from running on the Dread Mill.
Weather for the rest of the week looks a little bit better, but busy work schedule might lead to some really late night runs for myself.
Jan 2nd, 2010 - Race - Tewksbury, MA - 3.13
Day 2 - The new year brought Fil and I to Tewksbury High School for the first race in the Fudgicle Series, put on by GLRR.
It was nice to see the usual suspects out there.
Completed the 3.13 mile course in 21:52 for 3rd overall. 6:58 pace in wet snow. Tough traction for the Newtons.
Knees were still sore from yesterday's race. ITB is feeling OK, but tight.
Race Time: 8AM
Weather: 24 degrees, light snow.
Entry Fee: $1 donation.
It was nice to see the usual suspects out there.
Completed the 3.13 mile course in 21:52 for 3rd overall. 6:58 pace in wet snow. Tough traction for the Newtons.
Knees were still sore from yesterday's race. ITB is feeling OK, but tight.
Race Time: 8AM
Weather: 24 degrees, light snow.
Entry Fee: $1 donation.
Jan 1st, 2010 - Lowell 1st Run "10K" - Lowell, MA - 6.35
(That's Eric M. to my left. He kicked my asphalt at this race, but I repaid the favor 59 days later)
I was hoping to break 40, but it was not meant to be. Knees felt OK during the run. Still in the process of rebuilding my stamina after shutting it down for the past month to recover from the 2009 season.
The reason for the quotations around the 10K in the title is due to the fact that most of the runners that I spoke to, and had Garmin watches, showed the same distance: 6.35 miles!! I guess I could say that I unofficially broke 40 minutes.
ITB is sore tonight.
Race Time: 11AM
Weather: Chilly 30 degrees, overcast.
Entry Fee: $20
New Year's Resolution: Complete at least 3 miles a day (in any manner) for the next 364 days. 1 down 364 to go. I promise I'll stop running when I stop having funning.
Next up is the Fudgicles Series in Tewksbury (3.17 miles).
Answer to the question that I will be asking on Day 255: MORE HARD WORK!
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