Summer 2015, week 5

7/20 - Monday:  Zero.  I did manage to go fishing with Greg at secret spot 1.  We caught some more monster bass.

7/21 - Tuesday:  6 in the morning on HRT and around school.  I didn't feel great.

pm - Greg and I grabbed the canoe from Stoddard to bring to Hinsdale for an assault on Secret Spot #1 later this week.  Before we left Stoddard, we went for a 30 min fishing trip on Highland Lake and caught a couple beautiful bass.  I've now caught 5 of my top 6 biggest lifetime bass in the last week and a half.  Clearly I didn't know how to fish for bass back in the day (and I probably still could use a few pointers).  Fun night.

Greg hoists a nice one.

Greg's lunker.  This is a photo of a photo if it seems blurry.

7/22 - Wednesday:  Zero.  I had a chore day today.  No time for running.

7/23 - Thursday:  8 around Kilburn counterclockwise in 1:07.  Slow time.  I felt pretty good in the beginning, but the wheels really fell off.  I've got to hydrate better.

7/24 - Friday:  0.  Very lazy day.  I should have run in the morning because I had the kids all afternoon and night.  This isn't going to be a very good week.

7/25 - Saturday:  Happy Birthday Mom!  I ran 4 today at tempo effort.  It was a nice morning to run.  I didn't feel great.  

7/26 - Sunday:  5.5 w/athlete in Pisgah.  We ran up to the Ridge from Kilburn.  It was socked in, so there were no views.  Hammered the last .7 back to the parking lot.


Weekly total:  23.5 - Not a good week - too many zeroes.
Summer total:  139.5

Summer 2015, week 4

7/13 - Monday:  5 on 119 from house.  I felt pretty decent.  I've been doing a lot of pushups lately and I've noticed that my back hasn't been nearly as tight the last week.  Maybe I can get out for a few miles this evening.  I need some mileage this week.

7/14 - Tuesday:  8 - Clockwise Kilburn.  I tried to break an hour and ended up fading and not really coming too close.  1:05+ - almost 1:06.  I did stop at 57 minutes for a swim.

7/15 - Wednesday:  3 - Charles Street Loop from house.  This was a great day.  After running Greg and I went to secret spot #1 and caught a few beautiful bass.  I caught a 3 pounder and Greg caught a nice 5 pounder - no joke.

7/16 - Thursday:  7 at Kilburn w/athletes.  Absolutely beautiful morning for a run.  58 degrees, crisp and sunny.  Feeling good.

7/17 - Friday:  6 miles HRT + downtown roads.  Another humidity free morning for running.  I felt pretty darn good today.  I lifted a little weights in the basement after my run.

7/18 - Saturday:  4 on HRT + other roads.  The humidity was back.  Decent run today.  Good week going.

7/19 - Sunday:  6 in the morning from the Pisgah Reservoir parking area.  It was another brutally humid run.  I may have had my slowest Spirit Breaker Hill ascent while running the entire way 7:10 from gate to gate.

pm - 1 mile w/athlete around school before thunderstorms cut it short.  We were hoping to get three miles.  He would have hit 50 miles for the week, but we decided to be prudent.  The 1 mile was enough for me to hit 40 for the week.  The humidity reminded me of summers past running in Ashaway.  Feel like my fitness is coming around.

Weekly total: 40
Summer total after 4 weeks - 116

Summer 2015, week 3

7/6 - Monday:  3 w/Greg.  We ran and swam at Kilburn.  Glad I got out as I had earlier conceded to getting a zero when I chose to mow the lawn instead of run.

7/7 - Tuesday:  0.  During my window to run, we had a lingering thunderstorm.  I decided that my legs could use a zero - sore calves.

7/8 - Wednesday:  6.  I ran in the evening from the school down Plain Rd to Fox Run.  I went in the development to get the right amount of time for a slow six miler.  I felt decent despite having just eaten a burger.  Interesting digression - when I went to light the grill today I noticed a mouse nest in the grill.  I quickly shut it off when I heard some of the nest ignite.  The momma mouse hopped up onto the surface of the grill.  Hopefully no babies were barbecued.  I don't think they were as there were no visible flames.  I ended up cooking the burgers inside.  I'll have to relocate the nest.  I don't mind killing mice, but burning them alive isn't my thing.

I also had the pleasure of running into my former athlete, Evan.  This was the second time this summer that I've crossed paths with him on a run.  He's been running 5 days a week.  His running has become his stress relief from a very busy schedule.  He's a chemistry major and is currently working for one of his professors on a new drug that is a promising cure for breast cancer.  He has to give a speech in San Diego at a huge chemical convention about the work they've been doing.  It made me proud to have gotten to coach him in basketball, cross country, and track and field.

7/9 - Thursday:  4 w/athletes at school in evening.  I felt good - ran nice and easy.  We had 5 athletes show up tonight.

7/10 and 7/11 - Fri/Sat:  0.  Headache on Friday led to a wimpy zero, and trip to Mass on Saturday.

7/12 - Sunday:  7 at Kilburn w/athletes.  Nice morning for a run - a little on the humid side.

pm - 1+ running from Sasquatch at Pisgah Reservoir in pm.  Great fishing w/Greg.

Weekly total - 21

Summer 2015, week 2

Monday - 6/29:  4 miles around school.  Parked at the boat landing and ran Stage/River/Main Street loop.  My legs felt tired today, and I didn't have much motivation to run.

Tuesday - 6/30:  0.  We took the kids to the Friendly Farm in Dublin.  They had fun chasing the ducks and chickens.  I rested as I felt a little PF in my right foot potentially coming on.  I usually get this when I have sore/tight calves.

Wednesday - 7/1:  4 from Greg's house to short Friedsam loop and back.  Humid run today.  I snuck out between rain showers.  My legs felt ok.  I wore my old shoes because I thought I would do a run in Pisgah today and I didn't want the new ones getting soaked.

Thursday - 7/2:  6 w/athletes at Kilburn.  Beautiful morning for running.  Ran with three members of the boys' team.  We all took a dip in the pond afterwards.  Felt very stiff (upper back) in the morning. Loosened up during the run.  Legs feel good.

Friday - 7/3:  0 today.  I went fishing in the morning with the intent of running after a few casts.  During my fishing, I had to wade through a lot of poison ivy, so I went home to wash my legs.  I never hit the roads after - oh well.

Saturday 7/4:  5 at the Four on the Fourth.  I ran 31:29.  I notice Jonny got hosed in the official results - they don't even have him listed.  He ran great, and Greg and Pard ran strong as well.  I wanted to break 32.  I went out with a coworker who eventually pulled away on the big climb after 2 miles.  I felt awful as usual on the last mile.  I'm not in any kind of fitness for racing.  My upper back was an issue during the run and still is now.

Sunday 7/5:  I am supposed to run with some athletes tonight at 6.  I'm hoping my upper back can handle it.

6pm:  4 on HRT.  Very easy pace.  Felt ok.  My upper back has been extremely stiff.  I need to lift weights.

Weekly total:  23

Summer total:  55

Summer Begins

6/22 - Monday:  0.  Last day of school.  I went golfing with a coworker afterwards.  I got a par on the first hole and got worse from there.

6/23 - Tuesday:  4 at Kilburn in the am.
                         
                           2 on Oxbow Rd pm.

6/24 - Wednesday:  4 from Boat Landing to the Town Hall and back.

6/25 - Thursday:  6 w/athletes at Kilburn.  Fun running with company.

                            3 w/athlete around school in pm.

6/26 - Friday:  0.  We went to check out couches and the YMCA.  We had a nice family day.

6/27 - Saturday:  4.5 on HRT.  Beautiful running weather for late June.  I ran at 10am and it was only around 67 degrees.
                           
                             2.5 around school in pm.  I felt decent tonight.  Third easy double of the week.

6/28 - Sunday:  6 w/athletes and Greg at Kilburn.  Rainy and cold morning (for June).  Felt good.


Weekly total:  32

April week 2

Monday - Friday - Once again nothing significant to speak of because of track practice.

Saturday - 3 miles around school.  Felt decent.

Sunday - 10 miles w/athlete.  I wasn't planning on going this long as I never thought my back would hold up.  We were supposed to run an hour, but there was a little bit of a communication snafu.  My athlete took my watch and ran ahead after 19 minutes of him graciously running at my pace.  I told him to turn at thirty minutes and that I would be following him on the straight out and back.  He kept going and going.  He thought I meant an additional 30 minutes!  Thankfully, he only kept it up for 25 minutes and figured he had gone far enough.  He was no worse for the wear, but I was really struggling at the end.  Oh well, beautiful day and I made it.  He looked great.  Now we just need a meet to not get cancelled like the first two.

First week of April

Monday - Friday.  Nothing exciting to speak of.  Coaching is in full swing.  I didn't do much running with the kids.  Probably < 2 miles.  I have been seeing hundreds if not thousands of Canada geese flying up the CT River.  A lot are landing in the open patches of river.  The highlight was a flock of snow geese with two in the blue phase that flew over the school.  I've been seeing the eagles at practice too.  The killdeer are back around campus which is a sure sign of spring.  The birding is great, but I need to squeeze in more miles during practice.

Saturday - 2 miles on the HRT.  I felt miserably stiff during the run.  I saw an otter on the ice.  There were a lot of ducks and possible 1,000 + Canada geese on the open patches of water.  I might have to go back with my binoculars today.  I did a good stretching routine after the run, and I am feeling looser as I type this.  Hopefully, I'll feel up for a longer run tomorrow.

Sunday - 4 miserable miles on HRT.  My back started bothering me after about 15 minutes.  I was reduced to a hobble for the last two miles.  I did see a lot of ducks - hooded mergansers, common mergansers, and ring necked ducks.