Training Log Archive: TomN

Well, this run didn't go as planned. It being a cool morning I decided to do a track workout. Northwood HS looked like a good choice, and never having been there I looked on Google maps and saw that the Northwood-Chesapeake Bay Trail would take me from a parking lot on Sligo Creek straight to the school.

I parked and found the trailhead, ran a little ways, came to a street and promptly lost the trail. Ran around the neighborhood trying to find the continuation, and a guy doing lawn work asked me if I was looking for the trail. I said yes, and he said it's pretty overgrown, and he hasn't seen a jogger in a long time, but he showed me where it crosses through his back yard. I picked it up and he was right, it was overgrown, mostly with stilt grass, but I persevered and got to the crossing at University Boulevard. I crossed and went a little ways down Arcola Ave. looking for the back way into the school, and that turned into a tour of the neighborhood streets until I inadvertently found the trail again on the back side of the school. By then I was over a mile into the run, and when I got to the track there was a big crowd of kids doing some kind of workout or tryout.

So I gave up the track idea, took the Northwood Trail back to Sligo Creek, and ran an up-and-back between Forest Glen and University on the Sligo Creek trail. That brought the total to just over 5 miles. I did about 8 strides on the return segment.

Easy run in the late morning. I was going to run 6.2 miles (planning on a 10k next weekend), but decided to cut it down to 5. Then proceeded to make 5 wrong turns (some from daydreaming, and the rest trying to get back on course) and ended up with 6.5. I guess it was fate.

Rest day. Feeling great, but don't want to push it. So, a set of core and legs: 2x(pushups, planks, bicycles), squats, lunges front and back, and stair steps.

Long run, starting around 8. It would have been 10 mi, but I wandered some. First, the pool owners have put up a gate in the path between McKenney Hills and the Gardiner Ave. pool. I don't know why. Second, I was daydreaming and missed the turn coming down from the National Seminary. Once on the Rock Creek path, I went out to Cedar Lane and turned around, and back up Old Spring Road.

I felt like I took it real slow, but the time doesn't show that. I was pretty ragged by the time I got back.

Greenbelt Park Perimeter Trail at noon. Nice place to run on a hot day, it's well shaded. Felt strong and steady.

VO2max intervals at Silver Spring International track. I used to go to this track before I knew the back way to Einstein HS. It was the former location of Blair HS, but it's now a middle school and they don't use the track any more. It's something of a community track now, and there were a dozen or so people on it. Only one person running for speed, and she left right as I got there. Everyone else was walking or jogging.

Anyway, I did 3x1000m with a 4 min jog in between. I figured 4:30 would be good, actual times were 4:29, 4:27, 4:26. That's Daniels' pace for VDOT 43, and I don't need to be any faster than that.

A nice easy 10k run after a couple of unexpected days off.