Training Log Archive: Ari-o

To NYC, via Prospect for O. Ran down and up the hill to warm up.

Off to run the O course. Legs a bit heavy from Saturday, apparently I won the first split and no others. Definitely some walking on hills, a couple of questionable route choices, a couple of misread clues (I mean, control descriptions) but mostly in contact with the map.

Green - Splits

Up to Merrimack with Alex for a trail run. Back still hurting, but gobbled Vitamin (800 mg) which seemed to stave it off. Out for a slow warm-up with Alex. Very muddy at the start, and then everything else that we ran looked pretty fine.

Trail race! This race is always fun, low key, with the best RD around, comedy-wise (and accent-wise). I went out in the scrum but avoided the mud pit at the start, in order to keep my feet dry-ish. Jumped across the river and was just off the back of the pack, so I burned matches to catch up, when it of course was breaking apart.

I ran well, 7s or so, until we got to the hills, and the hills yesterday (more than the back) didn't cooperate, so there was a bit of walking. I passed some people, and got passed by others, and wound up in no man's land for the run back.

The run back was a bit flatter, and din't have the eroded thing down from the powerlines, so it was quite nice. Once over the hills I had sightlines to see competitors ahead. First I saw someone about 100m ahead: 20 seconds on the watch. Then I saw him again 12 seconds ahead. Then I passed him, and he didn't hang on, so I went to catch the next rabbit. He was struggling, and I passed him easily. I saw people at the end of the field when I got on to it, but had no chance of reeling them in over the last half mile. 9th overall, relatively small race this year it seems, but I felt good, was L3 pretty much the whole way, and dialed in a 6:40 mile near the end, so that's all good.

Cool down with Alex. Then I won a bottle of win in the best raffle ever.

NP hills. Back still a bit in pain, mostly downhill. Certainly not a PR! Pushed the uphills a bit; need to stretch more.

So the first three days of the week led to back pain, which is great. Lots of stretching today. No skiing, although had I gotten out the door by 5 I think Waterville or Greens would have been outstanding. But, alas, I have things to get done. Might be done with skiing, at least groomed, a photo from a friend of Mizpah with snow to the roof means there will be snow in the backcountry for a while.

Run to and from NP. Got out the door early enough I was able to jog over, not sprint.

Which was good, because my sprinting legs are not around today.

C • Does Boston public transit ... 3

They kept yelling Tallahassee and we had to switch directions when we did. I kept track of sections, which they were discouraging doing (of course I did; so did Strava).

And I kept yelling names of other cities in Florida. IMMOKALEE! PENSACOLA! GAINSVILLE!

Friend posted a run with Meb. Well, that sounded more fun than, say, course work.

Ran over to MIT, because the track is closer to my house. It says the track is closed during varsity practice, but the gate was open and there were maybe 10 people running around and I pay a $156 fee every semester for these facilities. What could go wrong?

Track! Well, some intervals at the track. Ran a 3:45 1000 and that felt okay, and a slightly faster 600, then a slower 1000. The rain was cold. Hey, at least my new marathon pace is 1:10 slower than that pace!

So. A gruff, old white guy got pissed off that we were running on his track. Not open to argument. I guess I can see why they don't want a lot of people on the track … but also, it's a D3 school, and it's not like the track is swarmed with people doing intervals. I may go run intervals there and refuse to leave and see what happens. Not get in anyone's way, but just see if there is an enforcement mechanism behind the guy yelling. Will he attempt to remove me from the track? Will he call MIT Police? Will he just stand down? This is inviting confrontation, but also, eff that guy and his power trip.

Maybe I'll write a sternly worded email.

Then after the fast bits we ran to Ben and Jerry's, got sleeted on, because spring, waited in a long line of students, and then got a ride home with an Ed. And by we, I mean Ed and I ate ice cream, and Alex watched, because she is exercising self control this month.

Run over to NP. Mostly because they had free doughnuts at the train station.

Some shuffles along the street.

So they said either put out 0, 1 or 2 fingers with a partner. If 0: do 20 burpies in the rain (strike out). If 1, a short run and 15 burpies. 2, slightly longer run and 10, 3 slightly longer run and 5, 4, slightly longer run (but still short) and zero burpies.

There was really no incentive to ever put out anything but two fingers. Game theory!

Of course after 33 miles, I didn't really wan to run. So I put out 0 every time. And did a lot of 10 burpies. A few 15s. A 20 with Bojan. And at then end, a 20 with someone who also threw 0 and had no idea I would too. Then they called time.

FREE DONUTS. Of "championship rings" at the Commuter Rail station. I only had two. Because I can exercise self control.