Training Log Archive: bl

Event: CSU Spring Training Camp #1
 

BHS warmup for 5k: some 200s, then a 400, finally a 1200: all around 0640-7' pace. Mayeb 55f at 0850, nice day in making. Track group just arriving.

New Hampshire State Employees 5k, third time. Around 60F at start time. Flat course thru SOP east. Various goals, first was to feel good at first mile (6:44) so that part of mission was accomplished. Next was to not back off but make it to #2 mile marker with some enthusiasm for the third mile & that was also accomplished (7:02); next, get thru 3rd mile w/o coming apart which I managed to do (7:03) & then get thru to finish with what was left (:41), best 5k I've done. Last year, at this race I looked at my watch at 04:04, thinking 'I'm oob/this is hurting' - there was no excitement about repeating that. Nice to pull ahead of the few one settles in with after the first mile or so. Wasn't the legs so much as the gut that prevented/discouraged? moving ahead a little faster.

Finished ahead of Mary Gosling for once. Met 60 y/o, Ron Newbury, mostly a nordic skier, who ran 19:05, first mile 5:59, a 16:49 around age 52. He was right in front of me at start. Diane "instructed" me to keep up/beat? him (team standings). He took off - and my goal was to get thru first mi around 7' w/o distress - widely separate missions.

In some respects, this was a mix of 4 & 5 effort. Interesting how attitude/impression of what's what changes over time/with experience. And how few slivers of red there are under "weeks by intensity."

Map/control site check for Nottingcook meet, coming right up. Had considered working on Bear Brook but then, duh, this meet work needs doing even more. 2 pleasant hours putting out streamers, adding & deleting a few things. No insects. Gun shots from the target area, later music & chain saw whining; wanted to see what the saw was about but even a secretive approach did not work. One or two goon mobiles, young kids beering it up on a prime Saturday pm.

Spent 15' updating map file - missed boulders, changes in green, vernal pool or two etc. What I saw of forest was not appreciably affected by the March wind storm.

DP in Nottingcook, power line, onto Norwegian Ridge, back along part of porcupine trail with no hits, fortunately. Mist higher up in places, portending the warm, warm days coming. 5K tomorrow, done for day.

Water spider abstract, stream out front, 4/2

SPS track before work, never been there done that before, must be April First. Got out the door, dismayed dogs or not. Arrive with a coffee cup in hand, balance on a post by the track. Had time to warm up & run 2 x1600 with a 200m walk in between: 7:03, 7:01. Felt like I could have continued with the 200 walk for some # but it was 0831 at end of second, already a minute late for work – as if I’m ever on time. Temp 50F. Warm up is always a wake up – maybe 200 m at what would be 9:30 pace, maybe another 200m at what would be 8:00 pace then maybe 400 m at what would be 7:30 – something like that, getting down to what the expectation calls for is usually what seems to be a high hurdle

Warmup/down.

Spent the afternoon in Needham, Medfield, Wellsley. Mtg with Steve G then over to Wellesley College campus for some green bower walking & finally dinner with John Babington, old track teammate from college as well as Wellesley track coach for some 23 years. We met at a restaurant on Rte 16 in Wellesley between miles 15-16 of the Boston Marathon. John, a year older than I, ran 13 consecutive Boston's '68-80; I ran 3 of those but can't recall seeing him at any. We could not recall when we last saw each other - perhaps late '70s. Recall speaking with him re "winter heel" surgery in the early 90s - a problem I was having (version of chronic sore heel) and he had had successful surgery for same. He had not changed in any surprising fashion - same old John, a math major who used to show up for practice after having pulled an all-nighter, shadows under his eyes. Same carriage, same mannerisms, same everything - which must be true for most of us as time changes our outward appearance. John went to Harvard Law but, in the end, preferred being a track coach. Part of the dinner was a brief spin thru the past. Said he ran a 5:08 mile at 52 and 20:05 5k at 60. Fun to spend time in that area but glad to return to not-so-congested NH.

Down to flooded beaver slough with dogs. Needed high ground to keep feet dry. Dogs all oob this morning, maybe the extra breakfast provided after forgetting what I'd saved on the stove. Stream did not get even close to the bridge.

SloGo Birch 8 with Diane,overcast, decent temp, plenty to talk
about. New NB 1011s fm Red Shoe Barn sale for $69. Still wear the originals, I see now 2 yrs old to the week with 610 miles. April showers kind of day.

Wanted to stop at BHS or SPS track but was raining enough & was tired enough that it got canned. Came home, took a nap. SEA 5k this Sat; told Diane I'd run even tho CSU trng at Pawtuckaway; would like to go to track once while not raining so 7' pace (initially anyway) isn't quite the surprise I suspect it will be.

AM DP to "East End" under umbrella; logging training under an umbrella....
Looking for property boundary stones but not the right way to go about it - have to start at street where I've a better chance at spotting. Outback beginning to flood.

Luti 5, glad to get outside during work day. Fairly hard rain most of morning, let up, I got going before it picked up again. Floodwatch/warning period. When I got home, I secured the bridge. Finally drove in one of the 30" reinforcement rods, took me 2 years but at least it went into the earth w/o getting hung up on a rock.

Beth & I were invited to a seder last night at Al Kanegsberg's. It was a convivial get together of 12 total. Beyond being a story of the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt (Exodus), it provided additional insight into a version of a decent "god thinking" mentality - as experienced by us, two science-based, 'devout' aetheists - well, devout is my adaptation, not sure about Beth.

We prepped with "Ten Commandments" c '56; Wikipedia for "seder" & "Haggadah" proved useful to me.

Radical "God thinking" mentality blew up 40 some-odd innocent commuters in a Moscow subway yesterday (female suicide bombers no less: nurturers of the species). The history of religion is red with the blood of countless other yesterdays as well as expected innumerable tomorrows.

C • It's always something... 2

AM DP, raining - went out door dressed not to meet any chill & succeeded;
flood watch forecast with wind in the mix. Another period to plod through.
Zoe, waiting for me at a junction, had a single-easily removable quill from the front of her muzzle - she's not a danger to herself.

Continued earth moving & removal of stumps makes one small area of the map look like Armageddon - yet some distant day, it may be smooth, grassy contours, pleasing to the eye.

Noon, raining, some wind from south. Was all set to run & found I had no
wind pants etc (was thinking "coldish") - left home. So seemed stymied. Was
bound & determined to get out of building - went dressed with running stuff
I had in canvas bag but not sure if I was going home or to Borders to look
at magazines. Outside it was not chilly (56F) so went to SPS, changed
in car in quiet side of parking lot & ran 3 miles with 200 m between: 7:49,
7:15, 7:07 turning a bummer into something considerably better.

A lot of robins and one woman walking her dog who came to check me out - big Airdale, gave me slight pause for wonder. Came w/in 3' of going backwards down a 10' embankment when car rolled backwards after I put it in neutral to start, get heater on & tend to stuff on floor - felt it drop 2" or so & looked up, before pandemonium knocked at the door.

Faraway series, photos from elsewhere, #9:
Desert nomad?, Sudan, 1990

A photo taken along the shore of the Red Sea while on a run. How the
environment shape or influences the psyche comes to mind in such harsh
places.

SPS XC. After hospital visit, had Z&M who I don't think have been there in years if at all. Lots of acreage to sniff & mark with pee, total glee. Still windy/chilly if 40F can be called such - all relative. Still in need of some big tree clearing as well as general raking of paths. Three miles was just right for them. Zoe was so pleased with everything that she swam across the only significant stream vs taking the large foot bridge she'd crossed going the other way.

Found the daffodil cluster, one small group in a 1.5 acre field, just pushing through. Nice weekend staying local, getting stuff done.

Finished cutting, throwing etc of fallen tree across brook; half cord of fire wood. A gust of sufficient wind leads to lots of time cutting, hauling, stacking, cleaning up and warmth in the winter, finally. Comes a time, tho, when it becomes a burden.