Training Log Archive: PG

Amherst 10 Mile race, 70:19, just about a minute faster than last year (best on the course was 62:27 in 1988, ran 63:57 in 1998 at age 53 when I was still running well, but this was a lot better than the 77:50 a couple of years ago when my running had gone to the dogs). A good hard effort all the way, the last long hill really hurt and I was losing it, but still hung in ok. It helped having Maddy right behind me, got her by about 20 yards at the end. Would have been really nice to break 70, but the legs weren't quite up to it. Still nice to come close.

Splits: 6:52 (down then up), 6:32 (down), 7:25 (up), 7:29 (up/down/up), 7:06 (up/flat), 6:57 (flat/down), 6:43 (down/flat), 6:58 (flat/down), 7:03 (flat/up), 7:13 (up/up/down).

Had a flashback near the 7 mile mark -- 25 years ago there was a guy there holding a sign -- USA 4, Finland 2 -- the score of the gold medal hockey game going on at the same time in Lake Placid, and a couple of days after beating the Russians 4-3 in a memorable game. I imagine a number of AttackPoint folks were not even born then....

End of another good month of runnig. Hadn't missed a day (until I took yesterday off on purpose) in over 5 weeks. Nice to have something to show for it!

Warm-up and cool-down.

Foot trails on Greenfield ridge. Was pressed for time so didn't make it to the snowmobile trails which would have been better. As it was, trails were the same mix of loose snow on top of ice, with the additional of a couple more inches of snow overnight. Just seemed like hard work, quads really burning on the ups. Good training I suppose.

Forecast is for more snow on Monday, and continued cold weather for at least the next week or two. Don't know where spring is but I'm ready for it.

Intervals along Falls Road, 8 x 90 seconds (about 400 meters, I was pacing...), 50 seconds jog between. Good effort on a cold morning (15 degrees). Plus about 14 minutes easy before and after.

Snowmobile trails in Montague, varying conditions from excellent to a little soft to loose snow over ice and almost no traction at all, fortuntely the latter on mostly flat places. Only took one tumble, really stupid, I'm cruising down this hill nearthe end and I'm looking at my footprints going up and each one has revealed a bit of ice beneath the somewhat packed snow. And about the time it dawns on me that I should watch myself because the footing is not stable, well, I land on one slope where the force is not perpendicular to the ground and the next thing I know I'm flat on my back. No harm done luckily. You can run on ice, just need to pay attention all the time.

On Greenfield ridge. 3-6 inches of new snow over a base of ice or bare ground -- never knew which until my feet were suddenly without traction. But only two gentle falls. And the woods were beautiful and the legs felt ok.

Roads in Greenfield at the tail end of a storm, about 6 inches of new snow. Traction pretty bad. Legs a bit tired, relaxed pace.