Training Log Archive: PG

Westfield Half Marathon. Fantastic run.

Had run the race four times before, best in 82:45 in 1996 (age 51), worst in 94:34 the last time I tried it in 2002. So the goals for today were beat 94, then maybe beat 7 minute pace (about 91:45), then maybe maybe beat 90. And also in the back of my mind was seeing how close I could come to Balter's time of 86+ in Brooklyn a week ago.

The legs felt good warming up. And they continued to feel good, one of those days that a slight incline feels flat and a flat feels downhill. 6:41 for the flat first mile felt comfortable, then the next 3 miles were uphill and I was astounded to be under 7 minute pace. Wasn't sure if I'b blown it by going to fast, and by miles 8 and 9 I was getting a bit leg heavy, counting down the miles slower than I wished and doing the math in my head to see how much I could slow down and still break 90. Mile 11 started with a modest up, but I got up it ok and then it was like the legs got a second windand I felt good all the way in. Got within a minute of Greg, I thought as I finished, only to find out later that he'd run 87:10 and I was only 20 seconds off. Excellent. (Note: this is all preparation for our grudge match, over a course and distance yet to be determined, when he turns 50. If I can keep my weight down to 1 G, I think I can take him.)

Splits: 6:41, 6:55 (up), 7:13 (up), 6:48 (up), 6:28 (down), 6:25 (down), 6:32, 6:31, 6:47, 6:51, 6:36, 6:35, 6:30, 38. 5 miles: 34:05, 10 miles: 67:11, last 5k: 20:19.

Legs will be trashed for a couple of days, and I might have used up my good legs for a while, but so what.

C • Congrats! 8

Warm-up

Drove down to Litchfield after the race to see my mother, taking along a cake I made the night before. It seems like a pre-race intake of the extra frosting didn't hurt. Now we'll have to see if the 3 pieces I put away at her house speed or hinder recovery.

Back to the golf course again, this time trying to be as macho as Kristin and run all 18 holes hard with recoveries at a slow jog from the green to the next tee. Good workout, felt ok except for a headache all day.

9 holes before, 9 holes after, a little shorter than the other 18, since then I was taking the long way around each green to stretch out the recovery as long as possible.

"13 hills" loop in Greenfield. Well, it's actually the usual loop but it sounds better if I call it something different.

Was feeling a bit sluggish and uninspired, perhaps because of a couple of burgers in late morning, but then as I was heading up hill 8 my mind wandered to AttackPoint matters, namely Swampfox's problem with the meaning of W, and the next thing I knew I was at the top of the hill without even being aware of any effort. Thank you, SF. And don't be distressed, everyone has a bad day, even I'm sure your fellow intellectuals Newton and Einstein (though with Einstein it may have just been perpetual bad hair days).

And before I knew it, hills 9-13 were also done, and at a better pace....

Back to another familiar spot, Wills Hill in Montague, where the forest is clean enough to make woods running pleasant, and junky enough to make it useful training. About 30-35 minutes off trail.

Highlight was toward the end as I was coming down the west slope of Wills Hill and I scared up a critter about the size of a large cat, black or very dark brown, and the first thing that popped in my head was fisher, though it had been a long time since I'd seen one and wasn't sure what they looked like.

Anyway, it headed off along the slope and I took off after it, fast as I could though I was losing ground. After about 30-40 yards it started up a tree, and if I'd been smart I would have stopped and just observed. But it saw me still coming and instead of going higher in the tree it dropped down and took off again, this time up the rather steep slope and it wasn't long before it has disappeared in the underbrush. It seemed to be moving at about .5W.

Pretty neat anyway, as I had a real good look at it. But I wonder if any of the nearby homes are missing any cats.

C • .5W, huh? 4

I've been told I should do something other than the "usual trails," so I drove over to an area I ran a bunch of times last winter, north of route 2 in Gill. Out and back from where Rt. 2 crosses the Connecticut River north to Darby Hill (topo). Some areas of frost holes but very nice overall and a good change from the usual. A nice day too.

Usual trails, cold and very windy even in the woods. Felt crappy to start, a little weak in the middle, and better towards the end.