Training Log Archive: cmorse

Last 19 miles of TARC 50 course @ Blue Hills plus a little bonus mileage and gratuitous climb at the end.

Didn't get my long run in yesterday, so I ventured up to Trail Animal land (Blue Hills - Boston) for a run with the Animals. As a bonus to todays run, a couple of the guys had pledged $2 per total mile run (miles x # runners) to Haitian Earthquake Relief so getting more bodies out there meant more money donated - not a bad thing.

Started out at 7 with a 6 mile loop around Ponkapoag across the highway - pretty flat, but also pretty icy. Back to Houghtons for a car stop - refilled bottles and put the Kahtoola's on knowing that Chickatawbut and a couple other major climbs awaited us on the back 13.

Felt really good all the way around - no drop in energy at all. Added a bit of bonus mileage on a couple of missed turns - some of the trails are pretty faint, not blazed and hadn't been broken out and I was just blindly following the leaders and we overran a couple.

With about 3/4 mile to go and still feeling pretty spunky (I didn't know this was possible after almost 4 hours of running) myself and one other guy decided to eschew the official course route paralleling a main park road and opted to add some extra distance and gratuitous climb before dropping back to the road just before the headquarters. Came out by the road and saw the other group in the distance and kicked it into chase mode to chase them down before we hit the parking lot.

This has got to be one of the best long runs I've done in a very long time - felt great all the way around, ran almost all the climbs (I think the core exercises are helping in that regard with better climbing form) and had energy for a 1/2 mile sprint at the end. And 3 hours later I'm feeling no real after effects other than that nice mellow tiredness one gets after a morning 'well run'. And I'm just a few miles shy of my first 100 miles for the year.

Oh, and over $1000 raised for Haitian Earthquake Relief

C • WOW! Alright, I need to ... 8

XC Skiing w/ the kids - The boys on skis and Anna & I snowshoeing. Lots of walking, with bits of running - quite a bit of the walking was almost like jogging in place. Doing a bit of work, but not covering much ground. Gorgeous day to be out.

Early AM solo run @ Crandalls. Double bonus got to try two new toys. EMS finally had medium Kahtoola microspikes back in stock so I picked them up yesterday. Absolutely amazing difference - like running with velcro on your shoes. Cranked the downhill off the top probably faster than I do during the summer - my footing was so confident and the snow hid the smaller rocks and debris. And also took the new Lupine Tesla-X out for its maiden trail voyage. This thing is awesome - more than enough light on its lowest setting which should run almost 24 hours, and on high it really lights up the terrain - can't wait to use if for O. The battery wrap case is really nice too since it wraps very securely to my single bottle belt - no need to have it in a pocket with its attendant bouncing - rock solid on my hip..

C • Kahtoola's 9

C • Your lucky to be able to tr... 2

LL = Leg Lifts
SAP = Straight Arm Planks
BAP = Bent Arm Planks
SP = Side Planks
BD = Bird Dogs

Nice afternoon run w/ Dave Almand and John Agosto. Valley Falls north on Shenipsit through Belding WMA and up to Walker Reservoirs and back. Good footing, lightly snowing, low 20's.

Happy Hill Tuesday w/ Mark, Bruce & Scott. Light snow, upper 20's - downright balmy compared to the past few weeks. Solid run, fell off the back on the last trip up. Splits - 19:28, 19:28, 19:36 - pretty damn even...

C • I wish I lived closer! 2

Just picked up my new Tesla-X from the Post Office - I'm feeling a night run coming on :-)

basement groovin on Pandora - mostly electric blues w/ plenty of B-3 action