Week 37: 34 miles and Pisgah Mtn 23K Trail Race

Having a real hard time getting motivated!  I ran 10 miles on the roads in Keene Tuesday and thought my legs would fall off, but I held marathon pace- barely.  My fitness has suffered as I knew it would this fall with work being so busy.  Life happens.  I was only semi-excited for the Pisgah race.  I didn't run last year because I was sick and Greg brought home a bug just in time for this week.  We've both had a cold for it seems like a month now.  It wasn't bad enough for me to back out of the race though- I thought if anything the hard run may make it better!  My goal going into the race was to be close to my time in 2010 (2:29:54).  I don't feel like I am any where near the fitness I was in then, but I do have a lot more experience on the trails.  In any case, I didn't know what would happen.  I tried to remember to have fun - it is a big family affair - and be glad I can run at all in this beautiful park!

The race started and there were 4 Hammett's in the pack.  Greg took it out followed by Jonny, then Glenny, and then me somewhere in the back of the crowd.  It was a glorious morning!  I just tried to stay relaxed on the roads heading into the park and knew what I was in for on the Reservoir trail this time.  I feel like I climbed it pretty well.  I kept going back and forth with a couple people, tried to latch onto a couple guys and made it to the Ridge trail pretty happy with my effort and feeling pretty good (52:46).  I knew the Ridge trail would be tough and had already calculated that some walking would be in order.  The guys I was near quickly dropped me and I never saw them again.  The thing about the ridge is that the first part isn't the steepest, but it's long.  The footing is so nice it just seems like it should be so runnable - for some I'm sure it is, but I had my mental block on and walked a bit here and there.  At the first look out I was passed by a woman who looked real smooth.  She offered words of encouragement and I tried to keep her in sight.  I did for awhile as we caught a guy who looked like he may have gone out too fast.  The woman dropped us eventually and the man and I got to the Kilburn station together (38:41).  We went back and forth up the Kilburn Road to Davis (8:31).  I finally dropped him on Davis and low and behold I caught a glimpse of the woman from the Ridge ahead...that lasted about 1 minute.  This is where I started to get pretty tired.  I hadn't run over 2 hours in a really looong time and it was starting to catch up with me.  A woman passed me like I was climbing a tree instead of running on Davis.  But onward-  I just kept chugging along.  I got to Hubbard and looked at my watch- I knew from my runs that I can get across Hubbard to my car in less than 20 minutes and the clock was around 2 hours.  Hmm pretty close to be near 2:30.  Up Hubbard and I saw and finally caught the woman who passed me on the Ridge just as we started down the Hill- she said "go for it" and for a few minutes I did. I got to the road and saw the woman who passed me on Davis and for a second thought I could get her.  Then I hit the road and my legs said you'll be lucky to finish.   My car is usually parked right there because of the mean dog in between our house and the trailhead so I don't run this road as often as you might expect.  I made it down the hill and knew the uphill on the pavement would be a killer.  I yelled to Griffin, who was "cheering me on" from inside the house, that I'd be back for her later.  My hips were hurting and fatigued- how did I ever run a marathon?   I did walk on the hill. Ugh.  I stopped to take a big breath and collect my thoughts- my clock said I had 8 minutes to get tot he finish under 2:30.  That was a hard little trek up the road.  My own Road!  But I reached the turn onto 63, heard Greg yelling- with a little surprise to see me this early in his voice?  Finished at 2:28:59.  Good enough for a PR.  I was quite tired.  I really think I should be running that a lot faster.  So next year I am going to train and try to have a HUGE PR.

I was psyched to hear Greg had won and gotten the course record; Jonny had a great race and I think Glenny did better than he had expected.  So it was a good day for the Hammett's.  The rest of the day was spent cheering in other runners from our yard on Winchester Road.  Boj had a good 50K.  Our friend James Calloway ran his first 50K on his 50th Birthday that day!

Overall I was pleased.  Next "big" race will be Lil Rhody with even more Hammett's in the line-up.  Fall is the best!  Just gotta get motivated to have a PR there....any day now.   It's a process and I love it!

Thanks to Pard for getting quite a few good pictures!  More on the Pisgah website (link on the right)

Greg wins and captures Course Record!

Me finishing...a PR's and PR!

Hanging in the yard waiting for the 50K finishers....

Weeks 34- 36

Week 34:  22 miles.  Work really caught up with me this week- just being on my feet all the time tires my legs and makes me tired in general.  I got a couple good runs in Pisgah though- including one in which I saw and talked to a Barred Owl!  He let me talk to him for almost 30seconds before getting bored and flying away.  Big eyes!  I was getting a little creeped out as he just stared at me- but I guess if he said something I would've been more creeped out.  Lots of hawks calling in the woods these days too.

Week 35: 26 miles.  Eh just a couple medium runs in Freidsam and then South Woods with Griffin.  Finally some chilly mornings.

Week 36: 35 miles.  6 days in a row of running- haven't done that in awhile!  It's not that I'm feeling bad- just lazy.  Plantar fascitis has been pretty much controlled at this point.  Lifted a couple times...okay once.  South Woods to Mini-Vistas run on Sunday with Grif.  Gotta say I felt pretty good on it, but only 1:50 of time in the trails.  Would need a little more for a good Pisgah race. Probably too little too late. Oh well, It's a process and I love it!

WEEK 32 and 33

I've made a decision not to run Cape Cod this fall.  Just too busy with work and it was already making me a stressed anxious you know what.  So I'm just going to try to be fit and get diesel this fall- like I was supposed to this past summer!  I won't worry about mileage too much- just try to keep it over 30 and if I get close to 40 great!  I will focus on the Pisgah 23K- I didn't get to run it last year because I was sick.  And I'd like to run a faster time than last year at Lil Rhody too.  So I have goals- just not as lofty as I had planned.  I still can't wait to do another marathon and I'll plan on Vermont City and perhaps Demar some year soon.  
   
I did a semi-long run Tuesday (15) on the roads (well, 10 on the rail trail) and it went ok.  During my marathon training I was sure to take 2 days rest (active rest) after a run of 15 miles or more.  I didn't do that this week and ran 5 Wednesday and then did a track workout Thursday.  I've had fun with the track workouts (after the fact) and I think they helped me with the Yankee Candle 5K- not a PR but better than last year and better than I expected.  Went in pretty tired and didn't have any kick at the end and I think that was because of my lack of rest after Tuesday's run.  I paid for it that weekend.  I got pretty unmotivated when work started- I get anxious about getting stuff done so running takes a back seat.  But I went to a great cycle class Thursday night and am motivated again.  It will fluctuate as the semester and workload shifts..life happens!

My foot has also been fluctuating in it's healing.  Right now it seems pretty good.  Strange thing is that it's better now that I have minimalist shoes for walking around.  I was finding that my feet just ached in my structure triax and the addition of inserts was torture.  So I'd wear my five-fingers (won them at a seminar) and my foot would relax and feel better.  I was sore after my run in Pisgah today (2+ hours) and now that I've been wearing my new New Balance minimalist sneakers around my foot again feels better.  I am also trying to make sure to massage at night.  I will need to get some new road shoes I think too.  The lighter ones are just more comfortable now.  

I ran in Pisgah Friday morning with Griffin.  We did Vistas and it was awesome. No deer flys!  Pictures are on the Pisgah Blog.  The rest of the weekend is up in the air as I am about to face the onslaught of preseason athletics at Keene State.  I'll try to keep my "running ahead" run log up to date even if I don't post much here.  It's a process and I love it!!

Week 31: 51 miles

Mon: Freidsam with Grif + Circuit.  LOG 5
Tue: Railtrail of Keene Log 12, 1:46
Wed: Freidsam 5, 44:35. Felt good.
Thu: Track workout 200-400-600-800-1000-800-600-400-200; 7:45 pace. LOG 10
Fri: Freidsam with grif, LOG 4.
Sat: Kilburn with Greg and Grif, LOG 8.
Sunday: Freidsam from house with Grif. LOG 7.

Big week finally.  Got in a "long run" of 12 miles on the railtrail.  Felt good, even the foot has been feeling good.  Wednesday was my best run of the summer in Freidsam at 44:35.  Did another track workout - again felt ridiculously slow, but again I got through it.  It was pretty hot but I am doing better in the heat now than I did at Vermont City.  On Saturday we kayaked in Stoddard- good core workout.  We're thinking about getting a couple!  On Sunday I ran the Freidsam loop but left from the house to add on some miles.  It was HOT.  Poor Grif was pretty warm on our way back on the road.  Overall a solid week, starting to feel stronger.  Passed 1000 miles (1043) and am still considering Cape Cod for a fall marathon- the next couple weeks will be a better indicator.  With work starting -and therefore a full schedule- maybe I'll be better about getting in the lift and core workouts that I am so lazy about right now, then again I may not have time to get very many miles.  I am planning on running 15 tomorrow- might be slow, but I want to cover some bigger chunks of mileage if not for Cape Cod then for getting ready for Pisgah.  The foot has been pretty good even with the increase in mileage.  I've stayed away from hill sprints and plyo's for now, but will start adding them soon.  I still get shooting/searing pains in the foot at night, but its ok during a run- that's really what matters right?!  Ice calms it, so onward with adding miles. This week I feel like I need another big week as work looms and a couple low mileage weeks are sure to result.  We are running a flat 5K Saturday that I would have liked to really focus on, but I think miles are more important and will go into it tired and use it as a workout.  It'll still be fun- maybe I'll surprise myself.   It's a process, and I love it!