Easy Gait

FORE!!! This mornings run was replaced by a nice round of golf at Charter Oaks country club right down the road from my house in Hudson. I am amazed they allow riff raff golfers like myself on a course like that. A beautiful coarse like CO is so far removed from the cow pastures and rock piles I usually play that it took some getting used to. I did not crack 100 which was my goal. Out in 49 and back in 53 from the gold tees. Tiger Woods is not staying up nights worrying about me getting a tour card. My highlight shot was a chip in from about 35 feet which took about 30 seconds to fly the rough, trickle down the fringe onto the green into the edge of the cup to save par. Just the way I wrote it up. The hightlight drive was adam's off the tree, onto the cartpath for three hops just to roll inot the short rough as the guy closest to the pin. The invitation came via Stulio thru is wiffy/in-law connection to get us onto such a nice patch of grass. I was very excited that we played colleged rules in which you have to walk, carry your clubs, and keep your own score. I lost two balls, one in the drink on the par 3 7th and one in the crud on a par 5 4th, which yielded the unfortunate and dreaded snowman 8. I just try to remember what one of my old playing partners once told me "Nobody is good at golf. But everybody is capable of a few good golf shots." Which why people keep coming back. Sunday I have another Tee time at Pittsfield Country Club and I hope to hit straight and crack 100 this time.

For a run Christy Mae and I did Memorial forrest through to Hop Brook back through ARWR South back to white pond. About 8 miles in 57:43. Only a single today because golf was tiring in the heat today. I think I am getting used to the heat because it was Africa Hot again today but I just sort of shrugged if off.

That's all I got.

Posted by Ryan at 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AM: ANWR Code 371 in 29:32 which is a bit quick so I have to cut it out.
Took road bike into work via Pratts Mill. 17:02

PM: Clockwise Nobscott in 46:35 with Justin. 3 sets of abs afterwards in the raytheon fitness center.
Road Bike home via Pratts Mill 17:15. 48 second wait at Hudson rd to get across st.

The road bike is such a faster mode of transport compared to the MTN bike. Only about 6 minutes longer to get into work than if I drive. I will have to take the road bike more often but lay off on the speed. Taking 20 minutes into work would be much easier on the legs and cause little penalty in the missed work time.

That's all I got.

Posted by Ryan at 9:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AM: Lake Boon Loop: 4.73 in 30:27. First morning run. The 5:45 alarm is going to take some getting used to.

PM: Nobscott loop counter with both hills. 47:42 with lutz.

Time for bed.

Posted by Ryan at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First LSD of the Marathon training program today. 1:45 through all the trails around Gately Ave in with Sergeant Lutz and the ladies. I don't know what the distance is but the always prepared marine had a little GPS data recorded which records all the points of the run, which can then be laid over a google map and ploted. Should be pretty sweet once it is completed.

Yesterday was an hour through Memorial Forrest to Hop Brook through the Speeder bike trail bike through Sudbury state forrest. Nice little solo run before the surprise 60th birthday party we had here.

As tomorrow marks the first real training in the marathon program, I am a little sad to say that two of my planned workout partners are already have trouble. One with a touch of sciatica and one with a broken butt. Let's hope those things get cleared up pronto so we can have a good run at the standard.

That's all I got.

Posted by Ryan at 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today marks 7 days in a row of running. This week of running has been very solid. No days off this week so it was reassuring that my legs feel rested and relaxed with no breaks. Monday and Tuesday were a little rough just because it was a bizillion degrees out but wed thru today have been nice summer running. It has been 7 or eight everyday except tuesday when it was 5 easy miles because I was installing tile floor that day and figured I would be beat by the end of it.

Speaking of which, today marks the day when we finally painted the kitchen. Everything is done except for the backsplash which we have not been able to agree on. We do indeed have a floor, 4 walls with no holes in it anymore (except the pass-thru which was a designed hole), sink, dishwasher, fridge, and range. It came out a lot better than I thought it would so I am very pleased. This also marks the end of any major house work until after the Chicago marathon. Which is just in time because two a days begin on Monday as I start to bring my base mileage up in anticipation of the real training starting in August.

That's all I got.

Posted by Ryan at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot.

Today capped off the 4 day running week I had with taking monday, tuesday, Friday off. Saturday I did the Memorial Forrest loop with christy mae. A nice leisurely 49:56 for about 7/2 miles. After the run and some kitchen tile laying, we headed down to the vacation mecca of Sutton, MA for a nice little lake party on Lake Singletary. It was a fantastic time had by all with karoke, volleyball, tubing, (can barely lift my arms over my head) and BBQ all high lighted by an excellent fireworks display put on right over our heads. After telling my wife and myself we would not be there to late, we were. So unfortunately we over slept a little this morning which leads us to ...

Another 7, only it was hot, damn hot. Today's 7 mile death march in 93 degree temps. The shade of the trails did little to deflect the heat. It was so hot I saw four camels heading north for Canada in the assabet river refuge. It unfortunately was not too hot for the deerflies which are starting to wear on my nerves and patients. Tomorrow is an early wakeup for the run so hopefully I will be up before they are.

That's all I got.

Posted by Ryan at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Second day after the break and it went very well. 48:47 for the goodold nobscott loop counter clockwise with Sergeant lutz. Nice to have some company on the runs again. No ill effects felt from the off time. Sometimes when I try running after 1 week off I feel little pangs and sore spots but none off that is going on. That makes it two sucessful runs in a row.

Since we all know you can not run three days in a row without your heart exploding I will take tomorrow off. It is supposed to be freaky mad dingo aborigine hot thru sunday so I will just be swimming around getting ready to start the weekend.

There will be no entry tomorrow because I will not be running so don't bother checking*

That's all I got.

*all three of you who actually read this blog

Posted by Ryan at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, it has been a wonderful 7 days of down time, it is back to work. I am rested, relaxed, and have new sense of purpose to my training. I have deceided to give the 26.2 mile distance another shot and have placed the cross hairs directly on Chicago, Illinois for October 22 and the Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon. I have a good plan and good group work with on that plan. Kevin will be expertly executing said plan and I don't intend to think one iota about it. My plan is to run. When I show up at the workouts, I will do what I am advised to do and not second guess, do stealth secret workouts, or do any mid-workout changes. The schedule changes you, you do not change the schedule. I will also be going to my trusted group of marathon experts who have run many more than I ever will a lot faster than I ever could (Brian Cann, Bob Hodge & Mark Coogan) trying to gleam some tidbits of knowledge about the distance and gain some inspiration as things get a little daunting as I am sure they will. If all goes to plan (meaning no injuries or serious sickness) the next 14 weeks will be a little tutorial on how to wisely prepare and race a fast marathon.

If anyone else reading this plans on racing Chicago or has raced it in the past, feel free to comment with any tips or tricks you may know.

Today was a nice start to the training. It was a sauna run at lunch with Sergeant Lutz. A comfortable 95% humidity and 85 degrees met us as we headed out of our computer controled environment into the steamy jungle of nobscot loop. Under the canopy of the trails, the air was thicker than the pack of deerflies trailing in our wake. Some light lifting afterwards and stretching.

That's all I got.

"Gentlemen, we have got to have a plan. We must have a plan, even if it is wrong."
- Mr. Cassadamius

Posted by Ryan at 9:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

not much going on here. just a lot of mtn biking and house chores. Today I went on a ride to try and see if I could connect the assabet rail trail to the ARWR from down town hudson. You can't, so don't bother trying. There is a bridge out about 1/4 mile went of Sudbury st. in stow. Making it across the assabet is unlikely at that location with out a canoe. The deer flies are rutheless. I kept the pace very quick to maintain a gap. I fear my first run in the trails on Monday will be a runaway from deerflies run.

The kitchen is almost finished. The lights are in and the pass through is patched and ready for paint. I decided to pull up the luon subfloor and discovered 3 layers of linolium underneath. Good thing I did not tile on the luon, the tiles would be popping off in 2 years. Tomorrow I hope to get the cememnt backer board down and then lay at least 1/4 of the tiles. Hopefully by sat. the floor will be done and the paint will be up. Then the photo timeline will posted in this space so everyone can see what I have been boring you with for the past 2 months.

Now that I live about 50 yards from lake boon, I realize the 4th of july is celebrated the weekend prior and after the actual day. Today marks the 10th night in a row of fireworks going off. Maybe it is just touching off the leftovers.

That's all I got.

Posted by Ryan at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You probably are wondering where in the world the entries have been. Well, they were on vacation with me. I don’t like to use a computer when I am on vacation because that is what I spend 60% of my time at work doing. So I vacate my mind from such activities.

Not much was missed anyway. Friday was an easy day. Saturday was 6 x 200m @ 30-31 at the Morgan Bowl (aka husdon high school track). There is a pretty good wam-up trail along the assabet river that is a nice out and back type of loop.

Sunday we had a great long run group comprised of bob hodge, Mario, Driscoll, and Christy Mae. I only went 1:19 but the rest went for a real long run.

Monday was a easy 37 minute speeder bike run with Christy and 100 of my favorite friends know as deer flies. Yes, the tie fighters have hatched and are hungry. They follow tirelessly regardless of pace or distance. On our long run Sunday it was nice to be around some other people to share the tie fighter load. Those pesky insects are looking for their pound of flesh and do not quit until they get it (or you catch one and crush it in your fingers like you are somehow getting retribution on the yellow bastards).

Which brings us up to yesterday’s Carson 2 miler in Chelmsford. It is one of those races that never seems too tough until you are about 2/5’s of the way through. Then you realize things are not going to be as easy as they first appeared. I have done this race about 5 times and always like it because there is always good competition. Yesterday the conditions were challenging to say the least. A head wind for the last 1.5 miles in 88 degree temperatures with humidity made for a 9:39 second sweat fest. The race went out hard as it always does, and I had committed to going out with the leaders. Nephi Tyler passed me about the .35 miles into the race to never look back. Then Lowell Kenyan I hinga, c. moulton, Lowell Kenyan II, moi, Patrick rich, chris volonte, and Mario. You can see it all here.
Christy Mae made a triumphant return to the podium with a 3rd place finish off of 5 days training. Some people just have it. I have always been envious of those who can just say “today would be a good day to race” and then win because they are just that much better than the rest of us. You know who you are and I want your secret!

That concludes the spring season which was not what I had hoped for but could have been worse. No injuries, no sickness, no excuses. Just didn’t execute as well as I could have but I will work on that into the fall season of running. Now it is some down time and some administrative stuff. I will come up with a plan and reload for the fall racing circuit.

This week I may or may not post some stuff about the back flips and mtn bike rides. We will see if the posting bug bites me. Hopefully not as hard as the damn tie fighters.

That’s all I got.

Posted by Ryan at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)