since you've been gone
Long time no write. You guys have probably been wondering where I have been. Well, I have been camping and hiding in the basement and pool from the little mercury climb we have been having.
Thursday afternoon we took off for October Mtn State park in Lee and Washington, MA. It was a great time and we had some really nice runs on some really steep fire roads and trails. Now I know how Paul Low feels. Every run was about a ½ hour of climbing before reaching the plateau on top of the mtn with about 5 miles of trails roaming the upper region of the mountain top. Saturday I got in a long trail run of 1:59 which was all up and down because I dropped off Christy half way through the run and then went to the summit of the mtn. That was a tiring long run. We also caught a tanglewood concert on Saturday night which was pleasant because the absolute drenching rain had gone by.
Sunday I was spoiled again with a nice 6 mile run in the morning and 18 holes of golf. This time I was invited to play the spectacular Country Club of Pittsfield which is right on route 7 just south of city center. The invite came courtesy of Coach Mike Brady, the ex-princeton coach, who lives in a beautiful place in Richmond, MA. Most people don’t even know Richmond is a town in Massachusetts, but it is. Now you know! I shot a couple of pars and a missed a birdie chip in with a horseshoe around the edge of the cup. I shot a 98 which I was pleased with because I broke 100. Afterwards I had one the best tasting beers in a oak lined clubhouse bar. Ah, so ends my touch with being a wealthy person who goes to private country clubs for rounds of golf. It is back to my cow pastures and boulder fields.
Monday was a 5:45 run at 33:20 and lunchtime run of 47:18 for nobscott loop.
Tuesday was a 5:45 run with Christy Mae who graciously got out of bed with me before she had too and ran the same loop in 33:28. I thought it was kind of hot for that run and boy was I mistaken. Last night was my first PMP of the marathon program and it was a disaster. I am going to qualify that because at 6:45 pm last night in Lincoln, MA it was 92 degrees with a dew point of 76 which yields a heat index of 104. Needless to say my 4 miles at 5:20 went like this
1. 5:45
2. 5:29
3. 5:34
4. 5:32 (I think because I stopped at what I thought was four)
When Brad came by he said he wasn’t stopping until the starting tree so I continued the tempo with him for another .4 miles. It was not very comfortable out. I knew I was in trouble when after an easy 22 minute warm-up (haha, like you need to warm up when it is that fricken hot out) my shins were sweating bullets. When shins sweat, I am in trouble. The last time I had shin sweat was Club Track Nationals at NYC when I ran a blistering 15:28 5k in 85 degree temps with what felt like 100% humidity. Back on target, brad and I warmed down at a snails pace because we didn’t want any major organs shutting down in our sleep from heat exhaustion.
This morning was another 5:45 run through Memorial Forest for 10k in 42:18. This afternoon at lunch was a scorching 7.2 mile Nobscott loop with sergeant lutz. It was really hot at lunch today. We took it easy running about 3 minutes slower than usual for 50.17.
Well, that should catch you up. I hope to start posting weekly totals and more indepth description of workouts as I get back into the swing of things.
That’s all I got.