Summer Plans

After a week off and a week of running, I'm looking forward to this summer. While it'll be short and over very quickly, I hope to make the most of it while it still lasts. Overall, I'm looking to get in a solid training base for XC in the fall, get in a few hard race efforts with hopefully fast times and explore new places, both close and far. Training wise, I'm looking to run 60-70 miles a week and get in a long run on Sundays which will be fairly new for me. I still haven't received a training schedule but I'll probably just do a few race specific workouts here and there. I've been looking at races and am mostly focusing on doing, local fast road races rather than something completely different. While I love trail races, there just aren't that many in summer without going too far away. I've come up with a list of potential races and will list them below.

Note: the formatting is incredibly weird in this post and will likely be painful on the eyes. I blame blogger.

Loon Mountain Race

July 8th- Lincoln, NH
Trail/Mountain
Status: Registered

Previous Results:
2017- 1:05:35, 11th of 462 (6.6mi course)
2016- 1:02:55, 67th of 577 (10K, US Mountain Running Championships)

Goals and Thoughts: To be completely honest, I'm not that excited for Loon this year. While I've thought about doing fun run trails all year, it just seems like more of a road racing summer for this year. I feel like I'm in good shape right now, but really have no idea what I have to offer in mountain racing. I'm already committed so I want to run well place wise. I'm hoping to get out much more aggressively this year as I always fall apart on UWB. Need to get everything out of the tank before that point. Ideally, I would like to finish top 20. If the race was exactly the same as 2016, I feel top 40 should be a given. Need to be tough and hopefully come out strong in the end.

Westerly Fun Run

July 11th- Westerly, RI
Road
Status: Committed

Previous Results:
2017- 16:21

Goals and Thoughts: Even though this seems like the least important race, given its a fun run, I'm really looking forward to attempting another CR, hopefully well under my 16:21 effort last year. I feel like I'm in great shape right now and still have a week to get in better shape. I feel like 5K is my best distance right now and want to absolutely hammer this course. After running a 4:55 second mile last week, I know I can go out sub-10 for the first two miles. As long as I can manage around a 5:05 third mile, I'll have a shot at breaking 16 (which is around a 15:30 effort). Have a backup date of August 8th.

Sailfest 5K

July 15th- New London, CT

Road

Status: Registered

Previous Results:

2016- 16:12, 2nd of 221

2015- 17:26, 4th of 225

2013- 22:16, 33rd of 234

2012- 24:24, 120th of 454

Goals and Thoughts: Looking forward to race 5Ks this summer, but not sure if I'll have the freedom to in August. Going for a pretty big time at Sailfest, hoping for under 15:40. I know the hills in mile 2 will be tough but if I manage to be tough as well I know I can hit a solid time. Probably going to see how the fun run goes a few days before and try a similar strategy if it does go well. Maybe a W is in the book as well, although with consistent sub-16 winning times, I'll need an extra gear in the last mile. I was tempted to run beavers because of the championship status but after getting redemption last year, I don't feel that its necessary.

Blessing of the Fleet

July 27th- Narragansett, RI

Road

Status: Undecided

Previous Results:

2016- 57:42, 12th of 2438

2015- 1:01:42, 53rd of 2385

2013- 1:07:47, 137 of 2710

2012- 1:17:21, 341 of 2642

Goals and Thoughts: I'm am completely on the fence for this one. On one hand, I didn't race Blessing last year and could hit a pretty big PR without even going all out. On the other hand, it's been two years since I've done a long distance race and don't really feel ready to do one again. If I do this, I'll definitely be going after a big time, probably sub-55 but definitely sub-56. I feel like its possible on a good day but I don't want to get to mile 3 and already be on the pain train. 

Run 4 Kerri

August 5th- South Kingstown, RI

Road

Status: Registered

Previous Results:

2016- 21:10, 8th of 488

2015- 22:42, 17th of 519

2013- 27:59, 83rd of 729

2012- 28:56, 91st of 693

2011- 30:52, 88th of 470

2010- 33:55, 263rd of 810

2009- 35:56, 330th of 883

Goals and Thoughts: Not really sure why I didn't do this last year. I know I didn't want to race as much but not sure why I picked doyle over this. Definitely missed out on a good race and am excited to be back this year. Emailed the race director about getting a spot in the elite field (personalized bib!) which he said I could have. 4 Mile race is essentially a long 5K so hoping not to be too much over 5K pace. 20:30 or faster would be pretty good. It'd be awesome to crack 20 but that seems super unlikely and would probably hurt like hell just to try. Really excited for this. 

Bobby Doyle Summer Classic

August 12th- Narragansett, RI

Road

Status: Undecided

Previous Results:

2017- 26:52, 13th of 357

2016- 28:10, 48th of 679 (USATF-NE 5-Mile Champs)

2015- 28:31, 113th of 663 (USATF-NE 5-Mile Champs)

Goals and Thoughts: Like Blessing, I don't really know if I'm going to do this. The primary motivation would be to have a huge PR but I don't feel that its necessary to run it. It's still an awesome and highly competitive race but I'm just not sure yet. I know I could take a solid minute off my PR and crack 26. Ran mediocre last year and downright awful the year before. This might be a last minute decision. 

The Last Period

The following 5 races I all am extremely eager to run but not sure how many I will be able to do given that it will be right before I go to college. If I have to go to college early for running, I may be miss some or all of these. If I move in at the regular time, I potentially could make all of them.

Bottone Mile

August 15th- Westerly, RI

Road

Status: Interested

Previous Results (track):

2015- 4:44, 1st

2014- 5:22, 5th

2013- 5:34, 12th

2012- 6:10 (non-elite section)

2011- 6:27 (non-elite section)

Goals and Thoughts: Really would just be doing this one for fun and to support WTAC events. I don't really think anyone gets excited about the Bottone mile and now that it's on road, absolutely no one will be. Either way, I'm hoping to hammer this. But being on roads, I can't really expect much time-wise. I suppose under 4:40 would be pretty good but I wouldn't be all that surprised if I ran 4:50.

Wahaneeta Trail 5K

August 18th- Westerly, RI

Trail

Status: Very Interested

Previous Results: 

2017- 20:05, 1st of 50

Goals and Thoughts: Had an absolute blast running last year. Didn't really race, sitting on Tom for half the race and then taking control. Was disappointed only running 20:05, even if I still broke the CR. Really difficult course, not fast at all. Want to hammer it this year, maybe break 18. Not sure whether a fast or conservative start would be better here. I could see myself being in a lot of trouble if I went out too fast here. 

Battle of Stonington 5K

August 21st- Stonington, CT

Road

Status: Interested

Previous Results: 

2013- 19:39, 18th of 244

2012- 20:48, 38th of 244

2011- 23:33, 65th of 176

Goals and Thoughts: I've never really liked this race which mostly came down to the incredibly boring and mentally difficult two-lap format. I also never really had the option to do it in the last few years because it was during the first week of Cross Country and I had to choose between Battle and Schonning. Even though I still hate two-loop courses, there's no denying that this is an incredibly fast one. This will all come down to whether I have the flexibility to do it or not, but would love to have the opportunity to race another 5K, especially a whole month after Sailfest. Feel like this would be a perfect opportunity to test my fitness right before the XC season starts up and have a shot at a decently big W.

Stonington XC Fun Run

August 22nd- Stonington, CT

Easy Trail/Grass

Status: Very Interested

Previous Results: 

2017- 18:42, 2nd of 112

Goals and Thoughts: Had a lot of fun doing a mostly easy effort here last year (although pretty much no one tried). Not sure whether I'd want to hammer this or not especially as I would be completely trashed from battle and wanting to rest for Schonning. Either way, I still want to get the win and CR. Not sure how fast I could run this- given that mile 2 is a lot slower. Maybe 16:30ish.

Schonning 5K

August 24th- Westerly, RI 

Road

Status: Interested

Previous Results:

2016- 15:42 (3-Mile), 1st of 95

2015- 17:02, 1st of 98

2014- 18:27, 5th of 131

2013- 18:33, 7th of 105 (short course)

2012- 21:45, 31st of 129

2011- 23:51, 22nd of 52

2010- 24:24, 33rd of 85

2009- 26:06, 55th of 85

2008- 29:56, 55th of 70

Goals and Thoughts: This race is/was very important to me as I think it may have been my first ever race. As you can see from results, I had a long streak going but finally gave it up last year. Got really upset about two things that happened in 2016. The first was that a turnaround was skipped, making the course a good 200 meters shorter than 5K and the second was that I was asked to run on the sidewalk going up Grove street which is not fun at all in a 5K. Got really upset about it and vowed not to come back the next year. Worried this will happen in 2018 but still want to race it anyway and get in another hard 5K or at least have another strong showing on this course. I think the only other race that I started doing so long ago and have such a long streak at is Stavros, which I won't be able to do for the next 4 years. 

So that's my planned race schedule. The big ones are Kerri, the fun run and Sailfest. Blessing, Doyle and last ones are all big question marks. Loon will be more for fun, but I'll still hammer it. 

Hiking

Ever since I organized and completed my first self-planned hike last November up Mount Monadnock, I became addicted to hiking and have put so much thought into what hikes I can do since then. And due to injury, a tight training/racing schedule and poor planning, I really haven't done much since that. I explored Sleeping Giant State Park in December but then did nothing until hiking Mount Greylock in pretty poor conditions in April. After the outdoor track season, I've had much more freedom and hiked in High Point State Park (NJ) and the Hudson Highlands (NY). Had a huge breakthrough doing something completely new- a Presidential Traverse which had about 4 times the amount of elevation and duration than my previous longest hike as well as being much more technical than any other. I won't do anywhere near as much hiking as I originally wanted to- due to the time, energy and money it takes to do so. However, I still have some great hikes planned out, even if none of them will likely be as much of an adventure as the Presidential Traverse. Check out my Mountains Conquered and High Points pages for regular updates. 

CT High Point- Mount Frissell, Bear Mountain

One of my big lifetime goals in hiking and travel is to summit/complete all 50 U.S. highpoints. I wanted to get the ball rolling this summer by getting 8 of them. I currently have 4- RI, MA, NJ, and NH. The CT one is completely out of the way. The official high point is Mount Frissell, whose summit lies in MA but the highest peak is actually Bear Mountain. I need to figure a day to do this, hopefully as soon as possible to get it out of the way.

Vermont/New York Hiking- Camel's Hump, Mt. Mansfield, Mt. Marcy

I'm planning on going on a short (3-4 day trip) up to northern Vermont and New York to do some hiking and high points. While I'll do other activities besides hiking, hiking will be the focus of the trip. Day 1 I'll do a short hike up Camel's Hump after the drive up, Day 2 will be a hike up Mt. Mansfield, the Vermont High Point. Day 3 I had planned to hike the Adirondacks Great Range Traverse (24 miles, summiting around 10 mountains in Adirondacks high peak wilderness including Mt. Marcy) but after experiencing the incredible exhausting logistics and exhausting hike that was the Presidential Traverse (which was an amazing hike but the driving, figuring out the logistics of getting back and the toll it took on my legs as well as my running was brutal). After two days hiking, I might rather just do Mt. Marcy and save the entire traverse for another time.

                            

                            

                            

Maine Hiking- Acadia National Park, Baxter State Park

I'm also planning on going on a longer trip (5-6 days) to Maine to do some hiking and other activities. I'll probably do a few hikes in Acadia National Park including Cadillac Mountain and Champlain Mountain, the former is the first place to see sunrise in the US (although I guess that's in fall and winter only) so a pre-dawn hike and experiencing sunrise on top would be pretty epic. I'd also like to check out coastal towns like Camden and Portland. The big draw of the trip is hiking Mount Katadhin, the Maine high point where the Knife's Edge is supposed to be one of the most difficult stretches of trail in the Northeast. Not sure whether this will be more epic than the Presidential Traverse but hoping it comes close.

                                 

                             

                             

That's my plan for this summer. It doesn't cover that much but I'm thinking the two little trips will be an absolute blast. Planning to do more over time (I'll get to that later).

Segments

While not a huge focus of the summer, I do want to run some segments fairly hard and take some local CRs before heading off to New Hampshire where I'll end up doing the vast majority of my runs. I feel like it'd be a lot of fun if someone takes a segment that I tried hard on while I'm away and would keep me excited to come back. I made a list of segments I want to take this summer, and started off by taking 4 segments in Ninigret (Grassy Point, Cross Refuge Trail, Fishing and Ninigret Path) and 1 in Watch Hill (The Breen-Pasadena Shuffle). Also took Avondale Trail but lost it after just a week. Sorry about the formatting moving forward. This is copied from a word document but is extremely difficult to change in HTML.

Here's the remaining list:

Ninigret

Ninigret Bike Track- 0.91 Miles

Pavement

Current CR- 4:34 (5:00 pace)

Current CR Holder- Jonathan Hammett (11/09/2014)

Difficulty: Very Hard

Estimated Effort- 4:19 (4:45 pace)

Bike Path Loop- 1.23 Miles

Pavement

Current CR- 6:54 (5:36 pace)

Current CR Holder- Tom Bousquet (12/28/2016)

Difficulty: Moderate

Estimated Effort- 6:27 (5:15 pace)

Charlestown Chili 5K- 3.06 Miles

Pavement

Current CR- 17:32 (5:44 pace)

Current CR Holder- Jonathan Hammett (01/27/2018)

Difficulty: Moderate

Estimated Effort- 16:49 (5:30 pace)

Arnolda Circuit- 1.93 Miles

Pavement

Current CR- 10:51 (5:37 pace)

Current CR Holder- Jonathan Hammett (11/09/2014)

Difficulty: Moderate

Estimated Effort- 10:27 (5:25 pace)

Local

WH Lighthouse Sprint- 0.71 Miles

Pavement

Current CR- 4:05 (5:44 pace)

Current CR Holder- Scott Snyder (12/23/2015)

Difficulty: Easy

Estimated Effort- 3:40 (5:10 pace)

McCoy Fun Run- 3.19 Miles

Road

Current CR- 16:21 (5:07 pace)

Current CR Holder- Matthew Walker (07/26/2017)

Difficulty: Extremely Difficult

Estimated Effort- 15:57 (5:00 pace)

Bluff Point

Bluff Point Fire Road Full- 3.60 Miles

Dirt/Gravel Trail

Current CR- 19:45 (5:28 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Sam Peckham (04/25/2018)

Difficulty: Very Hard

Estimated Effort- 19:12 (5:20 pace)

Bluff Point Fire Road Descent- 0.76 Miles

Dirt Trail

Current CR- 3:37 (4:44 pace)

Current CR Holder- Stephen Pretak (08/18/2016)

Difficulty: Impossible

Estimated Effort- 3:36 (4:44 pace)

Bluff Point Fire Road Climb- 0.77 Miles

Dirt Trail

Current CR- 5:00 (6:27 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Matthew Ridley (04/30/2013)

Difficulty: Moderate

Estimated Effort- 4:37 (6:00 pace)

Burlingame 

Sammy C’s Up- 2.27 Miles

Technical Single-Track

Current CR- 17:34 (7:43 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Jonathan Hammett (10/18/2017)

Difficulty: ???

Estimated Effort- ??? (All-Out) 

Sammy C’s Down- 2.35 Miles

Technical Single-Track

Current CR- 18:18 (7:46 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Jonathan Hammett (06/11/2017)

Difficulty: ???

Estimated Effort- ??? (All-Out)

Duval

Bull Head Lollipop- 0.96 Miles

Trail

Current CR- 6:18 (6:30 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Mike Galoob (05/13/2018)

Difficulty: ???

Estimated Effort- ??? 

Duval: Old Post to Gravelly- 0.70 Miles

Trail

Current CR- 4:47 (6:47 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Mike Galoob (05/13/2018)

Difficulty: ???

Estimated Effort: ???

Duval: Gravelly to Old Post- 0.71 Miles

Trail

Current CR- 4:22 (6:08 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Mike Galoob (05/13/2018)

Difficulty: ???

Estimated Effort: ??? 

Duval Trail- 1.71 Miles

Trail

Current CR- 10:31 (6:08 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Mike Galoob (08/12/2013)

Difficulty: ???

Estimated Effort: ??? 

Duval Trail (Red House- Gravelly Hill)- 1.68 Miles 

Trail

Current CR- 10:47 (6:25 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Mike Galoob (07/05/2017)

Difficulty: ???

Estimated Effort: ??? 

Carter

The Grassland Mile (CW)- 0.97 Miles

Grass

Current CR- 5:08 (5:15 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Chris Garvin (04/29/2014)

Difficulty: Moderate

Estimated Effort- 4:51 (5:00 Pace)

The Grassland Mile (CCW)- 0.98 Miles

Grass

Current CR- 4:48 (4:52 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Chris Garvin (09/14/2013)

Difficulty: Hard

Estimated Effort- 4:39 (4:45 Pace)

Jamestown/Newport

Newport Cliff Walk- 3.39 Miles

Pavement/Cement/Rock

Current CR- 21:34 (6:21 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Mike Galoob (10/05/2014)

Difficulty: Hard

Estimated Effort: ???

Beavertail- 5.91 Miles

Road

Current CR- 36:21 (6:09 Pace)

Current CR Holder- Jonathan Hammett (5/31/2016)

Difficulty: Hard

Estimated Effort- ? (5:50 Pace)

Obviously I won't get to all or even probably half of these. I made this list back in April so my goals aren't quite the same now as they were back then. I'd probably only will focus on Sammy C's Up, The Ninigret and the Duval segments. Regardless, these just seem like a great way to make workouts more interesting.

Destinations

Other than just doing new hikes I'd also like to explore new places while running. So far I have run in The Cumberland Monastery and The Preserve. Here's a list of other runs I want to do (note: this is more of bucket list than a 2018 summer list):

• Talcott Mountain/Pennwood State Park
• Salmon River State Forest 
• Bluff Head Trails
• Cockaponset State Forest
• Nipmuck State Forest
• Nehantic State Forest
• People's State Forest
• Parker Woodland
• Colt State Park
• East Bay Bike Path
• South County Bike Path
• Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge
• Block Island
• Fisher's Island
• Wachusett Mountain State Reservation
• Holyoke Range Traverse
• Greylock Range Traverse
• Mine Falls Park
• Monadnock Double Traverse
  

Future Summers

This has a lot of potential to change, but I'm already thinking about plans for the next summers. Here's a list of racing and hiking destinations I hope to cover in the next few years or the years after that. Getting out a month earlier will give me many more option to race, but not sure what I'll be able to do.

2019 Potential Races

• Shad Bloom 10K
• Niantic Bay 10K
• Backroad Ramble
• Mt. Washington Road Race
• Blessing of the Fleet
• Beach to Beacon 10K

Bucket List Races (Summer)

• Healthy Kidney 10K
• Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race
• Pack Monadnock
• North Face Endurance Challenge- NY
• Mystic Half/10K
• Wachusett Mountain Race
• Pineland Farms Trail Running Festival
• Twilight Trail Race
• Cranmore Mountain Race
• Mt. Ascutney Foot Race
• North Face Endurance Challenge- MA
• Gaspee Days 5K
• Catamount 25K
• BAA 10K
• Whiteface VK
• Whiteface Sky Race
• Mount Marathon
• Peachtree Road Race
• Tarc Blue Hills Skyline Run
• XTERRA Steep Rock
• Pikes Peak Ascent
• Kilington Mountain Race

I also have big plans for hiking in the next four years or so, but rather have a list of ideas than thought out plans. The big ones is to get around 18 high points in one very long road trip that focuses completely on hiking. Obviously this would be very difficult logistically, so hopefully my plan would be get out of college, race Shad Bloom, go on the trip and be back in time to race Backroad Ramble. I'd get every remaining high point in the east and maybe spend extra time in the nicer areas like the great smoky mountains and Shenandoah National Park. My second goal is to do some epic hikes like the Presidential Traverse including the Pemi Loop (probably two days). Since I don't have set plans besides these two, here are a list of hikes/mountains I would like to complete at some point. I'm sure this list will only grow over time, but these are the ones I've done some research on.

Short Hikes

• Bear Mountain (NY)
• Storm King Mountain (NY)
• Mount Watatic (MA) 
• Wachusett Mountain (MA)
• Mount Kearsarge (NH)
• Mount Major (NH)
• Mount Cardigan (NH)
• Mount Chocorua (NH)
• Mount Moosilauke (NH)

Long Hikes

• Adirondacks Great Range Traverse- 24 Miles (NY)
• Devil's Path- 20 Miles (NY)
• Taconic Rim- 26 Miles (MA-CT-NY)
• Pemi Loop- 31 Miles (NH)
• Bigelow Range Traverse- 16 Miles (ME)

College Goals

I really have no idea what to expect in college, but am hoping to have a huge breakthrough to propel me to the next level of running. I'm excited for much higher mileage. I was pretty happy how my first two years of high school running went, but not so much with the last two. Basically, I want to catch up to my original HS goals my first year of college and then build on that. I hope to be a 3K/5K runner indoors and a 5K/10K runner outdoors. I don't know much about college running, so I'm sure my goals will change over time. I don't know anything about cross country or 10K times, so I'll leave those out.

Freshman Year Goals

• Sub 8:30 for 3K
• Sub 15 in the 5K (Indoors)
• 14:45 for 5K (Outdoors)
• Be a regular scorer for UNH in XC

Overall Goals

• Become the top distance runner at UNH
• Break the school record in the 3K (8:02), 5K (14:02) and 10K (29:32)
• Become an all-american
• Break 8 in the 3K and 14 in the 5K
• Break 4:10 in the mile

Hopefully this super long post didn't bore you too much. Looking forward to a summer of running and then starting out as a college runner!

Weekly Log: June 25 to July 1

Beginning summer training. Still haven't received an official training schedule from my coach, more general guidelines. Assumed that meant I could do whatever I want. This was also the week I had planned to do my presidential traverse, so had to work around that. Looking to average 60-70 miles a week this summer, so felt like 45-50 seemed right for this week. Looking forward to a summer of fun running!

Monday: 6 Miles

Right off the bat, looking at the amount of places I want to run, race, hike or go after segments, I wanted to start checking off the list. I always start writing blog posts before failing and eventually giving up on them (was going to write one reflecting on my high school career but have completely lost motivation), but I will want to write one with summer plans, destinations and college goals. I love to explore when I run. Woke up super early to drive to Cumberland to run trails in the Monastery. I assumed it was all well-groomed XC trails and felt it was perfect- easy, but still different. Felt totally off from being pretty tired and just not having much motivation or strength. Only did 6, but hardly any of it was enjoyable. The wider XC trails were cool but there were many double or single-track that were soaking wet and/or overgrown that were a pain to get through (zero traction with road shoes). Glad to get it out of the way but not a fun run at all and felt like run a mere 7:30 pace was a struggle.

Tuesday: 12 Miles

First double of the summer. Probably too early to start doubling but needed it as I likely wasn't going to get a run in Friday. Woke up at a more normal time than the previous day and felt more normal as a result. All the weird feeling were gone but I still felt pretty drowsy and stopped a lot more than I'd care to admit. Wanted to get in another new location and chose The Preserve in Old Saybrook, CT. Enjoyed the place and got in most of the trails. They were mostly easy dirt singletrack but had a good amount of hills and rocks to provide some challenge. Got really lost on one very poorly marked/confusing section and ended up backtracking/overlapping a lot. 7 in the morning.

Ran 5 in Avondale in the afternoon while Dad biked. Felt super heavy, probably because I'm not used to normally doubling. Felt really tired too but managed a decent pace.

Wednesday: 9 Miles

Westerly Fun Run. After missing 3 straight weeks, I was incredibly eager to get back to these enjoyable events. There's only 9 this year and there's very few that I'll be able to go somewhat hard on, so I wanted to use this as a little workout to both see where my fitness is and have a tune up effort before my CR attempt (which, with the week off will be the next fun run). My goal is sub-16 which will take around a 15:30 effort, just under 5 minute pace. Last year my splits were 4:56/5:13/5:10 which were solid for me at the time but too slow now. This year's I want to be something like 4:53/4:58/5:02 (or faster, depending on what I have left). The second mile is difficult and I will need to stay focused. My workout was 5:20/sub-5/5:20 to simulate hitting a hard second mile. Keith was there and he took it out super fast. This messed up my pacing as I went out in a way too fast 5:09. It didn't feel great but I put in a big, long surge and ran a 4:55 second mile. Ran out of steam completely at the uphill and was considering A) taking a break at mile 2 or B) jogging it in at 7:30. I was feeling and desperately wanted to be done. I decided to slow down enough where I wasn't on the verge of blowing up but not too much that it wasn't still a grind. 5:26 3rd mile and 16:34 for the 5K, which I was pretty happy with.

Thursday: 8 Miles

Didn't have the car available so slept in and went for a late run from the house. Around the pond loop. Felt mostly good even if it was insanely humid. Had a bathroom emergency at mile 6 which wasn't fun because there was no bathroom around.

Friday: 0 Miles

Super annoying how long hikes still give a 0 for running. Still put 10 times the duration of activity as normal, but still counts as a 0. Hiked a presidential traverse. It was amazing. Will do a follow up post.

Saturday: 6 Miles

Expected to be wrecked from the hike but surprisingly felt fine. Relaxed 6 through Avondale and watch hill. Took a segment.

Sunday: 7 Miles

Woke up pretty late and ended up just going from the house. Ran in terrible hours on a very hot day but needed to sleep in. Super hot and humid; felt terrible out there. Planned 8 but was okay with 7. 88 degrees and no shade.

Weekly Total: 48 Miles
YTD Total: 885 Miles

Weekly Highlight: Just being back. After a week off and two days of not feeling that great, felt like I did very well at the fun run and am ready to break the CR now, let alone in two weeks.

Weekly Lowlight: Not feeling great at the beginning of the week and feeling super tired Friday and Saturday from hiking and driving.

Fun Run Data- Update

As some of you may recall or even if you have no idea what I'm talking about, last year I did something a little different and created some data tables for the fun run, putting together tables based on top recorded times. As the fun run season has begun again and I have eagerly watched them happen as a spectator, I started thinking again about setting a course record. I then realized I had yet to update the post I made nearly a year ago. This was a pretty easy update- since that post only 4 people have gone sub-18. I did once, Keith McAteer did twice and John Biguoette did once. This season hasn't proved to be too spicy...but there's plenty of time left for that. Just wanted to get the updated lists out there and hopefully I will update again once people go sub-18. The lists are a little unclear, click to enlarge.

Overall Performance List (click for PDF)

A huge change in this when I broke the course record last year and moved to the top of the list. Keith added his name twice and John once.
Fastest Time- Matthew Walker, 16:21

Individual Performance List (no repeats)

Other than me jumping to the top of the list from second, Keith was the only one to change position as he improved his time.
Fastest Time- Matthew Walker, 16:21

Sub 18 and Sub 17 times per Year

Fastest Year- 2013, 22 times under 18 minutes

Sub 18 and Sub 17 times per Runner

Most sub-18 times- Tom Bousquet, 22 times

Amount of wins per Runner

Moved up a little on Tom Bousquet as I nabbed one more win, moving to 13 but he still holds the most wins title with 15.
Most Wins- Tom Bousquet, 15


Overall Thoughts and Personal Goals for the Summer:

Other than me taking the CR in 16:21 last July, hardly anything has changed on the fun run scene. This year has only been ridiculous slow with fast runners opting not to show up or run hard in great weather and allowing times over 20 minutes to slip into the top 3 placements. Judging from recent trends in sub-18 performances, I'm guessing about 10 performances will be added to the list this year. However, I think it will be a great year for sub-17 performances and it could break the record for 4. I don't think a lot of people will have a personal best and move up (mostly because the top people are either not interested in the fun run, not interested in trying, or not currently in the shape to improve their time). I do think that many sub-18 performances are possible as the local top runners in the WTAC group who frequents these runs are all capable of running that time without going all out. Right now, I hold the top spot in one category, and Tom Bousquet holds the top spot in two others. Tom is in the clear to have the top spot in the most sub-18 performances by the end of the summer as it's literally impossible to dethrone him, but both other categories are in jeopardy. Depending on how many wins I take vs. the amount Tom takes will determine who has the most wins at the end of the summer. I'm hoping to win the next three, but we'll see how that plays out. The big battle will be for the course record. I'm not sure whether this will be a battle against myself and my old time or against other runners (whether in person or not). The two contenders I see potentially challenging the record are Keith McAteer and Chris Garvin. Both have been actively running them last year, giving the indication they'll be back. Chris hasn't run a super fast 5K in a few years due to injury but I'm hoping he'll be in shape to go for it. Keith, on the other hand, has gone sub-16 in several road 5ks in the last few years and is only getting faster and faster. He joked to me last year about potentially taking the CR so I feel he's certainly interested in it. Either way, I really enjoy these fun runs and am hoping to come out of the summer as the record holder. I ran 16:21 last year. I'm hoping to break 16 this year, but that'll be very difficult. Right now, I'm leaning toward running all-out effort July 11 and July 18 (hopefully running faster the 2nd attempt). I'll see what comes after that.

Looking forward to a great summer of fun runs and returning to them next week.

New Balance Nationals Outdoor- Weekly Log: June 11 to 17

Officially closing out my high school career at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor. Definitely disappointed I'm not going down for a 5K, but just running the DMR keeps the pressure off and makes this a fun trip. Very low mileage week, resting up for my final race.

Monday: 7 Miles

Did a little out and back lollipop, going on old Hopkinton and connecting roads to get to Riverwood preserve. Nice to mix it up with trails but the easy orange loop I took was badly overgrown, at least for most of it. I was eating spiderwebs the whole time as well, which as all trail runners know, is quite unpleasant.

Tuesday: 4 Miles

Final track workout at the high school. 3x400 at 64s w/90s recovery before an all-out 600. 400 was fine, felt decent. 64/63/62. The 600 hurt really bad and even though I ran a decent 1:28, it took a good hour to feel normal afterwards. Difficulty: 4/5.

Wednesday: 5 Miles

Easy four. Did a mostly flat loop I used to do when I was injured.

Thursday: 5 Miles

Easy run at Aggie Stadium where the meet is being held. Got to check out the area, which was not too impressive (besides the stadium). Boring run looping around on streets in ridiculously hot open sun 92 degree weather. Started off with Ryan and Randi, they dropped and John and I ran together the whole time.

Friday: 3 Miles

Little tune-up workout that was stupidly difficult. 4x400 at 64s w/60s recovery. Didn't feel that great, legs or energy-wise. Not a great workout for me. Not sure if it was the heat or running on a different track. Found a local high school. All over the place and never felt that good. 66/62/65/66. Difficulty: 4/5.

Saturday: 5 Miles

Shakeout run with John. Wandered around in the brutal heat. Pretty boring/exhausting. Found some relief in free ice-cold Gatorade they were giving out. Watched a few events and headed back to the hotel to relax.

Sunday: 4 Miles

Final race of the season. It was really hot again and having a 10AM race meant I didn't have enough time to hydrate. I'm used to running later than 2PM which gives the entire morning to drink, but as we woke up at 7AM, I just didn't feel like drinking that early. I was a little concerned when I only had about 40 ounces of water prior to our first warm-up. My rule is only to sip water after the first warm-up so I won't have to pee when I run. I tried to dismiss this but then had to think about something else- that I felt absolutely terrible on the warm-up. I usually don't feel great on the warm-up but this felt like I had already raced. I was so tired and felt like I had rolled out of bed after a few hours of sleep. I was hoping the second warm-up would feel better but I just felt super weak. I would have felt relaxed heading into our race (we were the 26th seed of 26, so there was no pressure to win or place or anything like that) but because I felt so terrible I was somewhat nervous. We waited around. I tried to keep pouring cold water on my head to cool off. Eventually we were on the track, completely exposed to the sun. We watched the girls take the W, before we started.

John led us off in 3:17, around 9th. Zach ran 51 and moved up a few spot. Ryan ran 1:57 and brought us into the lead at the handoff. I was surprised that we were in first considering we barely made it and were seeded last. I took the baton and ran. I felt comfortable the first lap but of course ran a too fast 62. I think being chased on a relay leg makes me run much faster than I should. The race felt apart after that. I held a steady 30 meter gap on the next group as one runner chipped away at the lead. This race was weird for me. Usually I'm focused on splits and placements all the time when I race, but I was completely zoned out here. It didn't really feel real. I felt like I was sleeping the whole race. I would go by the 400s and try to figure out my splits and they seemed really slow. I got super tired in the last 600. I had nothing. I was passed and beaten pretty good. I held on for 2nd in our heat but knew I hadn't run so well. I was beat afterwards. I've haven't been that dead after a race in a very long time. It took lots of cold water to return to normal after about 30 minutes. We watched the fast heat and we were very surprised to hold onto 3rd place. Not a very good fast heat. Ended up splitting 4:26 which isn't so great. I feel like I'm capable of sub-4:20 but wasn't very close today. It's weird how I had good kicks in every competitive 1500 I ran but when it came to the DMRs, my last lap was my slowest of the four. Overall, I'm not too disappointed in the race. I felt like if I had felt good and closed well, we could have won and that aspect is disappointing but it was a fun trip overall.

Weekly Total: 33 Miles
YTD Total: 837 Miles

Weekly Highlight: Less running-related, but a lot of fun to escape somewhere else for a few days and have a fun trip.
Weekly Lowlight: Dealing with 90+ degree temperature every single day, especially while running.

A little break and then starting some summer training and fun races. Will do some follow up posts to give summer plans, recap on hs races and list college goals.

New Englands- Weekly Log: June 4 to 10

Wrapping up my high school career in individual events at the New England Championships. Seems to always be a terrible meet for me (with a few exceptions) but hoping for a huge performance.

Monday: 6 Miles

Felt sick all day and not too great on the run either. Combination of feeling weak and being completely congested with mucus, giving me annoying head and sinus pressure that made every step feel pound made this a miserable run. Felt a bit better when I took a turn onto trails and was able to get 6 instead of quitting.

Tuesday: 5 Miles

7x400 @ 2-Mile like last week. Only had 45s recovery. Don't remember the splits, were supposed to be 70s and I was either right on or just under. Felt surprisingly good despite feeling sick. Had to run a hard 400 afterwards, running a 57. That one did not feel as good as last week and closer to all-out than I would have liked. Difficulty: 2/5.

Wednesday: 6 Miles

Felt terrible out there. Didn't really know where to go and decided that since trails seemed to help me on Monday's run, I'd try and run the trails behind St. Michael's cemetery today. Didn't help at all, trails were terrible and I ran out of energy early on. Felt awful and got one of my shortest runs in a while.

Thursday: 5 Miles

Super easy workout. 2-Mile pace for 200s. 12x200, hit anywhere from 33-35. Felt so easy and relaxed. Glad to take an easy one before a big meet to rest up. Difficulty: 1/5.

Friday: 6 Miles

Stopped to find somewhere to run on the way up to New Englands. Assabet River National Wildlife refuge. Looked like a quiet place to run easy, manicured trails like Ninigret. It was nice, just not as nice as I expected. We tacked another loop across the street because the place didn't look that big but the loop was pretty mediocre and took up most of the run. Wish I could have explored the other (main) section more. Felt mostly good. 

Saturday: 5 Miles

Arrived to the meet not too early, but still had plenty of time to relax. Waited a few hours, fueling and hydrating before it was time to run. Warm-ups were rushed as I hadn't started when they were calling the 3200. Went for a run in College Woods behind the stadium which was nice but I couldn't enjoy it as I was nervous about missing my race. Got over and checked in, and was thrilled to be in the fast heat as I didn't think I would make it. Got some strides in before having to wait 15 minutes in the check-in area. They pulled us over to the track, got in final strides and soon we were on the line.

3200

I was determined to hit 69s the whole time and run 9:12. This was my last opportunity ever (in high school) to run a sub-8:40 3K and I certainly wanted to utilize. I felt that I had gotten weak in the last few laps at States and Loucks and wasn't mentally tough enough to hold on for a good time. I was also determined to be tough today. I figured I'd stay mid-pack and we'd go out really fast; I'd do whatever I could to hang on. I was the very last seed, meaning I was in the outside of the stagger. Got out well and found myself towards the front cutting in. The pace was comfortable and it felt good not to be in the front. I felt like the pace was mostly good, if a little slow. The first mile was mostly uneventful. I stayed in the top 5 or so, moved up when I could. The wind was really bad on the homestretch and even though everyone was a little off the pace I wanted to run, I wasn't willing to take over this early. We hit mostly consistent 70s but I guess had a slow lap somewhere in the mix as we went through in a pretty slow 4:44 (at least compared to States and Loucks- around 4:38). I was a little concerned at this point as I would have to hit a huge negative split to get the time I want but stayed relaxed and focused on the fact that I felt pretty good and ready to pick it up. The same guy had been leading the entire race and the 5th lap someone finally changed it up. We picked it up for 200 but then slowed down again. Andrew Mah (last year's winner) finally made the big move to spread things out and he really went for it. I tried to jump right on the move at first and was in second for 200 meters. It felt super fast and suddenly out of nowhere I went from feeling great to absolutely dead. I felt like my whole body shut off and my last 800 was a slow pathetic crawl as I went from 2nd to constantly getting passed. Was in top 6 until the last lap and really wanted to get that top 6 spot but just had absolutely nothing today. This was different from Loucks and States where I was just weak but likely had a little more in the tank, but today there was nothing there. The last 100 into the wind was brutal. I was just waiting for 10 people to pass me. 

In terms of how I close I was to my goal, running 8 seconds slow through the mile and then totally dying doesn't exactly translate to a good time. I ran 9:33, I think only my 4th fastest time of the season which is pretty terrible because I was looking to significantly improve on my 8:50 from States. It was weird. It was just a very slow race. Everyone in the field ran much slower than they were capable of. I did decently placewise, getting 8th which is my highest finish at New Englands ever. The funny thing is, I finished 11th when I ran 10 seconds faster 2 years ago. I was also second Rhode Islander. I wasn't too upset about running an awful time as it didn't feel like it was because I made mistakes during the race. I stayed up front and tried to my best to go the last 1200 but just died out there. I wish I had still felt great the rest of the race as I feel like I could have possibly gotten 2nd. Almost had the race of my life (placewise, not time wise) but had an okay one instead. It'll be disappointing just going to nationals for a DMR but at least the season is over, pressure-wise. Didn't accomplish what I wanted to, but looking forward to getting a break.

Sunday: 10 Miles

Ran a route I had been wanting to do for a while- Castle Craig in Meriden, CT. Went with Dad and we parked on route 71 at the Metacomet trailhead to reduce the amount of roads we had to run. This was a challenging run with frequent extremely technical and steep trail climbs + descents. Ton of fun though. Great views on the top of castle craig, awesome trails. 

Weekly Total: 43 Miles

YTD Total: 804 Miles

Weekly Highlight: I guess it's kinda of nice to be done with high school track and the stressful aspects that came with it.

Weekly Lowlight: Felt sick all week. Didn't hit the time I wanted to or come anywhere close.

Last State Meet Ever- Weekly Log: May 28 to June 3

Cracking down on the end of the season. Put up some solid numbers so far, but really missing a fast 3000. Big goal of the meet is to crack 8:40. Hoping to break 2:00 in the 800.

Monday: 9 Miles

Had the day off for Memorial day and went for a longer trail run. Trails with Dad in Yawgoog. I forgot how technical the trails were and the rain the night before made all the rock gardens super slippery. This was already too technical in the first place and the slippery surfaces made it slow and not that fun. Decent run. We got lost halfway through and it wasn't much fun after that. Felt tired.

Tuesday: 5 Miles

Track workout. 7x400 @3K pace (70s) w/45s recovery followed by 4x200 @800 pace (30s) w/2min recovery. It was somewhat hot out and even though this seemed so easy on paper, it wasn't. Wasn't really that hard either. Pretty much right on at the beginning before slowly chipping down without really putting in any more effort. 200 were a bit more aggressive and tiring but not bad. Splits: 70/70/69/68/68/67/67/28/28/28/28. Cooldown felt terrible, although its hard to feel good on any cooldown. Difficulty: 2/5.

Wednesday: 8 Miles

Had a English field trip to NYC, so missed practice. Made arrangements to run with John Walker and Dad (who picked us up in New Haven so we would run earlier). Stopped from Haley on the way back and ran the easily lollipop loop on the main trails. Legs were trashed at first but felt better as I went on. We split up halfway as Dad took single-track back. John and I kept a steady, strong effort on the return. Pretty enjoyable to run here at sunset but humid and buggy.

Thursday: 5 Miles

Track workout, last one before states. As I expected this was a quick speed workout. 10x200 at 32s w/60-90s recovery (I really dont remember). Really messed up the splits (apparently ran a 29 on one, but I definitely didn't) and Rock got mad at me. Got into the 32s after that. None of them really felt good even though it should have been super easy. Hit a fast 90% 400 after that in 57s. Difficulty: 3/5.

Friday: 7 Miles

Hot run around town. Legs got super tight to the point where I had to stop and loosen my shoes a few times. That didn't even do the trick. It wasn't until the last 2 miles where I finally loosened up and didn't feel like I was in the second half on an 800. Not how I wanted to feel on this shakeout.

Saturday: 10 (?) Miles

Was pretty nervous for the meet. Felt relaxed before the 4x800, although it was super hot. I would be running a rare leadoff leg which I was a little nervous about because I knew everyone would be super aggressive that first 200. Got this nervousness and the pee out of my system and hopped on the line to race. I felt so drowsy and weak on warm-ups and was hoping this wouldn't mean anything and was just the heat. It didn't.

4x800
Did a pretty good job getting out and stayed towards the front. Kept to the outside as I didn't want to get boxed in for a race this short. Kept to the back of the chase pack with Quentin Viera (EG) in front. Pace felt fast but doable. Coming up to the homestretch I made a surge to get into 2nd and close the gap on Quentin. The first lap seemed fast and with the surge (and going out right behind Quentin, who goes out super fast) I figured it hit some fast split for the 400, but was surprised to go out in 58 high. Oh well, I'll just hammer this next 200 and try to bring it home in 60 for a sub-2. Slowly closed the gap on Quentin. It felt like I had a lot more in the tank and he was slowing down, so I put in a big surge to pass him. He countered it and I just did not have enough to get past him. I tried again on the curve but failed again. I totally bombed the last 200. I felt great the previous 800 but was suddenly feeling the 800 struggle, even if I still felt much better than usual. I even stumbled a bit coming into the final 100. I stayed right behind Quentin who likely wasn't going all out as he's a much better 800 guy than me. Barrington's George Wicker blew by the two of us and took the lead. I told myself not to get passed by anyone else but it felt like everyone was coming for me. I held onto the third. The clock ticked up: 1:58, 1:59... I didn't break 2:00. I managed to sneak over the line and complete the handoff before it hit 2:01, but felt like I didn't hit my potential. Kinda stopped paying attention until suddenly we were on anchor. We were in 3rd(?) when Ryan got the baton and moved up to 2nd. Ryan ran an incredible leg of 1:55 to hold off Sam Toolin. We finished 8:01. I couldn't believe it. Was expecting maybe 4th. I split 2:00.4. Not quite what I wanted, but still a PR, so I'm okay with it.

Felt surprisingly pretty good after that. I remember feeling terrible for the entire wait between the two events last year, so I was happy to feel good. Then my coach told me to go on a cool-down, where I still not feel so good. Tight, heavy and running the slowest pace ever. Whatever, I still have 3 hours. Tried to refuel (lots of water+some bagels and bars). The time went by super quick and I was nervous. I felt okay. I was glad that my legs felt fine. Started having to pee every 5 minutes right before the race, which always happens and it is super annoying and uncomfortable. Minutes before the start, I realized I had to go again. I had my spikes on and we were likely going to be called any minute. Too late to go to the bathroom. This sucks. I thought about peeing in the trees surrounding the track, but it seemed too public. I jogged over and saw a couple guys in the race peeing pretty much right in front of people, so I went for it which was a huge relief. Then an official saw me and I got DQ'd. Just kidding, although I feared that may happen. Of course, it took ages to get from gathering around the official to starting the race, which made me as nervous as possible. The 3000 is always so late in the meet that I never feel like running it, but I couldn't think that today. I tried my best to calm myself and relax. The goal was to hit 69s and 70s every lap to crack 8:40. My coach wanted me to stay outside so I wouldn't get boxed in. I decided when everyone cuts in at the gun, I'll move out and still get in a good position.

3000
This was a really wild race with so much position change that I barely remember anything. Likely most of the placement I say will be inaccurate, so I'll try to focus on the major events. My strategy of going to the outside was stupid and totally failed. I found myself boxed in near the back which is exactly what I didn't want to happen. I made my way around to lane 2 or 3 and slowly moved up. I totally forgot about the guys on the outside lanes and I realized I barely I had any time before they cut in an boxed me in really bad. I had to make a big surge to get in 4th-ish position which didn't feel comfortable at all. Jeffery Pedersen was front running. I half expected everyone to dog the race and make it sit and kick but I suspected Jeffery might try to lead the whole race and win as that's what he did in the 1500 (where he ran an incredible 3:53). I was glad to see but was hoping they'd keep the pace as I really did not feel like moving up. I realized I had to pee just 200 in which made me think very negative thoughts. We hit the 400 in 69 which seemed perfect but felt fast. Not sure where this happened (maybe after 800), but after a brief slowdown Jeffery cranked it up a notch and at first, only Sean Meehan was going with him. Reilly Johnston jumped on the move right after that. It seemed too uncomfortable for me so I stayed leading the chase pack. I slowly caught up until I was running too slow and got passed. It had felt okay to be on the inside because I felt somewhat alone but the next thing I knew I was boxed in. My coach yelled at me to get outside again which made sense because I was dropping spots rapidly. Had to make another huge surge to get back up around 4th but it was exhausting. Started to feel like I normally do in every 3000 ("Why do I still have so many laps to go yet feel so lousy?"). Sean Meehan left us after we went through the mile in 4:38ish. Fell off the pace a little. Ran in a small pack headed by Hendricken's Jack McMahon and Luke Henseler. We passed Jeffery who was fading. We were running super slow and I soon realized I was way off the pacing. I tried to focus just on finishing. With 600 to go, Jack and Luke started a huge kick and I was so exhausted they opened up a huge gap immediately. Coming through in about 7:40, I knew I needed something big to make up for so much lost time, but I felt so dead the last 400. If my kick wasn't terrible enough, Eliot Laidlaw got me in the last 100 and I had no response. Felt like everyone else was going to pass me but fortunately held onto 6th. Finished in 8:50. Super disappointing. Felt off after a mile and never toughed it out enough to get back on track. Came here determined to hit a time but was way off. Really upset about this. Felt like the last possible chance to run fast and hit a good 3000 this season and I just didn't.

Sunday: 7 Miles

Got going late and just ran from the house. Regular moonlight loop. Assumed it was really hot and ran shirtless but it wasn't bad at all. Really, really windy on shore road. Felt okay but not that good. Shoes got tight 3 miles in so I had to stop to loosen them (seems to be a common and incredibly annoying problem). Pace was decent.

Weekly Total: 51 Miles
YTD Total: 761 Miles

Weekly Highlight: Team ran an awesome 4x800, even if it was mostly Ryan. Workout Tuesday seemed solid and Wednesday's run was fun.

Weekly Lowlight: Feel like the entire season has been solid but just missing one key race. This one key race was likely the 3000 at States. My whole season building up this...and I fall apart and run an 8:50??? Just so disappointing. At this point, it's all pretty much over. Can't believe I ran 4:05 and 8:53 in April and am still running the same times now.

New Englands next week. Originally wanted to just get through States then enjoy the rest of the season, but now once again have "a last opportunity" at New Englands. Really hoping to get in the fast heat. It'll probably go out in something ridiculous but there should be someone I can stay with to hit the time I really want and know I'm capable of. If I'm in the slow heat, I'll likely have to lead the whole race and it'll be nearly impossible to run decently.