Week off from racing before the RI Classic the next week.
Monday: 6 Miles. 22x200 @33-34s w/30s recovery. 5 minute break at 12. Should have been an easy or at least somewhat comfortable workout, but wasn't feeling it. The first few were easy, but after that my balance seemed off. After about 6, I had a lot of trouble catching my breath during the recoveries and it only got worse. I was fortunately to able to hit my splits. Difficulty: 4/5.
Tuesday: 8 Miles. Fun route running dead ends off old Hopkinton road. Ran several roads I hadn't before that I enjoyed and also ran the football field off the road. Stayed pretty consistent, but a little heavy and had some difficulty breathing like yesterday.
Wednesday: 6 Miles, field street hill workout. 6xField Street, but not the usual workout. For every other (odd number reps), we ran not just from the bottom to the top of the steep section, but also to the stop sign beyond that on a much flatter section. For #2 and #4, we ran the usual hill (steep section), and for #6 just the end of the steep section. Thighs were extremely heavy, but felt much better energy and breathing wise than I did the last few days. The shorter ones were fine, but the longer ones were really hard. Difficulty: 4/5.
Thursday: 8 Miles. Feeling really terrible in the first few, but after slowing down, loosening my shoes and taking it down a notch in pace, I was able to become comfortable and started enjoying it. Ran two awesome long dead ends off beach street that I hadn't before and many other straight and quiet roads that were enjoyable.
Friday: 6 Miles. Worried when I heard what the track workout was: 12x200 @33-34, followed by an all-out 1000 then two (presumably easier) 400s. I was sore and heavy and didn't want to do all those 2s again or run anything fast. The 200s ended up being very comfortable and felt that I could continue and do Monday's workout again without much difficulty. My breathing problems from earlier in the week were gone. I was worried about the 1000. My coach had me start 10 seconds behind everyone, which always makes the all-out runs more interesting. I tried to get into a fast pace without overdoing it and was feeling pretty good. I felt great until 400 to go, where I tightened up and slowed down a little. I was a little surprised I was able to pick it back up with 200 to go. I ran a very satisfying 2:43, two seconds slower than my PR and two seconds faster than my season best. My legs felt like rubber after and I was exhausted, so I was hoping he would take it easy on us during the 4s and not have them be the same or any faster than the pace we ran for the 200s. He did exactly that, and my 400s were at 71 pace. I ran them in 68. Very happy with this workout. Difficulty: 3/5.
Saturday: 7 Miles. Miserable road run in the cold pouring rain. Started out very cold, but warmed up after two miles. After that, constantly avoiding puddles as my clothes got extremely heavy from all the rain. Fingers started to get cold as my gloves were soaked at the end.
Sunday: 0 Miles. No running on Christmas for me.
Weekly Total: 41 Miles
YTD Total: 2,292 Miles
Next week is the RI Classic on 12/27. Boys have afternoon session this year. Anchoring a DMR at 2, where I'd like to be close to 4:30 and place top 6 as a team and then at 5:40 I want to win the 3K in a PR or near-PR time (which would also break the meet record).
Monday, December 26, 2016
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Weekly Log: December 12 to 18
This week seemed to be epic with a tune-up dual meet Tuesday before a state-wide major invitational on Saturday before a nice long rest. That all change when Westerly made a last minute decision not to go.
Monday: 7 Miles. A little cold and wasn't really enjoying it, but went by pretty quickly. Had to wait for a train on palmer street for the first time ever.
Tuesday: 4 Miles, Dual #1.
Quick Recap. Dual against Chariho, running the 3K and 1K.
I had a few goals in the 3K:
A) Sub-9: I feel like cracking 9 in my first meet of the season and just a dual meet would put me in position to break my PR of 8:54 in the first big meet.
B) Indoor PR (9:04): If I couldn't crack 9, it would still be encouraging to run my fastest time indoors ever.
C) Dual Meet PR (9:10): While I'd certainly be a little disappointed, running just under 9:10 would get my fastest time ever in a dual meet, meaning I'm not off my fitness level that I had in outdoor.
Kyle Keefe was the biggest competition here. I was disappointed to once again get the 7:30 slot. We ended up going off around 7:45. I felt a little rushed and completely forgot to take my watch until I was on the line. I left it in the bleacher next to me, hoping it would be there when I finished. There was a fall and we had to go back and start again.
Then we started for real. My plan was to run 36s the whole time, try not to drop off the pace and kick a little at the end. That would get me just under 9 minutes. I didn't need or want to go out really fast since there wasn't super-fast competition here. Somehow I was seeded about 15th, right next to Kyle. He agreed 36s was a good plan, but I didn't see him beating me today. I went out in what felt like 36 pace, but a group of Chariho runners came blazing by me and I had no choice but to stay with them and keep a good position so I wouldn't be running in lane 2 for a while. We went out in a ridiculous 32. I was furious, especially as the runners ahead of me were nowhere near capable of maintaining a 36 pace. There was a sudden slow-down after the first lap and I took the lead. We went through the 400 in 70, then I started running around 36 pace. I went through the 1000 in 2:59 and was all alone. I started to fade a little bit after the mile, feeling a little weak and had a full stomach. My coach yelled at me to pick it up and I knew I was slowing, but I never really got the pace up fast enough to save me race. I had a little bit of a kick in the last 100, which meant I saved way too much for the end and should've started kicking at least 1k to go.
I finished in 1st in 9:10.68, a little disappointing but not too bad. I didn't really want to run the 1000 after. I'd be happy if I was under 2:50 and surprised myself with a 2:45. I went out fast and faded the whole time, but it's just the first one.
Wednesday: 7 Miles. Similar to Monday as cold and unenjoyable, but even more with fatigue from the meet and the lack of the sleep. Clocked really slow splits around 7:10 for the first few miles, then started to work my way down. Hammered the fountain spur segment at 5:10 pace which certainly helped. Annoying winds throughout.
Thursday: 5 Miles, Park Ave Repeats. Seven hill repeats on perhaps the coldest day of the month. Brutal winds going down didn't help. I went shorts but kept my sweatshirt on as the cold was brutal. Felt warm going up but very cold going down. Could have used a hat. Starting to get heavy and tired at the end, but the gap between me and the next runner was much bigger than usual.
Friday: 6 Miles. Treadmill. I wasn't happy about this and it seemed even worse when there weren't enough, meaning I would have to wait 50 minutes to start my run. I ended up getting permission to go to the Y and the run on the treadmills there. I was surprised that it didn't feel too cold because earlier it was brutal when walking around. I considering doing my run outside but then realized I forgot my watch. Run was pretty boring and hard to get through.
Saturday: 6 Miles. Another Y treadmill. Excited for the meet and very disappointing not to go. I made this one more interesting by playing with the speed and incline, changing slower or faster every few minutes.
Sunday: 8 Miles, Bluff/Haley Mix. Slush and snow the whole way, which made it slippery and sometimes cold. It was actually a very warm for this cold December and it was easy to warm up but the lack of traction was never very enjoyable.
Weekly Total: 43 Miles
YTD Total: 2,251 Miles
Monday: 7 Miles. A little cold and wasn't really enjoying it, but went by pretty quickly. Had to wait for a train on palmer street for the first time ever.
Tuesday: 4 Miles, Dual #1.
Quick Recap. Dual against Chariho, running the 3K and 1K.
I had a few goals in the 3K:
A) Sub-9: I feel like cracking 9 in my first meet of the season and just a dual meet would put me in position to break my PR of 8:54 in the first big meet.
B) Indoor PR (9:04): If I couldn't crack 9, it would still be encouraging to run my fastest time indoors ever.
C) Dual Meet PR (9:10): While I'd certainly be a little disappointed, running just under 9:10 would get my fastest time ever in a dual meet, meaning I'm not off my fitness level that I had in outdoor.
Kyle Keefe was the biggest competition here. I was disappointed to once again get the 7:30 slot. We ended up going off around 7:45. I felt a little rushed and completely forgot to take my watch until I was on the line. I left it in the bleacher next to me, hoping it would be there when I finished. There was a fall and we had to go back and start again.
Then we started for real. My plan was to run 36s the whole time, try not to drop off the pace and kick a little at the end. That would get me just under 9 minutes. I didn't need or want to go out really fast since there wasn't super-fast competition here. Somehow I was seeded about 15th, right next to Kyle. He agreed 36s was a good plan, but I didn't see him beating me today. I went out in what felt like 36 pace, but a group of Chariho runners came blazing by me and I had no choice but to stay with them and keep a good position so I wouldn't be running in lane 2 for a while. We went out in a ridiculous 32. I was furious, especially as the runners ahead of me were nowhere near capable of maintaining a 36 pace. There was a sudden slow-down after the first lap and I took the lead. We went through the 400 in 70, then I started running around 36 pace. I went through the 1000 in 2:59 and was all alone. I started to fade a little bit after the mile, feeling a little weak and had a full stomach. My coach yelled at me to pick it up and I knew I was slowing, but I never really got the pace up fast enough to save me race. I had a little bit of a kick in the last 100, which meant I saved way too much for the end and should've started kicking at least 1k to go.
I finished in 1st in 9:10.68, a little disappointing but not too bad. I didn't really want to run the 1000 after. I'd be happy if I was under 2:50 and surprised myself with a 2:45. I went out fast and faded the whole time, but it's just the first one.
Wednesday: 7 Miles. Similar to Monday as cold and unenjoyable, but even more with fatigue from the meet and the lack of the sleep. Clocked really slow splits around 7:10 for the first few miles, then started to work my way down. Hammered the fountain spur segment at 5:10 pace which certainly helped. Annoying winds throughout.
Thursday: 5 Miles, Park Ave Repeats. Seven hill repeats on perhaps the coldest day of the month. Brutal winds going down didn't help. I went shorts but kept my sweatshirt on as the cold was brutal. Felt warm going up but very cold going down. Could have used a hat. Starting to get heavy and tired at the end, but the gap between me and the next runner was much bigger than usual.
Friday: 6 Miles. Treadmill. I wasn't happy about this and it seemed even worse when there weren't enough, meaning I would have to wait 50 minutes to start my run. I ended up getting permission to go to the Y and the run on the treadmills there. I was surprised that it didn't feel too cold because earlier it was brutal when walking around. I considering doing my run outside but then realized I forgot my watch. Run was pretty boring and hard to get through.
Saturday: 6 Miles. Another Y treadmill. Excited for the meet and very disappointing not to go. I made this one more interesting by playing with the speed and incline, changing slower or faster every few minutes.
Sunday: 8 Miles, Bluff/Haley Mix. Slush and snow the whole way, which made it slippery and sometimes cold. It was actually a very warm for this cold December and it was easy to warm up but the lack of traction was never very enjoyable.
Weekly Total: 43 Miles
YTD Total: 2,251 Miles
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
First Meet- Weekly Log: December 5 to 11
First meet Thursday at the Injury Fund relays. Starting to get cold out.
Monday: 6 Miles. Was looking forward to a distance run, but got hills instead which is what I expected for Tuesday. 6xPark Ave. Went pretty well. I went out way too fast on the first one, but was still able to pick it up on the last few. Difficulty: 3/5.
Tuesday: 8 Miles. Picked a good route, but got heavy and weak after a few miles and overall not very enjoyable. On the bright side, I was very consistent.
Wednesday: 5 Miles at 4:50 AM in the cold and pouring rain. Hard to start but not bad after a few miles. Ninigret park made for a good venue and interesting to see they put in a bike path recently.
Thursday: 4 Miles, Injury Fund Relays. Not very enjoyable to have a meet at 7:30 at night, getting on the bus as late as 5:45. I was running the SMR anchor leg of 800m and the DMR anchor leg of 1600m. Last year I ran 4x800, SMR anchor and DMR anchor without much recovery in between. I was pretty sure SMR and DMR were right after each other, so I wasn't thrilled to do both. I was hoping to run the 4x800 and DMR or DMR only. When I got there, I found that the meet may be delayed because the previous (large-school) section was in the middle of their meet and still had plenty of events left. However, the events soon starting were going by very quickly and it was suddenly time to warm-up. This rush made me a little nervous, but we ended up having an additional 15 minute break between the last event of the large schools meet and the first event of the small schools meet.
I learned that the SMR was the first event, meaning I would have acceptable recovery between the two. We were in the last heat of the SMR. Given that many fast schools were not in the meet, I thought we might have a chance at winning this event. As the anchor, I was a little nervous it would come down to me. I spotted another anchor runner who I had seen run fast before and I was nervous about facing him. He ran for St. Raphael's Academy in Pawtucket.
Soon the wait ended and our lead runner was on the starting blocks. If this was the DMR, I'd relax, but I had less than two minutes before I got the baton. Our second runner got us in the lead and our third kept us there and extended it before passing the baton off to me. I had a small lead and went out hard. I wasn't used to running on the indoor track (its been 10 months) and didn't know how it would feel. My coach let me know I was going too fast and I slowed down a little bit. I didn't get any of my individual 200m splits. After just a lap, I heard someone right up on me. I still had three to go and was worried I wouldn't be able to hold on for the win. I made sure to keep pressing the second lap and soon he dropped off. I was feeling good and kept pushing the third lap and fourth, although my legs were starting to tighten up on the last one. We won in 3:50.8, my split a 2:05 (tie for 2nd fastest 800m, indoor PR). Before the race, I wanted to be around 2:04-2:06, so I was happy with this, even if it did feel a little bit faster.
Despite feeling great during the 800, I immediately felt defeated afterwards. My breathing was off and my chest didn't feel good. My coach wanted me to do strides with my other DMR teammates. I could barely keep up and starting to feel like I needed to throw up. After a few more, I did (just a little). I originally wanted to hit around 4:30 for 1600m split, but was now ready to throw that goal out the window and just go out and run it without worrying about time. I thought I would continue feeling terrible and that we would race very soon, but I got a decent amount of recovery before the event was finally off.
My other two distance teammates in the event were about 5-minute and 5:10 milers, with neither having on the indoor track before. They were running the 1200 and 800 legs and our 400 leg was a freshman that I didn't know very well and just came off the 4x200. I was trying to figure out pre-race if we had a shot a winning or even placing top 3 with many of the fast teams out of the mix, but once I saw East Greenwich, I knew they were going to dominate. They saved their top distance guy for just this event to anchor and had another solid runner on fresh legs for the leadoff leg. Their 800 leg was a 1:57 runner, but just came off the 4x800. Other contenders for the top spots were Prout with a fast freshman in the leadoff, a 2:05 800m runner in the 800 and Jonny Eckel as the anchor, Scituate, and St. Raphael's with the same anchor from the SMR also anchoring the DMR. At the time, I forgot about Ponaganset and later realized they were in the chase when watching the early stages of the race.
I was now feeling much better and felt like I could pull out a time close to 4:40. EG's anchor Jackson Cronin always beats me in cross country but I beat him more often than not in track (as is the case with most long distance runners close to me). I'd figured he'd be faster with fresh legs and wouldn't be anywhere near me as he'd probably have a huge lead. I thought I'd be faster than Jonny, as he had just run the 4x800 but expected Prout to have a huge gap over Westerly when I got the baton.
I was able to catch some of the action and relax in the 6 or 7 minutes before I ran. As I expected, East Greenwich used its strong runners to get a good lead, far ahead from the others. I got the baton in 6th place, behind East Greenwich, Prout, St. Raphael's, Ponaganset and Wheeler. Wheeler was just ahead of me when getting the baton and I was able to move up into 5th with ease. I went out pretty easy and felt comfortable but didn't pick it up yet as I wasn't sure how I'd feel later on. The other teams had 50+ meters on me and it was likely I wouldn't catch them until later in the race. East Greenwich was so far ahead I couldn't see them. Most of the action occurred in the 2nd half when I started to come up on the other teams. With about 4 to go, Jackson Cronin was coming up on me. I hadn't started to push yet but wasn't sure if I'd be able to hold on. He passed me and I was to stay with him, picking up the pace slightly. I soon passed Ponganset. I figured Jackson would drop me soon as he reached his final 400 and would likely go into another gear. He didn't do that, not even with 200 to go (for him). I passed him with 300 to go and was right behind the St. Raphael's anchor and Jonny. I picked it up and passed both. The St. Raphael's runner surprisingly made a big surge ahead and got ahead. He slowed down immediately after and I went by him. I was going pretty fast in the last lap and was sure I had second. On the last straightaway, Jonny flew by me and I wasn't able to repass. Our team finished in 11:59, my split was 4:42.
Top 6 Teams below
Full results here
Event 19 Boys Distance Medley 6-2-4-8 laps Small
================================================================
School Finals
================================================================
1 E Greenwich 11:27.67
2 Prout 11:59.52
3 Westerly 11:59.81
4 St. Raphael 12:03.17
5 Ponaganset 12:13.99
6 Scituate 12:41.06
I wished my 1600 was a little faster, but was overall happy with my performance during the meet. 4:42 seems a little slow, but it's actually a big meet PR.
I compiled my results from all 3 years so far.
Friday: 8 Miles. I wasn't looking forward to this as I got about 5 hours sleep because of the late start time of the meet which made me very tired throughout the day and every time I went outside it seemed brutally cold because of the wind. I picked a flat route along the river so I wouldn't have any additional hills to tire me out. I took it out a little easy, but then starting going faster than I would have liked. I wore an extra layer, which seemed to be nice at first but was awful throughout as it was heavy and produced sweat all over my arms. As I expected, I got weak pretty quickly and tried to get through it as quick as possible.
Saturday: 5 Miles. I'm always a little nervous going to practice Saturday as the workouts are usually brutal. Last weekend, I was feeling that way but it ended up being much easier than expected. I did not want a track workout and thought we would have hills instead. We ended up having track, but the workout was smooth and enjoyable. I got heavy and tight towards the end, but overall I felt really good and could have kept going. 10x400 at 70s w/60s recovery inbetween +6 mins recovery between 6 and 7. I don't remember my exact splits, but I know the first one was a little slow at 71, then 2-6 ranged from 68-70. I felt a little off after the long break and ran a 70, but ran three consecutive 67s after that. It felt cold getting on the track, but really nice during the workout. Difficulty: 2/5.
Sunday: 8 Miles. I usually do slow Sunday trail recovery runs, but since many WTAC runners were going to the Newport Christmas 10K, I could either tag along and run roads in Newport but have to wait around for a long time later or run roads from home. I decided on the latter. Since the roads were dry, I decided out my new (and 2nd) pair of Saucony Kinvaras 7. It was also 28 degrees when leaving, so I decided to wear a long sleeve shirt but I ended up feeling too warm (except my ears). There was a slight wind, but it wasn't bad. Lots of ice on Atlantic Ave. I wanted to take it really easy, but instead went at a 6:45 pace. I got into a groove and cruised. It's hard for me to run over 7 on the roads solo as 6:50s seem pretty easy and comfortable. I was mostly comfortable, besides getting a little weak at the end.
Weekly Total: 44 Miles
YTD Total: 2,198 Miles
Next week: First dual meet on Tuesday and RITCA Invitational on Saturday. Running 3K and 1K Tuesday and hopefully 1500 and 1K Saturday. I'd like to crack 9 in the 3000 on Tuesday.
Monday: 6 Miles. Was looking forward to a distance run, but got hills instead which is what I expected for Tuesday. 6xPark Ave. Went pretty well. I went out way too fast on the first one, but was still able to pick it up on the last few. Difficulty: 3/5.
Tuesday: 8 Miles. Picked a good route, but got heavy and weak after a few miles and overall not very enjoyable. On the bright side, I was very consistent.
Wednesday: 5 Miles at 4:50 AM in the cold and pouring rain. Hard to start but not bad after a few miles. Ninigret park made for a good venue and interesting to see they put in a bike path recently.
Thursday: 4 Miles, Injury Fund Relays. Not very enjoyable to have a meet at 7:30 at night, getting on the bus as late as 5:45. I was running the SMR anchor leg of 800m and the DMR anchor leg of 1600m. Last year I ran 4x800, SMR anchor and DMR anchor without much recovery in between. I was pretty sure SMR and DMR were right after each other, so I wasn't thrilled to do both. I was hoping to run the 4x800 and DMR or DMR only. When I got there, I found that the meet may be delayed because the previous (large-school) section was in the middle of their meet and still had plenty of events left. However, the events soon starting were going by very quickly and it was suddenly time to warm-up. This rush made me a little nervous, but we ended up having an additional 15 minute break between the last event of the large schools meet and the first event of the small schools meet.
I learned that the SMR was the first event, meaning I would have acceptable recovery between the two. We were in the last heat of the SMR. Given that many fast schools were not in the meet, I thought we might have a chance at winning this event. As the anchor, I was a little nervous it would come down to me. I spotted another anchor runner who I had seen run fast before and I was nervous about facing him. He ran for St. Raphael's Academy in Pawtucket.
Soon the wait ended and our lead runner was on the starting blocks. If this was the DMR, I'd relax, but I had less than two minutes before I got the baton. Our second runner got us in the lead and our third kept us there and extended it before passing the baton off to me. I had a small lead and went out hard. I wasn't used to running on the indoor track (its been 10 months) and didn't know how it would feel. My coach let me know I was going too fast and I slowed down a little bit. I didn't get any of my individual 200m splits. After just a lap, I heard someone right up on me. I still had three to go and was worried I wouldn't be able to hold on for the win. I made sure to keep pressing the second lap and soon he dropped off. I was feeling good and kept pushing the third lap and fourth, although my legs were starting to tighten up on the last one. We won in 3:50.8, my split a 2:05 (tie for 2nd fastest 800m, indoor PR). Before the race, I wanted to be around 2:04-2:06, so I was happy with this, even if it did feel a little bit faster.
Despite feeling great during the 800, I immediately felt defeated afterwards. My breathing was off and my chest didn't feel good. My coach wanted me to do strides with my other DMR teammates. I could barely keep up and starting to feel like I needed to throw up. After a few more, I did (just a little). I originally wanted to hit around 4:30 for 1600m split, but was now ready to throw that goal out the window and just go out and run it without worrying about time. I thought I would continue feeling terrible and that we would race very soon, but I got a decent amount of recovery before the event was finally off.
My other two distance teammates in the event were about 5-minute and 5:10 milers, with neither having on the indoor track before. They were running the 1200 and 800 legs and our 400 leg was a freshman that I didn't know very well and just came off the 4x200. I was trying to figure out pre-race if we had a shot a winning or even placing top 3 with many of the fast teams out of the mix, but once I saw East Greenwich, I knew they were going to dominate. They saved their top distance guy for just this event to anchor and had another solid runner on fresh legs for the leadoff leg. Their 800 leg was a 1:57 runner, but just came off the 4x800. Other contenders for the top spots were Prout with a fast freshman in the leadoff, a 2:05 800m runner in the 800 and Jonny Eckel as the anchor, Scituate, and St. Raphael's with the same anchor from the SMR also anchoring the DMR. At the time, I forgot about Ponaganset and later realized they were in the chase when watching the early stages of the race.
I was now feeling much better and felt like I could pull out a time close to 4:40. EG's anchor Jackson Cronin always beats me in cross country but I beat him more often than not in track (as is the case with most long distance runners close to me). I'd figured he'd be faster with fresh legs and wouldn't be anywhere near me as he'd probably have a huge lead. I thought I'd be faster than Jonny, as he had just run the 4x800 but expected Prout to have a huge gap over Westerly when I got the baton.
I was able to catch some of the action and relax in the 6 or 7 minutes before I ran. As I expected, East Greenwich used its strong runners to get a good lead, far ahead from the others. I got the baton in 6th place, behind East Greenwich, Prout, St. Raphael's, Ponaganset and Wheeler. Wheeler was just ahead of me when getting the baton and I was able to move up into 5th with ease. I went out pretty easy and felt comfortable but didn't pick it up yet as I wasn't sure how I'd feel later on. The other teams had 50+ meters on me and it was likely I wouldn't catch them until later in the race. East Greenwich was so far ahead I couldn't see them. Most of the action occurred in the 2nd half when I started to come up on the other teams. With about 4 to go, Jackson Cronin was coming up on me. I hadn't started to push yet but wasn't sure if I'd be able to hold on. He passed me and I was to stay with him, picking up the pace slightly. I soon passed Ponganset. I figured Jackson would drop me soon as he reached his final 400 and would likely go into another gear. He didn't do that, not even with 200 to go (for him). I passed him with 300 to go and was right behind the St. Raphael's anchor and Jonny. I picked it up and passed both. The St. Raphael's runner surprisingly made a big surge ahead and got ahead. He slowed down immediately after and I went by him. I was going pretty fast in the last lap and was sure I had second. On the last straightaway, Jonny flew by me and I wasn't able to repass. Our team finished in 11:59, my split was 4:42.
Top 6 Teams below
Full results here
Event 19 Boys Distance Medley 6-2-4-8 laps Small
================================================================
School Finals
================================================================
1 E Greenwich 11:27.67
2 Prout 11:59.52
3 Westerly 11:59.81
4 St. Raphael 12:03.17
5 Ponaganset 12:13.99
6 Scituate 12:41.06
I wished my 1600 was a little faster, but was overall happy with my performance during the meet. 4:42 seems a little slow, but it's actually a big meet PR.
I compiled my results from all 3 years so far.
Friday: 8 Miles. I wasn't looking forward to this as I got about 5 hours sleep because of the late start time of the meet which made me very tired throughout the day and every time I went outside it seemed brutally cold because of the wind. I picked a flat route along the river so I wouldn't have any additional hills to tire me out. I took it out a little easy, but then starting going faster than I would have liked. I wore an extra layer, which seemed to be nice at first but was awful throughout as it was heavy and produced sweat all over my arms. As I expected, I got weak pretty quickly and tried to get through it as quick as possible.
Saturday: 5 Miles. I'm always a little nervous going to practice Saturday as the workouts are usually brutal. Last weekend, I was feeling that way but it ended up being much easier than expected. I did not want a track workout and thought we would have hills instead. We ended up having track, but the workout was smooth and enjoyable. I got heavy and tight towards the end, but overall I felt really good and could have kept going. 10x400 at 70s w/60s recovery inbetween +6 mins recovery between 6 and 7. I don't remember my exact splits, but I know the first one was a little slow at 71, then 2-6 ranged from 68-70. I felt a little off after the long break and ran a 70, but ran three consecutive 67s after that. It felt cold getting on the track, but really nice during the workout. Difficulty: 2/5.
Sunday: 8 Miles. I usually do slow Sunday trail recovery runs, but since many WTAC runners were going to the Newport Christmas 10K, I could either tag along and run roads in Newport but have to wait around for a long time later or run roads from home. I decided on the latter. Since the roads were dry, I decided out my new (and 2nd) pair of Saucony Kinvaras 7. It was also 28 degrees when leaving, so I decided to wear a long sleeve shirt but I ended up feeling too warm (except my ears). There was a slight wind, but it wasn't bad. Lots of ice on Atlantic Ave. I wanted to take it really easy, but instead went at a 6:45 pace. I got into a groove and cruised. It's hard for me to run over 7 on the roads solo as 6:50s seem pretty easy and comfortable. I was mostly comfortable, besides getting a little weak at the end.
Weekly Total: 44 Miles
YTD Total: 2,198 Miles
Next week: First dual meet on Tuesday and RITCA Invitational on Saturday. Running 3K and 1K Tuesday and hopefully 1500 and 1K Saturday. I'd like to crack 9 in the 3000 on Tuesday.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Ranking All 41 Race Courses of 2016
I made this list last year and have run at 18 new places this year. Like last year's post, I will be including fun run courses and run portions of triathlons. This post is also strictly a ranking, with no additional write-up on each. As usual, in order from worst to best.
(Number of Times Run)
41. Rocky Point XC (1)
40. North Kingstown Track (1)
39. Curtis Corner XC (1)
38. Yale Indoor Track (1)
37. Stonington Fun Run (6)
36. Chariho Fun Run (1)
35. Rhode Warrior Run (1)
34. Run with the Beavers (1)
33. Ocean's Run 4-Miler (1)
32. Coventry Track (1)
31. Rocky Point 5K (1)
30. East Greenwich XC (2)
29. URI Indoor Track (1)
28. Block Island Tri Run (1)
27. Schonning 5K (1)
26. Goddard Park XC (1)
25. Chariho Track (2)
24. PCTA Indoor Track (11)
23. Run for the Pumpkins (1)
22. Sailfest 5K (1)
21. Conley Stadium Track (1)
20. Run 4 Kerri (1)
19. Westerly Fun Run (8)
18. East Bay Challenge (1)
17. Vesturgatan (1)
16. Stavros (1)
15. Bobby Doyle (1)
14. Westerly Track (2)
13. Little Rhody (1)
12. Hare Hop 5K (1)
11. Portsmouth Track (1)
(Number of Times Run)
41. Rocky Point XC (1)
40. North Kingstown Track (1)
39. Curtis Corner XC (1)
38. Yale Indoor Track (1)
37. Stonington Fun Run (6)
36. Chariho Fun Run (1)
35. Rhode Warrior Run (1)
34. Run with the Beavers (1)
33. Ocean's Run 4-Miler (1)
32. Coventry Track (1)
31. Rocky Point 5K (1)
30. East Greenwich XC (2)
29. URI Indoor Track (1)
28. Block Island Tri Run (1)
27. Schonning 5K (1)
26. Goddard Park XC (1)
25. Chariho Track (2)
24. PCTA Indoor Track (11)
23. Run for the Pumpkins (1)
22. Sailfest 5K (1)
21. Conley Stadium Track (1)
20. Run 4 Kerri (1)
19. Westerly Fun Run (8)
18. East Bay Challenge (1)
17. Vesturgatan (1)
16. Stavros (1)
15. Bobby Doyle (1)
14. Westerly Track (2)
13. Little Rhody (1)
12. Hare Hop 5K (1)
11. Portsmouth Track (1)
10. Brown Stadium Track (1)
9. Pie Run (1)
8. Groton Fun Run (1)
7. Bradford Preserve XC (2)
6. Reggie Lewis Indoor Track (1)
5. Hendricken Track (1)
4. Ponaganset XC (3)
3. Blessing (1)
2. Willowbrook Park Track (1)
1. Loon Mountain (1)
Sunday, December 4, 2016
First Week of Indoor- Weekly Log: November 28 to December 4
Starting up the season. Fun week of practice.
Monday: 6 Miles. Got to practice late and was nervous that I may be doing an all-out mile while feeling weak, but lucked out and had a 40-minute run instead. Felt really good in great weather and enjoyed it.
Tuesday: 4 Miles. Timed mile on the track in windy and pouring rain conditions. Because of those reasons, I was okay with a slower 4:45 effort. Not thrilled, but okay. Was very surprised to go out in a 70 which wasn't a good sign, but somehow managed to keep myself from fading too bad.
Wednesday: 5 Miles. Was surprised to get another track workout and plans for one the day after as well. I was looking forward to the distance run, so not happy about this. It ended up being 10x200 at 34s w/30s recovery then a mile of slow Indian chains. Forgot my spikes and had to use road shoes once again and the lack of traction on a wet track was annoying. Difficulty: 2/5.
Thursday: 8 Miles. Distance run around Westerly. Did approximately a reverse route of Monday and didn't enjoy it but felt very comfortable throughout.
Friday: 7 Miles. Another distance day, picked a different route this time. Tight shoes and a entire uphill mile 2 made me feel heavy throughout the run and not a comfortable as the previous day. Did get to explore a few new roads, take a CR, and was very consistent after a fast first mile.
Saturday: 6 Miles. Track workout. Wasn't looking forward to mile repeats, a hard workout that is never very enjoyable. The strong winds only made it seem worse. I was also testing out new spikes, New Balance MD800v5, so that would be interesting. The recovery was exactly as I expected, but the target pace was slower which made me feel a little better going. 3xMile @5:15 pace w/2 mins recovery. I felt a little heavy/tight, but they were mostly comfortable throughout and I ran a little fast on each. 5:06/5:05/5:04. I went out a little fast on the first lap for each before settling in at target pace. Difficulty: 2/5.
Sunday: 6 Miles. Easy barn island. Was considering running at a new trail system but decided instead to sleep in a choose a more local option as I've been feeling pretty tired each morning and night. Good trails except some overgrown ones. Despite a slow pace and easy mileage, was getting very weak at the end.
Weekly Total: 42 Miles
YTD Total: 2,154 Miles
First meet next Thursday. Injury Fund relays, a fun and low-pressure meet. I don't know my events yet, but hope I will be anchoring the DMR and running a leg of the 4x800 as I have the previous two years. I did three events both years, the 4x400 my freshman year and the 800 leg of the SMR last year. The lack of recovery was brutal last year, so I hope I don't get put in those events again. Should be fun.
Following meets are that are another low-pressure meet the following Monday (Dual #1), where I hope to run the 3K and possibly crack 9 (which would be an indoor first), then an important state-wide invitational Saturday the 17th.
Monday: 6 Miles. Got to practice late and was nervous that I may be doing an all-out mile while feeling weak, but lucked out and had a 40-minute run instead. Felt really good in great weather and enjoyed it.
Tuesday: 4 Miles. Timed mile on the track in windy and pouring rain conditions. Because of those reasons, I was okay with a slower 4:45 effort. Not thrilled, but okay. Was very surprised to go out in a 70 which wasn't a good sign, but somehow managed to keep myself from fading too bad.
Wednesday: 5 Miles. Was surprised to get another track workout and plans for one the day after as well. I was looking forward to the distance run, so not happy about this. It ended up being 10x200 at 34s w/30s recovery then a mile of slow Indian chains. Forgot my spikes and had to use road shoes once again and the lack of traction on a wet track was annoying. Difficulty: 2/5.
Thursday: 8 Miles. Distance run around Westerly. Did approximately a reverse route of Monday and didn't enjoy it but felt very comfortable throughout.
Friday: 7 Miles. Another distance day, picked a different route this time. Tight shoes and a entire uphill mile 2 made me feel heavy throughout the run and not a comfortable as the previous day. Did get to explore a few new roads, take a CR, and was very consistent after a fast first mile.
Saturday: 6 Miles. Track workout. Wasn't looking forward to mile repeats, a hard workout that is never very enjoyable. The strong winds only made it seem worse. I was also testing out new spikes, New Balance MD800v5, so that would be interesting. The recovery was exactly as I expected, but the target pace was slower which made me feel a little better going. 3xMile @5:15 pace w/2 mins recovery. I felt a little heavy/tight, but they were mostly comfortable throughout and I ran a little fast on each. 5:06/5:05/5:04. I went out a little fast on the first lap for each before settling in at target pace. Difficulty: 2/5.
Sunday: 6 Miles. Easy barn island. Was considering running at a new trail system but decided instead to sleep in a choose a more local option as I've been feeling pretty tired each morning and night. Good trails except some overgrown ones. Despite a slow pace and easy mileage, was getting very weak at the end.
Weekly Total: 42 Miles
YTD Total: 2,154 Miles
First meet next Thursday. Injury Fund relays, a fun and low-pressure meet. I don't know my events yet, but hope I will be anchoring the DMR and running a leg of the 4x800 as I have the previous two years. I did three events both years, the 4x400 my freshman year and the 800 leg of the SMR last year. The lack of recovery was brutal last year, so I hope I don't get put in those events again. Should be fun.
Following meets are that are another low-pressure meet the following Monday (Dual #1), where I hope to run the 3K and possibly crack 9 (which would be an indoor first), then an important state-wide invitational Saturday the 17th.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Offseason Racing
Even though many were taking it easy with their few weeks off or even extending their cross country season to participate in one of the Northeast regional meets, I took the opportunity to run two fun races. One local that I've doing for years, and one I'm a newcomer to that's a little farther away. While I was going all-out at both, this was not like a school race as the distance increased, pace wasn't as aggressive, terrain changed and I felt neither nervous nor pressured to pull out a great performance.
Little Rhody Runaround
Burlingame State Park, Charlestown, RI
November 20, 2016 (Day 8/15 of Offseason)
11:00AM EST
The first race was the Little Rhody Runaround. By now, it had become a classic in my mind. An 8-mile trail race that allows for a fast pace, but slows you down in the back half with a couple of decent hills and rock gardens. It also has unique placements of various terrains, with many miles not being the same as the last and some stretches of road inserted in a few places. Another great aspect of the race is your time is unique to the course and not comparable with any other courses.
I had run the course Thursday and felt that it was in great condition, but the weather was not the same Sunday. Over the hours pre-race, there was a cold wind freezing up all the volunteers. Another worrying factor was that the trails may be wet and slippery. Fortunately, neither ended up being a problem and I was able to race to my full potential. I usually am at this race, hitting or destroying time goals year after year. I had a history of huge PRs and large improvements in placement at the race, and I didn't expect this year would be any different. I was a little worried about my bad November races and that I wouldn't be able to match some of last year's fast splits, but I was able to dismiss these thoughts and come up with a race plan.
The Plan
Last year I placed third in 47:44, surprisingly passing 6-7 runners in the back half. I flipped around the usual strategy of going out hard and went out very slow early on, letting many get far away from me. I pushed harder gradually and hammered as soon as I got onto Buckeye Brook road. I doubted I'd have a 3-5 minute PR as usual, but instead a 60-90 second improvement. Last year I went out a little too slow, so this year I wanted to make up some time on the first two miles but not go out fast. Originally, I thought I might have a chance at winning but Mike Galoob signed up and I figured he'd go for his own course record. Now that Galoob would probably take it out, I wanted to be in the chase pack. My plan was hit 5:40 and 5:50 for mile one and two while hanging at the back of the chase pack (I actually planned on running right behind Muddy, because based off his previous races he'd be right there). At Mile 3, I'd make a move into second and increase in effort to drop everyone. Miles 3 and 4 were supposed to be around 6:10-6:15, and hopefully be sub-6 when I hit the road. After that, just hammer the back half.
My goal was to get low 46s and come in second, but I'd be okay with sub-47.
After a mile and a half warm-up and shoe tightening, I was on the starting line and ready to go. The waiting around went by quickly and the gun shot off. Race time.
First Two Miles
I went out very comfortably, but after 50 meters I realized I'd go to the front if I continued this pace. I slowed a little, got behind Muddy and stayed behind him. I looked at my watch once in a while, seeing as it got closer and closer to 5:40 pace. I was surprised to see Galoob running up front with Steve Brightman and not way off ahead. I wasn't sure if this meant he wasn't going all-out or just super conservative. I didn't love the first section. It was a little cold and not very smooth. Hitting the mile in 5:43 was perfect, but I wanted to get past this stage of the race. I felt pretty terrible in the campground road because my legs were very tight and heavy. I stayed with Muddy and an older runner for a little while longer. Galoob was no longer running with Brightman and had taken the lead for good. Brightman was only 30 or 40 meters ahead and the pace was slowing more than expected in my group, so I moved passed Muddy and the other runner and caught up to Brightman. I ran right behind Brightman for a quarter mile or so. I glanced back at one point and saw that others were catching up to us, so I decided it was time to make my move into second. I passed Brightman and picked it up to pull away from him, which I did. I was now in second, a position I would be unchallenged for during the rest of the race. Mile 2 was a 5:46, once again right on pace.
3 and 4
The gap between me and the next runner was now big and growing, so I was done worrying about place. I was now focused on getting my time goal and maintaining a strong pace to stay sub-6 for now. Galoob was far ahead, but I could see him on the longer stretches. These miles were more enjoyable, although I did still feel heavy. I watched the pace go down, but was surprised and very happy that it didn't decrease too much. Mile 3 was 6:03 and Mile 4 was 5:59. I grabbed water at the stop but failed to notice the Gatorade until the last second, which I would have preferred to take. I was happy to come out on the road at a low 5:50 pace and was certainly confident I could reach my goal.
Miles 5-7
I had now had to make sure I didn't slow down too much during the more challenging back half. I had a few climbs coming up, including a rock scramble. I felt more wobbly and unbalanced during this section, with constant running through rock gardens. I nearly fell on the short rock scramble, but managed to keep myself up. These miles were quite lonely and I was starting to tire. I kept monitoring my watch and anticipating my final time. It wasn't until mile 6 that average pace finally ticked over 6 minutes, definitely a good sign as I expected this to happen much earlier. Every once in a while, I'd see Galoob in the distance. Sometimes it seemed he was close, while others it seemed like he was gone. It was cool to see Scott Mason out on the trails taking photos.
Final Road Section
I was comparing last year's GPS pace to this year's in my head and I was sure I'd go under 46, even if my last half mile was slow. I wanted to go sub-5 for this section but was feeling pretty weak at that point. I tried to run a smooth pace, but couldn't get going at something fast. I was now looking at the time instead of pace and got more and more discouraged as it got closer to 46 without feeling that I was finishing soon. I knew I wasn't going sub-46 when my watch ticked over 45 and I still had a little left. I picked up with a quarter mile to go and finished 2nd in 46:18.
I was definitely happy with how the race went, but was thrown off by my watch pace which indicated I'd break 46. I didn't realize that my watch measured the course 0.2 miles long this year, which may have had something to do with that. I was happy with how each stage of the race went except for the final road section. I was surprised that I hated the first two miles and the last .75 this year. It was the single-track that was fun this year.
It was nice to get a race where I met my goals after some disappointing end of the season races in cross country. I'm not sure if I'll run next year (hopefully I'll go to Nike/Footlocker Northeast regional instead), but if I do I'll probably go for sub-46. I'd like to come back during or post-college to win it and take the course record. Another great edition of Little Rhody is in the books.
Newport Pie Run
Newport Country YMCA, Middletown, RI
November 24, 2016 (Day 12/15 of Offseason)
8:30AM EST
Next up was the Newport Pie Run. I had gained interest looking at this a few months ago, but suddenly had no excitement pre-race. There were a few reasons I originally wanted to do this:
1) PR. I had a bad race at Bobby Doyle, way off my 26:40 goal. This race would certainly have much better temperatures and hopefully I could hit that goal or at least crack 27 at the race.
2) Location/Course. The course seemed great with some good uphills, downhills and many flat sections. It appeared to be scenic and by the water, so the only downside was that there was a cone turnaround.
3) Early morning. This race has a relatively early start of 8:30, which provides nice weather and gets the race done quickly at a convenient time.
I did a somewhat easy workout a few days before with hill repeats and intervals at the target pace, but wasn't very confident. It also didn't help that I felt full and heavy pre-race all the way up to the starting line. I saw a few fast guys like Brian Doyle and hoped to place well in a stacked race. It was a little chilly, but I went with just singlet and shorts anyway. I was a little nervous about my shoes being too tight or too loose as I've had problems with that before. I lined up about second row. I didn't have much of a plan here. Just try to go in 5:15 to put a little of time in the bank for the hill on the way back and try to run a steady 5:20 for miles 2 and 3. We started the race, which came in the form a misfired airhorn.
Mile 1
I went out comfortably and noticed many people around me. The first time I looked at my watch I saw a 5:50 pace, so I got a little worried and picked it up. I got it down to about 5:10 and wanted to keep that for the mile. I was in about 8th place at the half mile mark and kept it in the low 5:10s. I slowed a little at the turn on Tuckerman and was passed by former Mt. Hope runner Bryce O'Brien. I was surprised to see him pass me, but then I realized he's probably a strong 5-miler as that's the distance he runs in college. Hit the mile in 5:16.
Mile 2
After the mile, many ahead of me started to slow. I kept the pace steady or slowed less than everyone else. I passed Bryce back, then 2-3 other guys including some BAA runners. It was surprising that none of them went with me. I was about a 5:17 average pace on my watch, which was satisfying. The leaders were now 200 meters ahead and I could only see them on long stretches. I was now in 5th place and gaining on fourth place, a guy wearing a white long sleeve shirt. I slowly closed the gap and went by him. Mile 2 finished up in 5:17 to finish off the Tuckerman Ave section.
Mile 3
At the beginning of the mile, we went down a steep hill. It felt like the runner I just passed was gaining on me, but I managed to keep the gap even. I wasn't tired at all, but had been feeling a little tight the first few miles. Mile 3 changed that. It was a long flat stretch along the beach. I got very comfortable and cruised at low 5:10s pace. I could see the leaders about 250 meters ahead running together in a pack of three and I was way back as the next guy. I didn't sense that anyone else was right on me and felt that I had at least a small gap on the next runner. I was now at a 5:15 average pace, which was both satisfying and encouraging. The turn around the cone was tiring and unenjoyable, but I was able to get into a rhythm again and now see where everyone else was. I felt that I had about 40 meters on the next runner. Mile 3 ended in 5:13.
Mile 4
I had a little more flat before the upcoming hill. I still felt smooth but was worried about slowing too much on the 100ft climb. It eventually came. The climb was tiring, but the grade became less steep as I got further up and eventually I got to the top. My pace had slowed about 5 seconds average pace, but next came a downhill. Mile 4- 5:36.
Mile 5
Seeing a 5:20 pace on my watch was a good indicator that I'd break 27. I was now pretty tired after running up that hill, but I was able to coast on the downhill. The downhill was fun, but I was feeling weak when I got back to flat. I had another problem as well- two guys suddenly came up close behind me and now my lead was no longer than 10 meters. Feeling weak, I didn't expect much of a kick and prepared myself to get passed and come in 6th. I picked it up a little in the last quarter mile and now only one was behind me, but he was right there. I thought for sure he'd blow by me at the end, but I picked it up a little more and somehow held him off.
4th overall in 26:41. Pretty happy with both time and place. The race ended up feeling great and being quite fun. It ended up living up to its name with many pies afterwards. Great way to start out the weekend. Now it's time to get back to indoor, which won't be quite as fun as road or trail racing. I want to hit some PR's soon but am not quite ready to just get on the 200m indoor oval and start racing. This will be my last race (non-school) until next July. A fun two weeks comes to an end.
Little Rhody Runaround
Burlingame State Park, Charlestown, RI
November 20, 2016 (Day 8/15 of Offseason)
11:00AM EST
The first race was the Little Rhody Runaround. By now, it had become a classic in my mind. An 8-mile trail race that allows for a fast pace, but slows you down in the back half with a couple of decent hills and rock gardens. It also has unique placements of various terrains, with many miles not being the same as the last and some stretches of road inserted in a few places. Another great aspect of the race is your time is unique to the course and not comparable with any other courses.
I had run the course Thursday and felt that it was in great condition, but the weather was not the same Sunday. Over the hours pre-race, there was a cold wind freezing up all the volunteers. Another worrying factor was that the trails may be wet and slippery. Fortunately, neither ended up being a problem and I was able to race to my full potential. I usually am at this race, hitting or destroying time goals year after year. I had a history of huge PRs and large improvements in placement at the race, and I didn't expect this year would be any different. I was a little worried about my bad November races and that I wouldn't be able to match some of last year's fast splits, but I was able to dismiss these thoughts and come up with a race plan.
The Plan
Last year I placed third in 47:44, surprisingly passing 6-7 runners in the back half. I flipped around the usual strategy of going out hard and went out very slow early on, letting many get far away from me. I pushed harder gradually and hammered as soon as I got onto Buckeye Brook road. I doubted I'd have a 3-5 minute PR as usual, but instead a 60-90 second improvement. Last year I went out a little too slow, so this year I wanted to make up some time on the first two miles but not go out fast. Originally, I thought I might have a chance at winning but Mike Galoob signed up and I figured he'd go for his own course record. Now that Galoob would probably take it out, I wanted to be in the chase pack. My plan was hit 5:40 and 5:50 for mile one and two while hanging at the back of the chase pack (I actually planned on running right behind Muddy, because based off his previous races he'd be right there). At Mile 3, I'd make a move into second and increase in effort to drop everyone. Miles 3 and 4 were supposed to be around 6:10-6:15, and hopefully be sub-6 when I hit the road. After that, just hammer the back half.
My goal was to get low 46s and come in second, but I'd be okay with sub-47.
After a mile and a half warm-up and shoe tightening, I was on the starting line and ready to go. The waiting around went by quickly and the gun shot off. Race time.
First Two Miles
I went out very comfortably, but after 50 meters I realized I'd go to the front if I continued this pace. I slowed a little, got behind Muddy and stayed behind him. I looked at my watch once in a while, seeing as it got closer and closer to 5:40 pace. I was surprised to see Galoob running up front with Steve Brightman and not way off ahead. I wasn't sure if this meant he wasn't going all-out or just super conservative. I didn't love the first section. It was a little cold and not very smooth. Hitting the mile in 5:43 was perfect, but I wanted to get past this stage of the race. I felt pretty terrible in the campground road because my legs were very tight and heavy. I stayed with Muddy and an older runner for a little while longer. Galoob was no longer running with Brightman and had taken the lead for good. Brightman was only 30 or 40 meters ahead and the pace was slowing more than expected in my group, so I moved passed Muddy and the other runner and caught up to Brightman. I ran right behind Brightman for a quarter mile or so. I glanced back at one point and saw that others were catching up to us, so I decided it was time to make my move into second. I passed Brightman and picked it up to pull away from him, which I did. I was now in second, a position I would be unchallenged for during the rest of the race. Mile 2 was a 5:46, once again right on pace.
3 and 4
The gap between me and the next runner was now big and growing, so I was done worrying about place. I was now focused on getting my time goal and maintaining a strong pace to stay sub-6 for now. Galoob was far ahead, but I could see him on the longer stretches. These miles were more enjoyable, although I did still feel heavy. I watched the pace go down, but was surprised and very happy that it didn't decrease too much. Mile 3 was 6:03 and Mile 4 was 5:59. I grabbed water at the stop but failed to notice the Gatorade until the last second, which I would have preferred to take. I was happy to come out on the road at a low 5:50 pace and was certainly confident I could reach my goal.
Miles 5-7
I had now had to make sure I didn't slow down too much during the more challenging back half. I had a few climbs coming up, including a rock scramble. I felt more wobbly and unbalanced during this section, with constant running through rock gardens. I nearly fell on the short rock scramble, but managed to keep myself up. These miles were quite lonely and I was starting to tire. I kept monitoring my watch and anticipating my final time. It wasn't until mile 6 that average pace finally ticked over 6 minutes, definitely a good sign as I expected this to happen much earlier. Every once in a while, I'd see Galoob in the distance. Sometimes it seemed he was close, while others it seemed like he was gone. It was cool to see Scott Mason out on the trails taking photos.
Final Road Section
I was comparing last year's GPS pace to this year's in my head and I was sure I'd go under 46, even if my last half mile was slow. I wanted to go sub-5 for this section but was feeling pretty weak at that point. I tried to run a smooth pace, but couldn't get going at something fast. I was now looking at the time instead of pace and got more and more discouraged as it got closer to 46 without feeling that I was finishing soon. I knew I wasn't going sub-46 when my watch ticked over 45 and I still had a little left. I picked up with a quarter mile to go and finished 2nd in 46:18.
I was definitely happy with how the race went, but was thrown off by my watch pace which indicated I'd break 46. I didn't realize that my watch measured the course 0.2 miles long this year, which may have had something to do with that. I was happy with how each stage of the race went except for the final road section. I was surprised that I hated the first two miles and the last .75 this year. It was the single-track that was fun this year.
It was nice to get a race where I met my goals after some disappointing end of the season races in cross country. I'm not sure if I'll run next year (hopefully I'll go to Nike/Footlocker Northeast regional instead), but if I do I'll probably go for sub-46. I'd like to come back during or post-college to win it and take the course record. Another great edition of Little Rhody is in the books.
Newport Pie Run
Newport Country YMCA, Middletown, RI
November 24, 2016 (Day 12/15 of Offseason)
8:30AM EST
Next up was the Newport Pie Run. I had gained interest looking at this a few months ago, but suddenly had no excitement pre-race. There were a few reasons I originally wanted to do this:
1) PR. I had a bad race at Bobby Doyle, way off my 26:40 goal. This race would certainly have much better temperatures and hopefully I could hit that goal or at least crack 27 at the race.
2) Location/Course. The course seemed great with some good uphills, downhills and many flat sections. It appeared to be scenic and by the water, so the only downside was that there was a cone turnaround.
3) Early morning. This race has a relatively early start of 8:30, which provides nice weather and gets the race done quickly at a convenient time.
Mile 1
I went out comfortably and noticed many people around me. The first time I looked at my watch I saw a 5:50 pace, so I got a little worried and picked it up. I got it down to about 5:10 and wanted to keep that for the mile. I was in about 8th place at the half mile mark and kept it in the low 5:10s. I slowed a little at the turn on Tuckerman and was passed by former Mt. Hope runner Bryce O'Brien. I was surprised to see him pass me, but then I realized he's probably a strong 5-miler as that's the distance he runs in college. Hit the mile in 5:16.
Mile 2
After the mile, many ahead of me started to slow. I kept the pace steady or slowed less than everyone else. I passed Bryce back, then 2-3 other guys including some BAA runners. It was surprising that none of them went with me. I was about a 5:17 average pace on my watch, which was satisfying. The leaders were now 200 meters ahead and I could only see them on long stretches. I was now in 5th place and gaining on fourth place, a guy wearing a white long sleeve shirt. I slowly closed the gap and went by him. Mile 2 finished up in 5:17 to finish off the Tuckerman Ave section.
Mile 3
At the beginning of the mile, we went down a steep hill. It felt like the runner I just passed was gaining on me, but I managed to keep the gap even. I wasn't tired at all, but had been feeling a little tight the first few miles. Mile 3 changed that. It was a long flat stretch along the beach. I got very comfortable and cruised at low 5:10s pace. I could see the leaders about 250 meters ahead running together in a pack of three and I was way back as the next guy. I didn't sense that anyone else was right on me and felt that I had at least a small gap on the next runner. I was now at a 5:15 average pace, which was both satisfying and encouraging. The turn around the cone was tiring and unenjoyable, but I was able to get into a rhythm again and now see where everyone else was. I felt that I had about 40 meters on the next runner. Mile 3 ended in 5:13.
Mile 4
I had a little more flat before the upcoming hill. I still felt smooth but was worried about slowing too much on the 100ft climb. It eventually came. The climb was tiring, but the grade became less steep as I got further up and eventually I got to the top. My pace had slowed about 5 seconds average pace, but next came a downhill. Mile 4- 5:36.
Mile 5
Seeing a 5:20 pace on my watch was a good indicator that I'd break 27. I was now pretty tired after running up that hill, but I was able to coast on the downhill. The downhill was fun, but I was feeling weak when I got back to flat. I had another problem as well- two guys suddenly came up close behind me and now my lead was no longer than 10 meters. Feeling weak, I didn't expect much of a kick and prepared myself to get passed and come in 6th. I picked it up a little in the last quarter mile and now only one was behind me, but he was right there. I thought for sure he'd blow by me at the end, but I picked it up a little more and somehow held him off.
4th overall in 26:41. Pretty happy with both time and place. The race ended up feeling great and being quite fun. It ended up living up to its name with many pies afterwards. Great way to start out the weekend. Now it's time to get back to indoor, which won't be quite as fun as road or trail racing. I want to hit some PR's soon but am not quite ready to just get on the 200m indoor oval and start racing. This will be my last race (non-school) until next July. A fun two weeks comes to an end.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Thanksgiving- Weekly Log: November 21 to 27
The summer is always a great period for running because I actually get a break from the frequent and stressful cycle of school running that many times has a complete lack of variety. After just half a week of running, this offseason is almost over. Indoor starts Monday, meaning the (mostly) boring cycle starts again. At least this week was enjoyable. After a fun little Rhody race, I had one more: the Pie run on Thanksgiving morning. I like racing on thanksgiving and this race seems like a good opportunity to update my 5-mile PR (I failed to do so in Bobby Doyle's brutal conditions), check out a good-looking course and hopefully enjoy another race.
Monday: 0 Miles
I wasn't sure what to do on this one, either a light short run or day off. I decided to take the day off because I was quite sore from the race the day before and I don't take many zeros during season, at least not in the second half.
Tuesday: 9 Miles
I hadn't run a road race since August and besides Little Rhody I also hadn't run any races over 5K, so I wanted to get some kind of a workout in to get a feel for what the target pace may feel like. I would've made it difficult but since it was only two days out, it was better not to go too hard. I also couldn't have done it Monday as it was the day after the race. I didn't like how tight this was (if the race was Saturday, I could've taken two days recovery from Little Rhody, run a hard workout Wednesday, then take two days recovery before Pie Run), but there were only three days between the two races. I also did enjoy racing on a weekday morning. Looking at Strava activities for the Pie Run, I also decided it would be a good idea to do some hill repeats in preparation for the 100ft climb at mile 3.5.
The workout was a short amount of descending intervals at the target 5-mi pace (5:20) w/short recoveries of 200m. 1000/800/600/400/200. I wasn't excited headed out as it had been cold and windy the whole day and my teammate dropped out of the workout (and ended up dropping out of the race as well) at the last second, so I was all alone. I planned on doing in this in the Misquamicut beach parking lot as I like to find a flat smooth and wide area when I do my track-style workout on asphalt. I've tried Ninigret and Avondale as well, both great options for workouts. What I didn't realize was how windy it was. The wind didn't seem bad heading down, but as soon as I started the 1K, it hit me hard. I had to work very to get past the brutal wind. Sometimes, I'd go with it which made the intervals easy, but I was pretty exhausted otherwise and for most of them I was against the wind. The stupid wind screwed the whole workout up and made it pretty much useless as it felt terrible and I wasn't consistent or smooth at all. I did hit all the splits close to 5:20 except the 200 where I was too fast. I guess the workout might be useful as preparation for a windy races. It was about 1.5 miles to the base of the hill (Ice Pond hill), where I planned to 4x50ft climb. I was surprised I had already gotten in 5 miles, but now was quite cold and not looking forward to it. The hills went quite well and I ran between 5:20-5:40 pace for all of them. Difficulty: 3/5.
Wednesday: 5 Miles
Rockridge loop shakeout. Not cold today, but I didn't feel like doing this. Felt smooth and comfortable at 6:30s pace (too fast but I got into a groove), but didn't really enjoy it.
Thursday: 8 Miles
Race day. Newport Pie Run. The 8:30 AM start was earlier than I was used to (the school races usually start between 11-1, so I hadn't raced this early since summer) and I had to wake up much earlier than usual. I wasn't super excited for the race, but it ended up being great. I loved the course, set-up, timing and awards. In additional, race conditions were perfect. Felt terrible pre-race and post-race, but besides some heaviness in the first mile and weakness in the last two, I felt great. Completely flat mile 3 was awesome as I just coasted comfortably at a 5:10 pace. I was surprised I managed to stay very consistent and I actually hit my A-Goal of 5:20 pace (B-Goal was Sub-27). Big PR of 26:41 and 4th overall, so I was really happy with this. I've been suffering recently in races, but this was actually enjoyable.
Friday: 8 Miles
Carolina trails in the rain. Nowhere near as fun as the previous day. First few miles were fun as we explored some cool single-track and double-track through pine forests, but got cold and tired of the lack of marking towards the end. Also got very tired, which seems to be a trend on these long (but not very fast) weekend trail runs.
Saturday: 13 Miles
Very fun Wickaboxet/Tillinghast long trail run with WTAC runners. Felt really good during the first 8 mile loop, but the two add-on loops afterwards were exhausting as my legs were getting very tired. Glad to get in a long run.
Sunday: 6 Miles
Early morning rocky neck exploration. Some fun trails, others were boring. Great scenic views at many locations and also ran the boardwalk and beach. Ran most of the trails and got on a few segments.
Weekly Total: 49 Miles
YTD Total: 2,112 Miles
Back to practices :(
Monday: 0 Miles
I wasn't sure what to do on this one, either a light short run or day off. I decided to take the day off because I was quite sore from the race the day before and I don't take many zeros during season, at least not in the second half.
Tuesday: 9 Miles
I hadn't run a road race since August and besides Little Rhody I also hadn't run any races over 5K, so I wanted to get some kind of a workout in to get a feel for what the target pace may feel like. I would've made it difficult but since it was only two days out, it was better not to go too hard. I also couldn't have done it Monday as it was the day after the race. I didn't like how tight this was (if the race was Saturday, I could've taken two days recovery from Little Rhody, run a hard workout Wednesday, then take two days recovery before Pie Run), but there were only three days between the two races. I also did enjoy racing on a weekday morning. Looking at Strava activities for the Pie Run, I also decided it would be a good idea to do some hill repeats in preparation for the 100ft climb at mile 3.5.
The workout was a short amount of descending intervals at the target 5-mi pace (5:20) w/short recoveries of 200m. 1000/800/600/400/200. I wasn't excited headed out as it had been cold and windy the whole day and my teammate dropped out of the workout (and ended up dropping out of the race as well) at the last second, so I was all alone. I planned on doing in this in the Misquamicut beach parking lot as I like to find a flat smooth and wide area when I do my track-style workout on asphalt. I've tried Ninigret and Avondale as well, both great options for workouts. What I didn't realize was how windy it was. The wind didn't seem bad heading down, but as soon as I started the 1K, it hit me hard. I had to work very to get past the brutal wind. Sometimes, I'd go with it which made the intervals easy, but I was pretty exhausted otherwise and for most of them I was against the wind. The stupid wind screwed the whole workout up and made it pretty much useless as it felt terrible and I wasn't consistent or smooth at all. I did hit all the splits close to 5:20 except the 200 where I was too fast. I guess the workout might be useful as preparation for a windy races. It was about 1.5 miles to the base of the hill (Ice Pond hill), where I planned to 4x50ft climb. I was surprised I had already gotten in 5 miles, but now was quite cold and not looking forward to it. The hills went quite well and I ran between 5:20-5:40 pace for all of them. Difficulty: 3/5.
Wednesday: 5 Miles
Rockridge loop shakeout. Not cold today, but I didn't feel like doing this. Felt smooth and comfortable at 6:30s pace (too fast but I got into a groove), but didn't really enjoy it.
Thursday: 8 Miles
Race day. Newport Pie Run. The 8:30 AM start was earlier than I was used to (the school races usually start between 11-1, so I hadn't raced this early since summer) and I had to wake up much earlier than usual. I wasn't super excited for the race, but it ended up being great. I loved the course, set-up, timing and awards. In additional, race conditions were perfect. Felt terrible pre-race and post-race, but besides some heaviness in the first mile and weakness in the last two, I felt great. Completely flat mile 3 was awesome as I just coasted comfortably at a 5:10 pace. I was surprised I managed to stay very consistent and I actually hit my A-Goal of 5:20 pace (B-Goal was Sub-27). Big PR of 26:41 and 4th overall, so I was really happy with this. I've been suffering recently in races, but this was actually enjoyable.
Friday: 8 Miles
Carolina trails in the rain. Nowhere near as fun as the previous day. First few miles were fun as we explored some cool single-track and double-track through pine forests, but got cold and tired of the lack of marking towards the end. Also got very tired, which seems to be a trend on these long (but not very fast) weekend trail runs.
Saturday: 13 Miles
Very fun Wickaboxet/Tillinghast long trail run with WTAC runners. Felt really good during the first 8 mile loop, but the two add-on loops afterwards were exhausting as my legs were getting very tired. Glad to get in a long run.
Sunday: 6 Miles
Early morning rocky neck exploration. Some fun trails, others were boring. Great scenic views at many locations and also ran the boardwalk and beach. Ran most of the trails and got on a few segments.
Weekly Total: 49 Miles
YTD Total: 2,112 Miles
Back to practices :(
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