Winter Maintenance.

A tough week - no doubt. I finally managed a run on Friday. I did a strong (~8:10 min/mile) 5 miles and then did 3.5 easy with a friend for a total of 8.5 miles in 1 hour 18 minutes. Did nothing yesterday and then did over an hour of strength training this morning. Bad week - but still well over 3 hours total - so keeping up ok despite the snow.

More workout chronicling: early summer speed work from Running Times.

Last night I saw Salt. Pretty cool movie - nice to see a non-kid themed movie. Lots of action and suspense. Bonus - you get to watch Jolie.

Man vs. Snow

Snow is winning. No runs and no swims. I've had 1/2 or 2/3 days at work due to snows and associated school closures. I did get a nice strength training workout in. Tomorrow I'll either attempt a long run or a swim.

Nice article on polymetrics. I'm going to try and do a better job of linking to workouts...

First marathon plan, for instance.

Mystic Snow.

Repeat after me: "I'll never do a spring marathon." Between sickness and snow - these winters - despite there beauty - are just brutal for training. I actually made it out for 3 runs last week for over 15 miles (including a 7 miler!) - but only logged a sad 3.5 hours total and no swims. I did try last Friday but I couldn't get out of work 'til later and the pool was overrun by high schoolers - even though they were on a snow day. All told, the schools were off 4 of the last 8 days (not counting weekends) and one of those four was a half day.

My hope for this week is one long run and one good swim. Do that, and I'll be happy. In fact if I could do that the next 2 weeks I'll be ecstatic. The goal is to get a run of 1:45 in before the Colchester half. Not much of a race training schedule - but all I can handle this time of year.

Tough Sledding

After 15 miles running and no swimming 2 weeks ago, I managed 1 swim and 3 more runs (13.5) miles - using 2 runs from home last week. We had a major snow storm Wednesday and I didn't do anything that day or Thursday. Both weeks were pretty good winter weeks - totaling over 4 hours of run/swim/yoga and strength training. I'm still tentatively eye-ing the Cholchester half - although It's been real tough getting the long runs in. Crap, I'm having trouble getting a half in per/week. It's just tough in the winter between snow/sickness and swims. Oh well, I'll just half to keep at it...

First Week 2011

Monday was my first run of 2011. I did the 5 mile loop at work that day and today - and have 10 miles so far in 2011. I'd like to hit ~10 running this week and build to ~20 miles/week running total by sometime in March - basically adding a mile/week as I go. Then I'll start the seasons that define running in New England (1) Spring Hill work - maybe a 1/2 marathon in late spring; certainly the Twilight Trail Run, (2) speed work in the early summer - maybe a track mile, (3) possible triathlon in the late summer, (4) take another shot at a marathon next Fall - most likely Hartford or Philly. Last year I didn't do a full marathon - but had a pretty good year running - I probably ran about 800 miles - way down from the year before - but managed some of my best times ever.

I used that estimated 800 to justify purchasing new shoes. My brooks have fit small - so I sized up, and I splurged and bought some Newtons. I'll review those once they get here and I've had a chance to run in them.