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.

Inauguration Run

Well, I was running, so I missed the historic speech. Fortunately I have a DVR so I can watch it tonight. I ended up doing a difficult 4.9 miles in just under 40 minutes (8:08 pace). The run was a little faster than normal, thanks to Dave B., my new running friend (not to be confused with Dave T. - who is apparently not running during the cold weather). Physically, I was alright - although my back is *killing* me from all this snow shoveling. Nevertheless, I'm still loving this winter. Barack's speech will echo on each run:

In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.

In other words - if it's cold out - go out and run anyway. It'll be Spring soon enough, and you don't want to suck. Also of note: this weekend I found a nice Firefox add-on called Stumble Upon. While clicking through random links - I came across this two hundred situps site, and decided to go ahead and add it to my 'strength' training schedule. I started the situps on week 2 and the pushups on week 1. Hopefully, it'll help during the upcoming season.

More Cold Running

Today I probably set a record for the coldest it's been that I've run outside: 16 deg. Truth be told it was not really that bad; actually kinda pleasant. I did 4.4 miles - very slowly, about an 8:50 pace (39 minutes total). But the weather really felt fine. I'd much prefer 16 degrees and little wind (8 mph, wind chill was listed as 6 deg - but I didn't feel it), compared to 30 degrees and 30 mph winds. I'll aim for another 2 weeks of this 'taking it easy' - before maybe adding a third day of running - or some swimming a the Y in February and March. Hopefully by then, I'll have a 10K pegged on my calendar that I can get excited for.

The Tough Part...

...is over! Yesterday I capped my Tarzan Brown training with my final set of intervals: 5x2000s (or, since I wasn't running on the track, 5x8:30s) on a run from my work in Groton, to my home in Mystic. I did the Mumford's Cove route, to add a little extra flat distance, since I didn't want to be doing an interval over the Brooke Street hill. The workout, like those before it, was difficult - but I think it actually felt better than the 2 previous ones. Maybe I'm pacing a little better, or running a little slower, or just getting a little stronger. Total mileage for the workout was 9.7 miles, which took 1 hour, 24 minutes (including breaks between intervals, which were 4:30).

This morning I biked the route back - but did the Brook Street hill - about 9 miles in 5o minutes, including some walking to let the blood back into my frost-bit feet. The ride felt good, but cold - I'm glad to be all warmed up now.

Mileage for the week was 18.75 miles running, plus 5.85 miles of cross training: 24.6 total. My largest in a while. Moreover, the week encompassed a little of everything: swim, bike, trail run, tempo run, intervals and long run. Next week I can take pretty easy - although I may hit a track for some 18x200s, or something - just to keep the legs use to moving fast.