Weekly Log 9-Jan-12 to 15-Jan-12

Monday:  0 miles
Planned rest day

Tuesday:  5 miles
Swam 500 yards at Y.  First swim in 4 months, will need to seriously work on endurance.  Running will always (hopefully) be my core and favorite, but it's the new year and time to get back into cross-training and thinking about Tri season starting in June.  Ran into friend and WTAC prez Steve.  He was pumped up about Saturday's run and WTAC team.  Before I even started my swim, he had already done a swim workout at 5AM, followed by an hour of spinning, and then straight to the treadmill for 3 x 7-minute miles.  I asked the Ironman if he was done for the day after his mini "triathlon", but he wasn't and was just about to go to a 1-hour Pilates class for core strength training!  I am really impressed with his dedication, but also a tad jealous that I don't have a job closer to home to give me more free early morning time more than 1x weekly.

Wequetequock Cove
site of Tue and Sat runs

The run (I digress as usual) - after finishing my meager swim, I drove the short distance to Barn Island.  900 acres to myself again.  My mission today was to try to extend the trail portion distance of our coming Saturday run, and I was successful by finding a nice wooded single-track loop for about a mile in the northern "new" section of the preserve.  Ran some fun repeating trails before I ran out of time and needed to head back for work meetings.

Wednesday:  3 miles
Legs really stiff and didn't want to move; I can only surmise this is from the swimming yesterday.  My run was soon punctuated by a lost motorist looking for my help in getting to the Westerly Police Department.  I was happy to help, especially as she seemed frantic and I can't imagine any positive scenario of having to drive from Riverside to the Westerly PD at 5AM.  However, standing there talking in the 29 degree weather in just shorts and a shirt chilled me and further dampened any enthusiasm for the run.  Shuffled back home.

Thursday:  0 miles
Pounding wind-driven rain.  Wimped out and hid under the covers.  That brings my mileage for 4 days out to a whopping 8 miles, which works out ... let me see - I need some long division here ... 2 miles per day!  Pretty impressive,eh?!

Friday:  10 miles
Double dipper.  Nice 4:30AM 5-mile run on Westerly Hospital loop.  Felt great running.  Being the Friday kicking off a 3-day weekend certainly helped my mood as well.
5 miles additional at dusk on trails to avoid 35 mph wind.  Quick cold run on Mastuxet Brook trail and Champlin Glacier Park.

Saturday:  24 miles!
Early morning 16-mile run with Jonny & Muddy.  5 miles of trails, 11 road.  Ran in darkness from Westerly Y through Pawcatuck, CT neighborhoods and out Greenhaven Road and to Barn Island.  Ran 1 mile of wooded single-track in northern section, then the rest was trails through marshes.  Avoided Wequetequock Cove where shotguns were blasting, tried unsuccessfully to get Jonny to say "Wequetequock" 5 times fast.  Returned along Pawcatuck River back to Westerly and Wilcox Park to Y, just as fellow runners Steve and Jeff D were preparing to go out for a run.
Afternoon 8-mile run in Newport, RI through beaches, trails, boulders, tunnels, and a short stretch of road, almost completely alongside the ocean.  Was fidgeting at Newport Y with a lot of time on my hands before my son's swim meet, and with a beautiful sunny day with temps at 35, I was itching to get outside.  Ran the short distance from Y to First Beach, and ran the beach up to the start of the Cliff Walk.  The Cliff Walk can get crowded in summer, but was pretty sparse today.  I crashed into one woman who walked right in front of me, but because she apologized, I decided not to throw her in the ocean.  I was having a blast jumping from boulder to boulder south of the Tea House and my mind wanted to go on endlessly on this run when my legs and stomach both started to complain.  Made my way back to Newport Y.  Hope I don't pay for choice of double running with hobbling tomorrow, but for today I am a very happy boy.

Sunday:  8 miles
Frigid mid-day run at 19^o.  Slow but deliberate pace after yesterday's mega-mileage for me.  Froze running into the wind out to Westerly Hospital, warmed up on way back with a tail wind and face in the sun along East Ave before trail jaunts on Mastuxet and Champlin Trails.  Finished out afternoon with snow-tubing with my boys.

Weekly total:  50 miles
Started the week with almost non-existent running, but had a great finish to the week.  The blog, the new WTAC racing team, and my running partners are all keeping me motivated to get out there and run.