Weekly Log 10-Sep-12 to 16-Sep-12

Monday:  0
Boston bound!

Received this e-mail back at end of day:
"Dear Jeffrey J. Walker,
This is to notify you that your entry into the 117th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 2013 has been accepted, ..."

Tuesday:
26 miles with Steve.  48 degrees, cold, pitch dark.  5:30AM ride to Y, where I met up with Steve and then rode through Avondale, Watch Hill, Misquamicut, and Weekapaug, then back again.  Scared up some herons through the salt marsh.  Couldn't catch a break with the wind, as it was kind of a cross-wind.  Struggled to keep it at 19mph, while Steve was hitting 22mph.  Had to hustle to catch up to him during "breaks" when he'd slow down between sprints.  Good workout!
5 miles.  Got a 45-minute break late afternoon to get in a running fix, and I needed it after a tense day of working production issues on the phone most of the day.  Shore Road to Ocean View Highway, and then a cathartic run back home along the beach.

Wednesday: 0

My snooze alarm won today.  Not a bad thing, as my body is telling me I need a day off.  My left calf was really hurting walking around Boston.  Is that from 2 out of 3 past days biking really hard?  Or the swim last Friday being the longest I did all this year?  Hopefully something minor that will be gone before Surftown.  Went to City Sports at lunch and bought Tom's suggestion of a foam roller, then watched a Runner's World video on how to use.  Hopefully will help.

Thursday:
4 miles easy at 4:30AM.  55^o.  Tom Harvey, Wicklow, Shore loop.  Temperature felt great; calves didn't and it affected my gait.

Excerpt of an e-mail I received from NipMuck Trail Marathon yesterday regarding current course conditions:  "... Still lots of rocks & roots and the usual muddy sections are, well, good and muddy..  But nothing too extreme for the seasoned trail runner."  Seasoned trail runner?  What did I get myself into?  Is it too late to send Jonny in my place?

Friday:
7 miles with Tom at 4:45AM.  58^o.  Chin Hill to Beach St and Margin, back on the hill by Westerly Hospital to East Ave and trail cut-through to Rotary Park. 
My left calf started out real tight during the run, but a mile plus into the run felt much better, and thereafter just occasional twinges.  For Surftown, I'm thinking it will be best for me to get 2-3 miles warm-up in to loosen up the calves instead of starting so tight.
1/2 mile ocean swim.  Met up with Steve at 6:15AM, and also Larry, former WTAC runner and triathlete extraordinaire, now turned into a hunter.  Headed towards Weekapaug as the sun was just starting to rise, saw Steve quickly way in the distance, followed by Larry and then me floundering around - every time I looked up I was still at the Town Beach pavilion!  By the agreed upon 12 minute mark I was only a few houses past the Town Beach, turned around and made it back to the starting point in 4 minutes!   Ah, I was fighting a strong current.  Continued swimming to Windjammer until it looked like I was going to run into the fishing line of a fisherman from shore, and I didn't want to end up on his dinner plate, so I turned around.
Larry told me bow deer hunting season opens in RI tomorrow.  Arggh, time to start wearing orange vests.

Saturday:
3 miles.  Picked up my Surftown packet, caught up with the Mikes, then home for an easy run with Matthew, including part of the course.  Ready or not, Surftown here we come...

Sunday:
16 miles.  Surftown Half Marathon.  Waiting for results to be available online, then will post separate write-up.  How come the results still aren't available almost 24 hours after the event?!

Weekly totals:
Swim:  0.5 miles
Bike:  26 miles
Run:  35 miles

Week wrap-up:  A lower mileage week this week, but that's OK.  Had a great time and great outcome at the Surftown.  Lovin' the varied race events in September thus far.  Next up: another event right in my "backyard", the OCY Tri next Sunday.  That one doesn't favor me with the long swim and the short run, but it'll be good fun nonetheless, and I'll make sure to get another bike and swim workout in during this coming week.