Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Weekly Log 13-May to 19-May-2013

Monday:  0

Tuesday:
4 miles.  Hopkinton side of Grills Preserve.  Had never run here before, but unexpectedly found myself driving home from Mom's and decided to drop in for a run.  Comparing my Strava output to the map link from Muddy's recent blog, I think I found every trail in there EXCEPT the trail to the famed new bridge to the Westerly side!  Oh well, I guess I'll just have to come back ...
First part of run is through fields

followed by nice trails in pine forests




















24 miles w/ Tom.  It had been two weeks since I'd been on the bike - it wouldn't exactly have traveled well to India.  Out to Watch Hill and back.  Going out into tough headwind, but pushed it on return and was able to keep 23mph w/tailwind on Atlantic Ave.  Followed with a good hill workout.  Avg 16 mph.



Wednesday:
7 miles.  Barn Island trails.  Mostly single-track through the woods, finishing up on carriage double-track.

Thursday:
6 miles.

Drove past this sign many times; stopped to investigate and
run.  Nice new pine forest trails, but too short.  Hopefully
they will add on.  Charlestown Land Trust website just
says "Trail map coming".  Any familiarity? 
Onto Mill Pond Preserve, another Charlestown
Land Trust property.  Remains of an old fish hatchery.
Neat bridges and trails, but overgrown in places.
Unfortunately, sprained ankle pretty good here.  Hopefully
a day of icing will relieve.
Ended the trail portion of my run at a place called
"Hayes Point" with Route 1 in background;
ran Gen Stanton / Narrow Lane back

Friday:
1,000 yards.  First swim with Tom since back in US.  He's getting more equipment and getting faster!

Saturday:
Barn Island group romp with Muddy and Mike B.  We were hoping Jonny would join us, as this was at least 75% single-track, but Jonny had just done a massive road run the day before (what's backwards with this picture, boys?).  Mostly easy conversational pace run, but we pushed it hard on the three short Strava sections - all twisty, turning singletrack.  We spaced our distance apart to give room on the tight trails, so we didn't know how we fared 'til we got home - shocked to hold off Muddy by one second on two of them and tie on the 3rd.  No doubt if they were longer he would have taken me, as my lungs were spent.  All good fun.  Good to see Mike getting back into longer stuff.

The day of Walker running events continued as we went to Matthew's middle school state championships.  He went to his race pretty nervous and 72 degrees in sun didn't help, but he ran a good 3K at 10:51(5:49 pace).  In typical Matthew reaction, being 8 seconds off his PR and coming in 5th, he was really disappointed.  I tried to tell him 5th in the state in awesome, the 4 in front of him were all 8th graders and he'll be back next year, and he was only one of 3 boys in all of Westerly to even qualify to run today and the only one to score.  The Westerly girls meanwhile had an awesome day with winning the first ever Westerly middle school championships.

The afternoon brought us back to the Westerly track for Mark's Class B state championships.  The sun went away, the temps dropped, and it's was Mark's day, as he dropped a 4:31 for his 1,500 race, a huge PR (4:51 pace).  Looking forward to how he'll do at Freshman States on Monday.  If Mark keeps running during the summer, the old man will be toast at the Bottone Mile, and that will be fun to see as well.

Sunday:
28 mile group ride.  Mike B came back for a 2nd straight day of punishment, and Tommy5K joined in as well.  Rode out to West/East Beach in Charlestown, before crossing north of Route 1 for some hill climbs.    Figured my brother would have pancakes out for us as we went past his house - fail!  Worked the Buckeye hills and looked for the pancakes next at Jonny's house - 2nd fail!  The hill climbs on Burdickville Road were hard, but Tom & I both agreed not as hard as running them.  Route 91 back to Dunn's Corners, where our last chance for a pancakes at Tom's parents' house was a 3rd fail.


Weekly Totals:
Run: 29 miles
Bike: 52 miles
Swim:  1,000 yards

Week recap:
1st full week home from India - how sweet it is to be home!  The running mileage is less than it had been, but between Boston now over and done and now squeezing biking and swimming for tri season, I think that's the way it's going to be for the next 4 months.  Speaking of which, I just signed up for Mystic Y Tri, which is only 3 short weeks out, and will thus push me to get into open water swims - Brrrr!

I expect my summer to be mostly peppered with 5Ks and sprint tris, possibly the longest race being the Blessing, and hopefully lots of group stuff.  Still have yet to figure out my fall plans, but I'm leaning towards  focusing on a Half Ironman (TBD) and road marathon (TBD).  Bob Jackman put a nice listing of local fall marathons together here.

9 comments:

  1. Richard Trails - for the longest time it was just a sign in a parking lot with no trails. It's nice to know they have begun making trails. Never have run in Mill Pond Preserve. I like the potential of using these two systems as part of a longer run. As for Friday's swim, I can't figure out what sort of "equipment" Tom could be using in the pool?

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  2. It's the nicest sign for the shortest trail.

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  3. Jonny, I've added a propeller to my swimming gear..it really gets me moving in the pool!

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  4. Propeller? Is that what you crazy young kids are calling privates these days?!? Eeesh....

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  5. Nice weekend for the Walkers! Sorry I missed the group trail run. It was more due to time constraints than anything. I want to try those segments. Did you guys shout out my name Sunday morning as you rode past? My wife swears she heard someone do it.

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    1. Yes, we did yell your name when we passed your house. Hopefully Sarah found it "cute" as opposed to obnoxious!

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  6. You put together a nice week of activity. Well done to you and your boys.

    But, um, that link to Jackman's marathon page is for 2012 fall marathons. Still I imagine most of 'em are still applicable...just with different dates.

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    1. Seth, I should have put that caveat that the link is for 2012 fall marathons, but exactly as you said, I expect the marathons will mostly still be valid and with very similar dates. Who else is considering a fall marathon?

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    2. I'm still leaning towards doing the Nipmuck again. But part of me wants to do another road marathon instead to smash my PR. We'll see, we'll see.

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