Weekly Log 10-Feb to 16-Feb-2014

After Belleville Pond, now begins a one month hiatus until the next race.  I have a boatload of races I'm signed up for in 2014 already, so it will be nice to take a break.

Monday:  11
Noon:  5. Beautiful deep snow across bridges, through forests, along frozen rivers.  It seems like I'm in NH.  Oh, wait, I am - Mine Falls Park in Nashua.
Evening:  6.  Mews night WTAC celebratory run out on bike path, loop around Narragansett Pier area.  Followed by celebration dinner/drinks at Mews.

Tuesday:  5
No Bottom Pond evening run.  Easy pace.

Wednesday:  11
Afternoon:  8.  Pond loop around Winnapaug Pond.  6:50s pace.
Evening:  3.  Schonning 5K course while at Y anyway, followed by sauna relax.

Thursday:  12
Another week, another snowstorm!  Wanted to get out there before change-over to rain.  Had just started my run when my phone rang.  It was FiveK looking to get some mileage, so he met up with me on Clifford Ave before we proceeded to run in the snow along the shore.  Love runs in the snow!

FiveK near Fenway Beach

Fun run in shorts in the snow!

I probably won't be able to land a job building snowmen,
but at least I'm keeping Muddy's and Chris' request to not grow up.

My two teenage boys had the day off from school.  One was sleeping and the other watching a movie, while the old man was outside playing in the rain building a snowman.  What's wrong with this picture?  Maybe I need to take a page from Mike B's blog and kick them outside and tell them to come in when it gets dark?

Friday:  11
From Y, Boombridge loop out to North Stonington, back via Potter Hill.  Legs felt really achy, not sore though. Think it's due to a rare cold I've come down with.

Saturday:  21
With just about everyone race-free this weekend, we had one of our largest ever group runs today with 8 runners.  Jonny planned out a 16-miler winding through all 3 Chariho towns and in typical Jonny style, incorporating quite a few hills.  Wanting to get 20 on the day and ramp up my spring marathon training (for which I still have not signed up for anything!), I showed up 1/2 hour early at Chariho HS and basically ran the Chariho 5K course tacking on a little more by running Pine Hill Road as far as N-S Trail, and deducting out the snow-covered track portion.

At my alma mater for the start of today's long run -
here are my WTAC teammates ready for some fun

We started out with hills pretty early with almost exactly a 200' climb up Woodville Road after crossing into Hopkinton.  After about 5 miles, FiveK, Chris, and Nate decided we were slowing them down too much and so they split off at Collins Road to finish early while dropping sub-6 minute miles in their wake!  Five of us (Jonny, Muddy, "Action", Mike B, and I) continued on for more hill torture, including hills on snow & ice covered Tomaquag Valley Road, climbs up 91, screaming downhill down Burdickville into Charlestown, then a series of climbs over the next two miles before a brief water respite at Chez Hammett.  The last 2-3 miles were flat, but by then I was just getting real HUNGRY. 

Average 7:20 pace, ended up with 21 miles.  All good stuff.  Extra kudos go to Jonny for putting this together and to Mike for the 1st water stop.

Sunday:  11

Finished shoveling the driveway; time for a run.
Yes, I'm old fashioned and still use a shovel.
Snowbank ever higher after the umpteenth snowstorm this winter.

East Beach trail, Watch Hill
Headed down to the ocean for a beach run

Slow and hard going in the fresh snow in Champlin Glacier Park.
Should I petition Mike Galoob to add a Champlin Snowy Sufferfest to the series?

Weekly mileage totals and recap:
Run:  82

A record high mileage week for me.  In spite of the winter weather (or maybe actually because of it?) I've really enjoyed getting out for a lot of 10+ milers this week, including the 21 miler with the gang on Saturday.  I know I need to play it smart and back off a little next week, but I'm hoping to keep in the 50-60 mile range for a while, especially with no races on the horizon.  I'm loving winter running!