Monday: 10 ride
Easy solo AM ride in the fog in Misquamicut.
Tuesday: 1 walk, 5 run
Walked and wheel-measured the new Bottone Mile course with Paul. August 15, free, but please pre-register online if you're coming. Interest in a track mile had dropped way off, so after 24 years on the track, we're switching to a road format. We'll see how this goes.
Off to a somewhat annual family trip to Beavertail State Park, that we take around my birthday every year. My great-aunt often told me that she doesn't want or need any more physical gifts, but would just like to spend time with us. Not sure I appreciated that then, but I do now. Anyhow, took the day off, as Mark is returning to Florida tomorrow. Enjoyed a lunch on the grass, playing on the rocks, and some frisbee with Mark and Matthew. Missing from this year's trip were a visit to the Beavertail native aquarium (it was closed due to roof damage) and a swim.
PM: Ran the Stonington Fun Run, plus 2 miles warm-up, for 5 total.
Wednesday: 3/4 mile swim
Solo swim at Watchaug Pond. Felt really good. When I finished up, and elderly lady in the water (she was in a group of 3 doing some kind of exercise and clearly enjoying the social time) came up to me and said something to the effect of "That was quite the swim. I used to be a lifeguard and had my eye on you the whole time. You were doing everything right with your strokes." She was either being overly kind, or her eyesight wasn't too good, but either way, it made my morning.
Brought Mark up to Green Airport for his flight back to Florida. He won't be back until Thanksgiving now. Sigh. I'm actually doing better with it the more times he comes and goes, but I foolishly told him on the ride up that I wish someday he returns to RI to live, to which he retorted, "Dad, there's a 100% chance that I will never live in RI again.". Soul-crushing.
Thursday: 0, PT only
John Ward asked me not to do any other activities on PT days. I thought I was progressing nicely (which I still think I am overall) until he had me stand with one foot on the edge of a 6" high wooden box, then gradually lower my other foot and back up. Repeat 10 times. Piece of cake.
OK, now switch feet. Stood on my "bad leg", started to lower the other foot, and the knee on the bad leg instantly buckled inward, and my body collapsed towards the floor as I let out a profanity. (I apologized to the staff and other patients, but they didn't care.) I have some definite weaknesses I need to work on, and came away with a new set of exercises to be done 3x/weekly. It may sound silly, but after this 30-minute PT session, I left exhausted.
Friday: 1 walk, 10 run
The Blessing! No Mikey joining us this time around, as he and a number of other WTAC'ers would be missing this edition, due to injuries, other plans, etc. My warm-up would ended up being a 1.2 mile walk, as with this injury, it's just so hard to start running again after I've stopped.
Mile 1: I had bib #27 tonight, which means I'm entitled to start in the front corral (anything less than 100). I debated starting way back, as I was intending to run 7:30 pace or just under, but I took Mikey's advice and started in the front (maybe 5th row back) instead of weaving in and out of people. The gun went off, and I thought I was doing a good job holding back until 1/2 mile in when I saw I was running 6:20 pace. Ugh. Backed way off, but still finished Mile 1 in 6:48. Saw Jana and then my Mom spectating.
Miles 2-4: I got it a little better under control in Mile 2 (7:05), but then unwittingly picked it up again in Mile 3 (6:57). Well, clearly 7:30 is not going to work, but how about 7:15? At the beginning of Mile 4 on Ocean Road, someone called out to me. It was Patrick Marcum, a LaSalle high school runner from Cumberland who came down to run one of our Pumpkins trail races. He was injured as well, I fell into his pace talking to him and that slowed me a bit to 7:16. Finally!
Miles 5-7: My pace and run with Patrick fell off, as he said he was going to walk the hill up to 108. Route 108 is always my most dreaded part of the race. I was drenched by now from the humidity, but at least it had turned cloudy. I went under every hose and sprinkler I could, and ran the next three miles pretty consistent at 7:01, 7:04, 7:01.
Miles 8-Finish: Often I have a second wind in the last few miles, but I'm starting to get tired now, especially with my dearth of running over the past month. Dave Principe calls out to me from the side of the road in the shaded neighborhood. Normally I'm happy to see him NOT running Blessing :), but obviously this year doesn't matter. I go back and forth with a few familiar runners in the last few miles, including new WTAC'er Eric Ciocca, Turtle Pat Quinn, and NRA's Peter Barbera.
Full results. Happy to finish my 16th straight Blessing. Caught up with friends and frenemies briefly. Tommy had to head out right after the race, then I talked with Michael Narcissi, Mike Daniels, a few of the Chariho guys, Mac Ordonio, Clay Howland, etc. Hung around for awards ceremony, and this time it's all Matthew, taking 6th place overall, plus the age group win in a 55:30! As for my time, trying to stay positive, it's actually faster than I thought and sought, with a 7:09 average pace for 1:11:29. Next year, it's going to be different. Next year, I tell you ...
Saturday: 0
Very sore from Blessing.
Sunday: 17 ride
Early morning coastal ride with Mike. Iced coffee stop at the Innlet, Weekapaug. Always a good time. Soreness has dissipated.
Weekly mileage:
Run: 15
Ride: 27
Walk: 1
Swim: 0.75
Weekly synopsis: So glad I was able to run the Blessing, and I wasn't nearly as dejected with my running time and performance as I feared. Making gradual progress in my healing/recovery, but as you can see from the July 2017 to July 2018 comparison below, I have a ways to go to get anywhere near my former self:
Easy solo AM ride in the fog in Misquamicut.
Tuesday: 1 walk, 5 run
Walked and wheel-measured the new Bottone Mile course with Paul. August 15, free, but please pre-register online if you're coming. Interest in a track mile had dropped way off, so after 24 years on the track, we're switching to a road format. We'll see how this goes.
 |
| Since I had the day off and everyone was still sleeping, I continued just a little further down to Weekapaug, got an iced coffee and walked across the street to enjoy it at the breachway. Pondered retirement and how I imagine it. |
Off to a somewhat annual family trip to Beavertail State Park, that we take around my birthday every year. My great-aunt often told me that she doesn't want or need any more physical gifts, but would just like to spend time with us. Not sure I appreciated that then, but I do now. Anyhow, took the day off, as Mark is returning to Florida tomorrow. Enjoyed a lunch on the grass, playing on the rocks, and some frisbee with Mark and Matthew. Missing from this year's trip were a visit to the Beavertail native aquarium (it was closed due to roof damage) and a swim.
 |
| Leaving aside the religious quote, I thought that this hand-painted rock was really neat. Surprised that someone just left it behind on the seawall. |
 |
| Picture is too dark, but probably one of the few family pics we'll have of the four of us together in 2018. Tempus fugit. |
Solo swim at Watchaug Pond. Felt really good. When I finished up, and elderly lady in the water (she was in a group of 3 doing some kind of exercise and clearly enjoying the social time) came up to me and said something to the effect of "That was quite the swim. I used to be a lifeguard and had my eye on you the whole time. You were doing everything right with your strokes." She was either being overly kind, or her eyesight wasn't too good, but either way, it made my morning.
Brought Mark up to Green Airport for his flight back to Florida. He won't be back until Thanksgiving now. Sigh. I'm actually doing better with it the more times he comes and goes, but I foolishly told him on the ride up that I wish someday he returns to RI to live, to which he retorted, "Dad, there's a 100% chance that I will never live in RI again.". Soul-crushing.
 |
| So many international destinations with a cheap direct flight from RI now. Definitely interested in any of these for a future trip. |
Thursday: 0, PT only
John Ward asked me not to do any other activities on PT days. I thought I was progressing nicely (which I still think I am overall) until he had me stand with one foot on the edge of a 6" high wooden box, then gradually lower my other foot and back up. Repeat 10 times. Piece of cake.
OK, now switch feet. Stood on my "bad leg", started to lower the other foot, and the knee on the bad leg instantly buckled inward, and my body collapsed towards the floor as I let out a profanity. (I apologized to the staff and other patients, but they didn't care.) I have some definite weaknesses I need to work on, and came away with a new set of exercises to be done 3x/weekly. It may sound silly, but after this 30-minute PT session, I left exhausted.
Friday: 1 walk, 10 run
The Blessing! No Mikey joining us this time around, as he and a number of other WTAC'ers would be missing this edition, due to injuries, other plans, etc. My warm-up would ended up being a 1.2 mile walk, as with this injury, it's just so hard to start running again after I've stopped.
Mile 1: I had bib #27 tonight, which means I'm entitled to start in the front corral (anything less than 100). I debated starting way back, as I was intending to run 7:30 pace or just under, but I took Mikey's advice and started in the front (maybe 5th row back) instead of weaving in and out of people. The gun went off, and I thought I was doing a good job holding back until 1/2 mile in when I saw I was running 6:20 pace. Ugh. Backed way off, but still finished Mile 1 in 6:48. Saw Jana and then my Mom spectating.
 |
| About 1/2 mile in: Can you find me in this picture? Smack dab in the middle of ... not a single runner that I recognize. |
Miles 2-4: I got it a little better under control in Mile 2 (7:05), but then unwittingly picked it up again in Mile 3 (6:57). Well, clearly 7:30 is not going to work, but how about 7:15? At the beginning of Mile 4 on Ocean Road, someone called out to me. It was Patrick Marcum, a LaSalle high school runner from Cumberland who came down to run one of our Pumpkins trail races. He was injured as well, I fell into his pace talking to him and that slowed me a bit to 7:16. Finally!
Miles 5-7: My pace and run with Patrick fell off, as he said he was going to walk the hill up to 108. Route 108 is always my most dreaded part of the race. I was drenched by now from the humidity, but at least it had turned cloudy. I went under every hose and sprinkler I could, and ran the next three miles pretty consistent at 7:01, 7:04, 7:01.
 |
| Mile 6: Waving to Seb as I'm immensely proud of my awesome accomplishment here of finally catching up to and passing my competition (the three ladies behind me). Pic by Chris. |
Miles 8-Finish: Often I have a second wind in the last few miles, but I'm starting to get tired now, especially with my dearth of running over the past month. Dave Principe calls out to me from the side of the road in the shaded neighborhood. Normally I'm happy to see him NOT running Blessing :), but obviously this year doesn't matter. I go back and forth with a few familiar runners in the last few miles, including new WTAC'er Eric Ciocca, Turtle Pat Quinn, and NRA's Peter Barbera.
 |
| ... and we're done. One of my slowest times ever, but I got it done. |
Full results. Happy to finish my 16th straight Blessing. Caught up with friends and frenemies briefly. Tommy had to head out right after the race, then I talked with Michael Narcissi, Mike Daniels, a few of the Chariho guys, Mac Ordonio, Clay Howland, etc. Hung around for awards ceremony, and this time it's all Matthew, taking 6th place overall, plus the age group win in a 55:30! As for my time, trying to stay positive, it's actually faster than I thought and sought, with a 7:09 average pace for 1:11:29. Next year, it's going to be different. Next year, I tell you ...
Saturday: 0
Very sore from Blessing.
Sunday: 17 ride
Early morning coastal ride with Mike. Iced coffee stop at the Innlet, Weekapaug. Always a good time. Soreness has dissipated.
Weekly mileage:
Run: 15
Ride: 27
Walk: 1
Swim: 0.75
Weekly synopsis: So glad I was able to run the Blessing, and I wasn't nearly as dejected with my running time and performance as I feared. Making gradual progress in my healing/recovery, but as you can see from the July 2017 to July 2018 comparison below, I have a ways to go to get anywhere near my former self:
 |
| July 2017: Solid! |
 |
| July 2018: Ugly |
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