Weekly Log 4-Mar to 10-Mar-2019: Marathon Recovery

Having run Myrtle Beach Marathon this past weekend, this coming week will feature a few days off, easing back into running midweek, amidst contemplative research into the next marathon.  Should I wait until next spring, or try to find a fall marathon?

Monday:  0

Two days out from the marathon, legs were very sore.  I was grateful for a delayed opening at work due to the 4-5" of snow that had fallen (up to a foot at interior locations of RI and MA), and slept in, and then got a workout of another kind by shoveling very heavy wet snow.

About 45 minutes to shovel our front walkway and driveway.

Very heavy, rain-drenched snow.

Tuesday:  0

Moderate level of soreness.

Wednesday:  2

Soreness mostly gone.  Late afternoon I went to Wahaneeta for a snowshoe hike, and felt good enough to run it in snowshoes.

Was a little concerned driving the road to Wahaneeta Preserve
with frozen chunks of snow (unplowed) and frozen mud ruts
in my FWD low-clearance car,
but took it slow and I made it.
My next vehicle will be 4WD.  Oh, didn't I say that last time?

Snow on the new Wahaneeta bridge and surrounding the
stream.  Absolutely beautiful out there today.

I don't remember seeing this boundary marker before
(Woody Hill Mgmt Area),
but it doesn't look new either.

Finishing up near the Wahaneeta cabin framed in snow,
I had visions of going inside, starting a fire,
and spending the night there.  Wouldn't that be awesome
to spend a winter night in a cabin in the snow covered woods?

Thursday:  4
Six miles over four days.  Really racking up the miles this week!  Drove to Fallon Trail, and ran a 4-mile loop through Woody Hill and Wahaneeta.  Nine degrees!  I dressed warm, and after a mile or so, warmed up nicely.  Wore my Gore-Tex trail shoes, plus Yak-Trax with microspikes.  Probably didn't need the latter.

Frozen quarry hole

Very slow going in the frozen, crusty snow

Another awesome day in the snow-covered woods!
Had very, very few of these this season.
1,200+ acres to myself this morning.

Friday:  7
After work, picked up Matthew from the Mystic train station to start his spring break from UNH.  Went to Mystic Y, where we ran a usual loop on Hewitt/Mistuxet/Cove, and then a run on Vladimir's Loop (Latimer Point).  Average pace 6:42.  After a recovery week with more days off than on, and no road running until today, I was struggling around Mile 2 - 3, but feeling good towards the end of the run.

Beautiful sunset contrast against the snow on Williams Beach,
as we were finishing up.

Saturday:  7
Scone run from The Bakery (recently opened for the season) out to Charlestown Breachway with a couple of side road loops, with Matthew.  Super quiet roads this time of year.

Sunday:  5 run, 4 walk
Key West, Florida.  My first time here ever:

Hike:  John Pennekamp Coral State Park, Key Largo.  Very warm 86 degrees.  Walked on a neat mangrove trail, and would like have like to have gone another short trail hike, but it was just so hot, at least for this New Englander.  (Yesterday we were running over snow, and just 3 days ago I was running in 9-degree weather.)  They had kayak rentals at the state park as well, but in the direct sun I would have warped and wilted.

 Brady and Mark on the "Grove Trail"

Hard to see real clearly,
but this is a small male anole lizard
puffing out his red throat warning me I'm getting into his territory.

Run:  Got to Key West just before 5.  Matthew, Brady, and I went for a run.  Brady and I lasted about 2.5 miles down to "Southernmost Point in Continental US", and then Brady was done and I wasn't far behind him.  I felt really badly when he was panting so hard and just lay down on the sidewalk.  A ran was really kind and gave us his cold nearly full bottle of water, and I gave that to Brady.  He gradually recovered, but I figured it was best to just walk to the hotel (shortest distance 1 mile).  After leaving Brady in the A/C room with Mark and plenty of water, I went out on my home for a couple of slow miles.

Southernmost point in continental USA

Or so it would appear, but there a few questions that call the veracity of this claim into question:

1. Since Key West is an island, is it really part of "continental" US?
2. Ballast Key, a privately owned island just south and west of Key West, is further south.

At any rate, the concrete buoy is iconic and it was fun to see.  I've been to the easternmost point in the continental US (Lubec, Maine), and I've been much further south of Key West while in US territory (Guam).  Point Udall, Guam is the western most point in all of US, although I didn't go to that specific place in Guam.  Northernmost US place overall would be fun to visit, but expensive and logistically difficult (Point Barrow, Alaska).

Evening:  Walked to Duval Street (entertaining and busy nighttime street) and sat outside to eat.  Very comfortable.  Brady just lay down and we got some water for him.  After dinner, walked down Duval Street and people watched, and they were just starting their evening drag shows.  Seriously.

Do they "bury" the dead stacked above ground in Key West
 because A) there is just no land
left on the island, or B) because it's a southern custom?
(I mean zero disrespect, and am truly just curious.)

Outdoor family dinner on Duval Street.
My mahi mahi tacos were awesome!

Crappy photo along fun and busy Duval Street.

Care for an evening nightcap?

Busy day.  Back at the hotel, Brady
crashed in the bed we bought for him when he was in RI
over Christmas.

Weekly mileage:  26 run, 4 walk

Weekly synopsis:  Wildly diverse week.  From 9 degrees to 86 degrees.  Started it off just coming back from Myrtle Beach, recovering from the marathon, and then getting out for some cold runs and snowshoeing in the snow.  Finished up the week in 86 degrees weather 1,600 miles south of home.  I think I recovered quite well from the marathon this time.

Weekly highlight:  The snow run in Woody Hill, with a second place to Key West southernmost run.  Sure, the Key West run was iconic and a neat place, but I was very hot myself and very worried about Brady overheating.  Nobody overheated in Woody Hill at 9 degrees, and it was just peaceful and idyllic for my sylvan snow run.

Weekly lowlight:  None really.  Again, I recovered well from the marathon, got in a good mix of snow trail runs, snowshoed, a couple of good road runs with Matthew, and ran in a brand new area for me at Key West.  A great week!