Weekly Log 3-Oct to 9-Oct: One Week to Go

Monday:  20

To start on a non-running topic, my scare today was my Army stint.  I was drafted (is conscripted the correct word?) and sent out to a base in Alaska, with a 3-year commitment.  Upon arriving, we had a social get-together at a movie theatre on base, and the other soldiers seemed happy and outgoing and I was just glum.  Then again, the other new recruits seemed to be in their 20s, and I'm 58 with a family back home.  I'm also upset about not being able to run in the Detroit Marathon in two weeks and wonder what my running opportunities will be like here in the US Army in Alaska.  All of a sudden, I feel my face being washed.  What?  Oh, it's Brady jumped up on our bed to wake me up.  Whew, that was a bad dream.  I research on the Internet just to make sure it was a bad dream.  Turns out that conscription ends at age 26!  Even during WWII, you couldn't be drafted after age 44.  Yes!  OK, life is good again.  I certainly applaud those who serve their country, and sometimes wonder what would have happened had I gone ahead with the Coast Guard when I was looking into it in my twenties, but not at my current stage of life.  And now we return you back to the the regularly scheduled running programming ...

Remember Stripes from the '80s?
Funny, if not silly, movie.
That's what my bad dream reminds me of.

AM:  Westerly, RI.  16 miles.  This morning I got in my "deferred" long run from yesterday.  This is also my last long run before Detroit, and my only long run in my race day shoes.  All went well!  I woke up to a second consecutive day of overcast and wind, so I'm thinking a good day for trails, but I had to get this one in.  Blustery winds out of the northeast meant sometimes I had a headwind, sometimes a tailwind, and often just buffeting cross-winds.  Stopped in Weekapaug for a drink from the fountain at the beach (glad that's not turned off yet), quick pee break, and tightening of the shoe laces as I was having a bit of a lockdown issue again.  BUT:  no foot pain, no midfoot tightness, and no numb toes.  So success!  Finally, after my Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 failure (not trying to disparage these shoes as they're highly rated and apparently work for many, just not for me).

PM:  Westerly, RI.  4 miles.  Volunteer work with Justin to setup and breakdown the high school XC course for the last time this year.  I felt fine setting up the course, especially in the woods, but while waiting in the field watching the male and female races, I got cold really quickly.  Couldn't wait for the meet to end, and then went to Dunkin for a hot coffee.  At the end of the meet, it was 48°, windy, and raining.

Tuesday:  2 walk, 6 run

AM:  Westerly, RI.  4th straight day of cold and rain.  Small CCC turnout, likely due to weather.  My team of four cleared the racetrack at Grills.  Someone mentioned to me "Didn't we just do that last year?".  Yes, it's a perennial task.  Completely overgrown to the point of being impassable.  I should've taken a before and after picture.  The only before and after pic I have is dropping an awkward large tree flat onto the trail:

One year ago:  giant tree across the trail
near race track, marked for inaugural Grills Trail Race

Today:  I dropped the tree flat onto the trail to make for
easier traverse over.
Two reasons for not completely cutting and removing:
1) we don't have chainsaws big enough to cut through!, and
2) we want to leave this as an impediment to motorcycles and ATVs.

PM:  Charlestown, RI.  Six at Burlingame with Matthew and Brady.  In the rain.  Tired of it.  I'm running out of dry shoes.

Wednesday:  6

Groton, CT.  Bluff Point with Brady.  5th straight day of rain.  The rain actually stopped just before we got to Bluff Point, but everything was wet and bleak.  Ran slow and easy as per the tapering plan.  Some weird new sensation in my left heel, like I've hyper-extended it or something.  Hopefully nothing.

Thursday:  7 run, 4 hike

AM:  Charlestown, RI.  Quonnie, from West Beach DEM boat launch area.  Final workout before Detroit:  3 x mile @ 5K pace, with 1/2 mile recovery jog in between.  I was aiming for about 5:45 pace, and pretty much hit that, which isn't bad given I only looked at my watch once in the middle of each mile.  5:50, 5:45, 5:39.  Level of difficulty was pretty high for me.  I kept trying to talk myself out of this or at least nixing the 3rd mile, but fortunately I stuck to the plan.  With the exception of Dress Rehearsal Day middle of next week, this was my last time in my race shoes pre-marathon.  I would call today's run a success!

AM:  Hopkinton, RI.  WLT group hike in the Hopkinton Grills Preserve.  I used to think that the HLT Grills Preserve was adjacent to Westerly Land Trust's Grills Preserve, but it isn't.  That one (i.e., Chase Hill Road trailhead) is Grills Wildlife Sanctuary, and the one we went to today is Route 91 Bradford trailhead.  Confusing.  At any rate, this was a neat hike and I hadn't been here in a few years.  Much more structured and marked now, and a 1700s homestead foundation has been found and cleared.

Friday:  5

Westerly, RI.  Grills surveillance run, as we plan out and prioritize remaining clean-up tasks prior to Grills Trail Race on October 29.

Saturday:  6

Stonington, CT.  WTAC group of six, including Brady.  Chilly and rainy upon arrival, quickly turning sunny.  Fun trail run and catch up.

Wequetequock Cove, at start of run.

Sunday:  10

Charlestown, RI.  Solo road run from The Bakery Jitters Cafe on Charlestown Beach and Green Hill roads.  My car temperature showed 36°F as I got out.  Wore a quarter-zip and for the first time this season, a light pair of gloves.  Average pace about 7-flat, slightly faster in the back half.  Wore my Rebel 2s.  Felt good.  Final double-digit run until Detroit.

My first visit to Jitters Care, since The Bakery was sold.  Trying to give this a fair shot.  The new owners seemed nice and they do still have scones.  It will just take me some time to get used to.

Weekly mileage:  60 run, 6 walk

Weekly synopsis:  One week to go to Detroit.  I'm feeling pretty good.  Sixty miles doesn't really feel like a taper, but other than my 16-miler on Monday, all my runs this week were relatively short compared to my "normal" running.

Weekly highlight:  Getting in a long run in race shoes that felt good.

Weekly lowlight:  Five straight days of rain.  Glad that's behind us!