Sunday 6/28/15

I tagged along with Vasilis today as he drove over to Lincoln, MA to meet up with John Drago and Dan Biales for a long run. John works at EY with Vasilis, and both John and Dan are Bentley Alumni who now run for New Balance Boston. Since Vasilis is considering joining NBB, it seemed like a good idea to get out for a run in their normal practice area. There are a ton of trails in the Walden Pond State Reservation Area, and we trekked all through those woods. We were crisscrossing all over the place. John and Dan have been practicing there since college, and they seemed to know the trails like the back of their hands. If Vasilis and I were alone, we would probably still be lost out there.

The trails were soaked from the rain last night which had carried over into today and was still coming down. Thankfully, it wasn't pouring anymore, and the precipitation was more of a constant mist during the run. The run was still pretty enjoyable though. I haven't done much trail running since college, and it was nice to change things up. My watch didn't provide accurate pace or distance due to the trees, but the effort was easy and conversational. There were a couple of rolling hills, but no major climbs. Although wet, the run was largely uneventful aside from when Vasilis slipped and did a superman through the mud towards the end (he was fine if a bit dirty). The run actually seemed to pass by quickly, and we were done before I knew it. I'm not sure on the actual distance, but the NBB guys seemed confident that it was 15+ miles which is supported by the overall time of the run which was an hour and 40 minutes.

Saturday 6/27/15 - 4 mile tempo

With no race or track workout planned for this weekend, I decided to put in my first tempo run of the year, and I dragged Vasilis along. We did an easy 2 mile warm up at 6:50 pace then got right into the tempo when we hit the Storrow Drive side of the Charles River Esplanade. The plan was 4 miles at 5:10 pace. I feel like I'm in good enough shape that I need to start focusing on 5:00 pace and lower for this type of workout, but I wanted to prove to myself that I had 5:10 under control after my poor performance at Market Square Day. Since the workout was my idea, I set the pace and came through the first mile just a bit quick at 5:05. I let the pace settle into 5:09 during the second mile and still felt good. During the third mile, I was starting to feel the effort but held the pace without over stretching. Vasilis dropped back a bit at that point, but I was glad for the company in the first half of the workout. Having him looming behind me also kept me honest during the second half of the workout. I would have felt like a jackass if I pushed the pace too hard early on and was then unable to hit the goal pace in the last two miles. Thankfully, my splits were fairly consistent as I came through miles 3 and 4 in 5:12 and 5:09. Mile 4 actually felt really good and gave me a lot of confidence about how my fitness is progressing. The remainder of the run was an easy cool down at 7:00 pace along the Cambridge side of the Charles. 11.25 miles in 71:57.

Friday 6/26/15

Vasilis and I did more easy city running today. We kept the pace a bit more honest today in the 6:30 range, but the effort was still pretty relaxed. We ran passed the Boston Common as we went down Beacon Street then cut over to loop around the Fens before making our way to the Emerald Necklace. There was some traffic to negotiate, but it wasn't too bad. I wouldn't want to do this run every day, but the atmosphere is cool every once in a while. My legs were feeling back to normal today, and I felt great during the run. A couple of easy days definitely paid off. Hoping to get a tempo run in tomorrow. 11.5 miles in 74:09

Thursday 6/25/15

I've found myself a midst a fairly high mileage week with a solid track workout and could definitely use an easy day or two. Vasilis was in a similar situation after a workout on Wednesday, so we headed over to Southie and did a bit of easy city running. The pace ranged from 6:40 to over 7:00 at times when foot traffic or stop lights slowed things down a bit. However, I never felt like the pace was too easy. Towards the end of the run, I was actually sucking wind a bit. I'm really glad we took things slow today. If I had tried to do a run at normal training pace, I think the wheels would have fallen off halfway through. Overall, the run was fun though. It wasn't really a strugglefest or anything. I also haven't spent much time in Southie, so it was cool to run through there and over to Castle Island including a lap on the Head Island Causeway which runs around Pleasure Bay. 10.75 miles in 73:33.

Wednesday 6/24/15

Solo 11 mile loop around the Charles. Legs felt pretty tired to start of the run, and I thought it was going to end up being a tough one. Thankfully, things started to loosen up after about a mile and a half, and the run went really well. I felt great at 6:10 pace and didn't have any issues. I did back off the pace a bit over the last two miles, but it was more about preservation than a feeling of discomfort. 11.5 in 71:03.

Tuesday 6/24/15 - 8 x 800 track workout

After two years of holding back from joining a track club, I decided it was finally time, and I joined the Greater Boston Track Club last week. Tonight was my first scheduled practice with the team, but unfortunately, the weather report wasn't really cooperating. All of the reports I looked at showed 100% chance of thunder storms and 20+ mph winds. So, I wasn't all that surprised when I learned that practice was cancelled. Although none of the coaches were going to the track, a few of the team members were going to give the workout a shot. I took a look outside at 6:00 and decided to head over to the Madison Park track behind the Reggie Lewis Center where GBTC holds their practices. I packed light and planned on running in the rain as long as the lightning held off. I assumed that the distance team did a group warm up, so rather than running to the track, I took the T to Ruggles and walked over.

I was there a bit early, and with the rain was holding off, I was optimistic that we'd be able to get a good workout in. I hung out around the track for a bit and did some stretching until the first members of the middle distance/sprinting group arrived. They let me know that the distance guys usually met in the parking lot before their workout. I jogged over but missed them. Not a big deal. I just did my own 2.5 mile warm up around the track. As I was warming up, I actually got a bit nervous. It has been such a long time since I've done a track workout in a group, and I was worried I was going to embarrass myself by having a bad workout or something. It didn't help that I had eaten to much during the day, and my stomach wasn't feeling great.

The distance guys came back from their warm up shortly after I finished mine. I introduced myself as the new guy, everyone was really nice as we chatted for a bit, then we got right into the workout. There were 7-8 guys doing a 10K workout while a couple others were doing a 4 mile tempo. I opted for the 10K workout which was (800 at 10K pace, 400 jogging rest, 800 at 5K pace, 400 jogging rest) x 4. Eight 800s total with four at 10K pace and four at 5K pace. We all started at the same time, but the group quickly started to separate as a number of the guys are focused on longer distances and were running slower splits. Adam Pacheck and Michael Carlone said there were looking to do splits between 2:20 - 2:30, so I went along with them. My splits below.

800s at 10K pace: 2:30, 2:32, 2:31, 2:27
800s at 5K pace: 2:21, 2:27, 2:27, 2:24

The rain ended up holding off for the entire night. I never felt a drop. The sun was even out at times. Granted, you could see the thunder clouds off in the distance. With no rain, the workout felt hot and muggy. Temps were in the 80s and the humidity was way up there. Surprisingly, I didn't feel like it effected me as much as usual. Adam was splitting most of the repeats 3 - 4 seconds faster than I was, so I just let him dictate the pace while trying to keep the gap consistent. I got a bit aggressive during the first 5k pace 800, but I settled things down and felt really good throughout the workout.

After the workout, I jogged around the track for a mile with the rest of the team before making my way back to the North End. My stomach wasn't feeling great, but I needed to get a few more miles in for my cool down. I figured that I'd jog to Fenway and grab the T from there or something but, I ended up just jogging all the way back to the North End. I didn't really want to get on the T in running clothes while dripping sweat. Thankfully, my stomach, legs and heel held up well, but I did have to take things very slow. I was also cursing myself for not thinking to bring water to practice. I'll definitely have to do that next time. After 4 miles, I was getting pretty dehydrated, so I swung by Alie's for a quick drink before finally making it back to the North End at about 9:15. Overall, great workout and feeling really upbeat. 13.5 miles on the day.

Monday 6/22/15

Standard base building 11 mile loop around the Charles. I'm planning on running a track workout tomorrow, and after two long runs this weekend, I wanted to take today's run a bit easy. Unfortunately, I didn't really commit to the easy run, and I got a bit carried away. I didn't push things too hard at 6:05 pace, but I wasn't really holding back like I should have. It was a beautiful day in the mid 70s which felt warm but not too hot. Legs and heel felt good. My ipod shuffle died today, and I'll have to buy a new one. This seems to happen every 4-6 months because I'm not overly concerned with them getting wet during runs. Thankfully, they are fairly cheap. It's just a matter of actually getting to the store to buy a new one. 11.5 in 69:41.

Sunday 6/21/15

It felt weird not having to worry about doing a track workout or race this weekend. I also wasn't worn out at all from my "long run" yesterday. I'll probably need to up the mileage on those runs to 14-15 miles if things continue to go well. So, I decided to make it a "long weekend". It was pouring when we left OOB, but by the time we got back to Boston, most of the rain had passed. When I did my run later in the afternoon, the weather was actually pretty nice for running. It was a bit warm in the 70s, but the sun wasn't beating down with the overcast skies. The run went really well, and 6:10 felt comfortable. It was a solid effort, but I didn't feel like I was pushing things too much. 13.5 in 83:15.

Saturday 6/20/15

Had a great run this morning along the coast of Old Orchard Beach, Maine. I didn't actually do any beach running though. I just followed the roads that run along the coast. These roads don't follow the coast as closely as places like Falmouth, but the sea breeze was nice after yesterday's hot run. I got out before 8am, and temps were still around 60 which was awesome. It gradually heated up throughout the run, but overall, you couldn't ask for better weather for a Saturday morning long run. The run itself went well as I was able to hold 6:15 pace without much effort. Legs and heel felt good. After the run, I soaked in the ocean for a bit which was cold but felt great on my legs. 13.1 miles in 81:28.

Friday 6/19/15

Definitely a hot one out there today. I got home from work early and set out for my run at 2pm since we would be driving up to Old Orchard Beach, Maine once Alie got out of work. The draw back was that the sun was beating down and temps were around 80. I knew it was going to be a tough run, so I took the pace easy. I was also still recovering from the workout Wednesday night, and a slower run was welcome. By the end of the run, there was nothing easy about it as splitting miles in the mid 6:20s was difficult. Overall, everything was fine though. The heat just got to me. 11.40 miles in 72:12.

Thursday 6/18/2015

Standard solo base builder today. Early in the run, I feared that it might be an uncomfortable one. My legs weren't sore, but they felt as heavy as logs after yesterday's workout. Thankfully, things loosened up after a mile or two, and it wasn't a bad run as I felt steady at 6:15 pace. Towards the end, my lower back tightened up a bit, and I slowed down slightly. It didn't seem like anything major though. 11.25 miles in 70:47.

Wednesday 6/17/15 - 8 x 1000 track workout

Vasilis and I headed over to the Charlestown High School track for a workout today. We met up in the North End and jogged over into Charlestown as our warm up. Vasilis switched into spikes (I was already in my Flyknit Ones), we did a few quick drills, and then we got right into the workout. The plan was to run some fairly quick 1000s. Neither of us have had a training partner during a track workout in a while (it had actually been since college for me), and we were both looking to do some faster paces since we had someone to run with. I hadn't done any work below 5 minute pace yet this year, so I was content with trying to dip a bit below 75 second quarters to shake off the rust. The goal going into the workout was to start off around 5 minute pace (3:07 for 1000) and judge the effort from there. Rest was a 200m jog followed by 30 - 45 second standing rest. So, more or less, it was a full rest. Splits below.

1000s - 3:02, 3:03, 3:07, 3:05, 3:03, 3:05, 3:03, 2:52.

We alternated taking the lead every 400 meters, and the first one was mine. There wasn't much wind, but it was nice having someone else leading half the workout so you didn't have to think about the pace the whole time. I got a bit excited on that first 400 which resulted in the first 1000 being a bit quicker than planned. Trying to compensate, I slowed the pace down in the 3rd repeat, but we sped things back up after that to a comfortable zone of 3:03 - 3:05. It was definitely a solid effort, but I didn't feel like I had to go to the well until the final 1000 when we decided to drop the hammer for a bit of fun. We ran at a normal pace for the first 600m and split 1:48, then went pretty much all out over the last 400m for a final quarter of 64.

We were both feeling the effort as we cooled down around Charlestown at ancient marathoner pace. I was hoping for a slightly longer cool down to make up some miles, but I could only manage 2.5. My stomach was beginning to fight me, and I figured there was no reason to push it just to get in some junk miles. Overall, great workout. It felt good to get on the track with another runner and push the effort a bit. 10.25 miles on the day.

Tuesday 6/16/15

Got out for an 11 miler with Matt today. I'm considering a track workout for tomorrow, so I kind of wanted to take it relatively easy. Unfortunately, it didn't really play out that way. I know Matt likes to roll a bit faster, so I prepped myself for a quicker pace by clicking off 6:05s on the way to the Harvard Bridge to meet him. He was already waiting when I got there, and I was able to just continue on along the Charles as he joined in. I think it was subconscious, but he started picking up the pace as he stayed ever so slightly ahead of me as we ran side by side. I figured the run would end up being somewhere between 6:05-6:10 pace which I was fine with, but we split 5:57 for that first mile. I felt like we were pushing it a bit but kept going. The effort was easy enough that we were able to chat, but it wasn't the usual conversational pace. The next couple of miles went on in that fashion until we came up on a runner who was doing a similar pace. At that point, the pace dropped to 5:45 - 5:50 as we went around him. Matt finally asked if we could back off the pace a bit when we got to the Harvard Boathouse. I laughed and said that I thought he was the one pushing the pace. I suppose that can happen when you don't really discuss what pace you're looking to run. After that, we backed off to 6:10 - 6:15 which felt more comfortable. Matt headed back to BU shortly after we crossed back over the Harvard Bridge, and I ran the last 2 miles solo. Solid run but may have been a bit aggressive. It was hot at 80 degrees and really humid since the forecasted rain never came. I felt good afterward though, and I didn't feel any issues leg, heel, stomach or otherwise as I walked downtown to see Jurassic World. 11.25 miles in 68:36

Monday 6/15/15

Standard 11 miler around the Charles. It was a bit wet outside after the constant rain all day, but by the time I got out for my run, the precipitation was little more than a light mist. The weather was actually fairly pleasant for running. I kept the pace honest at 6:15, but I didn't push things. I also tried out some new trainers today. I can't remember the last time I had this much trouble finding a pair of running shoes that would work for me. I had been using the Nike Lunarglide series exclusively since college, so it was always just a matter of picking up a pair of the most recent version. I've determined that while the pair of Saucony Kinvara 5 are a great shoe, the cushioning is a bit too light given my stride and heel issue. With their light weight, I think they will be good for tempos and such once I've worn our my Nike Flyknit One. However, I had switched back to my Nike Pegasus 31 for every day training until today when I came across a pair of Nike Pegasus 30 on sale. It is basically the same shoe as the 31, but the interesting thing about this pair was that they were the wide version. I tried them on and they felt great. My feet have always felt a bit too wide in Nike trainers, but I typically just bought a half size bigger to compensate. When I put on the wide pair, I immediately noticed more comfort in my heel, so I decided to give them a shot. I used them on the run today, and they felt pretty good. It could be a bit misleading because I am also coming off of a day with no running, but I feel like this could be a big step in aiding my heel. Overall, I felt pretty good today. 11.4 miles in 71:17.

Sunday 6/14/15

Off day. I was feeling a bit burnt out in the week before Market Square Day, and my heel had been getting worse. So, I figured it was a good idea to take a day off from running even though I was feeling pretty good considering that I had raced the day before.

Market Square Day 10K - 6/13/15

Coming into the Market Square Day 10K this year was a bit of an odd sensation. I wasn't confident in my own abilities, but I also knew that I had a good chance to place well. With Jim Johnson out due to a stress fracture and Andrew Huebner still recovering from surgery, I figured my competition today would be Jonny Wilson and possibly any new runners to this race. I assumed that Jonny would be back since he finished second here in 2013 and 2014. I knew that if he did show up, I'd be racing for second place. He doesn't seem to have bad races, and with my current fitness, it wouldn't be a close competition. However, I did have a feeling it would be unlikely that we'd see any new faces in the front pack. The Hollis Fast 5K was on Thursday night, and since it was part of the New England Grand Prix, a lot of New England's top runners were there. I thought it was unlikely that many, if any, would want to double up and run this race as well. (Leslie O'Dell proved me wrong on that point as she pulled off the double and ran well at both races)

Alie and I headed over to Portsmouth at 7:30, but a stop for a car wash left us running a bit late. We got into Portsmouth and were parked by 8:20 which would usually be plenty of time to pick up numbers and get ready. However, we had to park about half a mile away from the bib pick up. By the time we had our numbers and had everything ready to go, it was already 8:45.... didn't leave myself nearly enough time. I was slightly more upbeat at this point though. When we had grabbed our numbers, I checked the registration list and saw that Jonny wasn't racing today. That meant I might actually have a shot at a win today. 

Alie made her way back to the starting line while I tried to salvage a quick warm up. This is the closest I have ever cut a race. I did a mile at 6:45 pace then stopped at the car quickly to change into my racing flats before jogging to the start. I made it to the start line at 8:58 just as they were making the last announcements. I barely had time to tie my shoes before Andy said "30 seconds until the start of the race". No stretching or strides. Not a great pre-race. 

My plan was to try to run a more even race this year. In 2013, the front pack sat back at a painfully slow pace for the first 4 miles before Jonny and I finally started racing over the last two miles. In 2014, I went out ridiculously fast while chasing Andrew and Jonny which resulted in me falling apart over the last 3 miles. I was hoping that I might be able to hold a more consistent pace this year, and even though I am no where near as fit as the previous 2 years, I thought I may be able to pull out a similar time, hopefully 32:00 - 32:30. So, my goal was to run the first mile in 5:10,  see how things developed, and try to maintain 5:10 - 5:15.  

I got a good start and fell into 5:10 pace easily. No one tried to pull away which was a good sign, but I was a bit surprised by the crowd around me. I wasn't familiar with one of the runners (turned out to be Jason Dedonato), and it looked like he meant business. The female leader was also going stride for stride with me. I assumed she would fall back after an initial sprint, but she was still right next to me about half a mile into the race when Derrick Hamel joined the group our little group that Jason was leading. I greeted Derrick which sparked up a bit of a conversation. The female leader asked want times people were shooting for. I replied and asked what she was looking to run. When she replied "I'd like to be under 34", I knew it had to be Erica Jesseman which she laughed at and confirmed. Honestly, in that first mile, I thought I might be running with her the whole way. She made it look pretty easy out there despite the heat. 

A minute or two later, we ran by Andy Schachat, and I believe he said "Eric you got this". But with an Eric, an Erica, and a Derrick in the group, it was difficult to tell which one of us he was actually talking about. We joked about it for a second then ended the conversation and got into some racing. Just before the mile, I noticed the pace was fading to 5:15, so I took over the lead and started to spread things out. Hit the first mile mark right at 5:10. 

Lead pack just before the 1 mile mark. Thanks to my sister Jen for the photos

Shortly after the first mile mark, Derrick pulled up along side me with Jason and Erica a few seconds behind us. That was when I started to really notice how hot and humid it was. The temperature was only in the mid 70s, but the sun was beating down with no cloud cover. On my jog to the start line, I noticed that I felt a bit dehydrated, but there wasn't much I could do about it at that point. By the time we hit the first water stop, I realized I would need to grab some water at a couple of these stops which I can't remember ever doing in a 5K or 10K. I didn't go for that first one because Derrick was in between myself and the volunteers, but I knew I'd be in trouble if I didn't grab something from the next one. We split 5:15 for the second mile, and Derrick took over the lead. He was holding 5:15 pace, so I tucked in behind him.

For the next half a mile, I drifted between being just off his shoulder to being a stride or two back. I made sure not to let the gap grow though. Derrick made a similar move in the Redhook Brewery 5K before falling back, and I was hoping today would be the same. However, a shadow of a doubt did cross my mind. After beating him in the Children's Museum 5K and Redhook Brewery 5K, I thought I had the mental edge on him, and I hadn't been all that focused on racing him coming into Market Square Day. He was putting up a good fight though. About 2 and half miles into the race, we came up on a small hill, and I was able to retake the lead without too much extra effort. I focused on trying to create some separation, and by the time I crested the hill, I couldn't hear foot steps anymore. I knew he was still looming though.

As I came down a hill just before the 3rd mile mark, I chanced a glance back as I made my way around a turn. In the early going, I had been going up the small rolling hills that cover this course a bit faster than Derrick was, but he had consistently taken the downhills faster than I had. After looking back and seeing I still had a 30 meter lead after the biggest downhill on the course, I started to gain some confidence. However, that isn't to say I felt great. The heat was getting to me, and the pace had slowed as I split 5:25 for the 3rd mile. Thankfully, there was a water stop right around mile three, and I grabbed a cup to splash over myself.

At that point, I started to reconsider my strategy slightly. A decent time began to feel less and less likely, and it seemed like it may be smart to start worrying more about the win. Derrick was slill hanging tight 30 meters back, but I thought I could hold on to first place if I was able to keep my pace consistent throughout the rest of the way. I wanted to avoid falling apart and make sure I had a bit left in case Derrick made a late move. So, for the forth mile, I focused I holding 5:25 pace and trying to stay relaxed. I split the forth mile in 5:26 and grabbed more water. I drank half and poured the rest over myself. I'm actually not used to drinking while running, and I didn't feel great for a minute or two afterwards. It wasn't a major issue though and passed quickly. For the last two miles, I put all my effort into holding a steady pace, and I felt like I probably didn't have much left in the tank beyond 5:25 pace. 

Derrick seemed to be stalking me for the entire race. It wasn't until the last mile that the gap started to grow to a comfortable distance. When I hit the 6 mile mark, I finally let myself believe that I had secured the win as I started my kick up the last hill towards Strawberry Banke. 

Credit to Ryan O'Leary of Seacoast Online for this photo. He did a great write up on the race here

Interview over the microphone with Andy Schachat after the race. I always feel a bit awkward during these. 

After my interview with Andy, I headed back out on the course to find Alie who was running her first 10K. I found her with about a mile to go and ran with her until the 6 mile mark. She was a bit mad at me because I told her the course was flat when it does indeed have some rollers. She still ended up crushing it though despite having a severely swollen right foot coming into the race!

My good luck charms cheering the runners on. 

Results below. Full results here

Friday 6/12/15

Off Day. I considered running an easy 7 in the morning before work, but my legs felt stiff. Since I didn't want to run the night before the race, I decided to take a full day off before Market Square Day.

Thursday 6/11/15 - JP Morgan Corporate Challenge

The 2015 Boston edition of the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge was today, and while I wasn't running in it, I did head over to the Boston Common to watch the race. When registration came around in mid-April, I decided not to run because the race date is too close to this year's Market Square Day 10K which is higher in the priority list for me because it is part of the Seacoast Road Race Series. 

Instead of running, I opted to help organize US Bank's team this year. In 2014, I organized the event as well, but that primarily consisted of me signing up US Bank, registering myself, and letting a co-worker know that he could sign up as well. When registration closed in 2014, we only had 2 members on the US Bank team. JPM later called me and gave us an additional 2 spots because a team requires 4 members haha. This year, I actually worked with our Development Network to drum up some interest in the race. It also helped that US Bank was willing to pay the $50 registration fee up front this year. 

In the hour that the 2015 registration was open, we were able to get 9 members signed up for the US Bank team which meant that we would have two full teams for scoring. It's a far cry from the massive teams that companies like Fidelity are able to put together, but I was happy with our increased participation. 

After work, the team hung out in a conference room and "strategized". Most of the team members aren't serious runners, so we really just sat around talking and enjoyed some yogurt, granola bars, bananas etc. I did go over some tips for the start though. Last year, the other members of the team started too far back because they were worried they would get in the way of other runners. However, with 9,000 people in today's race, starting anywhere in the second half of the massive crowd results in very slow going for anyone looking to run 7:00 - 8:30 pace. 

At 6:30, we started to make our way over to the Boston Common for the 7:15 start. We got to the park just in time to hear the announcer say that my time from last year was the time to beat, and my group did a fair bit of whooping and cheering. At 6:50, I parted ways with the team as they headed towards the starting gates while Alie and I headed over to Comm Ave for a good spectating position. We stayed fairly close to the Boston Public Garden so we would be able to see the runners go passed half a mile into the race and with half a mile to go on the out and back course. In addition to supporting the US Bank team, I was also cheering on Vasilis who would be in the running for the overall win. 

A half mile into the race, there was still a big pack up front, but Vasilis was leading the charge. 

When they came back down the other side of Comm Ave with half a mile to go, you could tell the heat was doing some damage on the runners. There wasn't quite a pack anymore as they were strung out, but the top five were still fairly close together in a single file line with 2 - 3 second gaps. Matthew Hillard looked solid as he went by me though, and based on the results, he must have put in a decent kick over the last half mile for a convincing win. Returning from last year and finishing in the top ten this year were Jason Ayr, Jordan Donnelly, Joe Mcgovern, Ryan Carrara, and Timothy Catoggio. Finishing well in this race two years in a row is no small feat. Vasilis had a tough race and ended up in 11th. He described it as "brutal" haha but seemed to be in good spirits. 

On the women's side, Sara Donahue took the win for the third straight year. She was cruising when she ran by me with half a mile to go, and she actually over took Taryn for the lead just as they both went by me. Taryn managed a "great job" for the passing Sara, but it looked like the heat was getting to her. 

Results below. Full results here. 

Men

Women

For my own run, I got out for a late 7 miler. Darkness had fallen and the bugs were out, but at least the heat had died down a bit. Kept the pace nice and relaxed as I try to get my legs and heel ready for Market Square Day on Saturday morning. 7 miles in 46:27.

Wednesday 6/10/15

Got out for an easy 10 mile loop around the Charles today after work. I really tried to hold back on the pace, and I was able to keep it to 6:25 pace. My legs and heel never felt great though. 10 miles in 64:16.

Tuesday 6/9/15

Another standard base builder, but today's run was far more enjoyable than yesterday's since I had some company along the way in the form of Vasilis and Matt. I met up with Vasilis in the North End, and we headed over to the Charles then Harvard Bridge to meet  Matt. We kept the pace easy and conversational since Vasilis will be racing the JPMCC on Thursday night. Matt headed back to BU when we crossed back over Mass Ave, and Vasilis and I finished up the run as Vasilis showed me a 'secret' path back to the North End. Okay, it's not really a secret, but I've lived in the North End for 5 years and had no idea it was there. It also allows you to completely bypass running in front of North Station which is a huge plus. The foot traffic over there can get really annoying even if there isn't a game going on. 11 miles in 71:52.

Monday 6/8/15

Standard base builder today. Very forgettable run. I got a late start, my stomach wasn't feeling great, and my heel has been acting up a bit (looking into some possible changes to help improve things there). The pace was slow, but it still felt like normal effort since I wasn't feeling so hot. 20 mph winds on the Charles didn't help. I finished up without any major issues though. I'm really looking forward to the end of the week when I can start ramping down the mileage in preparation for Market Square Day on Saturday. I think a few easy/off days may be in order after that. 11 miles in 70:53.

Sunday 6/7/15

Got out for a nice long run today. At 6:0X, the pace was a bit hotter than it needed to be, but thoughts of yesterday's poor workout were still in my head. The weather was perfect as I followed the familiar 11 mile loop out to the Harvard Boathouse and added on a few extra miles down to Charles River Canoe and Kayak. Overall, it was a pretty good run, but concerns about my heel and yesterday's workout are clouding my mood slightly. 13.1 miles in 79:39.

Saturday 6/6/15 - 6 x 1200m

Not an encouraging workout today. I was back in Rochester, so I headed over the Spaulding High School track in the morning. After a 3 mi warm up through the Pines and the surrounding neighborhood at 6:40 pace, I put on my Nike Flyknit Lunar 1+ and got right on the track. My plan was to run a similar workout to the 4 x 1600m 10K workout that I ran last week. However, today's goal was 6 x 1200m at 5:05 pace with 600m rest at 6:00 pace. Since last weeks workout had gone so well in the rain, I thought today would be just as easy with the weather actually cooperating. Unfortunately, things didn't pan out that way. Splits below. I switched the final 600m rest with a 400m rest so that the workout would be exactly 10K.

1200,600,1200,600,1200,600,1200,600,1200,400,1200

1200s: 3:47, 3:51, 3:57, 4:05, 4:09, 4:08
600s: 2:09, 2:18, 2:26, 2:28
400: 1:39
Total for 10K: 34:57

The workout started off well enough as I was able to hit the splits for the first 1200 and rest. The effort felt a bit fast, but I didn't foresee any problems. By the second 1200, I knew that I would need to slow the pace. I had increased the pace from last week's workout (5:10 to 5:05), and during that second 1200, it became clear that I wouldn't be able to hold it. Not a major issue. I backed off to 5:10 which felt hard but not overly so. By the third 1200, I felt like the whole workout had gone out the window. After that, I struggled with the idea of just finishing, and my pace during the rest of the workout dropped dramatically.

I just didn't have it today. My legs felt sluggish and refused to hold the speed. I suppose that is the difference between coming off a day with no running, like I did last week, and coming off an 11+ miler only 12 hours before. I'm really trying to move on from this workout and not think about it, but it did shake my confidence a bit. If you had asked me after last week's workout, I would have said 32 flat wasn't out of the question for the Market Square Day 10K next weekend. After today's workout, I fear that breaking 33:00 could be difficult.

Finished up with a 3 mile cool down at ancient marathoner pace for 12.2 miles on the day.

Friday 6/5/15

Yesterday was the first time in 4 years that I've run with someone on a training run (a college runner visiting BU came up behind me at a traffic light and asked if I wanted to run together). Imagine my surprise this morning when I saw that I had a message on my blog about another runner in the North End looking for a training partner. Vasilis Kariolis, a 3 time winner of the Buffalo, NY edition of the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge, moved to the North End of Boston this spring and came across my blog post about last year's JPMCC in Boston as he was preparing to run the 2015 JPMCC in Boston next week. He decided to shoot me a message about running together, and before my run today, I replied back that I could always use some company on runs. If there are any other runners in the area looking for a training partner, definitely send me a message.

I headed out on the standard 11 mile loop around the Charles, and as I was heading passed North Station, I saw a runner who looked vaguely like the pictures I had seen of Vasilis when trying to figure out how to reply back to him. I thought there was no way things were going to work out that perfectly, but as I caught up, I became more sure. It turned out to be him, and we ended up running together. The pace was relaxed, and we chatted as we looped around the Charles. He was looking to finish his run by Coolidge Corner, and I decided to tag along for some city running. It's odd because while I live in the North End of Boston, I don't consider my runs true 'city runs' since I spend 80% of the run on the paths along the Charles River. I actually don't think I have run through the city during the last five years expect for the JPMCC last year.

After about 9 miles, I turned around and headed back. I decided to stick with the city run though and made my up Comm Ave to the Boston Common then on to the North End. While I wouldn't want to do this for every run, the change of scenery was nice. I need to branch out a bit more. 11.75 miles in 74:55.

I also tried out some new training shoes today! I feel like the Nike Pegasus 31 are a great shoe, but with my existing heel issue, they just aren't what I was looking for right now. I also had to resign myself to the fact that the Lunarglide series is a no go for me. I tried on a pair of the 6's and the 5's (which I've had multiple pairs of), and the arch just doesn't feel right anymore. I've been looking at a bunch of shoes over the last few weeks and ended up picking up a pair of Saucony Kinvara 5 today. I'm a bit concerned with how light they are, but the cushioning is great. We'll see how things go. They felt great during today's run.

Thursday 6/4/15

Got out for an easy 11 mile loop around the Charles today. Perfect running weather in the mid 60s and sunny. I'm hoping to run a track workout tomorrow or Saturday, so I didn't want to push the run today. I kept my heart rate in the low 140s, and I felt relaxed even though the pace was 6:0X. With about 5 miles left in my run, a runner came up behind me while I was stopped at a traffic light and asked if he could run with me. I agreed, and we ran together for about 3 miles. Turns out Matt is a runner for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (D3 College in California), and he is visiting BU this summer to study. We exchanged info, and I'm looking forward to some company on my runs for a change. 11 miles in 67:04

Wednesday 6/3/15

I had plans at 7pm tonight which didn't really give me time for a full run after work, and since I didn't want to get out for a full run before work, I ran my first double session of the year. As today is also National Running Day, it felt like a good day for it.

AM: I was up for an hour before this run. so it didn't feel quite like the typical morning run slog. I was still a bit stiff though. It didn't really matter because the plan was for a nice easy run. 10k loop around the Charles. This was the first loop I ran after moving into the North End of Boston, and just about every run I did between 2011 -2013 incorporated this loop. While I still run on similar parts of the Charles, I got a bit nostalgic about running the Mass Ave bridge and seeing the familiar smoot measurements. If you aren't familiar with what a smoot is, the lore behind it is pretty funny.
6.2 miles in 38:15.

PM: After work, I got in another run on the same 10k loop that I ran this morning. However, I added in some pick ups after mile three. I didn't really hold back at all in the first three miles as I split 5:55s, so my heart was already north of 150 going into the 30 seconds pick ups. The pick ups went surprisingly well though. I felt comfortable and was able to put in a solid effort. I ran out of real estate on the Charles after 10 pick ups and decided to end it there because I didn't want to start sprinting through the city. Splits for those two miles were 5:30 and 5:28. 6.2 miles in 35:56

Tuesday 6/2/15

Got after it today. The rain finally let up in Boston, but the cold snap decided to stick around. This resulted in a overcast day in the low 50s. Perfect weather for a fast run. I started off the run in what felt like normal pace, and I was surprised to see sub 6:00 for the first 4 miles. I felt relaxed, and my heart rate was below 150. So, I kept rolling at 6:00 pace. The effort was oddly easy until mile 8 when I came into the headwind on the Storrow Drive side of the Charles River. I thought I'd fall off the pace at that point which I did do for miles 8 and 9, but I was able to reel it back in for miles 10 and 11 by picking up the effort slightly. Finished with a 5:49 to cap off my first sub 6 minute training run this year. In previous years, almost every run I did was at 5:40 - 5:50 pace, and while I want to back away from that this year, it is nice to get one in every once in a while. 11 miles in 65:46.

Monday 6/1/15

Long slow day. Cold and rainy run today. By the time I was ready for my run at 6pm, the rain was light but steady, and the temperature was right around 50 degrees. For most of the run, this was actually fairly pleasant, or at least, it was better than some of the hot days we've had recently. The run went surprisingly smooth considering the workout yesterday, and I didn't have any issues keeping things relaxed at 6:25 pace. My only small issue was when the headwind hit me in the last 5 miles. After a few miles, my legs started to get cold and feel tight due to the wind and rain. It wasn't a major problem though. Thankfully, I didn't have any stomach issues which made me very happy. 13.1 in 84:09.

Monthly Recap: May 2015

Days Run - 27 out of 31
Total Miles Run - 284.8
Average Run Length - 10.55 miles
Average Mile Pace (excluding workouts, tempos, pick ups and races) - 6:14
Track Workouts - 3
Runs with Pick Ups - 3
Tempo Runs - 0
Races - 2
Wins - 0 (two 2nd places)
Most Common Run - 10.5 mile Charles River Loop (7 times)



Mile Pace Chart for May (excluding workouts, tempos, pick ups and races):

This ended up being a much better training month than I anticipated. I was not expecting to run on 27 out of 31 days or that the average run length would be 10.5 miles. My training pace remained about the same from April, but considering that my number of runs and run length are way up month over month, increasing pace would not have been a good idea. I was also able to get in three track workouts and two races which is right in the 4-5 range of high intensity runs that I look for. As far as results, I made a huge improvement on my 5K performance this month. So, while I still have some issues to monitor while I try to progress my training, I am considering this month a success.

Sunday 5/31/15 - 4 x 1600m

Very interesting day for a track workout as it was 60 degrees with the occasional ABSOLUTE DOWNPOUR. When I started my warm up at 3:30, the rain was really coming down hard, and there were flash flood warnings all around Boston. As I jogged over to the Charlestown track, I was livid with myself for messing things up on Friday and not being able to run on Saturday when it was bright and sunny. I was certain that this workout was destined to be awful, and my ipod dying after 2 miles didn't help matters. I got to the track and found about an inch of water covering turn 2.. at least I had the track to myself? I tossed my keys and ipod under the bleachers, did some strides, and got right into the workout.

I was up in the air about what to do for a workout this week. With Market Square Day 10K only 2 weeks away, I wanted to add some volume to this workout, so I opted for a 10K variation of my previous 5K workouts. I was also unsure if I should go with 1200s or 1600s at 5:00 or 5:10. I decided on 1600s because 1200s felt like the easy option, and for pace, I went with 5:10 as it is my current goal pace for 10K.

The rain let up a bit after the first 1600, and the workout went surprisingly well. I felt comfortable at 5:10, and the 800 meter rest at 6:00 pace actually felt like a rest. Splits below. I added a 400 at the end to make the workout a full 10K.

1600,800,1600,800,1600,800,1600,800,400

1600s: 5:10, 5:08, 5:10, 5:08
800s: 2:58, 2;54, 2:57, 2:57
400: 70
Total for 10K: 33:31

Overall, I felt really good about this workout. My only issue was whether or not it was too easy. I felt relaxed and in control for the 1600s, but in retrospect, the 800 meter rest seemed like it may have been too long. 600 meters may have been a better option. I decided to go with 800 meters because 400 meters at 6:00 pace had been very difficult during the 4 x 800 meter workout that I did 2 weeks ago. Surprisingly, I think the conditions were actually a factor in making the workout easier today. Although 60 degrees and raining isn't pleasant, it is probably more suitable for a workout than 80 degrees with the sun beating down. 11.5 miles on the day.

Saturday 5/30/15

Off Day. I had to delay the track workout I had planned for today due to the stomach issues that I had yesterday. I felt fine when I woke up this morning, but I knew I would pay for it if I tried to run hard today. I needed an off day anyway.

Friday 5/29/15

I had been considering an easy day, and by the end of my run, I was cursing myself for not taking it. My current goal mileage for any given week is about 70 miles. Coming into today, I had 65.2 miles on 6 runs, so I could have gotten by with an easy 6-8 miler. After feeling like my legs were a bit burnt out yesterday, it could have been an excellent chance to recover a bit before the track workout I had planned for Saturday. In my infinite wisdom, I decided to run the full 11 miles. In fairness, I couldn't know just how poorly that would work out for me, but I should have been able to tell that I would be paying for it in some way.

Everything went fine for the first 7 miles or so. I took things really easy at about 6:30 pace and felt relaxed. Most unfortunately, my stomach started to revolt in mile 8. It wasn't bad enough to force me to stop, so I pushed on and ground out the last few miles at ancient marathoner pace. I spent the rest of the night in a lot of discomfort and, more or less, unable to move around. I had a similar stomach issue back in 2014 which isn't anything serious, but it doesn't ruin your night. 11 miles in 74:24.

Thursday 5/28/15

11 mile loop around the Charles again today. The last three days, I've been adding half a mile to my 10.5 mile loop by continuing down one bridge further which brings me to the Harvard boathouse. Now that construction is more or less done on the side of the bridge that I need to run on, I will probably start making this my standard loop.

Unlike the previous days, I threw in some pick ups after 6 miles. I took the first 6 miles a bit easy at 6:20 pace while trying to keep my heart rate below 150. After that, the plan was to get right into 30 seconds on/ 30 seconds off. With my track workouts focused on slower race pace stuff, I wanted to use this as a chance and work on my top speed. Need to get my kick back. Unfortunately, just before starting the pick ups, I realized that my Forerunner 620 isn't currently displaying overall time. I've got it set to Overall Distance, Heart Rate, and Pace. This meant I wouldn't be able to accurately track any pick ups based on time. My first thought was to run them based on feel, but I wasn't confident in my guestimation skills. Instead, I settled for quarter mile on / quarter mile off at goal race pace. 5:00 on / 6:00 off. The first 3 felt alright, but I started to fall off the pace a bit for the last two. Splits during the pick ups were 5:35 and 5:41.

I knew I was going a bit slow through the pick ups, but I still didn't really felt comfortable. I wasn't actually disappointed with the effort until I compared this run to a similar run I did 3 weeks ago. During a previous set of pick ups, I had run 4 x 2 min on/1 min off, and I had reported feeling better even though the on time was longer and the rest was shorter. However, it is important to remember that I was coming off a day with no running for that previous run. So, it may be an issue with the freshness of my legs. I've been able to beef up my training substantially since April and early May. It might be time for an off day soon.

80 degrees / threatening to rain but didn't / mild wind