Monday 7/28/15

Standard 11 mile loop today. Felt really good for the day after a race. Stayed relaxed during the run and didn't push things, but still ended up running 6:0X pace which felt fairly easy. Hoping that my hamstring is good enough to do a track workout tomorrow at GBTC practice. 69:54 for 11.5.

York Days 5K - Sunday 7/26/15

Today was the 4th stop of the Seacoast Road Race Series, so we made our way to York, Maine bright and early this morning. When I rolled out of bed at 5 am, I was cursing the 8 am start time, but once we got on the road, it felt like a blessing. That early in the morning, temps were in the low 60s, and with the cloud cover and light rain that was falling, it only got up to about 65 degrees by race time. I was pumped for the great racing conditions. Although I wasn't feeling super confident coming into the race after taking 4 of the last 6 days off due to a sore hamstring, my leg was feeling pretty good when I got up this morning, and I wanted to take advantage of the good running weather.

Coming into the race, I wasn't sure what to expect from myself. My last 5K was back in May when I ran a 16:04 at Redhook. I was confident that I'd be well below that mark, but I didn't have much else to go on. Based on my training, I thought that I'd be happy with 15:30. Competition was also a question. I assumed Derrick Hamel would be there to continue chasing points for the overall race series, but with Jim Johnson out due to injury,  I didn't really know who my competition would be for this race. You just never know who is going to show up to these seacoast races. I'm glad I forgot to check last year's results, or I may have psyched myself out when I saw that Nate Jenkins won the race in 2014.

When we got to York High School, I grabbed my bid and did a 2 mile warm up on the course. The course is the same as when I ran here back in 2013, but it felt good to re-familiarize myself. Despite some small rolling hills, the course is actually really fast. The uphills are semi-steep but short while the downhills are very gradual which allows you to take full advantage. After the warm up, I stretched, switched into my racing flats, did a few drills, and headed to the start line. As soon as I got to the start line, I saw Nate Jenkins and immediately thought "looks like I'm racing for second place". The idea of just trying to maintain my lead in the overall seacoast series started to creep into my head, but I tried to push that thought away and focus on running a decent race. I brightened up a bit I reminded myself that the weather was perfect, and I would have someone to chase. Maybe there was a shot at running a good time.

There were a bunch of young kids on the start line, and I had a bit of trouble trying to find a spot. I was able to squeeze in, and after the singing of the national anthem by men's ensemble - The Bow Tie Guys, we were off

100 meters or so after the start

A couple of younger kids jumped out for the early lead

Thanks to Alie and my Mom for all the great pics!

Stride for stride with Nate Jenkins... no big deal

After about 200 meters or so, Nate and I overtook the younger kids who started off with a sprint, and we ran side by side for the first mile. About half a mile into the race, I asked Nate what time he was looking to run today, and he replied with "I'll be as happy as a pig in shit if I run 15:30 today" which gave me a good laugh. 5:01 mile split (according to Garmin) for the first mile which is mostly flat with a bit of up hill in the second half. The biggest "hill" on the course comes about half way through the race. It is only about 100 meters long, but it gains most of the elevation for the course. From the top of the hill on, the course is a nice gradual downhill. I gained a step or two on Nate going up the hill and briefly tested the waters of picking up the pace. I didn't really think I was going to drop him, but I thought it was worth a shot since I was feeling good. He tucked in behind me until the 2 mile mark when he retook the lead. Split for the second mile was 4:54. Just after the 2 mile mark, Nate started picking up the pace. Since age is on my side, I wasn't all that surprised that he would try to drop me with a mile to go. I tucked in behind him and tried to focus on maintaining contact. As we turned onto the road that runs along York Beach, I was struggling to stay with him, and he could tell. He put in a few bursts of speed which gave him a couple yards on me, but I was able to pull it back together. I retook the lead with 500 meters to go and started my kick with 400 meters to go. When I finally chanced a glance back, I realized that I had created a bit of separation, but I kept getting the feeling that he was going to come back on me. 

Final stretch. About 50 meters left.

First race in the Greater Boston jersey!

Thanks again to Alie and my mom for all the great pics!

With 5 meters to go, I was still worried that Nate was going to pull up next to me haha. 

Finished off in 15:10 for the overall win. Final mile split was 4:46 which meant we negative split each mile. I'm really happy with the time. It was 20 seconds faster than I was expecting and 3 seconds faster than I ran here back in 2013 under similar conditions. Granted, I didn't have Nate Jenkins pushing me that year. It would be a 2 second road PR for me, but I am hesitate to consider it one because the course isn't certified. My watch had the race at just a touch over 3.1, but you never know. 

Shout out to Leslie O'Dell for her overall win on the women's side. It seems like she is the female winner in every race that I run : ) 

Full Results can be found here, and Dan Doyon did a write up for Seacoast Online which can be found here. 

Unfortunately, Alie's quest to run the Seacoast Series ended today. She's been in a walking cast for the last few weeks because the swelling in her foot wasn't going down. It's getting better, but it was too soon for her to race. As a result, she was on picture duty today. While she did a great job, I came back to find a bunch of pictures like the below on my phone as well haha. No idea what she was doing while I was running. Apparently, she was a bit bored. 

Catching Up

Finally caught up on my last 2 weeks or so of blog posts. It was a busy month at work, and I never got around to updating everything after some off days from running. Recap: one really good long run, a couple of standard base builders, one hill/trail run up in North Conway, four off days with no running, and two 6 milers to get back into the swing of things after the off days. Race report from York Days coming.

Saturday 7/25/15

Off Day. A bit of an unplanned off day. I was up in the air about whether or not I wanted to get in another easy 6 miler again today. I had to head back to NH for my best friend's Jack and Jill wedding shower, so my only chance to run would have been first thing in the morning. My hamstring was a bit tight when I got out bed, and I opted for a rest day going into York Days tomorrow.

Friday 7/24/15

Got out for another easy 6 miler. Hamstring felt pretty good again today. No reason to push things with the York Days 5K in 2 days though. 40:28 for 6.5 miles.

Thursday 7/23/15

Took things very easy today. I'm starting to worry a bit about whether or not I'll be ready to race on Sunday, but I'm much more concerned about staying healthy. This seems to be the point in my training when I push too hard and end up with an injury that prevents me from training all together. My hamstring was feeling really good today though, so I decided to get out for an easy 6 miler. Things felt a bit tight in the beginning, but overall, it went pretty well. 43:15 for 6.75 miles.

Wednesday 7/22/15

Another Off Day. Feels like the hamstring/pelvis is getting better though.

Tuesday 7/21/15

Another Off Day. Still waiting to see how things progress with my hamstring/pelvis. Trying to do some thing differently at work and at home to help correct the issue. I'm seeing some improvement. Surprisingly, these offs days are going over pretty well. Usually, I can't think about anything up running at a time like this, but it hasn't been bothering my all that much. I probably needed some time off anyway. I've been in my build up since about mid March after all.

Monday 7/20/15

Off Day. My right hamstring has been bothering me for the last couple of days, and it really started to get bad after my run yesterday. So, I decided to take a few days off. The feeling in my hamstring and pelvis seems very similar to an issue I had back in August of 2013 which cost me about a month of training, and I definitely want to avoid that.

Sunday 7/19/15

Standard 11 mile loop around the Charles. Fairly slow pace. Not feeling all that great. Right hamstring was a bit sore. 71:55 for 11.5 miles.

Saturday 7/18/15

I went up to North Conway, NH this weekend to celebrate my sister's birthday, and I was able to get out for a run in the middle of the day on Saturday while her kids took a nap. I kept the pace pretty easy, but the hills in North Conway/Bartlett can be fairly challenging for someone like me who is used to running along the Charles River which is completely flat. We were staying at a condo in a very hilly section of Bartlett NH, and my 8 mile run had over 1,000 feet of elevation. I decided to embrace it by running over to Diana's Bath and doing 2+ miles on the trail up and passed the small waterfalls there. The trail was pretty easy to run as far as hiking trails go, but it was still really fun. 52:59 for 8.25 miles.

Friday 7/17/15

Standard 11 mile loop around the Charles. Took things a bit easier today after the long run yesterday. 71:43 for 11.5.

Thursday 7/16/15

Got out for a solid long run today. After not being able to get a long run in last weekend, I really wanted to get one in mid-week since I won't be able to this weekend either. Thankfully, things worked out. Weather was perfect for running today in the mid 60s, and I ended up absolutely cruising with what felt like no effort at all. I started off easy for the first two miles which still ended up being 6 flat pace. From there on, I either hit just about the same split as the previous mile or I negative split. It was just one of those days when everything seemed to be clicking. By the last 5 miles, I was knocking out 5:45s without really pushing. Really happy about today's run. 1:29:29 for 15.25 miles.

Wednesday 7/15/15

Standard 11 mile run around the Charles. Kept things pretty relaxed and was still able to maintain 6:10-6:15 without any issues. 70:50 for 11.5 miles.

Tuesday 7/14/15 - 5x1K, 2x800, 4x200 Track Workout

After work, I took the T over to the Madison Park track behind the Reggie Lewis Center for practice with the GBTC. Everyone met in the parking lot, and we chatted for a bit before heading out for a 3.75 mi warm up at 7:10 pace which included a quick pit stop at the Reggie Lewis Center. Once we got back to the track, I did a few drills and joined up with a group doing the 10K workout which was 5 x 1K with 400m jogging rest, 2 x 800 with 200m jogging rest, then 4 x 200m with 200m jogging rest. Splits below.

1,000s: 2:59, 2:59, 3:01, 3:02, 3:02
800s: 2:26, 2:26
200s: 32, 32, 32, 32

After a couple of down days and coming into the workout feeling a bit off, I was pleased with the outcome. I was able to put in a solid effort and hit the splits I should be hitting right now. As far as splits go, the 1Ks and 800s weren't quite what was in the original workout plan, but after the first two 1Ks, they were part of my "adjusted workout" plan haha. There was another guy doing 1Ks to start his workout before switching to 600s to sharpen up as he gets ready for a race, so I decided to run my 1Ks with him. Unfortunately, he was looking to split 72 second quarters in those 1Ks which is faster than I should have been looking to do them, but if I didn't run with him, I'd be suck in no mans land. So, I decided to just go for it. We split 2:59s for the two 1Ks which weren't too bad. The small problem was that when he switched to 600s, I was left to finish up the last three 1Ks by myself. I backed off slightly for those so that I would actually be able to finish the workout, but I tried to keep them pretty close to 3:00.

The 1Ks took a lot out of me, and I knew I wouldn't have the strength left to pick up the pace in the 800s as originally planned for this workout. Instead, I decided to try and hold the 1K pace I had been putting in. Not a great substitute, but I was able to do it. Once I got into the 200s, I started catch my second wind, and I felt pretty good for the remainder of the workout.

After the workout, I joined a few other members of the team for a mile+ cool down on the track before I made my way back to my apartment at ancient marathoner pace. 15 miles on the day. 

Monday 7/13/15

Off Day. Not really planned, but it also wasn't due to a specific injury or issue. Just the overall feeling that an off day was required. The work I did on my apartment over the weekend took a lot out of me, and my legs could use the rest to get ready for the workout tomorrow.

Sunday 7/12/15

Spent another day overhauling the apartment. Today was the downstairs hallway. It was easier than the bathroom yesterday, but the project still look a long time. By the end of the day, my heel wasn't feeling so hot, and my legs were beat too. My plan of a 16 mile run was out the window, but I headed out anyway to see how much I could get in. It was apparent earlier on that I would need to cut the run short. Alternating between standing up and crouching down all day made my heel pretty sore and sucked the energy out of my legs. I probably could have pushed through an 8-10 miler, but I opted to call the run after a slow 10K. Not a great day, but not the end of the world either. 10K in 40:34. On the upside, the downstairs of our apartment is looking pretty good.

Saturday 7/11/15

I spent the day doing a complete overhaul on the bathroom in my apartment. It took quite a while, but it's starting to look pretty good. As a result, I was a bit tired for my run tonight. I got a late start which was probably a good thing since it was so hot, but it was still over 85 degrees at 7pm when I did my run. No major issues, but the run was a bit slower than normal training pace. I started off very conservative at 6:30 pace for the first 5 miles before loosening up over the second half of the run and dropping into the 6:15 range. Overall, I felt pretty good if a bit tired. 72:47 for 11.5 miles.

Friday 7/10/15

11 mile loop around the Charles. Felt surprisingly good today. I thought it might be a bit hot today, but we got a break from the humidity. A few scattered clouds also offered some shade from the sun. Did push the effort, but I found myself cruising along at 6:0X pace. 11.5 in 69:19.

Thursday 7/9/15 - 17 x 30 second Pick Ups

I feel like I recovered from the track workout quickly this week, and with the good running weather, I decided to add a few 30 second pick ups into my run. I got out for my run at 6:30 pm, and it was a comfortable 68 degrees and cloudy. The humidity and heat finally broke, and today felt like a fall afternoon in comparison to the past few days. I felt relaxed at 6:10 pace through the first 6 miles before switching to 30 seconds on / 30 seconds off for the next 3 miles. The plan was 15 pick ups with the on at 5:00 pace and the off at 6:00. I tried to focus on staying relaxed during the pick ups and didn't push the effort too hard. I was able to hit the paces without too much trouble and added on 2 extra pick ups since it worked out to be almost exactly 3 miles. My splits during those miles were 5:35, 5:31, 5:34. I took the last 2.5 miles of the run easy, but I didn't need to back off of normal training pace all that much. 11.5 miles in 70:04.

Wednesday 7/8/15

It was a hot one out there today. I ran straight from work at 5pm, and temps were still over 80. I also felt a bit heavy after eating too much during the day, and the going was slow. My legs weren't really sore from the workout yesterday, but they also didn't have any snap to them. Overall, it wasn't a bad run. I just kind of felt like I was lumbering along for most of it. I averaged around 6:20 pace which was really all that I could manage, but it didn't really take a lot out of me. We went out to Pub Trivia right after I got back from my run, and I didn't feel worn out or anything. So, not really an easy day, but not a hard day either. 11.5 miles in 72:59.

Tuesday 7/7/15 - 4x800 + 8x400 track workout

After work, I took the T over to the Madison Park track behind the Reggie Lewis Center for practice with the GBTC. Everyone met in the parking lot, and we chatted for a bit before heading out for a 3.25 mi warm up at 7:00 pace which included a quick pit stop at the Reggie Lewis Center. Once we got back to the track, I did a few drills and joined up with a group during the 10K workout which was 4 x 800m followed by 6-8 x 400m with 200m jogging rest in between. Splits below.

800s: 2:25, 2:26, 2:26, 2:26
400s: 72, 72, 71, 71, 70, 70, 72, 72

Overall, I was very pleased with the effort. I was a bit disappointed that the workout was so similar to last week, but as many of the guys are prepping for Club Nationals this weekend, I don't think they wanted to change things up too much. Regardless, it was a solid workout, and for me, it varied from last because I didn't have Adam to run with. He opted to run 1000s at an easier effort so that he wouldn't take anything away from the upcoming race this weekend. He ran just off my shoulder for the first 800, but after that, I was more or less alone during the repeats. Thankfully, I did have a few guys to run with on 200m rest. Erik Hinrichsen (coming of a great race at the Loon Mountain Race which served as the NE Championship this year) and Ian Neill (who ran the Boston Marathon this year and is prepping for the Chicago Marathon) were both doing the 10K workout as well, and they caught up and jogged with me during the rests so.

This workout took quite a bit out of me, and I was very happy that I was able to maintain the splits without anyone else to share the pace load with. I goofed up a bit on the last two 400s, but I wasn't all that worried about it. I had been considering finishing my workout after 6 x 400 which is why I ramped up to 70 second quarters for repeats 5 and 6. After that, Erik ended his workout, and I was on the verge of ending mine when I realized that Ian was going to follow through with the last 2 400s. I decided to join him, but I also made sure that I didn't push beyond my limit. I couldn't maintain 2 more 70 second splits, so I backed off to 72s. When I finished up, I was really glad that I did the final 2.

After the workout, we joined a few other members of the team for a mile cool down on the track before I made my way back to my apartment at ancient marathoner pace. I followed the same route as last week which goes down Tremont, cuts through Bay Bay to Boylston, over to the Commons, then on to Faneuil Hall enroute to the North End. 13.25 miles on the day. 

Monday 7/6/15

Easier 11 mile loop around the Charles. With a workout planned for tomorrow and some tightness I've been feeling in my right hamstring, I didn't want to push the pace today. Early on, I resigned myself to a slower effort and actually ran with a small water bottle which I almost never do. It seemed humid, and with the the sun out and temps in the mid 70s, I figured it might feel a bit hot. Heat was never really an issue though. There was a slightly cooling breeze, and some cloud cover came in which meant the sun wasn't beating down. That was good because the water bottle turned out to be a waste of time. It was particularly cold to start with, and it warmed up almost immediately which meant it wasn't refreshing at all. So, all it really did was throw off my arm swing and increase the effort. In the future, I'll probably only use it for 85+, and I'll make sure it is actually cold next time around.

The run itself wasn't too bad. Not great though. I felt heavy over the last 5 miles and probably couldn't have increased the effort if I wanted to. Thankfully, it was supposed to be an easy day. 11.75 miles in 74:00.

Point of Interest: I came across Puma filming their new running commercial today. They put out an open casting call to Boston runners last week, and everyone was talking about it although no one knew which company it was for at the time. They were offering $1000 a day for 2 days of filming, and it hinted that you'd be able to keep the kit. The problem was that they were filming on a Monday and Tuesday when most people had already taken a day off on Friday. I probably would have applied if it hadn't been for that fact. They were filming in Charleston in Paul Revere Park by the foot bridge which would have been extremely convenient for me if I had done it, but as I didn't, it was simply an annoyance since I had to wait for them to take a break from filming before I could cross the foot bridge.

Sunday 7/5/15

I waited until we were back in Boston to get my run in today which turned out to be a good idea. I woke up still a bit sore from yesterday's long run, and waiting to run at 5pm gave me plenty of time to recover. I thought today would be a bit of a slog, but it actually didn't turn out too bad. I felt fine holding 6:10 - 6:15 pace without too much effort. My right hamstring was a bit tight at times, but it didn't seem like anything major. I'll probably take an easier day tomorrow to make sure I'm not pushing that too hard going into the workout on Tuesday. 11.5 miles in 71:13.

Saturday 7/4/15

I did my run earlier than usual today in the hopes that I'd be able to enjoy the rest of the day's festivities without missing much. Unfortunately, today was also the best day in my schedule for a solid long run. 

I've had a minor head cold over the past 2 days, and I woke up feeling a bit ragged. Not awful. Just a bit sore with a headache. I ate a protein bar and sat around digesting for a bit as everyone else started waking up. After about a half an hour, I changed, stretched, and got out for my run. 

My route was similar to yesterday. I ran 2 miles through the neighborhoods and down Main Street in Chatham as I made my way to the bike path. It was still early and a bit overcast, so there weren't as many people along the bike path today. However, there were a ton of people hanging around when I hit the sections of the path that crossed over the roads. The Chatham 4th of July Parade was going on, and apparently, it's a pretty big deal. Thankfully, I didn't really have any issues running. The bike path zigged and zagged around the area where the parade was going on, but only crossed over the parade route once. On my way out, the parade hadn't gotten to that point yet, so no problem there. On the way back, however, I did have to stop for a bit. After a minute or so, I was able to cross in between the floats and continue on my way. 

As for the run itself, it wasn't all that pretty. I felt okay for the first 10 miles at 6:20 pace, but my form started to fall apart over the last 6 miles. My headache was starting to bother me. I felt a dehydrated, and I was really low on energy for the last three miles. It's not all that surprising through since the only things I ate and drank from when I woke up until when I ran was a clif bar and half a glass of water, and I didn't intake anything during the run. This is a good lesson for next time. I can't just power through an early morning long run with zero fuel because it suits my schedule and I didn't want to carry a water bottle. 

I managed to hold on to 6:30 - 6:40 pace over the last 6 miles, but by the time I finished up, I was feeling pretty weak. I couldn't do much more than sit there while a drank a couple bottles of water. I was finally able to pull myself into the shower about 20 minutes later. When I got out, I was somehow freezing despite the fact that it was already 70+ degrees outside and my shower had been hot. I don't know what happened. It may have just been my head cold, but I got straight back into bed and immediately fell asleep for an hour or so. I woke up feeling a bit better, but it took me a few hours to really recover. I definitely won't be taking these long runs so lightly in the future. 16 miles in 1:42.19. 

Friday 7/3/15

Alie and I drove down to Cape Cod for the 4th of July this morning. Our friend Derek's family has a house on the ocean in Chatham, and he invited us down for the weekend (shout out to the Missert Family for letting us stay in your beautiful home this weekend). We left at 7:30 AM and didn't get there until 11:00 AM. What would usually be an hour and 45 minute trip turns into 3 and half hours around the 4th of July as everyone floods to the cape. We got there in plenty of time to enjoy the day though.

It was difficult to put on my running shoes and get out for my run when Alie headed to the beach to meet everyone, but I forced myself to get on with it. I had heard there were some good bike paths that travel along the entire length of the cape, and I decided to check them out. The house we were staying at was only about 2 miles from an entrance to the path, so I was able to get in a decent amount of my run on the path itself which was awesome. The weather was beautiful today at a sunny 75 degrees, and there were quite a few bikers out of the path. Traffic wasn't an issue though since there are very few walkers on these paths unlike the Charles River paths. It also gave me a chance to run some hills.

There weren't any major hills, but there were constant rollers which was a great change of pace from the Charles. I did slow down a bit as the run went on into the last two miles when the heat and hills started to get to me, but I'm not too worried about it. I decided to forgo the tempo run this weekend because I felt like I was pushing a bit too hard, and today was meant to be just a normal run if not a bit on the easier side. Overall, it was a great run. 12 miles in 74:08.

Thursday 7/2/15

Another hot one. I think that is going to be the narrative for a while as July starts. Met up with Vasilis for a relaxed loop around the Charles. I wouldn't really call it an easy run though. We kept the pace around 6:20, but for me, it was one of those runs where you some how feel worse two days after the workout despite feeling fine the day after the workout. It wasn't terrible or anything though. It was just a bit of an effort for me to hold what would usually be an easy pace. Overall good run. 11.5 miles in 72:36.

Wednesday 7/1/15

11 mile loop around the Charles. A slightly upset stomach and 80 degree heat made for a slow finish to my run today. I started off fairly well at 6:10 pace which faded into 6:15 then 6:30 for the last three miles. It wasn't a big deal since I am coming off a work out and 14+ miles yesterday, so I didn't need to push the pace today. The last few miles were a bit unpleasant though. I had been hoping to do a tempo tomorrow, but after today, I think I may take a semi-easy day and push the tempo into the weekend. 71:50 for 11.5 miles.

Monthly Recap - June 2015

Days Run - 28 out of 30
Total Miles Run - 325.9
Average Run Length - 11.24 miles
Average Mile Pace (excluding workouts, tempos, pick ups and races) - 6:15
Track Workouts - 4
Runs with Pick Ups - 1
Tempo Runs - 1
Races - 1
Wins - 1
Most Common Run - 11+ mile Charles River Loop (11 times)
Doubles: 1


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

I'm really happy the work that I put in this month. I was able to run on 28 out of 30 days, and I feel like I've finally got my heel issue under control as I've found some solutions to help manage it. My average mile pace increased slightly, but that is due to the fact that I took some easy slow runs instead of taking days off. I was also able to increase my average run length without much difficulty. I can feel my endurance getting better, and my track workouts in the second half of this month have been very promising. I did have a poor showing at my only race this month regardless of the fact that I won, but I don't think that is indicative of my progress. I feel like I am only 4-6 weeks and 5-10 pounds away from PR shape. 

Tuesday 6/30/15 - (800,400,400) x4 track workout

After work, I took the T over to the Madison Park track behind the Reggie Lewis Center for practice with the GBTC. Everyone met in the parking lot, and we chatted for a bit before heading out for a 3.5 mi warm up at 6:45 pace which included a quick pit stop at the Reggie Lewis Center. It's really nice having the RLC right there so you can use the bathroom and what not before the workout. Once we got back to the track, Adam Pacheck and I then did a few drills and got right into the 10K workout which was (800m,400m,400m) x4 with 200m jogging rest in between. Splits below.

2:26, 72, 71, 2:25, 71, 71, 2:23, 70, 70, 2:23, 70, 62

The workout went really well, and I felt great through out. I was also able to pull my weight this week as I alternated the pacing duty with Adam. The goal was to hit 2:26 for the first couple 800s and 71-72 for the first couple 400s then bring the pace down slightly over the second half of the workout if we were feeling good. We hit the splits perfectly, and I didn't have any trouble maintaining the effort. When we came up to the last 400, we were debating whether or not to run another set, but instead, we decided to just put the hammer down on the final 400. We had already done over 5 miles of solid effort on the track, and I felt like a hard 400 would be a fitting end. Taking into account the short rest, I'm really happy with this workout. 

After the workout, we joined a few other members of the team for a 1.75 mile cool down on the track before I made my way back to my apartment. I was still feeling good, so I decided to jog back to the North End again. I took a much more direct route this time though and saved myself a mile or two. While running down Tremont isn't as fun as running through the Fens to Fenway and Comm Ave, I was glad to get home a bit quicker. 14.25 miles on the day. 

Monday 6/29/15

Solo 11 mile loop around the Charles. The last four days have been pretty slow runs (excluding the 4 miles run during the tempo), so I wanted to get back to a more normal training pace. I didn't push things too hard though because I'm hoping to get in a track workout tomorrow. The weather was pretty nice for running at 70 degrees and overcast. Granted, it was a bit humid. 6:0X pace felt fairly relaxed, and I didn't have any issues maintaining it throughout the run. After I finished, I actually felt really good about the run. None of my splits were above 6:09, and I didn't feel like I needed to press the effort at all in the second half to maintain pace. 11.75 miles in 71:05.