Training Week 4/18-4/24

M- 3.4 mile tempo in 21:13 (6:14 pace, 19:13 for fun run course), then 8x1 min hill repeats (~0.15 miles=2.4 miles) in 16:43 (6:58 pace). Pretty good workout. The tempo looks slow, but that's the same fun run course that I run 16:40 for 5k all out. I tried to keep the pace quick on the downs to simulate what Cranmore is going to be like. I was running about 58-60 seconds on the downs.

Tu- AM: 3.2 miles in 52:38 on Whitton Ledge trails, some bushwhacking
PM: 5.0 miles on snow-covered Sawyer River Rd. with Roger in 1:02:15

W- 10.3 miles at White Lake State park with DoubleJ. Easy run for him, felt like a tempo effort for me. 1:21:45

Th- 0 Went to my aunt's funeral in Lebanon.

F- 1:05:26 up and down Tuckerman Ravine Trail, 6.0 miles. 39:31 to Left Gully. Felt like garbage from my bad nutrition choices all day.

Sa- 6 x 1 mile at 10k pace, 3:00/0.25 mile recovery. 5:18 5:18 5:19 5:24 5:24 5:25 (5:21 avg.) That would be a pretty bad 10k for me. It was snowing and cold the whole time, but I should be able to run faster than that.

Su- 13.0 miles on the Moat Brook singletrack in 2:08:05. Pretty tired on the run, but felt good to get out on some of my favorite trails FINALLY. Still some snow left over from yesterday's snowstorm. 4 mile hike up and down Peaked Mt. with Jess in the afternoon.


My beautiful bride and I on Peaked Mt. Photo by Steve Smith

Totals: 56.5 miles, 8.8 hours. Not a bad week, but nothing spectacular. I've averaged 57 miles the last 4 weeks, and I think I'm feeling the cumulative effects of finally getting back into some consistent training. The workouts have been pretty ugly though. Saturday was pretty tough conditions, but I thought I could average 5:15's. I'm just glad I finished all 6. My legs had no pop. I was probably pretty dehydrated from work on Friday too. I have a hard time believing I'm in that bad of shape after a solid winter of snowshoe racing, but maybe I need a reality check.

Speaking of reality checks, it looks like I will be running the Muddy Moose 14 Mile Trail Race on Sunday instead of 7 Sisters. I really wanted to run 7 Sisters, but I've got a lot going on right now with family stuff and can't spend a day and half out in Western Mass. Maybe next year.