Tired

Friday, November 30th

8:00 AM - 6 Miles, 40 min
River loop

I had a tough time getting out of bed this morning and was feeling really tired on the run so again, I just kept it short. That was followed by a long day at work and a bunch of stuff to do around the house. Right now, I just want to get to bed so I'll wrap this up and get on that asap. Workout tomorrow at Weston so hopefully I'll feel a little better for that but I'm sure the crappy weather won't help much.

Goodnight.

From one thing to another

Thursday, November 29th

4:00 PM - 6 Miles, 41 min
River loop

Felt pretty good today. Wasn't able to run this morning because of PT so I ran after work. I got a solid 5 miles in before it got dark but the trail was getting pretty hard to see in that last mile. I was going to tack on a few more on the road but decided to just keep it short instead. I also hadn't eaten that much today so I was getting pretty hungry and wanted to get back and tame my growling stomach.

So this morning was my last scheduled PT visit with Holly. My insurance covered a two month period for this injury and we utilized that entire period, doing two visits per week. We definitely made a lot of progress in that time. Thinking back, it actually seems like it was more than just two months. We did a lot of strength work on my right side, increased mobility and reduced a lot of inflammation within the fascia. I still can't say that this thing is 100% gone but it is definitely a lot more manageable than it was 2 months ago. Holly does such a great job and I really enjoyed working with her. She explored several avenues that I hadn't taken previously, including the Iontopheresis and the night splint. She also gave me several exercises that I can continue to do on my own to ensure it doesn't go in the wrong direction again. I'll still keep in touch with Holly periodically and will probably try to schedule an appointment with her every once in a while, depending on how things feel.

Since I'm done with that and wont be going to PT twice a week, I'll have time for something else. That something else is probably going to be chiropractic therapy. I mentioned back in September that I had seen a chiropractor on Charles St. that Liz and Gabe had suggested. After taking X-rays, Dr. Quigley compared my back to that of a 50 year old and recommended that I proceed with adjustments and therapy over a period of 3 months. At the time, doing this was not very convenient for me with my heel issues and the fact that it was a half hour commute in the opposite direction of work. I still wanted to take this diagnostic seriously but decided to hold off for a while.

So during my sessions with Holly, I've been exposed to a really great sports chiropractor, Dr. John Marchese, that actually works with Holly in Woburn. So I plan on meeting with him soon and see where things go from there. In case you're wondering, I'm not just looking for things to spend money on or take up more time; I just want to make sure I'm taking care of the most essential equipment I have (my body) and not have it fall apart on me any earlier than it should.

Looking ahead

Wednesday, November 28th

11:30 AM - 9 Miles, 59 min
Fells - short loop plus add on along the river

Legs were a little heavy for the first few miles but loosened up and felt pretty good in the 2nd half. It was a nice day and hard to believe December is just a couple days away. The month of December looks to bring much excitement to the table as we will first be concluding our XC season at the Club National Championships and showing what NB Boston can do both on and off the course. That will then be followed by the highly anticipated team dinner, hosted by yours truly a week later. Finally, the start of the indoor season will commence as we begin practices at the good ol' Reggie Lewis Center. So there's a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks and I'll be sure to share that excitement with you guys as these things get closer.

Last hard workout

Tuesday, November 27th

6:00 PM - Workout @ The Res.
24 min warm up
2+ Mile Tempo to the hill @ 12:18, 3 min rest
6 x 1 min hills, 3 min rest
2+ Mile Tempo (slightly faster) back to the res @ 11:33
16 min cool down
Total = 12 Miles, 79 min

Felt pretty good going into the workout today. First tempo felt really relaxed and well within my comfort zone. The hills were fast but felt very controlled. I started feeling my calves tighten up toward the end of the hill repeats so I was a little cautious going into the 2 mile run back. After the first few minutes, I felt fine, so I started to push the pace a little. I was aggressive going up the hill and felt strong but was definitely a little tired once I got to the top. Fortunately, the last mile or so was all a steady decline so I was able to just coast and cruise in at a solid pace. Tonight was probably my last hard workout before nationals so I figured going a little harder at the end would be good. After tonight, the next week and a half will just be smooth sailing going into the race. I just need to make sure I get plenty of rest, eat right, and don't do anything stupid. If I can do that, there's no reason I can't accomplish the goals I've set for that race.

One more pair for the pile

Monday, November 26th

8:00 AM - 8 Miles, 54 min

River path

Felt great, a little wet out there but the temperature was nice. I just started on some new shoes (another pair of the 1223's). They've been working pretty well for me so I figured I'd stick with the same thing. I logged 491 miles (7 weeks) on the last pair before retiring them to the "pile" (shoes that still have plenty of use left in them, just not for running anymore). These pictured below are just from the past year.

An epic morning

Sunday, November 25th

9:30 AM - 15.5 Miles, 112 min
Concord Minuteman trails w/ Jess

Today I had a chance to experience running in the historical town of Concord. You may know this town as home to great American authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, or where the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired and start of the American Revolutionary War began. Well, more importantly, it is also the home of New Balance Boston standout, Jessica Minty.

On a gorgeous morning, we started the run from Jess' mom's house and ran through town over to the Minuteman National Historic Park. We followed the scenic trail through the park into Lexington (about 6 miles long) and turned around to follow the same trail back. It was a really great run and I couldn't have asked for a better location. I now know why it is one of Jess' favorite places to run. After the run, we concluded our morning by going to brunch at a nice little cafe in town and had some great home style food. Overall, it was a great morning and gave me some quality time with a quality friend.

Training Log (Nov 19-25)
Monday: 7.5 Miles, 50 min
Tuesday: 6 Miles, 40 min
Wednesday: 8 Miles, 53 min
Thursday: T-Day 4 Miler (19:32), 10 Miles, 58 min
Friday: 12 Miles, 78 min
Saturday: 9 Miles, 60 min
Sunday: 15.5 Miles, 112 min

Total = 68 Miles, 7 runs
Great week. Daily runs are feeling easy, I'm recovering well after the races and can't wait for Dec. 8th.

Runnin' in the dark

Saturday, November 24th

6:30 PM - 9 Miles, 60 min
Winchester (roads)

Legs felt great today. The only thing was my calves are still a bit tight from the race so my right soleus/achilles was cramping up a bit in the last couple miles. I had to stop for a minute to stretch it out, which made it better. I would have liked to run this morning but I was pretty tired and had to drive back from Maine to work today, therefore, I had to wait til later and run in the dark. I'll try to get some sleep tonight before meeting up with Jess in the morning for what should be a nice long run in Concord.

All for now.

A great opportunity

Friday, November 23rd

12:30 PM - 12 Miles, 77:50 (25:59, 26:01, 25:50)
Spring Road

Great run today, a little tight from the race but felt really good and ran very comfortably the entire way.

So I apologize if I've left any of you in suspense from the post I made a couple days ago. I've talked to many of you about this already either in person or over the phone but now that I've made my decision final, I'll share it with the rest of you.

So here it is. As a result of my performance in Sunday's race, I was selected (along with several other "rising stars") to represent the US in Ireland this coming February. The trip is fully funded and includes two races where I would be competing against international talent as well as get to spend time with some great athletes, all while experiencing the fascinating Irish culture. This is a great opportunity for me and I was very excited to have the offer... so you may be asking why I had to think about the decision of accepting it. The down side of this opportunity is that it falls on the same week at the US Indoor Championships. If most people looked at my track times, they may see this as an easy decision, thinking that I'd have no chance of hitting the 8:03 qualifying mark. However, one of my major goals this year was to qualify for this meet and compete well there. I believe that I can run that time this year and still have every intention of doing so. I do think that competing at the National Championships would be an amazing experience and one that very few get in their lives. But as I was told by a good friend today, the achievement is in qualifying and not in the race itself. The more I thought about this decision (while also conferring with several close friends) the more I realized I couldn't say no to this Ireland experience. So as you can probably tell already, I decided to accept the trip to Ireland and therefore give up any possible option of competing at USAs. I'll have to talk things over more with Kevin about the structure of my winter schedule and what I ultimately want to get from the season, but I still plan on maintaining my goals on the track and I believe there can be some great results that will hopefully set me up well for outdoor.

I'll probably give some more details about the Ireland trip as it gets closer but for now, I know only that I am going and these are the races that I'll be running.

Feb 21 - Armagh Road Race (5K)
Feb 24 - Ras na hEireanne (6K)

Thanks again to all of you that helped me realize the right decision with this and for sharing your opinions on the matter.

A Turkey Day PR

Thursday, November 22nd

Thanksgiving Day 4 Miler - Portland, ME
21 min warm up
4 Mile Race - 19:32 (1st Place) - 4:48, 4:54, 4:51, 4:58
PR by 27 seconds
17 min cool down
Total = 10 Miles

Today was my 6th time running this race and in those past 5 attempts, I've never been able to win the damn thing. I've been 2nd once (2006), 3rd three times (2001, 2003, 2004), and 7th once (2002). I've also been beaten by two Olympic Trials finalists (Matt Lane and Brendan Mahoney) in that time. Finally, in my 6th try, I was able to find myself on top. I knew I wasn't going to be able to touch Matt Lane's course record of 19:04 on this hilly course but I ran strong and was able to get myself a new 4 Mile PR, a free pair of New Balance running shoes, and a nice spotlight on the Channel 8 news. All of these were great things to walk away with, but the biggest thing I was happy to get was a very hard, comfortable effort and a performance that is consistent with my current fitness along with my past races this season. I didn't really want to wait around in this race and play games, so I just took the lead from the start and ran the pace that I felt the most comfortable at. I was joined by a couple younger guys (Jon Wilson and Mike Griffin) but after we hit the mile in 4:48 and started charging up the 600m hill, their footsteps became much fainter. After this point, I was running solo, just following the lead car. I just stayed relaxed throughout, focusing on my perceived effort and thinking about all the things that got me there and the things that still lie ahead.

Also in a race that attracts over a thousand people each year, I have a lot of old friends and supporters that I get to see in this annual tradition. It really adds to the experience and is so great to catch up with all my Maine roots. Again I can't say enough how much I've appreciated the supportive messages from everyone over the past few days; it continues to make these accomplishments so much sweeter.

Spring Road

Wednesday, November 21st

12:30 PM - 8 Miles, 53:03 (26:47, 26:16)
Spring Road

This is where I ran the majority of my miles in high school, a dirt road along the perimeter of Lake Auburn. It's been a while since I've logged miles on this road and a lot has changed in that time. However, this trail has not. It is the same trail that I've known for many years, a place I know so well, I could describe each twist and turn, and each hill along the way with the most precise detail. The air was crisp today and there was a fresh layer of fallen snow. I could see traces of footsteps from runners and walkers that had already been out this morning, but in the time I was running, I saw no one. The woods were calm with the only noise being the rhythmic panting of my own breath. I felt so comfortable as I was completely separated from all the distractions of life, it was just myself and my thoughts.

Over the past few days I have had quite a few things to think about, things that I need to face on my own and figure out for myself. After my performance on Sunday, I was presented with an opportunity; a tremendous opportunity that would be very hard to pass up. However, in taking this opportunity, I would have to sacrifice another potential life changing opportunity. I've been talking with close friends and I think I know what my decision will be, but I still need to think it over a bit more before I make it final. When that happens, I'll be able to fill you in a bit more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Quickie

Tuesday, November 20th

7:30 AM - 6 Miles, 40 min
River path

I was late getting out the door this morning so I didn't get in as many miles as I would have liked. I was actually feeling pretty good and would have enjoyed going further but I had to go to PT before work so was tight on time. After work, I spent some quality time with Jess and Liz, which is always a plus. Then I headed north to the great state of Maine. Liz was heading up at the same time and needed a ride so she joined me for the trip and made the drive much more enjoyable. Now I'm home in good ol' Auburn so I'm going to take advantage of the mini vacation and try to get some rest.

P.S. If you have a chance, check out this video link. Dan did a pretty good job putting it together.

USATF New England XC Championships

What's next?

Monday, November 19th

8:00 AM - 7.5 Miles, 50 min
River path

My hamstrings were tight starting out, particularly the right one. Started real easy and progressed into a comfortable pace as the legs loosened up. Overall, I felt pretty good. My body was definitely tired, so I know I ran hard yesterday... but mentally, I felt like I was ready to do it all over again. We have less than 3 weeks til nationals and I just want to get there as soon as possible. These next few weeks are just about maintaining what I have and feeling prepared for what lies ahead. I have worked really hard over the last 10 weeks in preparation for this so there isn't a whole lot more that I can do fitness-wise. You may ask, 'if that's the case, how will nationals be any different from NEs?' The truth is I'm not really sure. I felt like I ran as hard as I could yesterday, but at the same time, I believe I can run harder at Nationals. The reason for that is this... I know that my confidence, experience, and motivation will be so much more developed on that starting line because of what I did yesterday. There will be much more at stake and there will be no boundaries, therefore, I will refuse to fail.

The finish of NEs was just over a day ago, yet it has felt like an eternity ago. I have been showered by congratulatory messages and have had some long conversations with some close friends. All of this has reaffirmed in my mind how much I want this. --What is "this"?-- I can't really answer that right now. All I know is that I want it more than ever. My passion continues to grow with every step I take. I try not to get too far ahead of myself, but I can't help but start to think about the track season ahead. How will my current fitness translate onto that small rubber oval? Where do I set my goals and how do I continue to improve? I still have so many questions about myself that I want answered. I just have to be patient and be ready for each passing opportunity, because one of those opportunities could be my ticket to greatness.

Thanks again for all the messages and thank you to those of you that continue to believe in me.

New England XC Championships

Sunday, November 18th

USATF New England Championships
20 min warm up
10K - 30:39 (1st) - 4:51, 10:00, 15:38 (5K), 20:01, 24:45 (8K)
(PR by 12 seconds, Course PR by 40 seconds )
18 min cool down
Total = 12 Miles, 69 min

Today went very well. There was not one moment in this race where I lost control or did not feel within myself; I never felt like I was on the verge of falling off pace or would get broken by surges or breakaway attempts. I was feeling very confident going into this race and had no doubts that I could do what I did. This does not mean that I ever thought it would be easy! or that I was not nervous going into the race. I certainly knew it was going to be hard, and because of that I had to be focused completely on what I was there to accomplish.

As expected, the race went out conservatively in front so we had a pretty large pack through 1.5-2 miles. After 2 miles, it seemed to string out a bit more, with Roland and myself switching the lead and David Bridgewater (b.a.a.) poking his head in from time to time. Between 2-4 miles, I just tried to stay as comfortable as possible without letting the pace slack at all. Somewhere in that 2 miles, I suddenly found that I was running by myself and had broken away from the others, even though I hadn't made any hard moves or changed the pace much. So after hitting 4 miles in about 20:00, I tried to start leaning on the pace a bit more and really wanted to work hard to open the race up. I felt strong and was running smooth so I was actually a little surprised to hear Roland catching back up to me. I thought I might have been slowing down without realizing it but really, he was just running really hard. He caught me at about 8K and took the lead for maybe a quarter mile. I was concerned but did not lose contact and just stayed in control. After that stretch, I was able to regain the lead and just continued to push over the last mile.

It was a huge victory for me and is yet another goal that I can check off my list this year. I have never been more confident than I am now and I have never known my body and its abilities as well as I have over the last few weeks. So many factors have brought me to this point and I have so many things to attribute to these accomplishments. Most of all, the support of my peers. I could not have won today without the support of my family, or the constant encouragement and motivation that I get everyday from my friends and teammates (Jess, Rupprecht, Mario, Gwyth, Drisc, Kirby, and so many others).

I also just want to congratulate Jess and the rest of the ladies team on their domination in the womens race. They really made a statement out there today.

So thanks again and stay tuned for the season finale in three weeks when the members of NB Boston test themselves on the national scene.

Training Log (Nov 12-18)
Monday: 0 Miles, 0 min (feeling crappy)
Tuesday: 5 x HB to the top (Avg=1:47), 10 x 200m hills (34-38), Total- 14 Miles, 90 min
Wednesday: 10 Miles, 66 min
Thursday: 7 Miles, 50 min (pain in left tibia)
Friday: 4 Miles, 27 min (feeling crappy)
Saturday: 6 Miles, 40 min
Sunday: NE Champ! - 10K (30:39), Total- 12 Miles, 69 min

Total = 53 Miles, 6 runs
The mileage this week was quite a bit lower than planned for a few different reasons, but the end result came out just right, therefore I am very satisfied and not worried about the numbers.

The day before

Saturday, November 17th

7:30 AM - 6 Miles, 40 min (River path)
6 x hard strides on the soccer field (in spikes)

Today was better than yesterday.

The past couple days of rest have been helpful. I know I'm in good shape, so now I just need to get on that starting line feeling good. After this morning's run, I think that should be a better possibility. No matter what the weather is like tomorrow, no matter who show's up for the race, and no matter how my legs feel on the starting line, I am confident that I can do well based on what I've done over the past few months, and and based on my experiences over the past 10 years. I am by no means an expert at this sport, but over those 10 years, I have made steady progressions toward becoming an elite athlete. I am worlds better than when I entered college, I am better than when I left college, and I am better than 3 weeks ago when I last raced. I am confident and I am strong, therefore, I will make tomorrow a good day.

"Mind is everything. Muscle - pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind."
-Paavo Nurmi

Cutting it short

Friday, November 16th

8:00 AM - 4 Miles, 27 min
River loop

Weather was crappy and I wasn't feeling that great so I opted to cut the run short with hopes of putting in a few more miles after work. 7:30 rolled around and I got home still not feeling the greatest; I just wanted to eat and get to bed. I want to feel good on Sunday so I don't want to push anything now just to get a few extra miles in. Hopefully after some more rest, tomorrow will present a better day.

A stroll through the park

Thursday, November 15th

4:30 PM - 7 Miles, 50 min
River path up to Sandy Beach Park

Ran in the rain along the river and looped around the park a few times. I wanted to stay on the soft stuff to make sure I wasn't aggravating anything. I felt alright, just kept it real easy and tried to monitor everything as I went. I want to make sure nothing creeps up on me and puts me out of commission before nationals. This weekend should be good; it looks like the weather might add some fun to the race conditions, but I don't think it should be much of a factor in how I execute my race plan. The team certainly looks good so it will be interesting to see what our full squad looks like on paper.

That's all for now.

Trails or roads?

Wednesday, November 14th

11:30 AM - 10 Miles, 66 min
Fells

Felt good throughout the run. The weather was great and I felt like I was cruising along effortlessly. I seemed fully recovered from yesterday's workout and didn't have any localized pain or fatigue anywhere. However, a few hours later, I was noticing some pain in my left shin which was getting annoying. I'm pretty sure it's just some mild tendinitis and I think it may be from running on some rougher trails lately. The Fells trails are a little rocky to begin with and when you add the frost on the ground lately covered by a thick layer of leaves, it presents a few more ankle turns throughout the run. I figure it's still better than running on the roads though. So I'm icing the shin as we speak and hopefully I won't need to talk about it anymore this week.

Hills 'N Drills

Monday, November 12th

0 Miles, 0 min
A big goose egg. I was feeling pretty lousy in the morning and not much better in the evening so I figured I could use a day off. I hadn't taken one in quite a while so even though I felt guilty all day, I think it was very beneficial.

Tuesday, November 13th

6:00 PM - Hill Workout
16 min warm up
Drills
17 min over to the hill
5 x Heartbreak to the top (1:51, 1:49, 1:48, 1:47, 1:44); Avg= 1:47
10 x 200m up the hill (34-38 sec)
18 min cool down back to the res
Total = 14 Miles, 90 min

Worked out with Ryan C, Fabian, Maloney, and Nieskens. Felt really smooth on all the hills, never had to push it too hard. It was nice to get moving a little faster on the 200s and get up on my toes a bit more than usual. I think it was a perfect workout for me this week since I've been feeling tired and needed something that wasn't going to kill me but at the same time had enough quality to give me confidence going into Sunday's race. I'll keep things easy the rest of the week and barring illness or injury, I think this weekend should go well.

Bring on the taper

Sunday, November 11th

10:30 AM - 12 Miles, 84 min
Fells

Legs were still tired but it was a good run and got some of the tightness out from yesterday. Kept the pace easy.

Training Log (Nov 5-11)
Monday: 9 Miles, 61 min
Tuesday: 2+ Mile tempo (12:34), 3mr, 8 x 1min hills, 3 mr, 2+ Mile tempo; Total- 14 Miles, 88 min
Wednesday: 10 Miles, 69 min
Thursday: 6 Miles, 40 min
Friday: 9 Miles, 60 min
Saturday: 1 Mile @ 4:50, 3mr, 4x (3min, 2mr), 4x (2min, 1.5mr), 4x (1min, 1mr); Total- 15 Miles, 92 min
Sunday: 12 Miles, 84 min

Total = 75 Miles, 7 runs
Solid week, legs are a little tired so I'll gladly welcome the easier weeks ahead.

Tired legs

Saturday, November 10th

9:00 AM - Workout @ Weston
27 min warm up
1 Mile @ 1st mile of 10K race pace (~4:50), 3min rest
4 x 3min, 2min rest
4 x 2min, 1.5min rest
4 x 1min, 1min rest
16 min cool down
Total = 15 Miles, 92 min

I had to do the workout on my own today since the team was practicing later at Franklin Park whish I couldn't do because of work, so I went to the usual spot at Weston HS to get the job done. It was pretty cold out there this morning so I kept a few layers on throughout the workout. I really wasn't feeling motivated to start these intervals so I wanted to get it done as quick and painless as possible. I think it was just a combination of having a couple long days in a row, the cold weather, being out there by myself, and the fact that my legs were just tired. The workout wasn't bad, it just took a little more focus and mental toughness to get through it. I think I probably started off a little on the aggressive side as well, which probably didn't help. I knew the mile and the 3min intervals were the more substantial part of the workout so I wanted to make sure I wasn't easing off the pace or holding back too much. By the 2 min and 1 min intervals, my legs were definitely feeling more sluggish and both my quads and hamstrings were feeling fatigued. Anyway, I just tried to keep my form and get it done. It's hard to gauge my efforts/pace for the workout but I'm sure it was still pretty solid.

This will be my last higher mileage week (over 75) so as I start tapering, I think I'll feel some more life in the legs. I'm pretty exhausted right now so I'm probably gonna lay low tonight and get to bed early. I also want to give a shout out to Rupprecht, my west coast counterpart, who ran a huge PR (24:52) today at the SCA Championships. He has a lot of talent and has been working really hard this year so it's nice to finally see him get the results he deserves. Nice job buddy!

Quote of the day:
"Watching him run was watching a man fighting a battle within his heart. I was watching the American Dream, the historical struggle to make something of yourself, refusing to settle for ordinary, and having little time to do it. He would pass by, sweat flicking off his spiked out hair, and his eyes would haunt me because they were so deeply burrowed into something I couldn't see."
-Lauren Fleshman (speaking about close friend Ryan Shay)

Long day

Friday, November 9th

7:30 PM - 9 Miles, 60 min
Winchester (roads)

So my day started at 3:30 AM this morning as I needed to help Tony out with a road race in south boston. I don't know who thinks having a road race at 6am on a friday is a good idea, but it was pretty easy work so I was happy to help him out. However, after getting back late from the game last night, it made for a tough awakening. Since I helped with that, I didn't have time to run before work, so I didn't get my run in until after working a 9-hour open to close shift. Despite all that, I actually felt pretty decent on the run so I'll take it.

Now I really need to get to bed so I can get up early again tomorrow and do a solo workout. I wish I could join the team for practice at Franklin Park but I have to be at the store by noon and practice is at 1pm, so they'll have to do without me.

Goodnight.

Goal!

Thursday, November 8th

7:30 AM - 6 Miles, 40 min
River loop

Overslept a little and was late getting out the door today so I was only able to get in about 6 miles before going to PT. Felt a little rushed but was fine with having an easy day. After work, I went to Jess' place, relaxed for a bit over some pizza, then proceeded to make the trek down to Foxboro, where we saw the Rev's win their 3rd straight conference title and advance onto the MLS Cup. The game was a lot of fun and was highlighted by a Twellman bicycle kick goal (pictured below).

Nice connections

Wednesday, November 7th

11:30 AM - 10 Miles, 69 min
Fells

Felt a little tired today so I just kept it easy and relaxed. Went for a massage with Glenn afterward. I had to go out to Hopkinton to see him, which is a little bit of a hike, but it's worth saving the extra $40 that I'd have to pay if I saw him at the Wellesley location. He feels bad about it but he can't specify his own rate with the other organization like he can in his private practice that he shares with another lady. Anyway, as I get to his office, he was just finishing up with his previous patient, and of course, it was none other than Justin Lutz. It ended up being a neat coincidence because as the three of us were talking, Glenn offered each of us a couple tickets to the Revolution game tomorrow night. Since Glenn works with the team, he gets hooked up with some sweet tickets. So tomorrow night, Justin, Joanie, Jess, and I will all be on the 40 yard line at Gillette Stadium watching the Eastern Conference Championship game and having a damn good time.

That's all for now.

A slight change of pace

Tuesday, November 6th

6:00 PM - Workout @ BC Res/Heartbreak
26 min warm up
2+ Mile Tempo over to the hill - 12:34; 3 min rest
8 x 1 min up the hill (crack to pole), jog down rest; 3 min rest
2+ Mile Tempo back to the Res - 11:54
16 min cool down
Total = 14 Miles, 88 min

It got pretty chilly this evening (mid-lower 40's) so I did the whole workout in tights and gloves. Did the first tempo with long sleeves but was able to warm up enough and do the rest in just the short sleeve. Felt great tonight; a very solid workout with Mario, Ryan C, Brad, Maloney, Fabian, and Nieskens. The first tempo was real smooth and we all stayed close together, the hills were fast but never felt too hard, and the last tempo felt real good. I got in a nice rhythm and just cruised at a fast but comfortable clip. This workout was a little different from the usual stuff we'd expect from Kevin but I liked it a lot. It was good to make myself change between gears and be able to still hold a hard effort after hitting the hills hard. It wasn't as much of a mental toughness workout like some other one's we've had but it definitely showed strength in the training I've done.

We're getting into the last month of the season and even though there is still a lot of racing left to do, I feel the bulk of the work has been done and now I can begin to bring the mileage back a little and hopefully see the legs start responding more and more. We've got about a week and a half til NEs and 4 1/2 weeks til clubs so we're getting close. I'm feeling confident in my abilities, the team looks great, and I'm pretty pumped to see how things turn out. Hopefully things will come together and we'll have some break throughs both individually and as a team.

Just an ordinary monday

Monday, November 5th

8:00 AM - 9 Miles, 61 min
River run

Felt smooth. I thought it was colder outside so I overdressed a bit. Slow day at work but it was nice to have Sarah come into the store for a while. She's been having some trouble with her shoes and some pain in her legs so I tried to help her out as much as I could. She's already been a great addition to the team and should have lots of success in the future. Other than that, just the same old grind. Mario predicts hills tomorrow (probably 12 this time) so I should get to bed soon and rest up for a tough workout.

Happy Birthday Mom

Sunday summation

Sunday, November 4th

9:00 AM - 16 Miles, 103 min
Fells from Carters (Saugus)

Went up to Matt Carter's place for a long run with him and Maloney. I felt great today, perfect day for a run and other than some pain on the top of my left foot, nothing was really bothering me. We started off easy and worked into a pretty solid pace for the majority of the run with the last couple being at or below 6:00 pace. After the run, we made an epic breakfast with just about everything you could think of (waffles, eggs, bacon, fruits of all kinds, etc). It was great and was fun hanging out with the guys as we proceeded to just watch the games and catch up on recent happenings.

I also want to congratulate NB Boston's own Karina Johnson on an awesome marathon PR (2:56) today in NYC and my former teammate and roommate, Adam Goode on his win at the Manchester Half Marathon (and winning $1000 for his efforts). I was also very surprised to hear that B.A.A. runner Mark Miller competed (2:28:39) in the full marathon there, placing 2nd.

Training Log (Oct 29-Nov 4)
Monday: 10 Miles, 69 min
Tuesday: 10 Miles, 67 min
Wednesday: 2 x 5 min (tempo pace), 2 min rest, 10 x 1 min (faster than 5k pace), 1 minute rest; Total- 13 Miles, 76 min
Thursday: 12.5 Miles, 85 min
Friday: 9 Miles, 61 min
Saturday: 10 x 3 min (10k-8k pace), 2 min rest; Total- 16.5 Miles, 109 min
Sunday: 16 Miles, 103 min

Total: 87 Miles, 7 runs
All in all, it was a great week. I was feeling a little tired on a few runs but felt very strong in the workouts this week and am really looking forward to the weeks ahead. One more week of solid mileage then it's easy does it for the remainder of the season.

October: 276 Miles

So much excitement and so much tragedy

Saturday, November 3rd

9:00 AM - Intervals @ Weston
30 min warm up
10 x 3 min, 2 min rest
(10k pace working down to faster than 8k pace by the last few)
29 min cool down
Total = 16.5 Miles, 109 min

Very solid workout today with JLutz, Ryan C, Roland, Brad, and Maloney. The conditions weren't too bad at the start but got progressively worse and worse every minute we were out there. By the last few workouts, when we were running pretty hard, the wind was pushing against us, the rain was coming in from the every direction, and the ground was sliding around beneath our feet. I think these conditions actually helped me with the workout as it made me really dig down deep and be mentally tough. I just imagined it as if I were out on the race course and had to fight through similar conditions. The legs were getting tired but overall, I felt very strong and very confident in my ability to run hard (even when I am very tired).

Today also became a date that so many people will remember for so many reasons. I could probably go on and on about what happened today so I'll just keep things simple with a few important points.

Congratulations to everyone that toed the line at today's Olympic Marathon Trials; just making it to that race is an amazing accomplishment.

Congratulations to Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Brian Sell who will now go on to represent our nation at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Congratulations to our local hero, Nate Jenkins, who placed 7th, beating Meb, and officially making him one of the top marathoners in the country.

Lastly, let us always remember Ryan Shay for his tremendous achievements and for being someone who always worked extremely hard in chasing his dreams and living life the best way he knew how. My heart goes out to Alicia and the rest of his family.

And it's on!

$100,000 on the line... I'll take a stab at it!

This was probably the hardest race prediction I've ever attempted. For a running nerd like myself, knowing as much about these athletes as I do, you'd think it wouldn't be that hard. But with this field over a marathon distance, it is so hard to call. I pretty much knew who my top 5 picks were but I couldn't decide on an order... I could realistically see any one of them winning the race. And then predicting the 6-10 was even harder because there were probably 20 guys that I knew I had chance at making those spots. So anyway, after all my considerations, I came up with the following prediction.

1. Abdi Abdirahman
2. Ryan Hall
3. Dathan Ritzenhein
4. Alan Culpepper
5. Meb Keflezighi
6. Brian Sell
7. Peter Gilmore
8. Clint Verran
9. Daniel Browne
10. Ryan Shay

So we'll see tomorrow how well I did, and I'll definitely be in front of my computer at 7:30am to watch it all go down in what will probably be the greatest US marathon race in history. As we all know, the harder a race is to predict, the more exciting it is to watch.

Just what the doctor didn't order...

Friday, November 2nd

9:00 AM - 9 Miles, 61 min
Along the river and around the lakes

Was slow getting out the door this morning and feeling a little sluggish. I wasn't sure how far I was gonna go so I stayed close by and just ran along the river path. After a few miles, the legs started feeling lighter and I was moving along rather comfortably so I put in a solid 9 miles.

After the run, I went to my physician's office to get that prescription I needed for the Dex Solution. I actually met with my physician's colleague Dr. Shah, an Indian woman who had a very heavy accent and was a little difficult to understand. First she wanted to know a little bit about me, what I do for a living, etc. I told her some general information but focused on the fact that I was a competitive runner since that was my main reason for needing the prescription. So she says, "Ohh, you do malatons!"
"I do what?"
...."malatons"
"oh, marathons! ....no, not every runner is a marathoner."
She then asked me why I was there and what I needed. I proceeded to give her a thorough lesson on plantar fasciitis, how I've been treating it, and how iontophoresis could help. She wasn't very familiar with this procedure and seemed confused as to what I needed, so she proceeded to try to talk me into getting a cortisone shot. I told her that I did not care to use that method and gave her another lesson on how cortisone shots can actually cause damaging effects to the tissue fiber or worsen the problem down the road if not used in the right circumstances.

She then agreed with me and said she could prescribe the Dex Solution. As she was looking it up in the system, she says, "This is a cream right?", I said "No... I need a 1% injectable solution used for local Iontophoresis" ...5 min later, "ok I think I found it. I'll fax this over to CVS and you can pick it up there". I go to CVS to pick it up and they tell me that they can't give it to me because my physician did not specify any directions for use. They called the office to get them but just got the answering service (not that they would know the directions for use anyway). I told the pharmacist that I would not be the one using it but rather my physical therapist would be applying it using iontopheresis and was fully aware of the application methods. Then, they tell me that the solution prescribed was actually an oral solution, and not the injectable solution that I asked for. So I just gave the pharmacist Holly's number and told them to call her to get any information they needed.

Finally, I received the right solution and the right directions as described by Holly. Then, about 3 hours later, my physician's office calls to tell me that they need the directions for use in order to get my medication. Sparing them the details of their incompetence, I just told them I took care of it and was able to get the prescription I needed just fine. So after all that, I got what I needed but had to spend $15 and an hour of my time just to give my physician a lesson on running injuries.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this Dr. Shah is very knowledgeable in the field of medicine, but when it comes to running related issues, I think I'll just stick to the specialists.

Just what the doctor ordered

Thursday, November 1st

4:30 PM - 12.5 Miles, 85 min
Fells plus add on by the river

Nice and easy today. Other than the usual little aches and pains, the legs felt pretty decent. Felt fully recovered from yesterday's workout which was comforting.

On another note, I haven't really talked much about how PT has been going. I'm still seeing Holly twice a week and will probably do so until my allowed number of visits have been used. Even though I'm not seeing drastic changes, I think the things we've been working on have helped a lot. Holly's been great and has put a lot of effort into getting this thing better. Along with wearing the boot at night, every week will be something new and more challenging for me so there's a nice progression in the exercises and strength work. It also keeps things from getting old.

Today she mentioned that she'd like to try iontophoresis with a dexamethasone solution. This will help by medicating the injury directly and will work deeper than just the ultrasound and stim treatment. The only thing with that is I have to get a prescription from my primary physician. Since I was just assigned a random PCP with my new health plan, I figured it would take a while to get in and see him. Luckily for me (and very surprisingly so), I was able to get an appointment for tomorrow morning. I'm sure it wont take very long as he'll probably just agree that I have plantar fasciitis, he'll prescribe the dex solution, I'll pay the $15 co-pay and be on my way. He may also try to make some other suggestions that he thinks I haven't thought of in order to make himself sound useful. Things like "maybe you should take a break from running" or "your shoes might be the wrong support for you". In which case, I'll just say thanks for the help and keep walking. But then again, he could surprise me and actually know something about running injuries. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Now, I need to go figure out my top ten prediction for saturday and win myself some money.