8 x 200

Objective : 8 x 200 @ Millenium Mile race pace

Recovery : 200 jog recovery

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy, Brad, and George Adams

Fuel : PowerBar Cola Gel Blasts

Result :

30 / 30 / 30 / 28 / 28 / 28 / 28 / 28

Overview : Just wanted to move today. I have been fighting a slight cold and don't want to over do it. I want to be fresh, rested, and motivated for Saturday. The plan is to put two Keenyans under four minutes (Greg and Myself). Let the Bodies hit the floor.

1 Mile PR Splits

34.32 / 32.39 = 66.71
32.29 / 33.31 = 65.60

Half Mile Split
2:12.31

32.86 / 31.46 = 64.32
30.52 / 28.35 = 58.87

Half Mile Split
2:03.18

Total = 4:15.50

Thanks Josh for the splits.

Dec 20 - Dec 26

Mon - 10 miles w/ Ferenc in Saxton's River
Tue - 4 miles quick in Putney
Wed - 10 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 10 @ Vermont Academy w/ Ferenc
Fri - 10 miles quick with Josh in Putney (62 minutes)
Sat - 0
Sun - 10miles w/ 1 Mile PR @ BU (4:15.50)


Total - 54 miles

4 x 800 2 x 200

Objective : 5 x 800 , 4 x 200

Recovery : half distance for the 800's and 200 jog for 200'2

Fuel : Cola Flavored Energy Blasts 2 x caffeine (these are really good)

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy, James, Brad, Brent, Wilson, Boj, Goupil, Mason, Clint, and Justin Montgomery.

Result :

2:21 / 2:20 / 2:18 / 2:15
31 / 30

Overview : The weather did not cooperate today. The roads were getting pretty slick towards the end of the workout. We had to cut it short for safety. We had a huge turnout which made for a fun day. It is cool having some guys from Claremont come down every now and then too. Overall the workout seemed tough for the times, but the perceived effort was there. I look forward to trying my luck in the mile this Sunday at BU.

Dec 13 - Dec 19

Mon - 0
Tue - 11 miles (1:06:32)
Wed - 8 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 0
Fri - 10 w/ Greg in Putney
Sat - 14 miles w/ 8:38 3K @ BU
Sun - 18 miles in Putney w/ Greg, George, Josh, and Wilson

Total - 61 miles

3 x 200 / 200 / 400

Objective : 3 x 200 / 200 / 400

Recovery : 200 jog after 2's and 400 jog in between sets

Keenyans : Me, Greg, James, Goupil, Brad, Boj, and Wilson Perez (Andy is under the weather. It is quite possible this is the first time in two years he has missed Wednesday)

Result :

31 / 29 / 65
28 / 28 / 62
27 / 26 / 64 (ouch !!!)

Overview : I went to Keene High Track a little early to check on the conditions. It was covered in snow and lanes one and two were trampled and iced over (probably from gym class). Fortunately for us we have Baker Street. I quickly passed the word and in no time we were all mustered at the Bank parking lot. We will reside here on Wednesday afternoons for the next few months. It is pretty fun to be running like fools down the middle of the road. The Keene State crew has wheeled and marked off every 200 meters so we can get good splits. I think most of us are going to BU this Saturday and wanted something short and sweet. It was pretty fast for me and after the third set of two's, I had all I could handle. I tied up so bad on the last one and it hurt. Bad. I loved it. The only thing cooler was seeing Greg fly by me in full combat mode and looking strong. I think he hit 62 on the last quarter. This indoor season is going to be a lot of fun. We all headed over to Armadillos afterwards and got some grub.

Dec 6 - Dec 12

Mon - 10 mile Predator in Putney (solo)
Tue - 10 mile Tempo in Pisgah w/ Greg, Josh, and the girls
Wed - 9 miles w/ track work
Thu - 10 miles in the AM in Putney easy
Fri - 8 miles
Sat - 3 miles
Sun - 14 miles

Total - 64 miles

2 x 800 / 4 x 400

Objective : 2 x 800 / 4 x 400

Recovery : half distance rest

Keenyans : Me, Andy, Wilson, Greg, Clint, Goupil (coach), James, Mason, Dan Damato

Result :

2:15 / 2:13 / 65 / 63 / 63 / 63

Overview : I have been putting off posting, mostly because of my horrible race last weekend. I can't believe how nervous I was leading up to Reggie and on race day. It was my first experience with an official indoor event. It was very exciting, overwhelming, and I can't wait to give it another crack. In my opinion 15:04 does not reflect my current fitness. I do however have to prove it. I am going to give myself all season to let it happen. Coach noticed that I was bouncing back and forth, never running consistently. This is how I always race on the road. Serge, relax, serge, recover. The problem is that there is no recovery on the track. I think I have to be even the whole way until the final kick. Anyway, today was a good one. We all did the same workout and it was cool to all be fighting the same pain. I am off this weekend as far as racing but will be at the BU Mini Meet next weekend with the crew.

Nov 29 - Dec 5

Mon - 5 miles tempo
Tue - 10 miles on lunch in 57:02
Wed - 0
Thu - 0
Fri - 0
Sat - 8 w/ 15:04 5000m indoors @ Reggie Lewis
Sun - 15 miles w/ the crew @ Pisgah

Total - 38 miles

Nov 22 - Nov 28

Mon - 10 mile felt really good
Tue - 9 miles w/ track workout
Wed - 8 miles
Thu - 11 miles w/ 22:03 4.6 mile Cranberry Run
Fri - 8 miles w/ Ferenc and Larry Sayers @ Vermont Academy (Saxton's River)
Sat - 16 miles w/ track workout
Sun - 14 miles in Gilsum w/ George, Josh, Goupil, and WILSON PEREZ!

Total - 76 miles

Basic 200's

Objective : 6 x 200

Recovery : 200 jog recovery

Keenyans : Me and my dog Bailey

Result :

27 / 28 / 28 / 28 /28 / 27

Overview : I was not motivated at all! I think that the Thanksgiving food binge has had something to do with it. I feel so lethargic. So needless to say I had to really battle my demons today to even log any miles. But today, I beat them. Bailey and I hit up the Bellows Falls High Track and got in a quick warm up and got right into it. I am glad I got out there and moved around. Afterwards we headed out to Josh's house and met George Adams, Goupil, and Josh. We had a great run and it was my first this year with some snow fall. It was a good crisp day and a quality run.

3 x 800 / 400

Objective : 3 x 800 / 400

Recovery : 200 jog in between efforts (continuous flow)

Keenyans : Me and Mark

Result :

2:20 / 69 / 2:19 / 68 / 2:18 / 66

Overview : Mark and I got right on it. It was a good short workout. I didn't want to go crazy because I am racing Thursday and Mark still has some lingering fatigue from his race this past weekend. I liked the short recovery. It really puts things into perspective.

Nov 15 - Nov 21

Mon - 0
Tue - 3 AM on TM / 10 PM @Ferenc's with the girls (and Ferenc)
Wed - 10 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 8 miles in Pisgah w/ Bailey
Fri - Early PM 10 mile Predator Run in Putney (I highly recommend this workout) / Late PM 8 w/ Josh, Greg, and the girls in a dark Pisgah Park
Sat - AM 10 miles easy / PM 10 miles w/ Mark Miller in Putney
Sun - AM 9 Miles w/ Rob Lind in Brattleboro

Total - 78 miles

4 x 1000 Meters

Objective : 5 x 1000 m

Recovery : 400 jog in 2 minutes

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy, James, Boj, Goup, Clint, Glenn, Mark

Result :

2:53 / 2:49 / 2:49 / 2:49

Overview : I showed up a little late due to work stuff. Andy and Clint did as well, so we rushed a 3ish mile warm up and met the other guys on the track. I wanted to do 5 x 1000 but was running out of daylight and the track vibe was lack luster. Basically I wimped out. Everyone seemed to have an off day though. Hey, it happens. I am still pleased with the effort. We went to Armadillos afterwards and "actually" had a good time.

Ridge Run

Nov 8 - Nov 14

Mon - 0
Tue - 10 miles in Putney solo
Wed - 10 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 8 miles in Pisgah (Ellie got hit by a porcupine, Boj and I raced back for pliers)
Fri - 10 miles AM
Sat - 0
Sun - 0

Total - 38 miles

3 x 800 / 2 x 400

Objective : 4 x 800 @ 2:06 (high goal for me). Broke down the last effort.

Recovery : 400 jog in between 8's and 200 jog in between 4's

Keenyans : Me, Andy, Greg, Brent, James, Brad, Clint, Mark

Result :

2:06 / 2:07 / 2:09 / 66 sec / 61 sec

Overview : Getting used to this new approach is very exciting. I have never put in this type of work before and look forward to the results (good or bad) in the coming months. I don't mind not being able to finish a prescribed workout because I may be biting off more than I can chew right now. I will give myself enough time to adapt. Everybody else in the group seems to be changing gears and looking forward to the next season. We started back up with our Armadillos routine. Good times.

Nov 1 - Nov 7

Mon - 15 miles w/ 3 x 2 mile w/ the KHS Boys (10:20/10:23/10:25)
Tue - 7 miles (horribly unmotivated plus I took a dive and got a charlie)
Wed - 0 (bruised from fall)
Thu - 0 (still stiff but I think more because of the cold rain)
Fri - 12 miles w/ Josh, Greg, and the Wolf Pack
Sat - 10 miles w/ 11:29 2.5 mile race
Sun - 20 miles from Josh's to My house w/ Josh,Greg, and Double J

Total - 64 miles

Oct 25 - Oct 31

Mon - 0 miles
Tue - 19 miles
Wed - 10 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 10 miles solo in Putney
Fri - 14 miles in Gilsum w/ George Adams
Sat - 9 miles @ Derryfield Class L Championships
Sun - 12 miles w/ 7 mile trail race

Total - 74 miles

2000 / 1600 / 800 / 200 / 200

Objective : 2000 / 1600 / 800 / 200 / 200
Recovery : 400 jog recovery. 200 after 200
Keenyans : Me, Andy, Goupil, James , Brad, Boj, and Clint
Result :

5:49 / 4:39 / 2:17 / 28 / 28

Overview : I actually wanted to do 3 x 2000. I am a little bit too anxious to make things happen. I am falling apart way too early into it. I have to let it come by being consistent and staying after it over the next few months. I think that I have to get out of volume mode and prepare for my workouts. I did a 19 mile straight run yesterday and think it may have affected my speed today. I want my track sessions to be more intense so I can kill it this winter. This is fun.

1 Mile / 800 / 400 / 200

Objective : 1 mile / 800 / 400 / 200

Recovery : Full time recovery of effort

Keenyans : Me, Boj, James, Clint, Goupil, Brad, Brent

Result :

4:22 / 2:11 / 58 / 26

Overview : I wanted to do a 3 x mile workout, fast, with full recovery. But my body did not know what happened after the first effort. It was the second fastest mile I have every done, so that had something to do with it. And, I don't think that I handle lactate very well (I am working on it). So I changed the goal on the fly, 600 meters into the second effort. I really want to run a fast 5K this winter and want to work on my wheels. This was a very intense session and I look forward to some more like it.

Oct 18 - Oct 24

Mon - 0
Tue - 16 miles
Wed - 9 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 13 miles w/ Ferenc in Saxton's River
Fri - 13 miles @ Pisgah w/ Ferenc, Greg, and Boj
Sat - 0
Sun - 14 miles

Total - 65 miles

Oct 11 - Oct 17

Mon - 0
Tue - 16 miles Putney Straight Run
Wed - 15 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 10 miles on my lunch break (met a German Shepard)
Fri - 0
Sat - 0
Sun - 16 miles

Total - 57 miles

3 X Mile "Hard" / 2 X Mile "MP"

Objective : 3 X mile hard (like 5K pace) / 2 X mile @ marathon pace

Keenyans : Me, Clint, James, Brad, and Andy

Recovery : 400 jog in between efforts

Result :

4:51 / 4:45 / 4:41 / 5:33 / 5:31

Overview : I felt fast today and it was fun. I feel good about my progress. As far as Bay State goes, I don't know. It is going to have to be a game day decision. I suspect I will be somewhere in the 2:30's. Andy is ready to rock and I won't be surprised to see him on the podium. He is very tough and very consistent. Two of the most important qualities for a marathoner in my opinion. It will be fun to be a part of the race Sunday. On a side note, my current training goal for the remainder of this fall season and winter is to rock a fast 5000 meters. I will be out of my element but it should fun to test my limits.

Oct 4 - Oct 10

Mon - 10 miles
Tue - 10 miles
Wed - 14 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 10 miles (recovery, pretty fatigued from yesterday)
Fri - 0
Sat - 13 miles w / 4.6 mile Race (2nd 23:21)
Sun - 14 miles w/ Ferenc

Total - 71 miles

800 / 600 / 200

Objective : 3 x 8/6/2 @ 5K / 3K / 1 mile pace

Recovery : Half time recovery / 400 jog in between sets

Keenyans : Me , Andy , Goupil , James, Clint, and Brad

Result :

2:26 / 1:41 / 29
2:19 / 1:40 / 28
2:18 / 1:37 / 27

Overview : My actual times are obviously not the target times. They are much slower. Just kidding they are faster. I think this is acceptable because I finished the workout. It was difficult, but I felt good today in the rain, and it has been months since I finished a good, hard, fast workout. At first Andy and I thought this workout would be easy. The short recovery tells a different story. Never judge a workout until it is over. Once we got into it we realized the work is really in the 600. The other stuff seemed comfortably hard. I am pleased with the results from this past weekend (26:50 five mile cross and 24:36 8K road) followed by today. I feel that I have turned a leaf and ready to get consistant, get fit, and rock some races.

Pinnacle Challenge 2010

Sep 27 - Oct 3

Mon - 13 miles
Tue - 11 miles
Wed - 5 miles
Thu - 0
Fri - 10 miles @Pisgah w/Greg, Bailey, and Griffin
Sat - 14 miles w/ 5mile Keene State Cross Country Race (26:50 11th Place)
Sun - 14 miles w/ 8K Race (24:36 1st Place Course Record)

Total - 67 miles

Sep 20 - Sep 26

Mon - 9 miles (easy due to a tough weekend)
Tue - 14 miles w/ 6 X 1000 with the KHS Boys
Wed - 14 miles (6 solo / 8 with KHS)
Thu - 0 miles
Fri - 8 miles @ Pisgah w/ Bailey
Sat - 10 miles
Sun - 18 miles w/ Ferenc and Hammett

Total - 73 miles

Sep 13 - Sep 19

Mon - PM 12 miles
Tue - PM 11 miles
Wed - PM 15 miles with track work
Thu - PM 12 miles (3 x 1 mile / 800 w/ KHS)
Fri - 0
Sat - AM 10 miles (15:02 5K)
Sun - 17 miles with trail race (1:31:00.00)

Total -77 miles

600 / 400 / 300 / 200

Objective : 3 x 600/400/300/200

Recovery : 200 jog after 600 and 400. 100 jog after the 300. 400 jog in between sets.

Keenyans : Me, Andy, and James

Result :

1:39 / 64 / 46 / 29
1:38 / 62 / 45 / 28
xxx / xxx /xxx / xxx

Overview : This was very hard for me to accomplish. I decided to bail on the last effort because I felt like I was rigging a bit. Andy is very tough and finished the last set. He looked pretty good. James did the same workout and is pleased with his progress. I am just happy to be after it again.

Sep 6 - Sep 12

Mon - 0
Tue - 12 miles w/ Keene High
Wed - 16 miles w/ track work
Thu - 0
Fri - 13 miles w/ Greg, Josh, and the girls @ Pisgah
Sat - AM 10 miles PM 3 miles
Sun - 12 miles w/ 6 mile race (31:21)

Total - 66 miles

6 x 800

Objective : 6 x 800

Recovery : 400 meter jog

Keenyans : Me, James, Andy, Brent, Brad, Clint

Result :

2:25 / 2:22 / 2:18 / 2:22 / 2:21 / 2:19

Overview : I am starting to feel like a runner. I can't handle fast recoveries like I was earlier this summer. I look forward to when that comes back. Andy had a good one (6 x mile all under 5 minutes).

Aug 30 - Sep 5

Mon - 10 miles
Tue - AM 5 miles (no discomfort, ran fast) / PM 8 miles
Wed - 13 miles w/ track workout
Thu - AM 8 miles
Fri - AM 10 miles
Sat - AM 6 miles PM 11 miles
Sun - AM 22 miles with half marathon and track work

Total - 93 miles

Fitness Test (Pyramid)

Objective : 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 800 / 400 / 200

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy, Brad, Clint, Boj, Chirp, James, Mark, Sam

Result :

34 / 69 / 2:22 / 5:05 / 2:28 / xxx / xxx

Overview : This is a step in the right direction. I have definitely lost a lot of fitness but I am running without pain (other than the loss of fitness). I think I am ready to start ramping up the miles gradually.

Aug 23 - Aug 29

Mon - 6 miles
Tue - 10 miles
Wed - 10 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 13 miles
Fri - 9 miles w/ Ferenc, Boj, and Greg @ Saxton River
Sat - 14 miles w/ Andy and Greg
Sun - 0 crewed Greg's tempo effort

Total - 62 miles

Three Mile Effort

Objective : Try to hang with Greg on his 2 x three mile

Keenyans : Me, Andy, Greg, Boj, Clint, Erin, Ann, George, James

Result :

15:55 (5:21 / 5:15 / 5:18)

Overview : Thank God I can run! Now I just have to get back to work.

Basic 200's

Objective : 8 x 200 @ any pace

Recovery : 200 jog recovery

Keenyans : Me, Andy , James , Clint , and Erin

Result :

32 / 32 / 32 / 32 / 32 / 32 / 32 / 29

Overview : It is really good to do something. The sharp pain in my left side is down from sharp aggressive pain to manageable dull tightness. In fact getting up on my toes felt better than trotting around. I have been stretching and rolling a tennis ball on my butt constantly. That with Jess's torture elbow rubs are helping. I have talked to some friends who have had the same piriformus injury and it takes awhile. I am going to ease back into it. I hope to salvage some sort of fall season but we will see. The Keene group and everybody has been very supportive and I appreciate it. Anyway, Andy had a huge workout of 5 x mile all under 5 minutes. He looks good and is in full marathon mode for Bay State.

Aug 16 - Aug 22

Mon - 2 miles
Tue - 3 miles
Wed - 7 miles with track workout
Thu - 3 miles w/core
Fri - 0
Sat - 0
Sun - 0

Total - 15 miles

Bridge Of Flowers 10K

Wednesday

Fingers Crossed

I haven't run a step in 7 days until today. My lower back is killing me. I ran three miles this afternoon before seeing the Doctor and they were absolutely the most miserable miles I have ever run. I am a bit nervous about the severity of this injury. Especially since I have never had one before that has prevented me from running. After the Doctor's visit he recommended getting some X-Rays for a herniated disc. However, he adjusted some things and when I got home I didn't feel that bad. I ran 4 as soon as I got home. They weren't that bad. No hitch in my stride and I even did some pick ups. I hope this goes away soon because Hartford is close.

Jul 19 - Jul 25

Mon - 10 AM / 10 PM
Tue - 10 AM
Wed - 10 AM / 13 PM w/track workout
Thu - 10 miles
Fri - 10 miles
Sat - 7 miles
Sun - 0 (long drive home from Atlantic City)

Total - 80 miles

2 Mile / 1 Mile / 2 x 800

Objective : 2 Mile / 1 mile / 2 x 800

Recovery : 400 jog recovery between efforts

Keenyans : Me, Andy, George, Clint, Goupil, and Wilson Perez (getting married in two weeks)

Result :

9:40 / 4:46 / 2:20 / 2:18

Overview : I actually felt pretty good. It was warm but it was very manageable. I have been a bit sore since Stowe. Mostly in my quads. I am in the chase for miles. I probably won't get that many this weekend because I have to go out of town. But this week should be a good prequel for things to come.

Stowe 8 Miler (USATF NE Champs)

Kevin Gorman got in on Saturday evening to split his trip up. We had a cook out and then hit up the Putney swimming holes to cool off and relax before the race. Jess, Kevin, and I got up Sunday morning at 5:30 and were out the door just before 6. There was hardly any traffic on the drive up and there was plenty of parking at the race. I caught up with the rest of the CMS crew and we all got a good laugh at our pathetic attempts on facial hair growth. I got a good warm up with Kevin and then I headed to the line. I really liked the cross country start. It was cool to line up with the team. I also think we had the best uniforms (No shirts and mustaches). My game plan for the race was to not go out aggressively. I tucked in behind some of the leaders and chilled for about two miles. The pace was really slow and there were about 30 people in the lead pack. Finally a few went out and I followed. Now we had something going. Justin Freeman, Matt Ely, Eric Blake, Brian Harvey, and myself. The pace dropped below 5 mpm and my heart rate got going. We stayed together for the next two miles until Brian made a pretty good move at 4. Eric and I went a little but didn't cover the move entirely. We gave him some space. I honestly thought I was going to reel him in over the remainder of the course. I didn't. Eric and I worked together pushing each other and aggressively trying to gain on the leader. We would get close but Brian was tough. He would not give up and was very strong and smooth looking. I put a few seconds on Eric in the last half mile still thinking I could close it. It was a lot of fun. It really was a race for me. Afterwards, I had another great cool down with some of the crew and TiVO had some fruit and a hidden swimming hole. It was a great day. I look forward to getting back in the hunt for miles. I am also looking forward to BOF.

Jul 12 - Jul 18

Mon - 10 AM / 6 PM
Tue - 10 AM
Wed - 5 AM / 15 PM w/track workout
Thu - 13 PM
Fri - 0
Sat - 6 miles AM
Sun - 15 miles

Total - 80 Miles

1 X Mile / 2 X 800 / 4 X 400

Objective : 1 x Mile / 2 X 800 / 4 X 400

Recovery : I had to modify the recovery because of the humidity and went with 400 jog recovery after every effort.

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy, Erin, George, James, Boj, Josh, Clint, and some of the Keene High Boys (Mason, Dan, Serjio)

Result :

4:45 / 2:20 / 2:19 / 69 / 68 / 66 / 64

Overview : It was very humid and I couldn't recover the way that I had hoped I would. So I took more, so that I could get in the intensity. Greg and Andy did 800's very fast and looked awesome. We hit up Armadillos after and had a good time talking about the upcoming race this weekend. I was excited because it was Jess's first time to come to Armadillos. Next up, Stowe 8. Oh yeah, for all of those interested, Greg Hammett has stared a training blog. I recommend checking it out. http://www.pisgahtwin.blogspot.com/

Pyramid

Objective : 400 / 800 / 1200 / 1600 / 1200 / 800 / 400

Recovery : Half time rest of effort

Keenyans : Me, Greg, And Jen Fice

Result :

69 / 2:19 / 3:29 / 4:36 / xxx / 2:20 / 65

Overview : It was a good session with a relief of humidity. I had trouble recovering after the mile effort and decided to skip the second 1200. Other than that I felt pretty strong. After the morning workout I headed to Ashland NH to visit Mark Miller and his wife for a "camping" trip. It was wicked fun. Attendees were : Mark, Mary, Boj, Pete Najem, Matt Pelletier, Greg, Jen, Josh Ferenc, and myself.

July 5 -Jul 11

Mon - 0
Tue - 13 AM
Wed - 10 AM / 8 PM with Track
Thu - 13 AM / 6 PM with Ferenc
Fri - 10 AM
Sat - 10 w/ track workout
Sun - 9 w/ Pete Najem

Total - 79 miles

Survive the Heat

Objective : Don't melt

Result : Didn't Melt

Keenyans : Me, Andy, Greg, Boj, Erin, Erik, Mark Miller, Goupil.

Result : I moved around and got in about two miles of track "work". I did a total of 5 quarters between 66 and 69 seconds. Absolute full recovery.

Overview : It was hot. We went swimming at Wilson Pond. Then to Armadillos.

Jun 28 - Jul 4

Mon - 9 miles PM w/ half mile swim (with Greg and Mark)
Tue - 10 miles AM / 7 miles PM
Wed - 15 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 0
Fri - 5 AM / 10 PM w/Josh
Sat - 5 AM
Sun - 14 miles w/ 4 mile road race (19:21 CR)

Total -75 miles

10 x 200

Objective : 10 x 200 @ 30 seconds

Recovery : 200 jog in no more than 60 seconds

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Goupil, Erin, Sam, George Adams

Result :

30 / 29 / 30 /30 / 28 / 30 / 29 / 30 / 29 / 27

Overview : A good day with great friends. The weather was perfect. We headed to the Monadnock track and got into some speed. We are all getting ready for the 4 on the 4th and decided to do some 200's to get things moving. Another great Wednesday.

Pisgah Run Water Stop

70 / 80 Alternating Quarters

Objective : 25 laps alternating 70 sec, 80 seconds

Keenyans : Me and Greg

Result :

81 / 68 / 80 / 71 / 80 / 70 / 79 / 70 / 79 / 71 / 79 / 69 (3 miles in 15:02)

Overview : I wanted to do a 10K distance with this workout but knew 8 laps into it that it was too ambitious. Wednesday's session took a bit out of me. I am confident that I will do the full version of this later on in this cycle. One thing I liked about this morning was the gear changing. The workout is supposed to be 5K pace to marathon pace. It is just a 5 second swing either way off of 5 minute pace per lap but there is a huge difference in leg speed. Looking forward to a long run with the guys tomorrow.

Jun 21 - Jun 27

Mon - 12 am
Tue - 3 early pm / 9 late pm @ Ferenc's
Wed - 11 miles w/track workout
Thu - 12 fast with Greg in Putney
Fri - 8 miles easy @ Pisgah Park
Sat - 12 miles AM w/track workout / 4 pm
Sun - 18 miles in Pisgah

Total - 89 miles

2 Sets of 8 x 400

Objective : 2 sets of 8 x 400 @ 66 seconds

Recovery : 60 seconds recovery between efforts and 600 jog between sets

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy , Josh, Erin, Haley, Goupil, Sam and some Sprinters

Result :

66 / 66 / 66 / 67 / 64 / 65 / 64 / 63
63 / 65 / 65 / 64 / 64 / 64 / 63 / 62

Overview : I had been thinking about doing this workout since the weekend and really needed to finish it. Andy did the first set with me and then got into some 200's. We had a good turnout this week and have been having some really fast looking sprinters start showing up. They want to do a 4 x 400 team. They practiced block starts and hand offs. My workout was very tasking. I think because of the limited recovery. The heat was hard to deal with too but I managed it. I have some confidence back after this one and feel like I am back to full form. I am going to give the Keene 4 on the 4th a shot in a couple of weeks. It should be a good race with most of the Keenyans toeing the line.

Jun 14 - Jun 20

Mon - 5 am / 10 pm
Tue - 3 early pm / 9 late pm w/ Ferenc
Wed - 10 w/track workout
Thu - 12 pm
Fri - 11 pm
Sat - 12 miles
Sun - 14 miles

Total - 86 miles

2 Mile / 1 Mile / 1 Mile

Objective : 2 x 3 mile

Keenyans : Me and Greg

Recovery : 400 jog

Result :

9:54 / 4:57 / 4:47

Overview : We headed to the Brattleboro track today. We were going to do 2 x 3 mile but modified it in stride. The heat got to me a bit. I liked the effort and am really pleased to get in two solid workouts this week. This is something I should get used to. Now it's time to head over to Greg's house for a Pisgah hike and swim with the dogs.

5 x 1000

Objective : 5 x 1000 below 3 minutes

Recovery : 2 minute jog recovery

Keenyans : Me, George Adams, Sam, Greg, Andy, Erin, James, Mark (new Mark)

Result :

2:59 / 2:56 / 2:52 / 2:51 / 2:49

Overview : I really didn't know what to expect today. I was really anxious to do something. I felt good but didn't know if I had any deep lingering problems. I don't think that I do. I am ready for the next push. I will not however be going to Mt Wahington this weekend. I just think it is a little too soon. I am going to start training for ING Hartford Oct 9. I previewed the course this past weekend and like what I saw. Anyway, the break was nice but time to get busy.

Jun 7 - Jun 13

Mon - 0
Tue - 0
Wed - 9 miles w/track workout
Thu - 0
Fri - 5 miles
Sat - 0 drove ING Hartford Course
Sun - 10 with Ferenc

Total - 25 miles

May 31 - Jun 6

Mon - 0
Tue - 2 miles
Wed - 8 w/ track workout
Thu - 0
Fri - Biked 30 miles
Sat - 0
Sun - 0

Total - 10 miles

10 x 200

Objective : 10 x 200 @ 35 - 40 seconds

Recovery : 200 jog

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Boj, James, Goup, Erin, and WILSON PEREZ

Result :

38 / 38 / 37 / 38 / 37 / 37 / 35 / 36 / 35 / 35

Overview : It was good to shake it out a bit. This workout was nothing more than glorified striders. It was also cool to see Wilson. He said he is going to try and make it on Wednesdays.

Fox 44 News Pre-Race Profile

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Fox 44 News Post Race Interview

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WCAX Channel 3 Post Race

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Top Vermonter cracks the podium with third-place run in Vermont City Marathon

By John A. Fantino, Free Press staff writer • Monday, May 31, 2010

Justin Fyffe said he’s visualized running in the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon every day since December. Over and over and over,” he admitted.The 30-year-old from East Dummerston, Vt. saw months of daydreaming turn into everything he wanted Sunday with a third-place finish in the 22nd running of the VCM.
Fyffe cruised Burlington’s 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 16 seconds, claiming fame as the fastest Vermont resident in a field of more than 3,600 runners.
“This has been my goal race since December and I put everything I had into it,” said an elated Fyffe, who crushed his previous personal record of 2:27:32, set with a fifth-place finish in last year’s VCM.
“I wanted to podium more than anything.”
Fyffe carried out his plan to perfection. When winner John Crews and runner-up Gavin Coombs rocketed to a fast pace in the first half of Sunday’s race, Fyffe stayed within his means. Estimating he was in seventh or eighth place for much of the morning, he made his move in Burlington’s New North End.
“It wasn’t until Mile 20 or 21 where I can taste a podium spot and I’m glad I could hang on for it,” Fyffe said. “(The leaders) broke away early. I knew they were faster than me, so I didn’t get greedy and blow up. I stuck to my plan, stayed very conservative, very steady.”
Chadwick Shepard of Williston was the next fastest Vermonter in 25th place with a time of 2:46:07. Thomas Dunn of Burlington took 31st in 2:50:09.
Buxton, Maine’s, Curtis Wheeler, who like Fyffe is a North Country Union High School graduate, was fourth overall in 2:23:46.
Fyffe, a machinist at Bradford Machine in Brattleboro, had a lot of recent success running competitively, taking ninth place 50-kilometer Gibraltar World Championships in October and second in the 2010 USATF New England 10-Mile Championships.
He intends to compete in the Mount Washington Road Race in July, which includes a 6,288 accent to New Hampshire’s tallest peak. Although it might be tough for him to exceed the excitement he enjoyed Sunday after a three-foot podium climb.
“I grew up in Derby and I love Vermont. It feels like it’s a hometown race even though it’s a couple hours away,” said Fyffe, who vows to return to next year’s VCM. “I want to win this race some day.”Contact John A. Fantino at 651-4851 or jfantino@burlingtonfreepress.com

May 24 - May 30

Mon - 13 miles in the heat
Tue - 8 miles
Wed - 13 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 0
Fri - 3 miles
Sat - o miles
Sun - 27 miles

Total -64 miles

8 x 400

Objective : 8 x 400 @ 70 seconds

Recovery : 400 jog recovery

Keenyans : Me, Mark, Andy, James, Mike, Erin, Bill, Greg, Goupil

Result :

72 / 68 / 70 / 70 / 70 / 69 / 70 / 70

Overview : Just a shake out. The temperature was very hot and made it a bit uncomfortable. Mark and I had fun trying to see who could pace a quarter closest to 70 seconds. He won with a split of 1:10.02. My closest one was 1:09.93. Mary took some pictures of the workout and they are posted on Mark's blog. Anyway, the hay is in the barn and now we wait. It was a fun cycle and I hope to run well.

Bedford 12K (USATF NE Champs)

Jess and I headed into Chesterfield to pick up Greg early in the morning. We arrived in Bedford the customary 1 hour before the gun goes off. We met up the CMS crew and headed out for a warmup and typical juvenile chat. I was a little nervous before the race because I was having a hard time evaluating my condition. I honestly could not tell if I was on or off. I figured I would just go out with the leaders and see what happens. From what I could tell it was Mark, Joseph Koech and myself that quickly made our way to the front. This was of course, after we caught up to Dave Quintel, who probably covered the first 200 meters in 30 seconds. I hope he got a good shot for the papers. Anyway, the three of us jockeyed together for the 3 miles. I was feeling very comfortable and felt I could sustain the pace for a while. At mile three we had a pretty sharp left and from that point on it was solo. I don't feel like I surged or made any drastic move but rather just maintained my effort. I am very excited about this race. It is my first GP win outright. And to get a course record is pretty cool too. I think my legs enjoyed the low volume this week and are looking forward to another one. I'm sure after VCM they will be back to hating me again. It was cool to see some of the CMS crew. As far as the team scoring, we did awesome. We took the team title and showed New England that CMS is a force to be reckoned with. We have a quality squad with enough depth to hang with the big dogs. We put three runners in the top ten. I am very proud to be a part of it. Jess took a video of the finish and here it is.




Results

1 37:18 5:01 Justin Fyffe 30 M 329 CMS East Dummerst VT
New record. Old record 37:49.9 by Joseph Koech, Melrose, MA in 2009
2 38:10 5:08 Matthew Ely 34 M 423 BAA Natick MA
3 38:15 5:08 Mark Miller 29 M 428 BAA Keene NH
4 38:41 5:12 Nicholas Wheeler 24 M 502 ADIDAS Gorham ME
5 38:43 5:12 Bob Wiles 32 M 338 CMS Kittery ME
6 38:55 5:14 Michael Bunker 28 M 503 ADIDAS Rockland ME
7 38:57 5:14 Ben Schmeckpeper 27 M 429 BAA Charlestown MA
8 39:03 5:15 Ryan Carrara 33 M 195 NBB Hudson MA
9 39:04 5:15 Andy McCarron 27 M 536 CMS Keene NH
10 39:06* 5:15 Jim St Pierre 39 M 485 RUN Dracut MA

May 17 - May 23

Mon - 9 miles easy
Tue - 12 miles
Wed - 15 miles w/track workout
Thu - 5 miles
Fri - 8 miles
Sat - 14 miles w/12K Race (37:18 CR)
Sun - 12 w/Goupil and James (out and back on the rail trail)

Total - 75 miles

8 x 800

Objective : 8 x 800 @ 2:20

Recovery : 400 meter jog recovery

Keenyans : Me, Mark, Boj, Andy, James, Jeff, Brad, and Bill Gillard

Result :

2:19 / 2:20 / 2:20 / 2:19 / 2:20 / 2:19 / 2:20 / 2:19

Overview : The rain held off and it ended up being a great day for a run. The mist kept us cool. It was also a pretty good showing of runners with Bill coming to his first Wednesday with the group. My workout went well. The recovery made the session pretty easy, which is good. The tapering is going ok and I am ready to rock Saturday at the 12K.

May 10 - May 16

Mon - 17 miles (7 w/Mark, finished up @ 5:10 pace)
Tue - 12 miles
Wed - 18 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 14 miles (wicked easy because I am tired)
Fri - 17 miles w/track progression
Sat - 15 miles
Sun - 0
Total - 93 miles

Track Progression

Objective : 3 mile track progression on tired legs

Keenyans : Me and Mark

Result :

9 miles on the road right onto the track. One mile easy and then a rolling start right into a three mile progression. The mile splits were 5:17 / 5:05 / 4:55.

Overview : This was Mark's idea (a good one) and I couldn't resist. I am still a bit fatigued from Wednesday but what the the hell. No matter how much I train, eventually, I will be running faster than I want to, for longer than I seemingly can. So, I might as well get used to it. VCM or Bust Man!

6 x Mile

Objective : 6 x mile @ 4:50

Recovery : 400 meter jog recovery

Keenyans : Me, Mark, Andy, Greg, Brad, Erin, James, Dan (Steve Chabot showed up late)

Result :

4:46 / 4:52 / 4:49 / 4:50 / 4:46 / 4:39

Overview : Great day for a workout. The air was cool and the wind was mild. I was looking forward to this workout and knew it would be tough. Initially, I was going to do it with 73 sec recovery (I may have to build up to that). I am very excited about how things are playing out. I feel like the last cycle has been the ride of a life time. I have been training with some great athletes and made some really good friends along the way. This just reiterates one of my favorite quotes: "Running adds life to your years, not years to your life." Anyways, afterwards we again, all went to Armadillos and ran into Michael from 3C Race Productions. He was on his way delivering tee's to the next big event.

May 3 - May 9

Mon -PM 15 (8 solo 7 with Mark) Talked about VCM and ran pretty quick
Tue - AM 10 PM 9 (@ Nashua North High School (crazy storm came through))
Wed - 16 miles with track work
Thu - 8 miles (I sent all of my energy to Mark's 20 mile effort)
Fri - PM 17 miles (wanted 20 but I bonked)
Sat - AM 15 w/Mark PM 5 w/Mark
Sun - AM 14 miles in Putney
Total -109 miles

12 X 400

Objective : 12 x 400 with 200 jog recovery
Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy, James, Erin, and Dan
Result :

59 / 63 / 75 / 73 / 74 / 74 / 75 / 73 / 65 / 68 / 65 / 63

Overview : I still have some fatigue from this weekend, so I didn't try to do anything crazy. I mostly wanted to move and not miss a Wednesday with the group. It is so much fun meeting up and training with my friends. I have two more weeks to chase miles and then back off a bit. It is getting close and I am getting pumped.

16 Mile Clarance Demar Workout

I have been wanting to do this workout for awhile now. I just couldn't get it together health wise. Today was different. For some reason I was motivated and felt strong (raisin bagel?). My Dad helped me out and crewed my effort. It was extremely helpful to have him out there giving me encouragement. He gave me splits every 1/4 mile. I couldn't have done the effort without him. Here is some of the data:

4:53 / 5:18 / 5:01 / 5:16 / 5:10 / 5:08 / 5:07 / 5:08 / 5:09 / 5:05 / 5:09 / 5:11 / 5:07 / 4:56 / 5:05 / 4:58

Total Time : 1:21:49

I wanted to try to do the workout Ben Nephew mentioned, but basically threw that out after my first mile. I was way too excited and could not restrain myself from hovering around 5:10 pace. I was going to try and pick it up after 16 and really hammer 4 more miles but I didn't really have any steam left when I got there. I am still very happy about this run. I am pleased that I could muster this amount of energy after my highest volume week ever. I think I am going to give it one last push this week (chase miles) and then relax, come up with a game plan and try not to kill anybody while I taper. Jess, in advance, "Sorry". Well, back to the mileage hunt.

Apr 26 - May 2

Mon - PM 17 miles (7 with the Road Ace)
Tue - AM 10 PM 9
Wed - 0 (right foot is bothering me a bit, better be safe)
Thu - PM 17 miles (3 with the KHS Boys)
Fri - PM 10 miles with Larry Sayers and Heidi Westover
Sat - AM 20 miles (16 mile workout in 1:21:49)
Sun - 0

Total - 83 miles

Wednesday Workout

No workout for me this Wednesday. I have some tenderness in my right foot that is causing me to adjust my foot strike. Consequently my right knee is tight. I will ice and be back tomorrow.

Apr 19 - Apr 25

Mon - 0 (why not)
Tue - 12 with Mark pretty quick (crazy bathroom emergancy at the end)
Wed - AM 10 PM 12 w/ track workout
Thu - AM 10 PM 10
Fri - AM 10 (Putney 62 minutes) PM 13 in Burlington(VCM Course)
Sat - AM 13 PM 7
Sun - AM 21 w/ Greg and George Adams

Total - 118 miles

2 x 3 mile

Objective : 2 x 3 mile comfortably hard

Keenyans : Me, Greg, James, Pete, Dan, Erin, George Adams, and Josh Ferenc

Result:

Set 1 (5:18 / 5:15 / 5:10) = 15:43

Set 2 (5:15 / 5:07 / 4:55) = 15:17

Overview : I am glad to have changed it up a bit and do something longer. It was actually Greg's idea (as most things are). The effort was comfortably hard which is a pretty fun place to be. James had no soreness and did some quarters with my Dad. It was also awesome to see Josh out there cranking out miles. We missed you man. Hopefully it will be a regular appearance. Well, back to chasing miles.

Apr 12 - Apr 18

Mon - 16 miles (7 solo, 7 w/ Mark, 2 with the KHS Boys)
Tue - 17 miles (Keene Solo) Watched Shawn Provost (Sophmore) run 4:38 in the mile
Wed - 17 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 12 miles (I am a bit tired from yesterday)
Fri - 17 miles (out and back on the rail trail)
Sat - 12 miles (Tempo- last mile 4:38 (slightly down hill))
Sun - 15 mile struggle trot
Total -106 miles

5 x Mile

Objective : 5 x mile at 4:50 pace

Recovery : 400 meter jog rest

Keenyans : Me, Andy, James, Greg, Goupil, Peter Najem, Erin, and Dan.

Result :

4:42 / 4:45 / 4:44 / 4:44 / 4:42

Overview : Today was my best mile repeat workout to date. It was hard but I also felt strong and eager. James and Andy did their final Boston Workout and both looked really fresh. I can't wait to see how it plays out. Peter did and insane tune up for his 400/800 races this weekend. His seed time for the 800 is 1:48. He runs Friday at Princeton. Greg got back on the horse with some fast and consistent quarters. He was laying low because of some abdominal issues but is full force now. Afterwards, we again headed to Armadillos where we met Mark and Mary. Another great Wednesday in the books.

Fyffe Takes Todd's Trot

By AL PIKE

apike@fosters.comapike@fosters.com
Sunday, April 11, 2010

Monika O'Clair photo Jacy Christiansen of New Ipswich wins the women's portion of the Todd's Trot 5K road race in Durham, Saturday.

DURHAM — Justin Fyffe made a "spur of the moment" decision Friday night to run Todd's Trot. It didn't take him much longer to cover the 5K course Saturday morning.

He made the two and a half hour trip from East Dummerston, Vt., worthwhile by winning the seventh annual road race in record time. Fyffe finished in 15 minutes, 9 seconds, which was 12 seconds faster than the previous mark set by Ben Schmeckpeper in 2007.

Fyffe, who was running Todd's Trot for the first time, won easily despite a stiff headwind that probably prevented him from breaking 15 minutes.

"My goal timewise was 14:50," said Fyffe, 29, who has been running competitively for the past three years and is training for the Vermont City Marathon on May 30. "That obviously didn't happen. But I'm still happy. It's all relative to the course. I think I could run that fast on a flatter (surface), less windy of a day. This course was awesome. It was fun."

Matt Russell of Ogdensburg, N.Y., finished a distant second in 15:49 with Manchester's Peter Mallet third in 15:53, Durham's Scott McGrath fourth in 15:58, and Concord's Mackenzie Kilpatrick — the 2006 winner — fifth in 16:03.

They were the only runners to break 17 minutes.

"I'm ramping up my miles so I felt strong," said Fyffe, who plans to defend his title next year. "I had a good workout this past Wednesday so I felt I had some good leg speed. I wanted to get into a 5K and I felt like I had some wheels.

"I'm used to running longer distances so this felt like a sprint," Fyffe added.

Schmeckpeper, the three-time defending champion, did not run Saturday's race. Edmund Dantes of Verseilles was sixth with Rye's Stephen Hennigan seventh, Dover's Cullen Fergus eighth, Durham's Andrew Clemence ninth, and Colin Chapman of West Point, N.Y., 10th.

The race is held in honor of Peter "Todd" Heuchling, a standout athlete at Oyster River High School who collapsed and died during a training run for the U.S. Military Academy. As is customary, several cadets made the trip from West Point to run in the race.

"I wanted to win and I wanted to set a course record and I accomplished both of those things," Fyffe said. "You never know. There's a lot of fast runners out there and you never know who's going to be here. There's plenty of quality runners in New England. Today was my lucky day I guess."

The women's race was much closer with Jacy Christiansen of New Ipswich outlasting former Dover High School and University of New Hampshire runner Lesley Hocking. The 16-year-old Christiansen crossed the finish line in 18:05, nine seconds ahead of Hocking.

"I did the course for my warmup and I felt like absolute crap," Hocking said. "So I was just happy to be able to run my half-marathon pace. I've been feeling kind of down this week so this is a good step toward being healthy again. Second place is all I wanted today."

Christiansen and Hocking were the only two females to finish under 19 minutes.

"I wanted to win," Christiansen said, "but I wasn't sure who would be here. I just decided to go out and do my best and not worry about who was here."

Heidi Westerling, who did not run Saturday, had won two of the last three races, including last year's record-setting run.

"Without Heidi Westerling showing up I thought there was potential (to win)," Hocking said. "I was just glad to get a good race in. I wasn't disappointed with second."

Christiansen, who finished third at Todd's Trot in 2008 and second last year, didn't come close to Westerling's 2009 time (16:54).

"It went pretty well," said Christiansen, who attends Mascenic Regional High School. "I felt very smooth through the first mile. And then the second mile was kind of tough and I felt a little bit like I was running through glue. Fortunately the second woman (Hocking) came up next to me and we were battling it out and she really pushed me through the last mile.

"I pulled away from her near the end because I knew what I wanted," Christiansen said. "I wanted to beat her."

Manchester's Mary Garrity was third in the women's race with Lee's Lydia Travis fourth, Durham's Meredith Mistretta fifth, Stratham's Emily Block sixth, Melissa Hurley of Ashaway, R.I., seventh, Kristina Smith of Poland, Maine, eighth, Dover's Sara West ninth, and Durham's Hannah Herzs-Kahn 10th.

Overall, there were 508 finishers.

"It was a good race," said Hocking, who is training for a fall marathon. "When I got to the top of Bagdad hill I caught up to her and she surged. I caught up to her again and she surged. We passed each other probably three times before she surged on Dennison Road I guess it was."

While Christiansen and Hocking swapped the lead several times, Fyffe led virtually from start to finish and was never pushed.

"It was mostly a solo effort," said Fyffe, who won the Vermont high school Division I state title in the 2-mile run in 1997. "There were a couple youngsters ahead of me the first couple yards but they always run out fast. That didn't last more than about 50 meters. Then after that it was pretty much a solo effort. I did do the course as a warmup so I knew what to expect. I knew where to surge and I knew where the hills were going to be. I knew where I had to conserve energy and where I had to spend energy."

Monika O'Clair photo Vermont's Justin Fyffe set a course record in winning the seventh annual Todd's Trot 5K road race in Durham on Saturday.

Apr 5 - Apr 11

Mon - 5 miles (still not right but feeling better)
Tue - 18 miles (I am back in full force)
Wed - 16 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 8 miles
Fri - 18 miles
Sat - 17 miles
Sun - 10 miles (Putney Solo)
Total - 92 miles

8 x 400 / 8 x 200

Objective : 8 x 400 / 8 x 200

Receovery : 60 seconds recovery in between 400's and 200 jog in between 200's

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy, Boj, James, Dan, Clynt, Angela (Superwoman), and Erin Greene and the whole Joslyn clan.

Result :

59 / 61 / 64 / 65 / 65 / 65 / 63 / 62
31 / 31 / 31 / 31 / 30 / 30 / 29 / 26

Overview : It was pretty hot but I thought it was a good day to run. It was cool to see more people show up this week and I hope it is a theme that will carry on through the good weather months. Afterwards we all headed to Armadillos and enjoyed some good conversation and training plans. I look forward to next week. Sorry Ben, I had to bail on the workout because of some crazy disease. I am going to try and give it a go this week or next week. Andy rocked it though.

Mar 29 - Apr 4

Mon - 13 miles
Tue - 13 miles
Wed - 17 miles w/ track workout
Thu - 15 miles
Fri - 16 miles
Sat - 5 miles (fever 102.1)
Sun - 0 miles (fever)
Total - 79 miles

3 x 1200

Objective : 3 x 1200

Keenyans : Me, Greg, Andy, Mark, Boj, and James

Recovery : 400m recovery up to 3 minutes

Result :

3:20 / 3:22 / 3:21

Overview : I am glad to get something good in. It seems like it has been awhile. The other guys did 4 efforts but I wanted to keep it simple and hit my numbers. I also wanted to leave some in the tank for this Saturday. Andy and I are going to do Ben Nephew's tempo long run. It should be epic. I hope to see others next week. Same time same place (4:30 Keene High). I love to route for others.

Just Another Weekend

This was a great weekend with lots of good miles. I have finally kicked my cold and feel like my old (not that old) self again. Saturday, I raced Andy's 4.5 mile Fast Friends Race in Swanzey. It was a wicked challenging course, but fun. I was very impressed with Andy's race directing. You can tell when an experienced racer puts on their own event. There were plenty of restrooms, d.j., professional timing, and cool prizes (I got a gift card to Agway). I ran the race in 22:44 (avg 5:04) which I am pleased with (results). On Sunday, I met some of the crew at Greg's house in Chesterfield. We were going out for our first Pisgah outing of the year. We got in 20 miles of just about every surface imaginable and had an amazing time. Just another Keene weekend. I took some pictures and a video to show just how awesome the scenery is and juvenile the runners are.

Mar 22 - Mar 28

Mon - PM 14 miles on Keene Rail Trail 3 miles w/KHS
Tue - PM 12 miles Rail Trail
Wed - AM 3 miles PM 9 miles w/ track
Thu - PM 8 miles Solo 4 miles w/Mark 5 miles w/ KHS
Fri - PM 14 miles
Sat - AM 14 miles w/ 4.5 mile Road Race (22:44)
Sun - PM 20 miles in Pisgah with Greg, Boj, and Mark (epic)
Total -106 miles

New Bedford Half Marathon (USATF NE Champs)

I have been in denial since a mediocre workout Wednesday, that I have been fighting a cold. I took as much time off as I could all week, and thought I could just tough it out Sunday. Not true. I am hopelessly mortal and can't be 100% all of the time. I headed out at my goal pace and felt pretty good through 3 miles. It was the climb at mile three that seemed to be a game changer for me. I couldn't maintain my effort up the hill and lost contact with the lead pack. I just could not turn my dogs over. I couldn't break 5:10 pace thereafter either. I knew very early on that I was in big trouble. My splits just kept on creeping closer and closer to 6 minute pace. I got caught by a viscous pack of CMSers at around mile 10 or 11 and tried to root them on, salvage a scoring race for myself, and help as much as I can. Jim Johnson had a huge race and closed very well. I could see him put the burners on and kill the last three miles. Greg and Bob pulled each other along with Bob just edging out Greg in the final mile. Greg looked good and PR'ed through 10 miles but faded just a bit in the final stretch. An awesome effort and a huge PR. It was another fun day, despite the disappointing race, with a great team and great weather. I look forward to licking my wounds, regrouping, and coming back stronger and faster.