Ye Olde Salem Green 5k Snowshoe Race

Pretty sweet, this race took about 9 minutes to get to. Family stayed home for this one due to the fact that it was 15 degrees and would require standing around for a half hour on a wide open Golf Course. This was my first snowshoe "race" and I spent just about the entire 3miles saying to myself "this f....ing sucks" What makes it so difficult is not the fact that it is challenging on your legs and lungs-which it is and basically mirrors running up stairs the entire time (quads on fire and lungs burning) but it was nearly impossible to establish a rhythm. Step, step, step, trip, step, step, slip. I've been snowshoeing enough to expect this, but I was amazed at how exhausting it is when you are trying to put forth a hard effort. Also, it is real easy to fall in behind people that you would normally pass on the roads. The reason being-it takes a substantial effort to pass, normally you might just creep by; but snowshoeing you have to find a straight away, dive out into the soft snow, sprint past and then maintain a faster pace. You need to really have confidence in your fitness and also have a clue as to how much distance you have left. The pace tends to be so slow that the decision to go for it and pass or settle in behind is hard to make-it was hard for me to judge my pace, even harder when your quads are on fire basically from the start. I loved the start, snow flying everywhere and mass chaos. I'd definately do another one. Thanks to all the folks at Dungeon Rock for making this a kick ass event, Jay & Co.  introduced me to the sport, and the huge turnout at this event is a testament to thier ability to buid interest in snowshoeing. The picture above is by Bill Wooley, who did a great job. Running pictures can be so boring but these are really something else-way to bring an artistic flare to snowshoe photography See the write up, pictures and results here .

Wicked Frosty 4 miler, Salem MA

Decided last minute to head over to Salem and do the 4 miler, instead of the 10k in Salisbury. Turned out to be the best decision, my family came to watch and it is about the perfect distance to hold their attention. Anything longer than 30 minutes and my wife would just be suffering w/ two freezing kids and another half hour to wait until they can head to the car. I ran the first mile in 6:03 and then faded pretty well over the rest of the course, I actually think that is the fastest mile I have ever run period. There was some slippery conditions in mile 3 that slowed me down a bit, but overall I am pleased with the results. Splits below:

1st mile-6:03

2nd mile-6:14

3rd mile-6:28

4th mile-6:23

Total-25:10/6:18pace

Warming up with my son before the race.                                                                                                   

Feaster 5 and greatful for what I've got

What a great morning, my family cheering me on, perfect running weather, makes you happy to be alive and greatful to be able to go out there and do it. As far as the race went, 6:15 was out of the question after I went through the first mile in 6:52. Despite trying to get towards the front it was stop and go the first 1/8 of a mile, dodging people and trying to find a pace, then I was greeted by that big hill in the first mile. When I looked at the clock on the road it showed 7:15 (basically took me 20 seconds just to get to the starting line). Anyhow with the first mile down I pushed through the next two and started rolling over the last 2 miles. Not a bad go of it, I just needed to shave about 20 seconds off that first mile and I likely would have beat my time from the summer. This course was not as easy as I thought it would be and it felt like it took me the first 1/2 just to get rolling. Pretty good negative splits over the second half just wish the 1st half was faster. Great way to start a great Thanksgiving. Definately work this into future Thanksgiving's from now on.
Splits:
1st-6:52
2nd-6:34
3rd-6:34
4th-6:19
5th-6:11
Total: 32:33 (6:30/mile)

Good week

Last week I jumped back into it- 47 miles for the week, 4 runs over 9 miles, a quick 4 mile jog w/ my wife (first time we've jogged together in a long time) and a quick 1 mile run for time on the track (6:04). The Feaster 5 mile in Andover is on Thursday (Thanksgiving), I am planning on going out at 6:15/mile pace and trying to hang on. I ran 6:24/mile for a 5 miler in Nahant, I think my fitness is better and I think this course is likely faster-that is my hope anyhow. If that is the case I ought to negative split the last mile. We'll see what happens!!!!! Looking forward to getting a decent test of my fitness. On another note, I have begun using Running Ahead to log my runs, far superior to MapMyRun in terms of logging tools. Some of the advantages of Running Ahead it is free, unlike MapMyRun which is free until they start boning you when you try to get history. That bothered me initially, but I still fessed up the 30 bucks for the year. Lately, I've just gotten tired of the ads on the page, you can't log track workouts easily, and the reports that you can generate on Mapmyrun have a bunch of useless crap( i.e. calories per run etc). So, I have begun logging all my runs on RunningAhead (plus it has a workable gadget that you can see to the right). Now, I just have to figure out how to port over my records from Mapmyrun to Runningahead.

First run back from the Swine

Two weeks of straight zeros. Tonight I did my standard 7 miler along the Charles after work. Didn't feel great leg wise, heavy, slow, etc. But, respiratory wise I wasn't hacking during or after and tonight I feel pretty good now. So, I think I'll take a look in the morning, if it is as bad weather wise as they are saying, I'll put of running. But, Sunday looks for sure to be a nice day for a 10 miler nice and easy. Still considering my schedule for the next 6 months. What I'm thinking now is:
1. Providence marathon
2. Boston Prep 16 miler
3. Eastern States 20 miler
4. 1/2 at the Hamptons
5. Get in a couple smaller races 5K, 10K
6. Stew Chase
7. At least one snow shoe race

Just keeps getting better

Things I got going for me this week:

1. My daughter just got diagnosed w/ Swine Flu and an ear infection.
2. My whole family likely has swine flu, which people have died from.
3. I have been sleeping on the couch the last few nights because I wake up in the middle of the night with coughing fits that wake my wife up.
4. My wife lost her voice w/ this thing.
5. I'm not running, neither is my wife
6. This blog kind of becomes pointless without the running aspect, although I am definately plodding along now.

So much for Manchester

What a depressing weekend for me. I ran an easy 7 miler Thursday, I was coughing afterwards but thought it felt better. Friday I went over to the track and did a pre race pace workout, 2xmile,2x800,2x400 all at marathon pace (7:30 was my guess). In reality I feel like my fitness before this cold was more like 7:20 shape if I had a good day. Anyhow Saturday morning I woke up congested w/ a sore throat, I headed up to Manchester to get my packet etc. hell I already paid for the race I was gonna do it. Saturday night I trick or treated with the kids and by around 8pm I had a bad feeling that I just wasn't getting better. Sunday morning I got up all congested and nasty, headed up to Manchester, laced up my sneakers, closepinned on my bib and walked around a bit. The day was perfect, partly sunny, 50's, couldn't ask for a better day.  About 45 minutes before the start I found the timing company, turned in my chip, went back to my car, changed and went home. I knew if I started the race I wouldn't drop out, I wouldn't get a race that was an accurate reflection of all the work I've done, but I would get myself seriously sick. Although I have only run one of these things I do respect the distance-I also don't want to plod through it-I want to go as fast as possible.  I had a cold last year that I kept pushing for a month, take a day off-run-day off run-until I was seriously sick with a bronchial infection. It is now Tuesday and I still feel like crap, I haven't run and I'm not gonna until this thing is 100% gone. This was the perfect nightmare as far getting sick the week before and there was nothing I could do. This was seriously depressing for me. I have thought about hammering this marathon out for the better part of 4 months, and my confidence was huge over the last month as I increased mileage and intensity. I completed a few key workouts I wouldn't even have considered 6 months ago. I think the best thing to do now is take some time off and regroup. I'll lay out some race targets over the next six months and pick a goal marathon for the spring.  Oh well. On an even more depressing note, my wife has this thing now and both my kids are struggling to get over it. So I got that going for me!