Where have I been?

Since my last entry after the new year I have:

1. Moved
2. Got a membership to the East Boston YMCA
3. Competed in the Indoor Rowing Championships (CRASH-B's)
4. Cancelled my membership to the East Boston YMCA
5. Worked way too much
6. Not done my taxes
7. Not forwarded all my mail to my new address
8. Done a miserable total mileage for 2012 year to date of 83 miles
9. Done an even more depressing total for the last 3 months of 197 miles

Now I could blame the move, or work, or this or that for my depressing training these last few months. But no one reads this blog, so who am I trying to convince? Something has to be done. Small goals first, bigger ones later. So how about 35 miles a week for March, sounds achievable, so there it is.

Year End-Look Back

Taking a look back at last years goals, some good green below.
2011 Goals and Objectives

• Take stock in the positive, appreciate the small things, focus on family (Did my best w/ this one, need to focus on the small things more, keep getting bogged down w/ things beyond my control)
• Stay flexible (did my best, 6 months commuting to CA this year, think I was successful)
• 40 mpw consistent w/out injury or illness, slow and steady fitness improvements (38.8 mpw average, no major setbacks w/ injury or illness)
• Take GMAT (ughh-should probably set a date for this)
• Apply to MBA program (ughh-date for this as well)
• Take time off this summer with family for vacation (Kick ass 11day RV trip)
• Yankee Homecoming 10 miler (6:45 pace, back in the saddle after last years)
• Marathon (3:08/7:12pace BQ, oh yeah)

Baystate marathon 2011

Finally got around to writing about this one. Really pleased with the work that I did going into this. No real hiccups. 4x20mile long runs, a 10 mile, 7 mile, 18.5 mile, and 13.1 race leading up to it. So I would say this time around I was plenty prepared. My last two weeks were not the best, I never felt like I was getting stronger during the taper, just holding on. I had some wierd stomach things going on during those two weeks-wierd pains and gas stuff, but nothing too severe, just enough to make me worry. In retrospect I think that the 1/2 Marathon all out two weeks before was too much. I should have geared towards a 10 miler or 10k instead. I was really beat after that race and it topped off about 6 really big weeks of running. Lesson learned there, hard to tell going into it, but I knew by 4 days after the race when I was still sore that it probably wasn't the best idea. But still my marathon result was all within 4 minutes or so of a bunch of predictors (i.e McMillan, Daniels etc). As far as the marathon goes,it was a perfect day dry and mid 50's (probably a bit warm), the Baystate course is plenty flat and I really grooved in a good rhythm. My big fade happened at mile 23 (about the same length time wise as all my long runs, coincidence?) I was 6:57 pace through 10, 6:57 pace through 13.1, 7:02 pace through 20, and the wheels came off the cart at mile 23. Just lead legged for the last 3.2 miles (almost a death march). Felt like I was gonna pass out after finishing and then like I was gonna throw up when I felt the chaffe in my inner legs (third degree burn style). But other wise held it together. Good enough for 70th place overall and a Boston Qualifying time. Given my first 23 miles I definately feel like a sub 3:05 is possble. Splits below:
1-7:14
2-6:54
3-6:47
4-7:01
5-7:12
6-6:47
7-6:48
8-6:53
9-6:49
10-6:55
11-7:00
12-7:01
13-7:01
----1/2 1:31:14/6:57pace
15-7:02
16-7:09
17-7:07
18-?-----------30k-2:11:11/7:02pace
19-?
20-7:17 -----2:20:51/7:02pace
21-7:17
22-7:20
23-7:33
24-7:39
25-7:52
26.2-9:33:08/7:57
Total: 3:08:16/7:12 pace
First Half: 1:31:39/6:57pace
Second Half: 1:36:38/7:22pace
Last 6.2: 47:16/7:37pace

Charlestown Track 3xmile/3x1/4

Did this one last Thursday and never logged it. I wanted to do some more mile repeats but wanted to wake up the legs with some faster running so I settled on this: mile-1/4-mile-1/4-mile-1/4 all at a hard but not full out effort, jogged a lap in between at around 2:15 between each interval
mile: 6:27
1/4: 1:25
mile: 6:31
1/4: 1:27
mile: 6:19
1/4: 1:27

Applefest 1/2 Marathon

Had another good run this weekend-up in Hollis NH. Drove up by myself Saturday morning, conditions were good for the first 9 miles then it began to rain heavy-squishy sneakers by the end. Ran by feel and did not look at my watch at all, my plan was to start easy and race as I felt. Rolling course, felt like the first few miles were downhill, I was real pleased with my ability to pick up runners over the last 3 miles. No one passed my from mile 3 on (except 1 relay runner). I would catch a runner and run in step w/ them for a bit and just hammer on. Worked the water stops and had a gel at mile 10. Really pleased with how I emptied the tank over the last 3 miles.  Good enough for 23rd overall. 


Splits:
1-6:51
2-?
3-?
4-6:37
5-6:49
6-6:38
7-6:40
8-6:44
9-6:32
10-7:09
11-6:46
12-6:37
13.1-7:21
Total: 1:28:17/6:44

Nahant 30k

Went significantly faster than I thought on this one. I hit my watch at each mile but resisted looking at the time. No one passed me at all from 4 miles on, and I did quite a bit of passing. Hard to get a good guage on this result, because I think this course is probably hard due to all the hills and turns-if that is the case I am really pleased w/ my fitness. I had planned on running around 7:15's for most of it and practice hitting all the water stops for gatorade. I did glance at my watch 2 miles in and saw 14 flat, but I was feeling good and a few people were walking away from me so I just figured I was in the process of settling, plus the first 3 miles is flat along the beach. Ran by feel for the entirety and finished strong (although after reviewing my splits miles 15-17 were a typical plod fest/basically holding on until the finish was in sight) I drank quite a bit of gatorade throughout.  Beat my previous time on this course in 2009 by 9 minutes, more than likely beat my 1/2 marathon PR (I've only run 1). My family was at 8 miles/13 miles and the finish-all around an awesome morning. Good enough for 14th place.  Splits:
1-?
2-?/14:00
3-6:54/20:54
4-7:01/27:56
5-6:48/34:45
6-7:04/41:49
7-7:04/48:54
8-6:32/55:26
9-6:39/1:02:06
10-6:53/1:09:00
11-6:51/1:15:10
12-6:41/1:22:32
13-6:57/1:29:30
14-6:34/1:36:04
15-7:39/1:43:44
16-7:06/1:50:50
17-7:17/1:58:08
18-6:37/2:04:45
Finish: 2:08:57/6:56

Return to Charlestown Track (3 x Mile)

I was short on time and had wanted to get some quality distance so I changed it up and just went for quality up tempo running. I have been reluctant to go near the track because I haven't been near it since before I got sick and quite frankly I am superstitious. The last time I ran on the track I did short 200's pulled a hamstring and two months later got sick and hadn't been even tempted to go near it in over a year and 4 months. Well I decided to pop the cherry today. I was basically jogging by it kind of pissed that due to obligations I only had about 40 minutes to spare and was trying to figure my route and basically figured I wouldn't  get much more than about 4 miles of easy jogging. So I took a hard left jogged onto the track and banged out 3xmile with 1/4 mile jog in between. I had no particular goal other than I figured I would shoot for 10k pace on the first one and see how I felt. I ended up starting about there and picking it up a bit for the last two. Felt good to do some hard running, plus the track is rubber so it feels forgiving underneath. Oh yeah, I finally took the time to figure out where the actual mile start and finish is.  Splits:
1-6:32
2-6:26
3-6:23