Getting back to Boston

Slow and easy for the first run of the new year. Worked up quite a sweat in the bright sunshine, even though it's in the low 40s. But I'm now 5.65 miles ahead of where I was at this time last year. Run early tomorrow with the Crackheads before we go to the bowl game in Memphis (I think, pending what the sister-in-law wants to do).

Joined the Crackheads this morning for a very cold run from ADEQ near Cook's Landing. Wound up going 10-plus at a pretty good clip; it was too cold to run slow. Then went home, showered, changed and left for the bowl game in Memphis, which was even colder. Brrr. But at least we won.

Took the last two days off due to snow and exhaustion, in that order. Both are still present, but decided to go out for a late tromp through the white stuff. There were places I was running the JBH trails by memory because I couldn't see them through the snow. Slipping was pretty minimal, fortuantely, mostly crunching down enough to where the footing was pretty good. Took me 51 and change to do 5.27, including a brief pitstop along the trail (at 16 degrees and 9:30 at night, NO ONE else is out there, trust me). Fortunately there was no wind, so the wind chill was also 16. In 48 hours, the ambient temp is going to be in single digits and the WC will have a hyphen attached.

Decided to get one more run in before we maybe get iced in for 2-3 days. Except I was kind of iced in tonight. Streets/paths were already very slick from freezing drizzle, so much so that it was preferable to run off the path in the snow than on the path. Then it started snowing on top of that. So now there will be a layer of glaze in the morning layered with snow. Yuck. Getting to work will be SO much fun. Regardless, I did 5.38 at 10:24 pace, not having the benefit of snowshoes, Yaktrax or anything else for traction. No bust busts, however/

I'm definitely a believer in the therapeutic value of running after today.

Finally got back out after 10 days off for illness and weather. Didn't feel completely back to normal physically, but I needed to get out. I needed endorphins. I was really down, blah, pretty much depressed this morning. Having thoughts I really don't want to be having. So around noon I laced 'em up and went out. It's warm enough, in the 40s anyway, that the cold air was not a problem. I think I coughed once in the run. Legs felt a little sluggish, which I expected after 10 days on the shelf, but got through at a reasonable pace. I wore the heart rate monitor out of curiosity, just to see what the HR was after so much inactivity. Looks like it was in the 130s early, got up into the 150s later on as the miles and a few hills went by. Not great, but not too surprising.

I'm still not really "up" after the run, but I'm better. I feel somewhat human again. I think I needed this run bigtime.

Legs sore from last night, so started slowly -- very slowly, like > 11:00. Gradually sped up, but overall pace didn't dip below 10:00 until the last mile. Ran three big loops around JBH, then went out the back and down Cheyenne and Camino Real to get home. Soreness still there, a bit, but not like when I started. AHR tonight 138, which is more what I had in mind for easy runs, that being less than 70% of my estimated HRR. Coughed more today, and after the run ended, but not a single cough for nearly 69 minutes during the run itself.

As things continue to deteriorate around me, I find I need to run. Not that it helps me deal with the crumbling situation, but it's an outlet. I usually come back angrier than I left, because running gives me time to think, and when I think about what's happening, I get angry because I'm so powerless to do anything about it. Tonight was a perfect metaphor -- 5.6 miles in the cold rain. Cold when I left, steaming when I got back.

Minus the Garmin, I'm estimating the distance and sorta estimating the pace (looked at my cellphone clock at beginning and end). Not estimating the effort -- I PUSHED this baby. Hardest run since Memphis, I'm pretty sure, and got harder as I went along. Started at 8:49, finished at 9:28. That is mostly likely 39:xx for what I estimate at 4.55.

Things a little brighter on the domestic front. We met with John and have a battle plan now. It may not give me what I want, but I think I'll be better equipped to move on no matter how things turn out.

Let's see, 48 degrees, raining, windy, I got up at 5:30 a.m. to go to work, and I feel like garbage. So what do I do this afternoon? I go for my longest run since Memphis -- 12.4 miles.

Started out slowly, picked up the pace as I got going and the rain came down harder. Stopped in the middle for Powerade and to get rid of the cotton t-shirt I stupidly put on under my tech shirt, then went back out. My pace before the break was 9:19. After the break must have been sub-9, because I finished at 9:06 overall. Even better I discovered that the track pants I thought were waterproof aren't, so I was carrying around a little extra weight for the last 3-4 miles. Now I'm REALLY beat.

 Still very sore after the hard 12 in the rain yesterday. Kept it low and slow today, although picked up to a 9:27 average by the end. It was colder and windier than yesterday, but bright sunshine. A guy was out running accompanied by his young son on a bicycle. The pair of them seemed to be going a little faster than I was; I met them three times in my first two laps before they went home. I just kept going. Now some stretching and football, not necessarily in that order.

One of those nights where it's too darn cold to run slow; windchill in the low 20s and falling. So I didn't. Started quick, progressed, last mile at MP or even a little quicker. Felt kinda good, actually. Worked hard on my breathing, basically making sure I EXHALED fully. Seems like when I focus on exhaling, the inhalation works better. Which makes sense; out with more bad air, room for more good air. Better get my running in while I can; looks like more wintry crap coming later in the week. Might even try to get some intervals in, with the 5K coming up on the 13th of February.

I have a theory I'm going to test over the next six months. I believe that somewhere inside this 49-year-old body, some of the speed I had as a 15-year-old is still locked up. I've unlocked some of it; that's why I'll be in Hopkinton in 2011. But I think there's more in the vault. How I propose to bring it out is to pile up a lot of miles at paces faster than what I've been normally reaching in training. Not intervals or VO2 max or tempo paces, just pushing the ordinary GA runs a little harder. For Memphis, my "base" pace -- or my recovery run pace -- was around 9:45. If I can get that down to say 9:15 before I start my next marathon cycle, that's a stronger platform to try to get down to 3:20 or below for St. George or Chicago or Boston.

So tonight I set out on another step of that plan. Started the run at 9:28 pace, then 9:11 for two miles, t hen 9:05, then 8:49, then 8:36, than the last 0.93 at 7:44 -- almost my GMP for St. George. Total time 1:02 for nearly seven miles, an 8:58 average. I think Tim Noakes calls this resetting the central governor. Get strong enough that 9:15 becomes easy, then see if the upper boundary changes from 8:05 to 7:37 -- or better.

Also better get some miles in before the ice and snow hits. I think I need to go to Lowes and get some sheet metal screws to make my own ice training shoes. I may need them this weekend -- to get to work as well as to train. Pam is going to a class this weekend in Little Rock, so I'll be batchin' it. More training time, I guess.

Tried to go easy tonight, just making sure I get some miles in before the icy stuff hits tomorrow. Wound up with 6.13 at 9:19 average. Not trying to push the pace at all; gravity accelerated me on the homeward 0.7, otherwise just tried to maintain.

Went to buy some hex sheet metal screws tonight to convert an old pair of shoes into ice shoes, which I may need tomorrow and apparently will need Friday and Saturday. Looking at those screws, it's hard to imagine that the head part will afford me much grip, but that's what I'm told. I guess we may find out Friday afternoon or so.

Pam headed for LR tonight to attend a meeting tomorrow and Friday. They're going to get the same junk down there as we do here, apparently, only less of it. She's got the 4WD, I don't. But I wouldn't have gotten to drive the 4WD even if she'd stayed up here, so I don't guess it matters.

Raining and 32 on my departure. Raining and 30 on my return. Bottom of my windshirt frozen on my return. Oh yeah, and windchill in the teens to boot. Got in my 5.53 anyway. Might not get to run for several more days. Might not have electricity for several days either. Northwest Arkansas is going to turn into a glacier tonight.

Call this one Slow in the Snow. Half-inch of ice last night, then the snow started around 8 a.m. And it's still coming. At least three inches so far, and enough wind to sting when it blows snowflakes into your grill. But I had the screw-equipped shoes to try out, so out I went. Shoes did fine, although I'm not sure a couple of screws aren't drilled just a tad too far into the soles. No slipping. But I needed a cap to keep the snow from stinging my eyes; it wasn't a blizzard, but I got a taste of what fast-blowing snow is like. And running in that stuff is like running barefoot up a sand dune. You feel like you sink in two inches on every stride, and a lot of them you DO sink in two inches. Anyway, struggled out 5.26 at 10:45 average pace, but the hams and quads will feel like I've gone much farther/faster.

Back out on the icy streets this evening, from the guy shoveling his driveway who asked if there was nothing good on TV (there wasn't) to the polar bear attack at mile 2.5, to the screws coming dangerously close to perforating my feet thanks to putting them in overly worn soles. In spite of all that, though, it was a good run. Legs felt good, was able to pick up the pace late in the run, although the overall pace, counting bear assault, was 10:18 per mile. Today put me over 40 miles for the week and 100 miles for the month, not bad for missing 12 days due to weather and illness. Would have missed three more days with weather if not for the screw shoes, but I've already switched the screws over to the Asics with much thicker soles. I don't think I'll have to worry about perforated feet for the remainder of this little Ice Age.

Course went out the back, down my mini-Heartbreak hill, up to Shiloh, then back on Pump Station to Silent Grove. Starting pace was 10:23, then 10:10, then 11:43 as the bear arrived on the scene, 10:24, 9:40 with a little downhill, and 9:23 on dead flat past the sewage plant. Assuming I lost 1:15 for the bear, which seems reasonable, overall pace would have been right around 10:00, which is not bad on icy streets.

Back out on the ice today. For some reason, despite temps remaining in the mid-20s and no sunshine to speak of, there was considerable melting going on. There were also plenty of iceballs and ruts to step on and twist ankles. How my ankles are not the size of basketballs right now is beyond me. Must have twisted the right one 20 times, and that estimate may be low.

Moved the screws into the Asics today and traction continued to be pretty good, with the possible exception of the downhill out of the park and sheer, wet ice (and the wet part may be the key; that melting again). Felt like I was on skis, but no falls again. I will be happy when I can retire the screw shoes, though. Maybe this melting will continue and I can run on clear trails tomorrow.

Total mileage today 9.04, which puts me over 110 for the month. I'm fairly happy with that, given that I missed half the moth with the gunk and the weather took out a few more days. And with the snow, many of the miles I put in this month were harder than the average bear, like running in mud or loose sand. I think my glutes and quads will be strengthened accordingly by this work, if I ver get a chance to supercompensate.