Marathon Training Week 3 - 8-26 to 9-1

Last week was low on the mileage scale for running, mainly due to the big bike ride on Saturday (big for me, anyway).  This week?  Should be higher, and although I'm going to miss the Schonning race on Wednesday, I definitely want to get some good mileage in.  Big milestones last week, though, posted some solid numbers...

Monday, 8-26 - 0 Miles - Lori's off all week, so we're doing birthday stuff and getting Sophia ready for her first day of middle school on Wednesday.  Big week, but I'll get my miles in...

Tuesday, 8-27 - 7.5 Miles - I wanted to check out the new Hangman Hill Preserve that I mentioned in my previous post, so I headed up there.  Probably should have gone earlier or later, because it's humid out there!  Got to the preserve, only to realize that the "trails" are nonexistent.  New preserve, so right now the blazes are more or less marking the entrance to the woods...it looks like it's small, but set on a pretty steep hill, so I'm looking forward to seeing it take shape...



Wednesday, 8-28 - Wife's birthday + daughter's first day of middle school = 0 Miles...

Thursday, 8-29 - 0 Miles.  Went to Federal Hill and had lunch at Venda Ravioli.  One of our favorite places, and we were able to get seated inside.  Ate probably one of the best lunches we've ever had, then did some shopping for assorted meats, cheeses, oils and fresh pasta.  Great day filled with great Italian food!

Picking out meat for a gravy...

Friday, 8-30 - 15 Miles (Roads) - Run to Hopkinton, down to Ashaway, and back to the house.  Two zero days and my legs felt pretty good.  I filled the CamelBak, stowed a couple gels and headed out.  Scoped out a dirt road near me that goes all the way to the CT/RI border (of course Muddy already has a segment on it...).  Cruised down to the 'Schway, then looped back to the house by way of Boombridge and Hangman Hill.  Good hills, and at a bit slower than the marathon pace I want to maintain at Nipmuck.

Saturday, 8-31 - 3-ish miles (Trails) - Green Falls Pond Loop.  I have a monster blister on the instep of my left foot from yesterday's run, and decided to hit Green Falls to see if I could help it along...feels very pinchy and filled with liquid, and sure as Hell didn't pop, in spite of the terrain.  I made the run from the road to the dam at a really good clip, scrambled to the top of the dam and as I paused my GPS, realized the signal had been dropped at the beginning of the run.  Shit.  Not that I'd taken the CR for the segment, but it would have been my CR by about 30 seconds...ah well, technology, you cruel bitch mistress...



Sunday, 9-1 - 4 Miles (Trail/Some Road) - Lantern Hill fun.  Felt like a sauna out there today, and I was soaked pretty quick.  Good, hearty technical trail run with very steep grades (20% or higher in places), and perfect for Nipmuck training.  Not a long run, but a seriously good workout.  Finishes on the road on a downhill.  This was my go-to trail last year for training, I think I'll be hitting it more often in the coming weeks...