Long Runs and Belleville 10K Week...

Monday, 1-21 - 14+? Miles (Roads/Trails) - Westerly YMCA to Barn Island and back.  Met up with Jeff and Muddy at 6:30 as it was just starting to get light out.  24 degrees, but without a trace of a breeze it was much more comfortable than the previous few days.  Didn't remember to start my running app until 1 mile in, typical...I think I'd have made the whole 18-20 goal if I hadn't gone out yesterday, but at Jeff's water stash stop (mile 9?), I bowed out and took the road back to Westerly.  Still ended up being a pretty good distance, though!  Barn Island was awesome, and we got there right at sunrise, very cool place and I'd have been utterly lost without a guide...cool running with those guys, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to take a zero day tomorrow!!!



Tuesday, 1-22 - 0

Wednesday, 1-23 - 0 - Karate class a.m., p.m. stretching and light weights.

Thursday, 1-24 - 3.1 Miles (Treadmill) - Hamster Wheel Run.  Part of a larger strength and conditioning workout, and at my 5K race pace, alternated 6, 7:30 and 8-minute paces randomly.  Nice to be able to run in just shorts and racing flats - would love to be outside, but I have to admit it's just too damn cold out for me at a negative wind chill...looks like a warmup coming at the end of the weekend!

Friday, 1-25 - 4 Miles (Trails) - Grills Preserve, Hopkinton.  Finally got to check out Grills Preserve, and loved it.  Well-marked trails, cool rolling wooded area 8 minutes from the house.  I missed the turn to the big hill, but on my second loop from the lot, was able to find the big rock:

Hey, that's a pretty big rock...

Snowy and 22 degrees, but the wind had died down and it wasn't too bad.  I did take Seth's advice and dig up my Nipmuck thingy:

So a successful first outing at Grills, and going back for more soon, have to do more exploring there...

Saturday, 1-26 - 6.5 Miles (Trails/Roads) - Champlin trails and Westerly roads with Jeff, Eric B. and Yvonne R.  Sunny, chilly day, with about 1/2 inch of fresh snow covering everything, great morning for a run.  Took off from Eric's place at a nice easy pace, about a half mile from Champlin Glacier Park.  Great day for a pre-Belleville warmup, and didn't need the YakTrax at all...



Sunday, 1-27 - 8 Miles (Trails) - Belleville Pond 10K Trail Race.  The third race in the 4th Season Race Series, a strictly offroad trail race around Belleville Pond in North Kingstown, RI.  Great course, Mike G. and company flagged/marked it perfectly.  Ran into Mike K. and his friend Tracy, along with Eric B. and his friend, Jeff and family, and the usual WTAC suspects (minus Rhody Seth and Mike B., both on the DL).  Did a very cold, very short warmup and lined up for the start.

Went out at an easy pace, middle of the pack, and ended up behind WTAC'ers Carol Ann and John H., who were running at a comfortable speed.  I had the plan that when my phone chirped the end of 7K, I'd kick in whatever extra gas I had and finish as fast as I could.  As soon as it beeped, I said "Here we go" to Carol Ann and started picking off runners ahead of me, and had my fastest kilometer of the race.  Slowed a bit in the narrow, rooty 9th K, then picked it up again for the home stretch.


 Still had some energy left at the finish?  Means I could have kicked in sooner, maybe at 5K?  Still trying to figure it out, but I felt pretty good despite the temp/winds...joined Mike and Tracy for a quick cooldown, watched the awards ceremony (Curse you, Turtles!!!) with Jeff and the boys, and hit the road.  Next stop, Super 5K!