In the Depths of the Dog Days: Week of 7-18 to 7-24

It's race week (again), and I'm off all week.  Planning to grab a few miles, surf a bit, and get some things done at the house.  The Run With the Beavers 10-mile trail race is this Saturday, and as always, it's a stacked field.  I'm not surprised, either - Bob puts on a great event, and I try to make it to as many of them as I can.  The forecast is for temps in the 80-90+ degree range all week, and hitting 92 on Saturday.  Hmmm...

I also managed to sign myself up for another 50-miler, but it's not until 2017 so I'm not even thinking about any training plans or anything for it.  Here's a picture from the course:

Slot Canyons!

Monday - 0 Miles.

Tuesday - 7 Miles.  Warmup miles and the Dogwatch Fun Run.  Wait, what???  You made it to a fun run?  I sense a disturbance in the force...

Wednesday - 4 Miles.  Hot Lantern Hill Cruise.  Did a double up and down, plus a couple hill repeats on the first climb.  Hot.  Sweaty.  Summer.  Love it.

Thursday - 0 Miles.  Spent the day giving the VW (1966 13-window deluxe microbus) some love, getting her cleaned up and driving around a bit.  Much to do, but she's looking good and getting some much-needed attention!

Almost road ready!

Friday - 0 Miles.  More work on the bus,  Hot out!

Saturday - 10 Miles.  Run With The Beavers race.  What a fun event, hosted by RD Bob Jackman and his team at A Better Pace, who put on an outstanding race.  The forecast had the temps climbing into the low 90's during the day, and I figured a PR was gonna be out of the question.  I loaded up a bunch of craft beer for swapping/gifting, and headed to Chapachet, RI.  After running into a whole lot of people I was looking forward to seeing, I geared up and loaded up on bug spray, although that turned out to be unnecessary.  Already hot in the sunlight at the 9 a.m. start.  Decided to run with John P. today, as we rarely get a chance to run together and always have a great time.  Racing sometimes takes a backseat to just being there, having a good time with friends, and enjoying the experience.  Call it a perfect reason to get together!  So John and I ran the whole 10 miles side by side, getting in at 2:06 officially just as the awards were being announced.  Did some beer swapping and hanging out afterwards, and headed out.  Big turnout at the race!!!  Great to see lots of first time trail runners today, it's too much fun not to be shared.  Next up?  The Run 4 Kerri road race!  George Ross, it's on!!!

Sunday - ?

Hot! Week of 7-11 to 7-17

With no races scheduled this week, I'm leaning toward setting up some back-to-back trail runs for the weekend, and trying to beat the heat/fit runs (and maybe surf!) in amidst my work schedule.  Should be very warm this week, so it's gonna be an early or late set of options...

Monday - 0.

Tuesday - 2 Miles.  High tide beach slog, whilst waiting for my daughter and her friends to get back from their walk.  Got home, and as I was getting out of my truck to get the mail, I stepped on a piece of wood, which of course rolled out and sent me down to the ground.  I landed very hard and I'm lucky I didn't break anything.  Sore as anything...
*
Wednesday - 0.  Sore from the previous day's fall, and oddly feeling much like I did when I got Lyme last September...that really better not be the case.

Thursday - 0.  Better!  Might have been a slight case of dehydration, self-diagnosed of course...

Friday - Surf!  Too hot out, I got done with work and decided to just drive down to Matunuck.  Waist-high waves, and I trunked it for 2.5 hours.  Great session to cool off on a hot day.

Saturday - Surf again!  Hot out, and I hit Matunuck again for another 1.5 hours of surfing waist-high peelers.  Funny to get the "Where the Hell have you been?" question from the people I've surfed with for 20 years, as I've been out of the water for a bit.  Nice to get salty again!

Sunday - 9 Miles.  Duval/unmarked trails with Claire.  Steamy, sweltering Summer run with Claire on rolling trails.  I won the contest for most deer flies killed, as we were using the patches on our hats.  Me=30, Claire=0.  Winner!!!

Not as expected, but the week finished well, and my arms are sore from the surfing!  Legs are good!

Hey, Taylor!!! Weeks of 6-27 to 7-3 and 7-4 to 7-10

Yeah, buddy!  I'm working a new job, close to home, and trying to get the hard part out of the way, which is the demolition.  Ripping up old-school plaster walls with metal lathe corner bead, floors down to the joists, cast-iron tub, etc. so I'm gonna get a workout in the predicted high temperatures.

Lots of beach weather also means some TS 10-milers!  Barefoot!  And no bugs!

I also have a hilly 7-mile trail race on 7-10...

The race, the TARC Blue Hills Skyline Trail Run, is a 12k race at the Blue Hills Reservation outside Boston.  Not a very far drive from my place, and my kind of race!  7+ hilly miles split between technical and steep climbs/descents, and rolling single/double track trails.  Oh, and a fantastic view of the Boston skyline on a clear day.  I was 27th overall last year in 1:43.  Interestingly, only one runner has ever finished in under an hour!  So it's a pretty badass, technical course with almost 2,000' vertical, and put on by the well-organized and laid-back crew of the Trail Animals Running Club.  No bibs!  No shirt!  Low entry fee!  You run, and at the end of the race, they hand you a popsicle stick with your finishing number on it, which gets recorded in the results.  Screaming downhill finish on a small ski slope?  Sold!

Monday - Friday - 0 Miles.  Demolition.

Saturday - 10 Miles.  Taylor Swift beach run, Misquamicut.  One of my favorites, and pretty much the only time I run barefoot.  Great Summer run from the Weekapaug jetty out to Taylor's place and back, Peppy pace, 8:20 average, with negative splits descending down to a low 7-minute average.  Good stuff!  And still no Taylor at the halfway point with some cold lemonade...someday :)

Sunday - 0 Miles.

Monday, 7-4 - 10 Miles.  Happy 4th!  Taylor Swift run again, but with Mike B. in tow!  Hot day and a headwind out, nothing but heat and a sweaty negotiation of the massive crowds at Town and State beaches.  Great time!

Tuesday - Thursday - 0 Miles.  More Demolition.

Friday - 4+ Miles. - Lantern Hill, or "Until the Bugs Caught Me!"

Saturday - 5.2 Miles.  Dark Sky Borderlands trail run with Faith.  Her last-ish long-ish trail run before her 100k, and WTF!  I couldn't be more proud!!!

Sunday - TARC Race.  Did a long recap, and it failed to post! - 1900' of gain in 7 miles, slippery from the rain, and I scored a 5+ minute PR on a tough course.  Nice.