Long Day

February 29th: 4:45am wakeup. Tough to get up out of bed. Bowl of cereal. Washed some dishes. Out the door at 5:30am. Work from 6am-2:30pm. One of the safety team members texted Goupil and said the supervisor of EHS wants 2 dozen donuts. The statement to guarantee he would buy em was he would be reimbursed. It was all a lie! We had donuts for break at 8. I accidentally ate 5 donuts. Whoops! Chicken and avocado sub for lunch. In the afternoon, I had one of the contractors give me some lip on a verbal recommendation I was giving him about his PTP sheet. Set me off a bit, but I kept my cool. I have his name anyways. Ended the day on the computer to type up my notes. Home to relax before Goupil made it back to the nest at 4ish.

Out the door at 4:45pm to met up with Derrick for the normal loop. Slushy and snowing out so it was a survival run. Cruised through it with minimal conversation. 9+ miles (65:12). We were puddle/slush f***ed three times within the first 2 miles. I wanted to punch something or just stop. I didn't.

Back to stretch and foam roll. A couple sets of pushups and sit-ups. Calf raises in the shower. Omelette for dinner. Bed before 9.

"Gormet" Food

February 28th: 5am wakeup. Bowl of cereal for breakfast. Work 6am-3:00pm. Last 1/2 hour was dealing with Sharepoint and figuring it how to edit a document. It was frustrating. I luckily had my sausage, pepper, onion, and mushroom sub held my angry to a minimum. I went home to just relax and eventually take about a 45 minute nap or so. Goupil woke me up at 5:10pm and I threw myself up off the couch to change.

Out the door at 5:30pm for the 10.8 mile loop. 78:03 (80:15 total with break) later with a very necessary bathroom break at 26:04 for 2 minutes and 12 seconds (yes I split it). Home to foam roll and ice. Shower. Dinner and lunch prepared at the same time. Baked up eggplant, green peppers, and tomato with layers of mozzarella cheese in between over some pasta for dinner. Lunch was marinated chicken strips with cheddar cheese and sautéed avocado on a sub roll. Mmm, I am already looking forward to lunch tomorrow.

Bed soon after to sleep soundly.

Maximize The Recovery

February 27th: 5am wakeup. Basically no food in the house because I didn't do any grocery shopping yesterday. No milk, yogurt, orange juice, bananas or anything else. I did have a couple packets of instant oatmeal for emergencies. Bananas and cream instant oatmeal. A couple Advil and a multivitamin. Work from 6am-2:30pm. Quick day. Suprisingly energentic for the 8 hours. Spaghetti and meatball leftovers from Friday night for lunch. Straight to Da after work for grocery purchasing. Fruit, veggies, meat, milk, cheese, OJ, and sub rolls. Home to clean up the kitchen to pass time. Goupil home at 4:15ish. No rush to run.

Out the door at 4:50pm. Throw the calf sleeves on to keep the legs stable. Ran to the bike trails to do a few loops and head back to the apartment. 8.5 miles (62:24). Super nice weather out today. Shorts and a pullover. Dirt trails felt amazing. A lot of places of my body were sore today such as my triceps, abs, lower back, hamstrings, and lower calves. Foam rolled. Sticked my legs. A couple sets of pushups and situps. Iced the calves. Shower. Television until I was hungry.

Tortilla burger with peppers, mushrooms, and onions for dinner. What sounds better than that? The sausage, pepper, onion and mushroom sub with muenster and mozzarella cheese I made at the same time for lunch tomorrow. Cannot wait!

Bed early. Oh, and Big Bang Theory was replaced with friggin NASCAR. Pathetic.

DH Jones Race Report

February 26th: 6:40am wakeup. I was expecting to wake up to my alarm at 7:05am, but nature called soon after. Emptied myself out. Breakfast at 7. Instant packet of cinnamon and spice oatmeal with a splash of milk. Gatorade to wash it down. Changed up. Out the door just after 8am with George Adams and Boj in Goupil's car. Stopped in Chesterfield at Hammet's. Met Fyffe in Brattleboro. Off to Amherst at 8:30ish. Nature Valley protein bar at 8:50am. Jammed out to Rack City and other club bangers to get pumped up. Arrived at 9:30am. Picked up my number and free shirt. Kimber came to the race to spectate :) Warmed up 2+ miles (16:32) at 10:20am. Previewed the first mile and the last mile. Back to change up into the singlet and racers. Decided on just shorts and singlet with a pair of thin winter gloves. The BAA crew showed up in full, so my royal blue shorts and bright yellow jersey resembled them just a bit. Whatever. A shot of Clif Bar energy gel before heading to the start. To the line at 10:45am for strides and a spot towards the front.

Quick start. Bumped around a bit. 5:20 first mile comfortably. Maybe 20th place. About 20 meters off the lead pack. I don't wear a watch in races, but I knew I was clipping off a solid pace on the downhills and uphills in the next couple miles. I kept Fyffe (the grey Powerbar hat helped me decifer between the rest of the BAA guys) in my sights through the dirt road section (4-6 miles). Waiting to hit the wall from 6 miles on because I was definitely getting after it. It didn't happen until about 9 miles. This is where I pulled up next to Fyffe and the wind tunnel was in full force (mile 9 sign collapsed as we passed by). Last mile had two solid climbs with a downhill/flat finish in a parking lot for the last 400 meters. Fyffe yelled at me to get after it on the final hill. I responded with silence, but reacted to the feedback and finished up strong in a 6th place overall (52:19). 10 mile PR. Grand prix top 10 finish from what others were telling me post race. Back inside for warm clothes and some fluids for a cooldown. Jogged 3.5+ miles (31:08) with Goupil, Tom (Albany guy), and George "The Wolverine" Adams. 3 bananas, a protein shake, and a s'mores Balance Bar for recovery fuel. 16 for the day. 67 for a scheduled down week.

Back to the Swanzey lake house to shower and chill out until heading back to NY. McDonald's stop for a couple McChickens, a small fry, and a sundae. Home to watch the indoor track and field chmapionships. Bed to begin my 8th week of work. Yessss!

Travel Day

February 25th: 6am wakeup? Yeah, I think so. In a bit of a routine. Tried to go back to sleep, but I had to do number 2. So I just got out of bed. Breakfast at 6:30am. Laid on the couch and watched Sportscenter. Packed up, emptied the recycling, made my bed, and out the door at 8:30am. Jammed out to the new playlist on the ride over. Fyffe's house at 10:30am for an easy 5 mile run. Turned out to be 6 miles (40:37). Some hills and snowy roads. Solid run. Relaxed in Putney, Vermont (Fyffe's house) for the day by eating pizza, mozzarella sticks, Ritz cracker, parmesan cheese goldfish, Gatorade, and a Shirley temple from a bottle. Fyffe's wife didn't like it so I grabbed it. Played wii bowling and took me a few games to get back to my usual killer spin throw. Started killing it. Dinner at The Marina in Brattleboro with Ferenc (and girl), Fyffe (and wife), Boj and Goupil. Bacon, chicken and cheese melt sandwich. Pretty tasty. Great to just sit down and talk nonsense with the guys. Back to the Swanzey lake house for the night. DH Jones 10 miler tomorrow in Amherst, Mass. Gonna be a fun one.

Easy Day

February 24th: 5am wakeup. Cereal for breakfast. Finished off the cold cuts for lunch. Work 6am-2:30pm. Another quick day at work. Home to just sit/relax until Goupil came home. Unfortunately it was raining throughout the day and pouring at some points. We had to make the big decision on when to run without getting drenched. We left just after 5pm and it worked out fairly well. A little drizzle in the first mile and stayed pretty light for the rest of the run. 7 miles (45:57). Cruised right through it. Home to chill and eventually make dinner. Spaghetti and meatballs. Leftovers for Sunday night because I won't feel like preparing anything after the race. Dozed off on the couch while watching television from 9:30-10. Goup woke me up and told me to go to bed. I complied. Ready to sleep in on a Saturday. Woohoo!

Straight Forward Day

February 23rd: 5am wakeup. Breakfast. Spiffy outfit today with my Docker cords and my Land End's "dad" shirt. Porkchop with pasta for lunch. Work 6am-2:30pm. Normal 8 hour day without any complications. Home to clean up my room, wash dishes and get ready for a run.

Easy 10 mile run (70:00). Relaxing and flew right by with Goupil. Back to foam roll, ice, and prepare for a new Big Bang Theory episode and the Heat/Knicks game. Omelette for dinner. Bed at a decent hour.

Tomorrow is Friday! Ca-chang!

Some Speed/Turnover

February 22nd: 5am wakeup. Bowl of cereal for breakfast. Made a sandwich for lunch (buffalo style chicken breast deli meat, muenster cheese, mayo and hot pepper jelly) with a side of yogurt and granola (separate tupperware), a banana, and a nature valley protein bar. Work 6am-2:30pm. Quick day with a couple meetings in the morning. My supervisor swung by with pizzas for lunch and individual meetings. I had to resist with the workout in the afternoon. Home by 3 to pick up Goupil's Runningwarehouse package. He picked up mine in the front office when he came home. We opened em up at the same time with my knife. A new pair of trainers and racers. Saucony Mirage 2 (white/orange) for trainers and Mizuno Ronin 3 (black/orange) for racers. Grand total of 87 bucks.

Met Derrick at the track at 4:45pm. 3+ mile warmup (23:33). Amazing weather. Striped down to half tights, short sleeve, and calf sleeves for the workout. 6x400 (200 jog) and 6x200 (200 jog). Some strides to get a feel for the new racers. Pow! Like a glove! The support of a trainer, but feel and weight of a racer. No real goal for interval times. Just get the legs moving quick, but nothing crazy. 400s: 69, 69, 69, 67, 67, 68 (the final one I was through in 32 high and the final 100 meters a crazy wind/rain started to whip through). Threw on gloves for the second half. 200s: 33, 33, 31, 29, 28, 29. Solid workout. Confidence booster going into the race this weekend. 3+ mile cooldown (25:11). 10 miles total.

Stretched, foam rolled, sticked the legs. Started preparing dinner right away. Baked up a couple porkchops split in half stuffed with thinly sliced Macintosh wedges and minced fresh garlic. Surrounded with cut up carrots, vidalia onion, olive oil and the remainder of the apple. Baked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Mmmm.

Bed early for maximum recovery.

Grease Monkey

February 21st: 4:50am wakeup. Bathroom first thing as usual. Chicken quesadilla for lunch. Made it after I made my dinner last night. I was pretty pumped for it all day. Work 6:00am-2:30ish. My car had been running a little rough in the morning, mostly on turns. I noticed yesterday on my way home from work. I decided to do something about it. I had a feeling my Subaru Outback was low on power steering fluid. Picked some up at Target. Checked it out in the apartment parking lot. Fo sho! It was mad low. Checked the rest of the fluids and noticed the antifreeze was low as well. Drove over to the Walmart. Grabbed Gatorade and finger/toe nail clippers as well. Passed Goupil through the stoplight right by our apartment. We waved to each other, obviously. It was awesome. Finished working on my car, like the man I am.

Out the door at 5:30ish for a easy run. 8.5 miles (62:26). Out and back route. Nice to go less than 10 on a weekday. Foam rolled and sticked my legs like crazy. Showered with 3 sets of 15 calf raises with the hot water directly on em.

Tortilla burger for dinner. Big Bang Theory cuz I'm slightly obsessed. Bed early to rest up the legs for tomorrow's workout and the weekend and just in general.

Unscheduled Progressive Run

February 20th: 5am wakeup. Dragged myself out of bed. Bowl of cereal. Leftover Chinese food for lunch. Out the door before 5:30am. In to work at 5:45am. Turned on Alyssa's computer for her because it takes like 8 minutes to start up and log in. Typed up my weekly report before starting the day. Out of work at 3:00pm. Relaxed until Goupil got home.

Out the door for a 10 mile run and we started to clip off each mile right away in the beautiful weather. 33:22 for the first 5. 30:34 for the last 5.1 miles. Last mile in 5:31. Overall 6:20 pace. Content to start the week off right and quick. Felt smooth.

Powerhouse quesadilla for dinner. Mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Sautéed avocado, tomato, onion, mushroom, and green pepper. Chicken marinated in chili powder and hot sauce. Made a second one for lunch tomorrow because that's how I do it in NY. Leftover city!

Bed early. Easy tomorrow.

Sunday Funday

February 19th: 8am wakeup. Crawled onto the futon with Kimber for a bit before getting up to eat breakfast. Goupil and I were in no rush for our run so we waited until the afternoon. I made Bisquick Belgium waffles for breakfast. Kimber and I topped it with a thin spread of Nutella and some maple syrup (the real stuff of course). After breakfast, we decided to get our intake of vitamin D and do a little window shopping. I purchased a travel mug, hot pepper jelly, and anti-fungal medicine for my toes. Kimber gave me a calf massage before she left, then she departed for Connecticut at 2:30pm. Goupil and I watched the rest of the Knicks game, then we scooted out the door for a run. Classic out and back run. Goupil had to make a bio break at 5 miles at the apartment. I jogged around for a mile. Back on the road for another 5 miles. Just shy of 11 total (76:01).

76 miles for the week. Down week this upcoming week with one workout and DH Jones 10 miler in Amherst, Mass on Sunday. Should be a blast with a bunch of competition.

Saturday Double Day

February 18th: 8am wakeup. 3 mile (21:15) shakeout with Goupil before starting the day of intense relaxing. Ate some breakfast. Kimber was in the mood for hard boiled eggs. I just had a bowl of Go Lean with a dribble of maple syrup over the top. The next 4-5 hours consisted of watching tv, laundry in the apartment complex, some quality conversation before hitting the track for a short workout.

Drove to the track. Kimber ran easy while we warmed up 3+ miles (23:00) While we did the workout, Kimber did some strides and drills before heading back the mile to the apartment. Workout was more for Goupil's benefit to get some turnover before next weekend. The workout was 6x400 with 200 rest. I paced Goupil through the first 200 meters of the first 3 intervals. The next 3 intervals I paced either through 300 or the full interval. Solid workout at 4:40 pace. 2.5+ mile (18:51). 9 mile total and 12 for the day.

Home to shower and decide dinner. Kimber was craving fried rice so we splurged on Chinese food at the East Wok Restuarant next to Hannafords. Kimber ordered the sweet and sour chicken. I ordered pork lo mein with a side of crab rangoon. While we waited, we picked up "What's Your Number?" Glad we only paid $1.28 with Redbox. Relaxed the rest of the night. I gave Kimber the futon (my bed) and I slept on the floor in the sleeping bag. The twin sized futon didn't work Friday night because I sprawl out when I sleep. Kimber eventually moved to the floor at some point, then to the couch. I felt bad. She can be picky when it comes to her sleeping arrangements :) After spending a summer in the woods, nothing bothers me.

Not Every Day Can Be A Career Day

February 17th: 4:45am wakeup. I was proud of myself for making my lunch and breakfast simaltenously. Double decker peanut butter, jelly and nutella. Onion, green pepper and mozzarella cheese omelette. Out the door at 5:30pm. Work 6:00am-3:15pm. Slow day, but no complaints on a Friday. Back to the apartment to relax after a long 45 work week. Once Goupil got home, we were in no rush to pop out the door. We stumbled out to trot along for the first 5 miles or so. Every chance we got to stop at the crosswalk, we did. Finally warmed up towards the end and finished up the last couple miles under 7:00s. 11.5 (82:23). Back to ice the legs before stopping off at Hannaford's to pick up a few things for dinner. Kimber rolled in at 7:15pm for a weekend stay at the Goupil/Macknight Inn. Made a delightful dinner together (pasta, sautéed veggies and chicken) and then "we" fell asleep on the couch. A.K.A I passed out and Kimber woke up me up to put me to bed. Saturday morning sleep in.

Work It Out

February 16th: 5am wakeup. Bowl of cereal. Watched the highlights of the Knicks. Linsanity! I'm a Knicks fan when they're good. More like I watch the NBA when the person I live with watching NBA (example Jared). Off to work. We had most of our day filled with meetings. We checked out the catwalks in the morning. Walked with the head of EHS and M+W and some contractor's safety reps. The afternoon was a toolbox talk and a PTP refresher. Went out for a beer with the safety team after work down the road. Home after a bit to workout with Goupil in the terrible weather.

Drove to the track to keep our extra clothes dry and avoid running on the main road in the rough conditions. 3+ mile warmup (22:24). Goal was 3x1000, 4x400, and possibly 4x200. We started our workout at 5:50pm so we pretty much cut out the 4x200.

1000 (3:06), 400 rest, 1000 (3:04), 400 rest, 400 (75 because I had to stop and poop), 1000 (3:05), 400 rest, 400 (73), 200 rest, 400 (71), 200 rest, 400 (70), 200 rest, 400 (70). 3+ mile cooldown (23:30). 10.5 for the day.

The bathroom break threw me off a bit and the beer I could feel a bit. Happy with the workout considering eveything that went down. Showered up. Big Bang Theory. New episode. Quesdilla for dinner. Bed at some point.

Routines Are Key

February 15th: Wakeup at 4:35am. I decided on this wakeup off of the sleep cycle app. I put in my wakeup of 5am and I had to be in bed 30 minutes prior. So I waited until 10:10pm and set the alarm for 4:35am. Woke right up. Ca-chang! Made myself a mushroom, pepper and cheese omelette. On the road by 5:28am (new record). Normal day at work. We did have a productive meeting about the new program to input our safety observations. Should be more efficient. Out by 3:15pm and swung by Da Choppa to pick up a few essentials (milk, OJ, eggs, granola bars and veggies). Back to the apartment at 4. Goupil texted me and said he was gonna be staying late at work. So I headed out for a run at 5. 10.4 (64:19). Ran with the iPod so I was cruising along. Though I felt smooth because we were supposed to do a workout today, but its pushed back to tomorrow. I just went with it. 5 miles 32:38. Last 5.4 miles (31:41). Overall 6:10 pace. Workout tomorrow.

Dinner was a diesel tortilla burger with grilled up avocado, grape tomato, onions, mushrooms and green peppers. Topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Mmmmmmm. Tall glass of milk to wash it all down.

Caught up with Jared Samuel. Bed early. Almost done with the week.

Nonstop Day

February 14th: 5am wakeup. Bowl of cereal. Leftover meatloaf packed for lunch. Sported the dark purple Land's End polo for work. Work was pretty easy, but out of there at 4. Left at the same time as Goupil. The only thing that kept me going the rest of the day and overtime was these homemade brownies with chocolate frosting. Delicious! Home to basically get ready for my run and out the door at 4:45ish. 11 miles (78:12). Felt good. Quads still a little sore, but happy with how I felt. Hit up the trails and made a big loop. Soft terrain was heaven to the legs. Back to make a tasty dinner. Porkchop breaded with egg and crumbled up Ritz crackers, angel hair pasta, and yellow squash. Pow! Relaxed and watched Big Bang Theory. Oh, and FaceTimed with my sister Sarah.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Pete Thomas Workout

February 13th: Tough to wakeup. 5am. Shower and shave. Breakfast. Packed a lunch. Normal day at work. Some flurries on the way over. Out at 3:15pm. Washed some dishes, dressed for the run, foam rolled and threw on the calf sleeves for some additional warmth. Run with Derrick. Classic loop, but this time we peeled off to stop at the Chen High School track for a paced mile. Goupil tried talking us out of it. I held my ground and convinced him to tough it out. Surprised myself with a 4:56 (2:30, 2:26). Sore quads going in, but I almost zoned out and reverted back to my college days. The mile felt smooth. Jogged back to the apartment to make it 10+ (70:22). Meatloaf for dinner. Bed early for a Tuesday day of work. Yessss!

Pete Thomas would be proud.

Big Weekend

February 10th: 5am wakeup. Goupil and I carpooled in the morning because we were both heading to New Hampshire that afternoon after work. Normal day at work. Felt organized and productive because we improved our efficiency by having me part "administrative" by typing up the Daily Safety Walks (DSW) and the Pre Task Planning sheets (PTPs) at the end of the day on the computer. I have been the past couple weeks unofficially, but now I am allowed to use the computer without be frowned upon. Our job description as a safety team does not include "being a desk jockey." It broke up the day well. I was able to type my notes up from 1:45pm-2:45pm. Out of there and back to the apartment to pack/clean before an easy 5.8 mile run (41:00). 2.5 hour drive over to Keene, NH. Goupil and I dance partied it up all the way with Lil Wayne radio on Pandora. Dropped Goupil off at the lake house and I headed to Kimber's for dinner. Relaxed the rest of the night.

February 11th: 7am wake up. 5+ mile run (33:31). Kimber made me breakfast by the time I made it back. French toast with fresh strawberries and real maple syrup. Chilled for the day until my second run (Kimber's first run). Kimber cleaned, made apple cake, and other odds & ends. Solid run 5.6 miles (48:43). Great run for Kimber. We were dressed pretty much the opposite. I had full tights, four layers on top, winter hat and gloves. Kimber had capri tights, two layers on top, and a baseball hat. She ended up rolling up her sleeves. She is running her second half marathon in May. Woohoo! Back to shower up before heading to Harlo's Pub for Valentine's/Birthdays celebration. New Castle, locally made English style pork sausages, mashed potatoes, and veggies. It was called Bangers and Mash! And it was bangin! Apple cake for dessert and bed early for the long run in the AM. Just shy of 11 miles. Happy to double and rest up on a Saturday.

February 12th: 7:15am wakeup. Single pack of instant oatmeal. Packed up the bag and over to Swanzey to the lake house for the start of the epic run. A mix of Beech Hill, The Clearing and Otterbrook. My three favorite runs. Cruised all the hills, almost attacked by the dachshund, and rocked the last mile in sub 5:30. Relaxed the rest of day by grabbing food (buffalo chicken), shopping with Kimber, and seeing baby Wilson before we got back to Clifton Park, NY. Bed as soon as I got home to prepare for the work week.

17 miles (1:48:11). Amazing run with Fyffe, Najem, and Goupil. Legs felt strong and fresh. 78 miles for the week. Sweet!

Full Day

February 9th: Woke up at 5:05am. Bowl of Go Lean original. This cereal is a kinda bland and boring. So I topped it with one of my favorite condiments, maple syrup. Perfect. Work 6am-3:45pm. Overtime due to the lack of effort put forth by some of our safety team. Some words were exchanged with the onsite supervisor and myself. We are having a meeting tomorrow to sort things out. Home just before Goupil. Washed some dishes to relax before the run.

Out for a run at 4:45pm. 11 mile loop with an extra loop in this bike/walking trails Goupil wanted to check out. 12+ total (1:29:38). Solid run. Allows us to go shorter tomorrow. Heading over to New Hampshire tomorrow to visit Kimber and run with some of the Keene guys on Sunday morning.

Dinner was another delicious concoction. Angel hair pasta, hamburger meet, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and avocado. Mmm.

Work It Out

February 8th: 5:10am wakeup. Big bowl of Go Lean Crisp and a glass of OJ for breakfast. Work from 6am-3pm. For working in such a large building, there are definitely not enough bathrooms in the place for the number of workers. I had to travel up to the 3rd floor in order to find an open stall. My mistake was I attempted to use it directly after lunch. Post lunch is the time of high occupancy in the restrooms. Rest of the day was a breeze and I made it home to relax before Goupil got home for a run.

With the ginormous lunch I ate earlier (about 1/2 pound pasta with chicken and veggies, yogurt with a banana and granola, and a Clif bar), I had to empty myself before the workout. I got dressed and did a lap (1+ mile) at 4:15pm. Worked like a charm.

Goupil and I met up with Derrick at the Chen High School track for a warmup. 31:33 total warmup (4.5). Did some strides to stretch out the kinks. Quads still a little sore from Sunday. The goal of the workout was 4x400 and 4x800 with half rest. Alternating between 400s and 800s. The structure was 400 interval, 200 jog, 800 interval, 400 jog, 400 interval, 200 jog and so on. Classic Keene State workout. Started out the 1st set 78, 2:37 (80,77). A bit rusty. 2nd set 74, 2:30 (74,76). 3rd set was a surprise and went smoothly at 72, 2:24 (72,72). Last set brough me back to a spring college day at Monadnock High School and I hit 68, 2:20 (69,71). The recovery was kept easy, but happy with the overall workout. Felt smooth the whole way and Goupil did not appreciate my leg speed that magically flashed back into my legs by the end of the workout. It happens. 4.5 mile workout. Cooldown a little under 3 (19:00). 12 total for the day.

Dinner = mushroom, tomato, green pepper 4 egg omelette with cheddar and mozzarella cheese topped with some ketchup. Destroyed it. Bed early. Oh and terrible rancid gas all day. I'm glad I don't have a desk job.

Nothing Special

February 7th: 5am wakeup. Rolled out of bed at 5:10. Rushed around to get to work on time. Quick day at work. Watched a video from 8am-9am to break up the day. Out at 3pm. Home to relax. Laid down on the couch at 4:30pm and just closed the eyes to rest them for a short while. I was suddenly woken up from Goupil at 5:20pm and I thought for some reason it was 5:20am. I hopped up mumbling something and rushed into the kitchen for some reason (breakfast or packing a lunch?). It was a strange string of events, but we were out the door wide awake at 5:45pm. A couple speed bumps before heading out included starting to put my shoe on the wrong foot and putting my glove on the wrong hand. Solid run though. 10 miles (71:44) that flew by fast. Good conversation, sidewalks and avoiding busy roads helped pass the time.

Monster dinner. Pasta. Chicken marinated in Italian dressing, hot sauce, chili powder, and a hint of fresh lime. Sautéed garlic, onions, tomatoes, green peppers and mushrooms. Having for lunch tomorrow. Can't wait.

Bed early for the daily grind and a short workout tomorrow. Visiting Kimber this weekend!

Super Bowl Unspoken Holiday

February 6th: 5:10am wakeup. Poured a bowl of cereal. Noticed the milk was just ever so slightly a different color and consistency. No chunks, but just didn't taste right. Instead I went with yogurt and granola. Packed up my lunch (double decker PB & nutella) and out the door at 5:35am. Two guys not at work so it was a slow day overall. Out of there at 2:30pm and to Da Choppa (Price Chopper) for groceries. Bought a bunch of veggies and meat for lunches and dinners.

As I waiting at the stoplight, an old man was in the turning lane to the left of me. The light turned green and I proceeded straight. Nothing from the old man. He had fallen asleep (I could see in my side view mirror) in the maybe 20-30 seconds we were sitting at the red light. Someone honked behind him and he sorta floored it and made the turn through the busy 4 way intersection. Just wow. Safely returned back to the apartment to change for a run with Derrick and Goupil at 4:45pm.

9.5+ miles (69:39). Kept it easy and the quads were a bit sore. Felt way better than I thought. Jumped out of bed this morning with no soreness, but the soreness did slowly set in through the day, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Tortilla burger and home fries for dinner. Hit the spot. Bed early. Almost completely kicked out any sickness that trying taking over me the past few days. No lost days of training.

And the Giants are champs! Worth staying up for the game and being able to sleep soundly last night.

Race Report (Winter Series 10 Miler)

February 5th: 6:45 wake up. Another 10+ hours of sleep. Decided that I would give the 10 miler a shot. Washed some dishes. Ate a single packet of cinnamon and spice instant oatmeal. Took a hot shower to loosen up the mucus in the nose. Out the door at 8:30am. Stopped off the ATM to withdraw some money for my part of rent to give to Goupil. Arrived at the campus at 9am. Took care of business in the bathroom before any kind of line formed. Out for a warmup with the ARE crew at 9:20am. 20:33 warmup (2.5+). Legs felt "clean" (no aches or pains) during the warmup. Switched up the gear into race mode except for the shoes and addition of a wrist accessory. I kept the trainers on and wore the watch to make it feel like a hard tempo run rather than a race. Rocked just purple shorts, a singlet, a light pullover and a hat (not winter). 25 degrees and I felt perfectly dressed. I studied the course map to make sure I didn't get lost like 2 weeks ago.

A couple guys were going to be serious competition so I let them take the lead after the 1st mile. First 5 miles (28:04). The two lead guys battled back and forth for 27:30 for the first 5. I slowly reeled 2nd in around 6 miles. Passed him before mile 7. Kept clipping off at the top guy until about 2.5 to go. I pull up next to him and threw in some decent surges. Covered immediately. With just over a mile to go, I made a move that I was able to catch him off guard to put enough distance to grab the win in 54:35. 2nd in 54:38. It was close. I didn't know if I was gonna get him because I knew he has 4:11 in his pocket compared to my 4:22. Fun run and faster than I expected. Oversized HMRRC running gloves for the win and lots of free food. 4.5+ mile (35:19). Oh and technically it was 10.1 miles so it came out sub 54 for 10 miles. Everyone had the run the extra so it was a real solid effort on the day and 69 for the week. Down week with two hard runs. Recovering well from my under the weather conditions.

Relaxed the rest of the day until the Super Bowl. Go Giants!

Like Magic

February 4th: 8am wakeup. 10+ hours of sleep. Well rested. Just stuffy in the morning. No sore throat. Relaxed until Goupil was up at 9am. Out the door for a morning run. Almost 6 miles (44:20). Took it easy and cleared the sinuses with some snot rockets. Back to shower and relax until hitting up the laundromat at 1ish. Grabbed some mucinex at the store. Checked out Verizon Wireless for a new phone. Nothing special out there.

Another run at 4:45pm. 5+ (38:06) with Goupil. 11 for the day. Tomorrow is the lowkey 10 miler in Albany. Still deciding. I think I will go either way. Its only 5 bucks and I can run as fast as I want. We will see how I feel in the AM.

I cannot wait to go to bed tonight. Gargling apple cider vinegar is the home remedy. Swear by it.

A Couple Easy Days

February 2nd: Standard day at work. Informal work gathering at La Feista (Mexican restaurant). Delicious. Pounded major food. Chimichangas with rice. Took a mini break. Somebody made me a steak tortilla with the works because they couldn't finish their meal. I was stuffed, in a good way. Home to just relax and head to bed before 9 because I wasn't feeling great.

Scheduled day off from running. Body was letting me know I needed one. Worked out to my advantage.

February 3rd: Terrible night sleep. Woke up at 12:30am, 3:30am, and then 4:30am. Just got up because my throat hurt too much. Gargled with some mouthwash. Got ready for work and out the door at 5:30am. Normal day at work. Some vitamin C lollipops, tea with extra honey, some honey packets by themselves (emergency honey, EH) and a jolly rancher throughout the day to keep me chugging along. Stopped by Target for some essentials after work. NyQuil (store brand obviously), vitamin c drops, apple cider vinegar, Dove bars of soap, soap container, hand soap, and pencils for my running log. Home to run with Goupil at 4:30pm. Easy 10+ (72:51). Back to shower and make a bomb quesdilla (sautéed grape tomatoes, onions, and avocado with chili powder, cheddar and monterary jack cheese, all topped with salsa). Mmm. To the movie theatre for the 7:15 showing of Chronicle. Intense movie. I have leave it at that. Still taking it in. Not mind-blowing, just kinda strange. Worth the money. Bed by 9ish, but not before the under the weather routine of gargling apple cider vinegar and a shot of store brand NyQuil.

Workout? I think not.

February 1st: 5am wakeup. Totally said rabbit rabbit rabbit this morning, on the toilet! Bowl of cereal for breakfast. Leftovers from the other night (huge tupperware of rice, chicken, broccoli, onions and yellow squash) for lunch. Another day down of work. Though the highlight of today was my co-worker and I found a major safety violation. A contract worker up on a ladder on the catwalk without being tied off above him (didn't have a harness on either). Took the appropriate measures for the situation. Luckily it was his first day of his apprenticeship. He received a slap on the wrist and was not kicked off site. It was a fairly intense situation, but was handled professionally. Worked an extra 1/2 hour to type up my daily safety walk (DSW) report. Home to relax before out the door at 4:30pm for a "nice easy jog."

Mad early start so mostly daylight. Sported just shorts and a long sleeve. Woohoo! 10.8 miles (71:10). 6:35 pace overall with the last 2 miles in 11:44 (5:59,5:45). Solid effort and with a scheduled day off tomorrow due to an informal work gathering, it felt rewarding to finish the run quick.

Rest of the night was the normal routine. Whey protein shake, ice, shower, Big Bang Theory, dinner, and bed early. My best runs have come when I eat 5-6 Oreos roughly 20-30 minutes prior. Secret fuel guys! Better than any Gu packets or Accelerade. Worth a shot!

Birthday

Janaury 31st: Normal routine. 5am wakeup. Breakfast. Pack lunch. Brush the teeth. On the road at 5:40am (new record). Worked a normal day. Nothing exciting until lunch time when some people had ordered a bunch of Dunkin Donuts. They gave the rest to us. I like to think of it as a bit of a birthday surprise/gift/coincidence. Made my day. Grabbed a blueberry muffin for later and a Boston cream donut for that moment. Even more awesomeness was that it was heart shaped and filled with marshmallow fluff. Ca-chang! Made it back home at 3 to relax until Goupil was let out of work at 5ish. Ran at 5:40pm. 10+ miles (72:31). Felt relaxed and kept it easy. Rest of the night was talking to all my sisters and some quality FaceTime with my parents. Watched Big Bang Theory. Ended the night with a conversation with Kimber and asleep by 10pm.

Probably the least exciting birthday that I remember, but didn't have a stressful day at work or a bad run. Choked down on some D&Ds and talked with all the people I care about the most in my life. Can't ask for much more.

Oh, and I did this all while sitting on the toilet. Multi-tasking!