Can't Stop Me Now

January 30th: 6:30am wakeup. Out of bed to use the bathroom. Shower. Eat a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast. Burrito mix for lunch (already made). Left the house at 7:08am to head to work solo. Goupil wasn't even awake when I left. Car immediately starting acting up. Oil temp and check engine light came on. Sounded like there was fluid sloshing behind the dash. Stopped in at the gas station to check my fluids. Everything was fine. Back to the apartment to carpool with Goupil. Work 8am-4:30pm. Extra productive day at work.

Home by 5pm. Picked up a couple things of coolant after researching the symptoms. Possible air in the cooling system. Outside (in the expected downpour) to attempt to bleed the system. Started it up for a test drive and the check engine light remained on, but it ran fine. Highway and all. Home by 6pm and noticed it wasn't raining at all. Motivated me to change up right away when I made it back.

Decided on a workout since the track might be clear. It twas. Yesss! 3+ mile warmup (19:47). Stripped off some layers (no need for gloves, hat and pullover) and did a couple strides. Modified the planned workout to 3x800, 3x400, 3x200. Half rest except for the 200's. Solid times: 2:25, 2:25, 2:24, 68, 67, 67, 32, 32, 29. Total time: 23:48 for the 4.1 miles. 5:48 pace. Good deal. 3.5 mile (24:22). 11 miles on the day. Way warmer than I thought. The thin pair of half tights and one long sleeve was too much. I probably could of rocked just shorts and t-shirt. Oh well.

Boom.

Back to stretch, foam roll, and start up dinner. Seasoned chicken, pasta, avocado, and cheddar cheese. Delicious. Relaxed on the couch for the rest of the night.

Grateful

January 29th: 6:45am wakeup. Cereal for breakfast. Honey Bunches of Oats. Made some burrito mix for lunch. Red pepper, onion, avocado, rice, beans, lime juice, hot sauce, and spices. Work 8am-4:30pm.

Home by 5pm. Looked like passing showers in the evening. Goupil and I performed some teamwork on the dishes. I washed this time and Goup dried. My hands became ridiculously pruned.

Fingertip.

Middle of my finger.

Goupil and I changed for a run around 6:30ish. We stepped out the door at 7:15pm to only encounter a steady rain coming down. Back inside. Waited out the rain until about 8:20pm. Out for 7.5 miles (51:11). Some icy spots along the less traveled roads, but overall it was beautiful. 40's and bright out. I had read about the Janji giveaway on Level Renner and the motto of Janji is "Run For Another." It gave me a positive mindset before the run. It allowed me to appreciate my health and how I am capable of running everyday. I shouldn't take running for granted and respect the sport.

Home to stretch, foam roll and shower. Bowl of cereal for dinner. Bed by 11pm.

Slushy

January 28th: 6:45am wakeup. No food whatsoever. I had cheese, but no tortillas for a quesadilla. I had peanut and jelly, but no bread for sandwiches. Cereal, but no milk. Settled for a protein shake for breakfast. Work 8am-4:30pm. Bought lunch at the cafeteria. Fresh made California Roll from the sushi station. Delicious. Project Manager stopped in at lunch and expensed lunch. Ca-chang!

Home to pick up my new high visibility thermal lined work gloves from the office. Relaxed until about 7pm. Out for 6 miles (44:11) with Goup in the snow and slush. Relaxing run where we just stayed in the side neighborhoods.

Home to shower almost immediately and head to Hannaford's for a few things. We beat the freezing rain for the run. The short time between the end of the run and the departure for the grocery store, a decent layer of ice encased my car's exterior. Picked up cereal, milk, avocados, and a red pepper.

Back to the apartment to eat a bowl of cereal for dinner and chill out. Bed by 10:30pm.

Weekend of Awesomeness

January 25th: Standard day. Cereal for breakfast. Work 8am-4:30pm. Ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. Potato chips. Banana. Home by 5pm. Relaxed. 5+ miles (39:18) in the cold and snowy weather at 6:30pm. Back to stretch, foam roll and defrost my beard.

Ice crystals.

Chicken, pasta and veggies for dinner at 9pm. Bed by 11ish.

Nightstand, where all my important documents are located (either on top or within the shoe boxes)

January 26th: 7am wakeup. Back to bed until 8:30am. Bathroom. Goupil was all set to run with the Willow Street guys at 9am from Derrick's house. I changed and off we went to Malta. 12 miles (84:xx) with a good group of guys (8 total). It was supposed to be an out and back 10-12 miler. We almost went 16, but everyone had there eye on the time. Turned around at 7 miles and took a shorter way back to make it 12.

Back to Clifton Park for a shower, bowl of cereal with the remaining milk and packed a small bag for travel to Mass/NH. Over to the bank and Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. Everything bagel with veggie cream cheese. Two donuts (glazed and double chocolate with sprinkles). Dark hot chocolate with whipped cream. Drove to Lowell to meet up with Brandon and Mel to carpool down to BU.

Arrived with time to spare to watch the elite mile with Galen Rupp in the race (2012 Olympic silver medalist in the 10,000 meters). It was epic and words can't describe it. Witnessed a 3:50.92 mile. Unbelievable. Saw some of the Keene guys and jetted soon after for grub.

Epic.

 

 

Out to Applebee's for dinner. Chicken fajita wrap with onion rings. Brownie bite for dessert.

Back to Brandon and Mel's apartment to watch some television before hitting the road north to Barrington, NH around 8ish.

Chilled at Goup's house for the night. Bed by 12am.

January 27th: 9:30am wakeup. Downstairs for a monster breakfast. Blueberry pancakes, bacon, sausage and strawberries. Digested and over to TJ Maxx to find some deals. As I was scrummaging through last week to find my insurance cards, I found a Visa gift card from my sisters and Dom for my 23rd birthday. Sweetness!

Back to the house to change up for a long run. Out the door for 15+ miles (1:41:32) around 1:15pm. Stopped at 5 miles to use the bathroom behind a power line cage on the side of the road. Chilly in the shade and windy towards the end of the run. All in all, it felt great to run long outside and finish up the week strong.

Back to stretch, stick the legs and shower. Watched Hit and Run while eating dinner with Goup's family. Left around 6pm to make the trek back to NY. Stayed awake the whole time. So proud of myself.

50 miles with 2 days off. Happy with the mileage with the weather not being super cooperative. A couple more weeks until the weather truly starts to warm up and the New England Grand Prix begins. One more shot at the mile in a couple weeks.

Viewer Discretion Advised

January 24th: 6:45am wakeup. Bowl of Special K for breakfast. Popped outside to start up the car early. Work 8am-4:30pm. Carpooled with Goup. Left before Goup to grab the car from the back parking lot and have it all warmed up for the ride home. I even picked up Goup the front door so he didn't have to walk in the cold.

Home by 5pm. Goup went straight to his bedroom to nap/sleep. Made myself a protein shake for a snack. My intention was to go to the gym for another terrible time on the treadmill and lift. Started researching my insurance and my coverage. I found out my coverage after ripping through my room for my insurance cards, calling the companies, and checking the websites. Once done, I wanted nothing more to than to relax on the couch. So I did. Day off. As Greg Hammett would say, "Life happens." A couple mini bowls of cereal for dinner. Bed by 11pm.

Below is what caused me to start my wild goose chase to find my insurance coverage.

On both feet. My toe next to my big toe. Don't scroll down if you have a weak stomach.

Treadmill x2

January 23rd: 6:45am wakeup. Bowl of Special K for breakfast. Leftover BBQ chicken pizza for lunch. Some potato chips and a banana. Work 8am-4pm. Lots of computer work. Bundled up properly with lots of layers.

Stopped off at the TD Bank to deposit a few checks. The teller asked me if I was from New Hampshire. I responded with "No, Connecticut." It confused me because none of my checks notified her that I was from NH. She recognized the first 3 digits of my checking account as NH. I thought maybe it was the facial hair and flannel.

Home by 5pm to relax and make myself a protein shake while surfing the net on the laptop. Goupil and I left for the gym at 7:20pm. Another 9 miles on the treadmill. Figured out that the treadmill gets down to 4:16 pace (minutes/mile). Cruised on that for a few seconds before cranking it back up to 7 minute pace. 9 miles in under 60 minutes. I know it's treadmill running, but it was a solid effort of turnover and sweating. Tried out a pair of the New Balance Minimus my dad picked up for me. Worked out pretty well. Comfy and not much to them. Stretched in the 30 minute express area.

Home by 9pm. Ham and cheese (heated, melted cheese and toasted in the toaster oven. Mayo, BBQ sauce, and hot pepper rings for condiments/accessories. Passed out on the couch and transferred to the bed in the middle of the night. Shower will be in the morning. I should probably wash my sheets soon too.

Fish eye and macro lens...

Meatheads

January 22nd: 6:50am wakeup. Laid in bed for a while. Bowl of Special K Oats and Honey for breakfast. While eating the cereal, I made a sweet sliced ham and lacey Swiss cheese sandwich on an onion roll with light mayo. Mixed some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and hot sauce in a small piece of tupperware to add at work. Potato chips and a banana. Work 8am-4:30pm.

Home to relax until about 5:45pm. Changed up for the big session at the gym. Running AND lifting. 2.5ish hours later, we completed 60+ minutes of running on the treadmill, stretching, bench, free weights, and a 10 minute massage chair while waiting out our pizza order pickup. Covered 9+ miles on the treadmill. Better treadmills than Keene State. I ramped it up and saw 4:38 pace for a few seconds. Drenched and changed everything head to toe in the locker room (shoes, socks, shorts to boxers, and shirt). Benchpress was a success. Completed two sets of benching my body weight (135 pounds). Most since I started lifiting. Last set dropped down to 125 pounds (completed 9 out of the 10). Free weights were solid. Massage chair was the best part (free). No big deal.

BBQ chicken pizza from the Brick House Pizza and Grille. Some Big Bang Theory while devouring a few pieces of pizza (with the addition of hot sauce). Shower and bed by 11pm.

Diesel 12 cut pie.

Life Happens

January 21st: 4:30am. Out of bed at 4:40am. Dressed, bowl of cereal, and on the road by 4:55am. Smooth ride. Stopped along the Mass Pike to grab cash out of the ATM and purchase a glacier freeze Gatorade (I almost grabbed a Redbull). Work 8am-4ish. Easy Monday. Leftover homemade pasta, meatballs, and sausage for lunch.

Over to The Recovery Room for a Global safety engineer's last day at work. He is heading back to OSHA. My plan was a beer and head out early to make it home for a run. I stuck to the one beer, but ended up hanging out until about 8:45pm. Lots of fun. Garlic parmesean and medium blue cheese wings (10 total) for dinner. Stopped off at Da Choppa for a few grocery items (cold cuts, milk, cereal, bananas, and rolls) on the way back to Clifton Park.

Home to just chill and eat a bowl of Apple Jacks. Day off from running. Half planned, half not. I was having good conversations with co-workers so I didn't want to just get up and leave. No worries. Feel asleep on the couch like a champ.

GBTC Meet @ Harvard

January 20th: 9:30am wakeup. Sarah made silver dollar Buckwheat pancakes and chicken sausage for breakfast. Added some raspberry jelly and real grade A dark amber maple syrup. Gathered my things and out the door by 11am to head to Harvard University with Kimber.

Arrived at 11:45ish. Found Goupil and Amy in the bleachers. Chilled and watch the races. Warmup with Goup. 2 miles plus some strides. Missed my heat for the mile so I had to run in the next one. It's all good. 4:26 by myself. I was ready to PR, but we will have to wait until the following weekend. Cooldown a couple laps around the facility. A quick warmup before the 800. The 2nd event went better and ran a smart race. A strong 2:02. Easy 2 mile cool down. 9 miles on the day.

Stopped off at Whole Foods to grab some food. Decided on a 1/4 pound of maple ham, an egg roll and roasted red pepper hummus to make a sandwich. Pomegrante italian soda to wash it down.

Back to Leominster to relax and eat a delicious homemade meal by Bob West. Pasta made from stratch. Roasted garlic tomato sauce. Handmade meatballs. Sausage (the only thing not made from scratch). Tapioca pudding with half and half. Mmmmm. A couple servings of pudding.

Watched the Hunger Games. Bed by 11am. Pulling my classic "leave at 5am to make it to work by 8am" Monday.

2nd Home

January 19th: No alarm set. Slept until 9:45am. Bowl of Apple Jacks for breakfast. Teamwork on the dishes. Goup washed while I dried. I felt like I was on vacation in Cape Cod again doing dishes with my cousin Frank. Packed up and cleaned up my room before heading over to Leominster.

Left the house and stopped off at TD Bank to cash a check to have money for the tolls. Arrived at Sarah's by 2:30pm. Out for easy 5 miles (NT) at 3pm. Back to stretch, foam roll and shower up. I realized I didn't bring boxers. Bob and I hit up TJ Maxx while my sister and her friend that was in town watched some ridiculous soap opera. Boxer briefs and high socks (for my new work shoes). Back to the house to chill for a few hours. Kimber came in from NH to spend the weekend.

Out for sushi around 7:30pm. I had the California Maki and Idaho Maki. I tried the Unagi (eel and cucumber sushi). It was really tasty (sorta like steak). Home to watch 10 Things I Hate About You and bed by 11:30ish.

Threw this down on Goup in WWF.

Out Cold

January 18th: 6:45am wakeup. Apple Jacks for breakfast. Double time on making a salad. Clif Bar and the rest of the feta and rosemary Cape Cod potato chips. Work 8am-4:30pm. Friday went by fast. Performed some noise survey monitoring in The Cub. Took up most of the day. Chips Ahoy from the vending machine at 10am because I do what I want.

Stopped off to fill up my car with gasoline on the way home from work. Home to chill on the couch. A couple plain tortillas for a snack. Passed out hard within 15 minutes of making myself comfy. Woke up at 6:30pm completely confused and not sure if it was the next morning. Realized Goupil was changed up for a run so I rushed into my room to change. If I wasn't running with Goupil at that moment, I would of easily conked back out on the couch for the rest of the night. 7.5+ miles (52:43) in the cold weather.

Back to the apartment to foam roll and make a protein shake. Goupil gave me a hair cut. I shaved off my mustache. Shower and watched John Tucker Must Die. Ate a Clif Bar and a bowl of Apple Jacks for dinner. Bed by 11:30pm. No alarm set.

The Basics

January 17th: 6:45am wakeup. Bowl of Apple Jacks for breakfast. Cooked up some chicken, veggies and pasta for lunch. Topped with Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheese. Clif bar and chips. Work 8am-4:30pm.

Home to relax for a while. Mapped out a run and wrote down the directions. Checked the weather and noticed it was a tidbit nipply out there. Bundled up accordingly and out the door by 6pm.

10+ miles (68:34). Solo run and actually found a few hills throughout the run. Back to foam roll and make a classic protein shake in The Bullet. Over the gym by 7:45pm for a solid 45 minutes of free weights and abs. Burped up my protein shake as I was ripping through my an routine. Managed to watch a couple (two separate elliptical machines next to each other) share a kiss as they were "working out." Wow, gross. Workout or go home.

Home by 8pm. Chilled on the couch and finally mustered up the energy to whip up another batch of chimichangas. Just as delicious the second time.

Bed by 10:30pm. Passed out in my clothes in my bed. No shower.

Not Too Shabby

January 16th: 6:50am wakeup. Shower since I did not last night (aka this morning at 2am). Bowl of Honey Combs for breakfast. Prepared a salad for lunch. I checked the forecast last night and it stated some AM snow and clear in the afternoon. I stepped outside to a whole lot more snow than I was expecting. Goup and I carpooled to work. 8am-4pm. EHS monthly meeting at 12pm with lunch supplied. They were serving pizza. I restricted myself to a single slice of spinach and mushroom. Starving by 2pm. Ate my salad and Clif Bar at my desk.

Home by 4:30pm. Chilled on the couch and made the group decision to workout at 6pm. Changed up at 5:30pm and mapped out my mile loop. Workout was mile, 2x800, 4x400. Half rest. All at the Par Del Rio track loop. After working out during the day, it gave me a sense of comfort running the loops. I recognized landmarks much better and had a few checkpoints along the way. Smooth as ever and used my Saturday motto. Cruise, then close. A couple iffy turns, but overall clear conditions on the roads.

4:53, 2:22, 2:21, 68, 67, 66, 64. The best part is the mile was long. It came out to 4:44. I knew that when I finished, but I wasn't sure what it was gonna convert to for the mile. Happy with the workout especially with my closing 400's. 2.5 mile warmup and 2.5 cooldown. 9.5 miles total for the day.

Home to stretch, foam roll and wash some dishes. Made a flavor packed protein shake before sitting down to watch The A-Team on FX. No real dinner.

Shower before bed. Bed by 10:45pm.

One of my favorites from the wedding

Chimichangas!

January 15th: 6:30am wakeup. The rest of the creamy slow cooker oatmeal for breakfast. Double decker PB&J, Clif Bar, and Cape Cod potato chips for lunch. Work 8am-4:30pm. Normal Tuesday. Lots of computer work. Someone scrapped their hand on one of the wooden stakes (indicators of curbs for the plows) so that allowed me to take my new boots out for a spin. Extra comfy.

Home by 4:30pm. Stopped off at the office to mail something and inform them of the snow pile that is covering the right side of the road near our apartment. A small safety hazard since it blocks the blindish turn and forces me to drive on the left side of the road. Put my roast back on the slow cooker for a few more hours since it did not pull apart as easily as it should of this morning. No biggie.

Run with Derrick at 5:30pm. 10.5 miles (67:57). Solid run. Foam roll and stretch before changing up for the gym. Threw a couple cans of diced tomatoes with chiles in the slow cooker with the meat. Rode solo to the gym because Goup wasn't feeling it. Light session filled with free weights and some abs. Witnessed a person ripping a cigarette in her car before making her way into the building. Witnessed another person using a piece of paper towel about 3 feet long to wipe down one of those individual cushioned mats (approximately 2 feet by 4 feet). Just incredible.

Home to make some chimichangas topped with salsa, cheese and guacamole (need to work on the recipe) and relax. Made the mistake of falling asleep on the couch for a few hours. Forced myself off the couch, brushed my teeth, washed my face and crawled into bed. It's all good

Pretty dang delicious

Day Off + A Look Back

January 14th: Day off from running. Today consisted of constant eating. 6:30am wakeup. Slow cooker oatmeal for breakfast. Work 8am-4:30pm. Easy Monday. Pastry bought by a co-worker for me around 10am. Mentos. A raspberry fruit leather strip. PB&J. Clif Bar. Feta and rosemary Cape Code potato chips. A tupperware of chips and salsa (eaten with a fork). Another Clif Bar. A normal sized bowl of Autumn Harvest and Go Lean Crisp (mixed together). A protein shake before bed.

Grocery shopping with Goup. Tossed my eye round beef roast in the slow cooker for chimichangas for the week. Salt and pepper. Half a cup of water or so.

With all this down time today, it allowed me to take a glance back at my fairly successful year. Moved to NY for a full time job in the beginning of January. Ran a bunch of Grand Prix races in New England and New York. Won the Adirondack Grand Prix Series. Nailed a huge PR in the half marathon at New Bedford. Ran a wicked awesome marathon down at the ING Hartford Marathon. Challenged myself to a mountain race (more to come this year). Bought a huge amount of shoes. Involved in my first (and hopefully only) car accident. Kept the Subie running strong. Total miles ran: 3528. First time I have ever totaled my miles for a year of running. Learned a whole bunch about my training and my body that I will use for the future.

Here's to another productive and fun-filled year!

This is the slab of meat. Courtesy of Price Choppa.

Sunday Funday

January 13th: 8:30am wakeup. Relaxed in bed for a bit before tackling the day. Organized my mounds and mounds of laundry that was overtaking my room and desperately in need of a cleaning. Sorted out all my boxers and socks to make sure if any of it was completed, it was atleast those two neccesities. I was resorting to all of my backups for socks and boxers. Kimber volunteered to wash the dishes. I continued to sort my laundry and figure out my iCloud backup system for my iPad and iPhone.

Changed up for a long run and out the door at 12:20ish. 14++ miles (1:39:54) on my own. Calves were tight for the first 9 miles or so. Stopped and stretched. Stopped again quickly a few miles later for a bathroom break. Snow works well as toilet paper. It was a magnificent day because the weather allowed me to rock shorts. Felt epic. Back to stretch, foam roll and make a diesel protein shake. Protein powder, milk, ice cubes, spoonful of peanut butter, chocolate syrup, white chocolate chips and a whole banana. Magic Bullet to blend that right up.

Kimber and I made creamy apple oatmeal in the slow cooker before I left for my run. I had a bowl of that and followed it with a decent sized bowl of Honey Combs. The spoon is an standard size spoon for eating. You can use that for a comparison.

Bowl courtesy of my sister Sarah

 

Over to the laundromat with Kimber around 3pm. Kimber received the honor of witnessing my management sytem of my clothes at the among the washer machines and oversized dryers. I am extremely particular when it comes down to dividing my clothes for washing and drying. Too complicated and precise to reveal to the rest of the world right now. Kimber sat on the sidelines for the most part.

Look what we found at the laundromat (Chelsea puppers!)

 

Home by 5ish. Kimber packed up and headed out back to NH. Renee picked us up for the Adirondack Grand Prix Awards Ceremony at Fleet Feet. Free dinner (lots of cookies), see all the other local talent (masters, aged graded and open) and a hefty check suffices as a quality night.

Home by 9pm. Chilled and bed by 10 or so.

The week was almost exactly what I planned for. 70 miles. 2 quality workouts, a couple quick paced runs, and a long run. The only thing was I only lifted twice this past week. It will be another 2 day lift week because the Greater Boston Track Club Meet at Harvard in Massachusetts is on Sunday. Mile/800 double!

Accomplishing Things

January 11th: 6:45am wakeup. Bowl of Autumn Harvest for breakfast. It was chilly/icy first thing in the morning. I started my car to warm it up while I scrapped my windows off. I decided to perform my good deed for the day by assisting another person with their windows. The lady was thrown off when I asked her as I creeped up to her rolled up window. Once I was done, she attempted to hand me a few dollars. I couldn't accept it. Work 8am-4pm. Relaxing Friday. Home to change up and head out the door by 5pm for a planned tempo. Goup decided that it wasn't a smart idea with the temperature hoovering around 31-33 degrees and windy. We cruised the 8.5 miles in 55:00. A few icy spots here and there to prevent us from getting into a real groove. Though, we managed to keep it at an honest pace.

Back to the apartment just before 6pm. A protein shake, shower and up to Saratoga Strike Zone for the Colden holiday party. Kimber met Goup and I there around 7ish. She drove in from NH. Stopped off at a co-worker's apartment across the street for a few hours. Home by 11pm. Bed soon after.

January 12th: 8:30am wakeup. Piece of toast with butter and jelly for breakfast. Out for the workout on my own at 9:30ish. 3 mile (22:33) warmup over to Par Del Rio track loop/straightaways (Baker Street equivalent). The workout was 4x800, 4x400. Half rest. I did venture over the Shen track to see if it was cleared off. No dice. I was forced to settle for the neighborhoods. Some strides and my legs were feeling the run in the Nike Lunar Lites from the day before. My motto for the workout was "Cruise, then close." Worked fairly well. 2:19, 2:20, 2:19, 2:23 (last one was a bit of a rig, but not terrible). 68, 67, 67, 67. What a world of different to run daylight. I could see where the end of the interval was. I was able to do my normal checkpoints through the intervals. It was amazing and I am happy with how the workout unfolded. 3 mile cooldown (22:13).

Stretch, foam roll, and a protein shake. Kimber and I headed to the Crossgates Mall for my Apple Genius appointment at 1:10pm. It was packed in the store. The customer service was great and the guy set me up with a new phone (same model, iPhone 4S). Free of charge since it was still under warranty. iCloud backup and phone activated before I stepped out of the store. The problem with my phone was that it had lost all volume except for the ringer and alarm. Extremely annoying. Shopped around for a while. Stopped for lunch. Smoked turkey BLT with cheddar cheese on a jalapeno cheddar wrap. Curly fries. Half of Kimber's Santa Fe Chicken Wrap. A lemonade for a drink. Stopped in at Old Navy. Found a couple button down shirts and a full zip hoodie. All on sale, of course.

Stopped off at the Army Navy Club to purchase new safety toe boots for work. Decided on the Keen's boots after testing out a few. Home by 5pm. Easy 3 mile shakeout with Kimber (26:57). Stretch, shower and over to Da Choppa for groceries. Items for slow cooker enchiladas and creamy apple oatmeal. Salad ingredients (fresh romaine, apples, peppers, cucumber, tomato, onions).

Home to prepare salad for dinner. All the good stuff plus some seasoned chicken and country French dressing. Used my new bowl I received from my sister for Christmas. Worked like a charmed. I made sure Kimber washed the romaine lettuce so I didn't have a reoccuring episode (tossing my cookies in the toilet). Watched some television. Fell asleep on the couch. Bed by 11:45pm.

Sigh Of Relief

January 10th: 6:45am wakeup. Big bowl of Autumn Harvest in Rubbermaid tupperware (Sarah, I haven't washed my bowl yet and I haven't bought Apple Jacks yet) for breakfast. Double decker PB&J and a Clif Bar for lunch. Work 8am-4:30pm. Carpooled with Goupil. I received a phone call about my car stating everything went smoothly and it is ready to picked up. Sweetness!

Over to Midas after work to pay the bill. I pleaded my case yesterday and received about 90 bucks off the original price. I attempted to slip the $30 coupon onto the counter as well. Didn't work. No biggie.

Home to the apartment to relax and chat with Kimber. Washed some dishes while Goupil napped. Run at 7pm with Goup. Smooth 8 miles (52:48).

Protein shake. Decent lift session at the home gym (since there is no race this weekend). To the kitchen (from the living room) to make a burger. Hot shower. Bed by 10:30pm.

Overheating Is The Theme

January 9th: 6:45am wakeup. Toaster Strudel and a small bowl of Autumn Harvest for breakfast. The rest of the pulled chicken in a Pyrex container and a Clif Bar for lunch. Left the apartment at 7:10am to shoot to make it to the contractor training refresher at 7:30am. There were a few breaks along the way. I headed on my way and realized on the highway that no heat was pouring out of my vents. Next thing I see is my therometer rising to "H" and quickly. I pulled over and left the car cool down. A couple more stops before finally making it to work at 8am. Called Midas and spoke with them for about 10 minutes.

Normal day at work and kinda bumming about my car. Drove it to Midas after work. 11 miles took me about 45 minutes because of the frequent stops. I made it to Midas and the diagnosis was not good. A crack on the hose/plastic after the radiator and antifreeze was spraying out. Long story short (because just typing about it makes me sorta frustrated) is that it is left in the shop to get fixed.

Goupil picked me up around 5:40pm. Home to relax and change up for the workout. Out for the workout at 6:40pm. Workout was 600 (1:35), 200 rest, 400 (hard), 400 rest, 3x400 (full rest), 3x200 (full rest). 2.5 mile warmup. Workout went from solid to tired. 1:36, 64, 67, 70, 67, 38, 40, 40, 40, 42, 40. The 200s are long so they were about 7-8 seconds long depending (240ish meters). 3 mile cooldown. 10 miles on the day. I was overdressed somewhat so I guess I just wanted to be like my car and overheat. Oh well.

Foam roll, protein shake, long hot shower, and relaxing. No real dinner.

This is not how I spoke with the Midas guy, but this is the last minute of the episode yesterday when I was waiting for my oil change/tire rotation. I couldn't resist.

 

I really wish I was back on this day in October.

 

Trust A Midas Touch

January 8th: 6am wakeup. Right back to sleep and woke up at 7am to no alarm. Out of bed to hit the bathroom. Toaster Strudels for breakfast. Double decker PB&J and a Clif Bar for lunch. Work 8am-4pm. Quick day at work.

Over to Midas in Clifton Park for my scheduled appointment. Printed out a coupon for a 22 dollar oil change and add a tire rotation for 5 bucks. Bargain shopper all the time. Smooth transaction and coupon accepted. Sweet. The only hiccup (not personal so it was extremely entertaining spectating on the sidelines/waiting room) was a lady that came storming in through the door. I thought she was asking what she wanted done, but I was wrong. "I would like 4 new tires! A state inspection sticker! And the customer service number!" She was pissed to say the least. I captured the last minute or so on video. She was way out of line, but it was all good. The last thing she said before she left was "Don't trust em!" to me.

Home by 5:30pm. Changed and met Derrick for a run. 10 (68:18) miles at 6pm. Back to stretch, foam roll and switch into gym attire.

Solid session at the gym. Home for a pulled chicken sandwich, a shower and bed.

Resourceful

January 7th: 6:45am wakeup. Bowl of Autumn Harvest with almond milk for breakfast. Work 8am-4:30pm. Easy day at work for a Monday. Lots of computer work. Double decker PB&J and a Clif Bar for lunch. A couple pieces of chocolate (Milk Duds and peanut M&M's) and a bag of fun size Oreos from the vending machine.

Stopped for gas and everything went smoothly. I was very happy. Everyone was obeying the morals of pumping gas. Home by 4:45pm. My new camera lens (3-in-1 lens) for my iPhone came in the mail today. I played around with the lens for some time while talking with my mom about future races/weekends. Goupil home late. I thought he was running so I was waiting for him go for a run. He was taking the day off. 5+ miles (NT) by myself at 6:45pm. Chilly, but felt good to shake out the legs at an easy pace.

Back to stretch, foam roll, and start making dinner for the next couple nights while Facetiming with my dad. Pulled BBQ chicken in the slow cooker with mushrooms, peppers, and onions. We will see how it tastes tomorrow. I wasn't sure what I was having for dinner and whipped up some nachos with onions, salsa, and black beans. Sprinkled chili powder and cumen on top.

Watched Hancock and chilled for the night.

Here are some test pictures with the fish eye lens, macro lens, and wide angle lens.

The Clearing Has Magical Powers

January 6th: 7:45am wakeup. Relaxed in the bed for a few minutes before hitting up the bathroom for a pitstop. Changed up for the long run. Chocolate brownie Clif Bar for breakfast. Over to Keene to met Greg Hammett and Thomas Paquette for The Clearing at 9am.

Foam rolled inside and we were on the road by 9:20am. Najem joined us for the first 5 miles or so. Boj wasn't feeling it from the start, so he just ran his own run. It was wicked sweet to see about 16-18 people running up Beech Hill as we were ascending the hill. It was the Brewbaker's Sunday running group. The major climb of the run was amazing (I love hills, but don't get enough of em in NY). Great view at the top as always. The descent was a bit tricker, but we made it down. Hammett and I almost fell flat on our backs along Otterbrook Dam. It's terrifying when you go from carefree running to thinking you might be slamming down to the ground for a career ending injury. Scary stuff. We made it back alive. Made the run 2:00:20 for 17 miles. Solid run with great conversation. Perfect way to end the week. 60 miles for the week. Next week's focus will the the gym 3x, a couple workouts, and up the mileage somewhat.

The rest of the day was spent with my wonderful girlfriend Kimber. We went to Pedraza's for some delicious Mexican food. 5 different enchiladas - one beef, one chicken, one shredded beef, one bean, one cheese-topped with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and ranchero sauce. Added some guacomole from Kimber's dish and hot sauce. A couple root beers to compliment all the amazing food.

We made a few stops off at GNC (90 dollars of pure chocolate supreme whey protein powder to get huge and buff), Dick's Sporting Goods (a helmet for skiing), TJ Maxx (a long sleeve buttoned down for work, obviously had purple in it), and Prime Roast to just relax before departing for Keene.

Out of Keene by 6pm (stopped off at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries for dinner). Home by 8pm. Watched The Wedding Date and made a protein shake in the Magic Bullet.

Bed by 10:30pm.

Reggie Lewis Meet

January 5th: 8:20am wakeup. No alarm set so I felt refreshed to just wake up when my body told me to wake up. 4 mile (NT) solo at 9ish. Back to foam roll, stretch and shower. A couple Toaster Strudels for breakfast. I learned from my amateur mistake the other day. I cut the pastries in half to allow some heat to escape. No burnt roof of the mouth for me.

Packed up and sorta cleaned up my room. Basically I put things into piles (running clothes, work clothes, spikes, dirty laundry) to free up some space in the middle of the room. Washed some dishes and tidied up the house.

Off to Keene at 12ish. Smooth ride. Clif bar for a snack. Arrived in Keene around 2:10pm. Fresh salad for a light lunch. I ordered one of the specials. Chicken, fresh mozzarella, pecan pesto, lettuce and tomato on barley wheat bread. Orange mango Nantucket juice to wash it down. Over to Pete Thomas' (KSC coach) office to say hi before heading down to Roxbury.

Out of Keene by 3pm. Meet started at 5pm. Arrived at 4:50pm. They had already started the meet (sprints/hurdles). Hmmm. Final call for the mile as we walked into the facility. Goupil checked us in and I started warming up. 2+ mile warmup on the track. Some strides and popped into the first heat. Out well off the line and a solid race. Negative splits. 2:13, 2:10. Closed in 31. Much better than the previous two weeks. Cheered for Goupil. A short cooldown outside (1 mile). Back inside to see the girls 800m running. Only 1 heat and I was in the 2nd heat of the guys (so approximately 4-5 minutes before my 800 heat went off). Over to the check-in table to try to locate the heat sheets to find out my hip number. One of the official was hoarding them for some reason. I grabbed my hip number and in the clear. 1st heat finished and we stepped onto the line. There were two people with hip number 4 on. One of the them was supposed to be #5. He changed it. As we getting ready to toe the line, another runner came rushing to the start line with hip number 11 in his hand stating he was in the heat. There was some commotion and the logical/kind thing to do would be to allow him to find his spot on the waterfall and reset everybody (take an extra 15-20 seconds). Next thing I knew, the gun went off. What?! Off the line in last and through in 30-31 seconds and about 10-15 feet off the back of the pack. Strided out the last 3 laps by myself for a 2:09ish. Goupil wasn't allowed to grab his hip number (you can probably read his blog to read the details). 2 mile cooldown outside. Out of there in a huff at 7pm to make it back to Keene by 9pm.

Stopped off at Sears (a current KSC athlete's house, not the store). Kimber picked me up and back to Peterborough to chill for the rest of the night. Slice of pizza for dinner. Bed by 11pm.

Quality Over Quantity

December 31st: Slept in. Normal breakfast. Vegged out most of the day. Day off from running. Bob's cousin came over in the evening to head out to dinner with Sarah, Bob, and I (as well as celebrate New Year's Eve).

Mezcal's for guacamole (3 different kinds), tacos (beef, chicken, and veggie), and margaritas (skinny ones and I had to add agave to sweeten it). Good time all around. Off to Choptix for Mai Thais. It must of been 80's throwback night (aka middle aged people partying it up with the live band and dance floor). Very entertaining for us to people watch. Over to Deven's Grill for New Year's Eve. 15 minutes to spare. Chilled there until closing. Dance party in the cab ride back and more clubbing back at the house. I was DJ Noodles (local radio station celebrity) for the night.

January 1st: Slept in. French toast with my sister's homemade cinnamon swirl bread (omg it was ridiculously good). Relaxed on the couch for most of the day. Leftover pork tenderloin sandwiches around 2pm (Sarah makes the best sandwiches). Run with Sarah and Bob at 4ish. Bob turned for 3.5 and Sarah and I continued to make it 7 miles (61:11). Stayed the night and had leftover pasta, sauce and turkey sausage.

January 2nd: 4:45am wakeup. Out the door at 5am to drive back to NY for work. Sausage, egg and cheese from Mickey D's (I am not proud of this). Work 8am-4:30pm. Bought lunch. Chicken sandwich special (chicken, Swiss cheese, pineapple jalapeno peppers, honey mustard). Not a fan of mustard, but this combo worked well.

Home to relax and head over for a run/workout assistant around 6pm. Goupil was running 3x1000 with 5 minutes rest. Loop around a neighborhood. I reversed the loop to met him with about 400 meters to go and bring him in. Back from the workout and I did 10x100 meters strides. 10 miles on the day. Vegetable quesadilla for dinner. Some pushups, situps, dips, and pullups in the apartment.

January 3rd: 6:30am wakeup. Oatmeal with real maple syrup for breakfast. Work 8am-4:30pm. Carpooled with Goupil. Another veggie quesadilla for lunch. Home to relax and eventually make it out for my own workout. My first real speed workout. 5x400, 5x200. Full rest.

This was the extra cold day so I bundled up properly. Shorts, half tights, full tights, two pairs of socks, singlet, short sleeve, long sleeve, pullover, two hats. I did not overheat at any point. Mapped out a 400 meter stretch of straight road. The 400 part of the workout was: 64, 65, 67, 69, 63. I am notorious for keeping the rest quicker and a bit shorter. So I think it was catching up with me by the 3rd one. Goupil paced me the first 200 of the last one. The 200's were long. The distance was 0.15 miles. A 200 is 0.124. So the 200 longs were: 38, 39, 39, 38, 37. I am thinking about 7+ seconds long of a 200. 9 miles on the day. Happy with the workout even with the times being jumpy.

Back to the house to stretch, foam roll, grab a Clif Bar and head to Planet Fitness for a light lift session. Sore from yesterday's mini session so it hurt especially on the bench press. Home to eat another Clift Bar and head to bed after showering.

January 4th: 6:45am wakup. Oatmeal with real maple syrup. Work 8am-5pm. PB&J, Clif Bar, and raisins for lunch. I wanted/needed to get an oil change and tire rotation after work. I attempted to find coupons online and discover the cheapest price for the two things. The best thing was Midas with a $22 oil change and add $5 for a tire rotation. The wait was gonna be 30-45 minutes. I didn't have that kind of time. Valvoline and Jiffy Lube weren't running any specials and the going price at those two locations were about $55-$60. Wait until next week. Stopped off at Target for almond milk, orange juice, and Toaster Strudels. I don't buy things in the freezer section, but when I do, I buy Toaster Strudels.

Home by 6pm. Threw a Toaster Strudel in the toaster oven. Strawberry. I think I burned the roof of my mouth. I forgot how scolding hot they are right after you take them out. I think I was looking so forward to eating one, I couldn't wait. Run at 7:15pm. 5+ miles (36:45). Home to stretch, foam roll, and wash some dishes. Eventually showered. Go Lean Autumn Harvest for dinner. Watched Notorious/Starsky and Hutch on two different channels. Bed by 11:30pm.

Reggie Lewis meet tomorrow evening. Another mile/800 double. Hamstrings a bit sore from Thursday's workout. Oh well, foam roll and Stick the legs. Ice and stretch.

Final BU Mini Meet/Long Run

December 29th: 7:30am wakeup. Organic cornflakes with brown sugar for breakfast. Off to Boston by 8:30ish. Arrived before 10am. The goal for today was to run as much as possible throughout the meet. Total warmup/cooldown time: 79:36. Mile was the 1st event. Quality warmup with lots of strides. Felt ready. Out slow and finished quick. 4:24 (2:14, 2:10). No closing speed yet, but the whole race felt smooth and my legs didn't really hurt at any point. I have the strength. Need to sharpen. 800 was good until the last lap. 30, 30, 30, 33 for a 2:03. It was okay. Solid speed day. Watched the 4x1600 race before heading out into the snowy conditions back to Leominster.

13 miles on the day. Pork tenderloin, broccoli, and carrots that was sooooo good.

December 30th: 7:30am wakeup. 10+ (74:27) on my own. The normal hilly loop that is fairly scenic. Another 5+ miles (44:37) with my sister Sarah. 16 miles on the day. Back to stretch, foam roll, and shower up to get fresh for my early birthday get together in CT with my family.

Down to Colleen's (cousin) apartment for an early dinner and dessert. We played Fact Or Crap (as well as a battle of the sexes round, it got heated to say the least). Ate a bomb lasagna for lupper (lunch and supper) with chocolate cake for dessert. Chilled until about 6:30pm. Sarah and Bob were going tubing back in Mass. I attempted to met them for 8ish, but hit about 45 minutes of traffic in about a 3 mile span. A car had broke down in the middle lane. Straight back to Leominster (no tubing for me) to eat my leftover white pizza and relax the rest of the night.

65 miles for the week. A tough, but productive workout (completed before any snowfall), another solid mile/800 double (with no real speed work yet), and a easy long run (happy to still get out there on Sundays for the longer distances).

Solid Monday Through Friday

December 24th: 3.5 miles easy with my sister Sarah. Headed over to Kimber's house for Christmas Eve dinner with her family. Brookie and I hung out the whole time. Kimber was kinda kicked to the sidelines for the night. Haircuts, house, and making the tree "pretty" for Santa Claus (applying imaginary solution to the branches to make them better for Saint Nick).

Drove to Newtown, CT to my parents house to make sure I woke up Christmas Day with my parents. Sarah and Bob came in late late (12:30am).

December 25th: 6.5 miles (4 with Sarah, added another 2.5 miles on) after opening presents and breakfast, but before company arrived. Relatives came over to around 1pm and hung out for the evening. Delicious appetizers and dinner. Kimber came over around 5:30pm for dessert and to sleepover. Delicious pork roast for dinner my mom made.

December 26th: Made the decision to extend the Christmas vacation and stay an extra day in CT. The plan was to do some post Christmas shopping and see a movie. We chilled and ended up not seeing the movie. The weather wasn't too promising so everyone made the smart decision to head out earlier than later.

Home by 5pm. I hadn't run yet and a workout was on the training plan. I changed up and ran to the Chen campus for mile, 2x800, 4x400 on the sidewalk route that is marked off. I warmed up along the route and found that it was too icy/snowy for a workout. I moved it to the main roadway through the campus and it worked out well. Windy and cold out, but I suffered through it. I did not map out the distances before the workout so I just went off effort/time. 5:21, 2:12 (2:26 effort, but I stopped at the wrong spot), 2:26, 80, 75, 80, 75. Warmup: 3+ (23:45) Cooldown: 3+ (25:00). I jumped on the iPad and mapped out my intervals. Mile = 0.99 mile. 800 = 0.50 mile. 400 = 0.26 mile. Sweetness! Thought of Bob Wiles when I ran the extra .01 for my 400s. As someone once said, 400's are a quarter mile to nowhere. You gotta do the extra 1%. I actually did an extra 18 meters or about 3 seconds on a 75 second quarter. 11 miles on the day and back for a protein shake.

December 27th: Woke up around 6:20am to a snow covered car and terrible roads. Cereal with almond milk for breakfast. Work 7:30am-4pm. Home to relax and eventually make it out for an easy run with Goup.

10 mile effort (74:11). Probably ran closer to 9.5 miles, but it's in the books as 10. All side roads and easy running. Hips and hamstrings slowly starting to ache from the slipping and sliding on the snow/slush covered roads. Happy to get in the time/distance on the legs with the weather/conditions not being ideal.

December 28th: 5+ miles in the AM before work @ 6am. Oatmeal for breakfast. Packed up my bags for the weekend. Work 8am-4ish. Leftover fillet mingon and double stuffed potatoes (family term, the public known them as twice baked potatoes). Traveled right over to Leominster Mass to my sister Sarah's. 2nd BU mini meet for me and ready to lower my times.

Met Sarah, Bob (Sarah's fiancé), and some of her friends for dinner at Rye and Thyme. White pizza with bacon, ham, red onions, mozzarella, parmesean, lettuce, and tomato garlic aioli. Delicious. Over to my sister's friend's house for games (pictionary) and pigs in a blanket. More and more people came over and we ended up playing pictionary with 12 people total. 4 teams of 3 people. Lots of fun and home by 12:45am. Bed and feeling good heading into the second indoor of the year.

Been making diesel protein shakes in the Magic Bullet. Peanut butter, bananas, chocolate syrup. Simple, but always hits the spot.

BU Mini Meet/Long Run/Shopping

December 22nd: 7:45am wakeup. Oatmeal for breakfast. Off to Boston at 8:30ish. Arrived at 10am. It took me like 15 minutes to find a parking spot since the main parking lot is under construction. Parked on Commonwealth and tossed in a couple quarters (2 to be exact for 24 minutes).

Checked in. 3+ (23:10) shakeout indoors. First event for me was the mile. I was nervous on to how it was gonna go since I hadn't raced indoors in almost a year (last time was New Years Eve 2011 at BU). Off the line well and rocked my new better fitting Nike Victories. Even splits. 2:14.xx, 2:13.xx for 4:28 and no closing speed. Felt good and relaxed. The 9 weeks of lifiting at Planet Fitness has really paid off. I feel much stronger at the shorter distances. Goupil mentioned my form did not break down and I didn't have my swinging right arm (I am sure it was still there somewhat, but much less noticeable). 800 2nd event and ran a 2:04. Nothing special, but solid speed. 11 miles on the day with all the warmups/cooldowns. Always a good time hanging with all the Keene guys and cheering everyone on throughout the day. Puts a smile on my face and gives me more motivation. Seeing all the levels of running keeps me humble and grateful for my successes in running.

Back to Leominster to chill and Kimber made the trip down from Peterborough to visit. Relaxed the rest of the night.

December 23rd: 9am wakeup. 9+ miles on my own (67:47) and another 5+ (44:00) partially with Kimber and the whole thing with my sister Sarah. The rest of the day was filled with Christmas shopping. Lots of fun, but tiring. Kimber headed out in the evening and then we headed back out to Dick's Sporting Goods and Marshalls/Homegoods for another couple hours.

60 miles for the week with a solid workout, promising double at BU for being early in the season, and a easy paced long run. One week at a time.

Under The Weather

December 20th: Normal wakeup time. Cereal for breakfast. Work 7:45pm-4:15pm. Goupil and I carpooled to work today. I ate a big salad for lunch around 12pm. At about 3pm, the salad sank to the bottom of the my stomach and I started to burp up the peppercorn ranch dressing.

We made it home by 4:45pm and I immediately laid down in my bed. Chomped down a few Tums and fell asleep to The Decemberists radio station on Pandora. Woke up at 5:40pm overheating and watering in my mouth. Uh oh. Ripped off my winter hat (I was sleeping in it) and stripped down to nothing on top. Quick paced walk to the bathroom and tossed the rug to the side. My whole salad back up into the toilet bowl. A few ralphs and good to go. I attempted to get refreshed by brushing my teeth, gargling with mouthwash, blowing my nose (pieces of spinach and lettuce were leaving my nostrils), and disinfecting the toilet. Out to the kitchen to eat a half a banana and drink some Gatorade. I felt much better and decided to change up for a run.

Goupil and I headed out. Goupil didn't make it out of the complex because of his ankle. I continued to do the 5 mile loop. I made it a mile and stopped. Took a few deep breaths and continued on for another mile. 2 mile mark, I was feeling worse and plopped myself on the edge of someone's lawn. Just laid there all sprawled out hoping that I could just get picked up. I mustered up the energy and finished another 2 miles back to the apartment. 4 miles (31:00) and felt terrible. I was totally light headed and freezing. I showered eventually and had no appetite. Off to bed early.

Spent the first 4 hours of the night tossing and turning with a fever that finally broke at 2am. I sent out an email to the Global manager and my project manager of Colden to let me know my situation. I was gonna see how I felt in the morning to decide on whether to call in sick.

December 21st: Wasn't feeling good and slept in until 9ish. Vegged on the couch all day. I made myself a couple protein shakes with bananas (to give it some substance). Finally feeling better around 3pm and started to move around (pack up for my sister Sarah's house for the weekend/BU mini meet). Made it to my sister's in Leominster by 7:15pm.

Ham and cheese sub for dinner. I added some mild hot pepper relish to it because I was feeling much better. Bed by 11pm.