More Recovery

February 26th: 7am wakeup. I don't know what I was doing in the morning, but I made it out the house at like 7:50am. Work 8:15am-4:45pm. Double decker PB&J, yogurt, potato chips, banana, Nature Valley bar, and an Odwalla bar (from DH Jones).

Home by 5:15pm. Chilled on the couch before changing up for a run. Goup and I ran a quality 8 miles (57+) through some side neighborhoods along a main road. I barely made it back to the apartment. Oh wait, I made it to the parking lot. Ducked behind the car garage for a quick bathroom break. Inside to immediately shower. I think it's the addition of the Odwalla bar because it's high in fiber.

Cooked up a turkey burger and placed it on the roll. It wasn't that great on the roll (toasted it too early so it became too crunchy just sitting there, amateur mistake) so I switched to a tortilla about a quarter into the burger. Worked out well. Big Bang Theory and bed by 10:30pm.

February 27th: 6:10am wakeup. Out for a 4 miler (32:34) on my own at 6:20am. I wasn't expecting the couple inches of wet snow, but it felt good on the legs. Sidewalks and side roads weren't plowed yet so I stayed on those. Back to the apartment to get ready double time. Protein shake with some freeze-dried berries. So friggin good. Work 7:30am-4:45pm. An extra 45 minutes to help move some supplies from the HAZMAT tech training. Busy day overall that was nonstop.

Home by 5ish to chill out. Out for a second run at 7:30ish. 7.5 miles (53:34 ) on my own. Back to stretch, foam roll, and shower up. Made some burrito mix (rice, beans, veggies, hot sauce, salsa and spices) and threw it in a tortilla. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Watched some Duck Dynasty on TV and bed by 10:30pm. Exhausted. Crashed hard.

The double run definitely helped reduce the major soreness I was feeling from DH Jones. Workout tomorrow. Classic Keene State workout.

Recovery Is Key

February 25th: 4:30am wakeup. Packed up my car with all my stuff. On the road by 4:50am. Stopped for gas in Leominster and purchased a couple Special K Pastry Bars, some cinnamon sugar Pop-tarts, and a Redbull. Smooth ride. Work 7:45am-4:15pm. Bought lunch. Burger with bacon and the works.

The "best" part of my drive

 

Back to the apartment by 4:30ish to relax for a while. The training plan called for 5 miles and that that's what I was shooting for today. Changed up for an easy 5+ miles (40:51) at 6:30pm. Calves, quads, and IT bands were definitely tight. It felt better to run than to walk. Once I finished my run, the soreness set right back in. Foam rolled for a long time and hot shower to aid the stretching.

Low visibility walking into work

 

Hit up Da Choppa for groceries. Steak, ground turkey, milk, orange juice, paper towel, toilet paper, and a Kashi Mediterranean frozen pizza (for dinner). Cooked it up on the pizza stone and devoured it. Delicious. Spinanch, sweet red peppers, red onion, 4 different cheese including feta and roasted red pepper sauce with flax seed crust.

Bed by 11pm.

Boom!

DH Jones 10 Miler Race Report

February 24th: 7:45am wakeup. Rolled around in bed before waking up my sister to make me breakfast (haha). She purchased a Oster Flip 1.5" Belgian Waffle Maker yesterday at Target. We took full advantage and made a couple of them. I topped mine with butter, cinnamon, sugar and real maple syrup. Ended up eating 1.5 waffles. Split one with Sarah. Some seltzer and cranberry/pomenegranate to wash it all down. Brushed the teeth and packed up my stuff. The snow was wet and heavy in Leominster so I didn't chance being late to the race due to the road conditions.

Out the door by 9:30am. Roads improved throughout the drive. Eventually, I was whipping around the turns on 202 and there was no sign of snowfall. My mindset went from survival on the snow-covered hills of Amherst to let's see what I'm made of today. Arrived at the high school at 11am. Walked inside to register (oversized numbers) and pick up my merchandise (long sleeve and a bottle opener). Scoped out the competition as they filtered in. Finally, I brought all my stuff into the cafeteria after shedding my casual layers (sweatshirt, hat, and Sanuks) in the car. Chilled at a random table until I recognized a few people (Willow Street guys from NY). They warmed up early so I waited to warm up with the normal group. Out for 3 miles (22+) with Goupil and Dan Vassallo (the rest of the CMS guys warmed up a different route). I was toasty with all my layers on and it felt rather nice out. I overheard someone say it was 35 degrees out. I made the decision as I was changing back at the cafeteria. Calf sleeves (definite, did not matter the weather), half tights, singlet, gloves and skullcap. No arm warmers (they were in my bag, but decided on not wearing them).


Across the street with the crowds for a few strides, a pee behind a shed, and into the huddle of warm bodies at the starting line. Off the line well and on the tail of the lead pack. Cruised the 1st mile and pulled up next to Newbould in 5:26. Killed the downhill 2nd mile. Newbould had himself at 4:52 and I was a few steps in front of him. Newbould was thinking around 4:45. Once we hit the uphill sections, I pumped the arms and starting making small moves here and there. The dirt road was wet (partly due to the huge snowflakes that were coming down now), but was very managable. Kept it in relaxed mode for the next few miles until about 5 miles. No split because I don't wear a watch for anything less than a marathon (yeah I own three watches, but only for training).

 

Photo Courtesy of Krissy Kozlosky

2+ miles into the race



Once I hit halfway, I started a surge that basically lasted to the end. I just kept hunting people down. I was in 8th place just after 5 miles and ready to feed off any weakness or struggling I noticed. I used the downhills to the best of my advantage and opened up the stride. We took a left before 7 miles and someone yelled out, "It's a 3 mile tempo." So I applied that directly to myself and switched gears on the gradual uphill before some downhill. 8 miles: 41:40 (someone shouted it out). 2 miles to go and I think I was somewhere around 5th or 6th. I continued to absorb any negative energy around me and convert it to pure determination for the last couple miles. Ended up working well and I slid into 3rd place at mile 9 and never looked back (well when we took the turn into the horseshoe parking lot, I might have peeked over my shoulder). Pushed in for a 52:34 finish. My arms were frozen most of the race, but it might of sidetracked me from all the pain I enduring along the way. Sounds good to me.

Photo courtesy of Krissy Kozlosky

 

2.5 mile cooldown (20:33) with Josh Ferenc, Eric Blake, and Brandon Newbould after retreating back inside to change into dry clothes. Relaxed, ate some food, stayed for a first part of the awards and peaced out by 3:30pm. Back to Leominster to veg out on the couch until about 7pm. Sarah made oriental chicken salad with mandarin oranges and homemade dressing. Delicious. A couple loads of a laundry before crawling under the sheets at 11:30pm.

An overall happy day. With the last few weeks being down weeks, I turned over the leaf about a quarter this week with a couple double days, a solid workout, a gutsy race, and a 68 mile week. Let the training commense.

One Thing At A Time

February 23rd: 8am wakeup. Hung out in the kitchen before Sarah and I made our way out the door for an easy 7 miles (60:16). Calves still semi-sore from Thursday's workout, but recovering. Sarah made some oat bran topped with walnuts and sweetened with real maple syrup.

Hopped in the car to run some errands. Goodwill, bank, Target, and Market Basket. Everything went smoothly. I picked up Go Lean Crisp Cinnamon Crumble for 2/$5. I grabbed 4 boxes. It's $3.79 in Clifton Park. Sarah let me know it's always on sale at Market Basket. What?! Daaaamn.

Chilled on the couch before making chicken marsala and FaceTiming with my dad. A load of running clothes was thrown into the washer at some point in order to have clean clothes for the road race. Dinner and Taken 2 for a movie.

Bed by 11pm. DH Jones 10 Miler in the afternoon. The time was pushed back to 1pm instead of the 11am start. Cool with me. Should be a fun one especially with the snow factor. First race of the New England Grand Prix series.

Quick Turnaround

February 22nd: 6am wakeup. 4 miles (30+) through Shen campus in the cold. Ran through the cross country woods trail that was somewhat slick in spots. Made it out alive. Oatmeal for breakfast.

Work 8am-4:30pm. Hit up Subway with some co-workers for lunch. FebruANY! Subway Melt, Swiss cheese, spinach, cucumbers, green peppers, red onion, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and southwest Chipotle sauce. Once finished, I purchased a few coookies (chocolate chip with M&Ms, double chocolate chip, and white chip macadamia nut). Gone before we made it out of the parking lot.

Packed up my car in the morning so I could leave right from work. I had my apppointment in Holyoke, MA at the Apple Store to pick up my 4th iPhone 4S (ugh). Arrived early to my reservation at 6:10pm and snuck right in. Explained my problem and the guy grabbed another phone from the back (no charge since its under warranty). Phone activated and out of there by 6:30pm. Met Sarah, Bob and their friends out for dinner at 8pm at the South Side Grille and Margarita Factory. Nachos and steak fajitas. Pretty good food, bad service.

Over to Leominster to relax for the night.

Toughed It Out

February 21st: 6am wakeup. Out for an easy 3+ miles (22:14) on my own. Back to stretch, foam roll, and shower up. I rocked double pants (long underwear and running spandexish pants) and was perfect. Small bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch was already made into two Pyrex containers. Work 7:30am-4pm. I was starving by 9am so I stopped into the cafe for an apple strudel crumb cake. So moist. So good.

Home by 4:30pm. Goup and I made it a point to change immediately for a workout and head to the track. Bundled up just like yesterday and off to the Shen campus. Bigger workout today with New Bedford in just under a month. 4x800, 4x400, 6x200. 3+ mile warmup (22:15). Swtiched into my flats and strides on the straightaway. 2:29, 2:26, 2:24, 2:22 (laces untied in the last 200 meters), 69, 69, 71 (wind was winning), 72 (let the wind own me again), 32, 33, 33, 31, 30, 29. Total time: 34:59 for the 6 miles. Rest was kept honest. 3+ miles (24:08) cooldown. 12.5 miles for the afternoon. 15.5 miles on the day.

Home to foam roll, stretch and shower up (back before 7pm, daaaamn). Protein shake and 4 eggs with mozzarella cheese and hot sauce for dinner. Watched some television and bed early.

Solid day and happy with the leaf I have turned over this week. Just gotta take it a week at a time.

Too Windy

February 20th: 6:30am wakeup. Bowl of cereal for breakfast. No lunch packed because we had our EHS monthly update meeting with free food. Sweet. Work 7:30am-3:30pm since we had a "working" lunch. BBQ chicken pizza from the cafeteria. Yum.

On the drive home, I called up the LifeProof (the case I bought off of Amazon) customer service line. I was on hold for about 5 minutes, but it was worth it. I relayed the two serial numbers on the front and back pieces of the case. The lady, Sophie, let me know that it's a counterfeit case and Amazon is not a authorized dealer. Well, atleast I know the truth. She suggested to contact the seller or contact Amazon directly. Sounds good. I swung by the Shen high school track to check if it was clear. Yes it was!

Back to the apartment to hop onto Amazon to resolve the issue. I called up customer service immediately and told her my situation. Instant refund (no hesitation) and an email to a link to file a complaint. Ordered a LifeProof case directly off the manufacturer's website. A bit more pricey, but no worries.

Goup and I headed to the track (completely bundled up). Drove the 1+ mile down the road to limit our time in the elements. With the flag whipping in the air and the wind howling around my Subaru, we decided to just go for a run. 6 miles (43++). 5 miles plus some strides on the track. The backstretch was brutal and it was a smart decision to not workout.

Back to stretch and shower up. Burrito (rice, beans, onions, tomato, avocado, salsa, peppers, and seasoning) for dinner. Sliced the my index fingertip while chopping the red pepper up into julienne strips. Watched some Big Bang Theory and bed by 10:30pm.

Double Runski

February 19th: 5:30am wakeup. Out the door for a easy 7 miles (53:38) in the brisk morning air. Back to stretch, foam roll and shower. Bowl of Autumn Harvest for breakfast. Left my other half of leftover pasta, meatballs and sausage in the work fridge. Packed up some potato chips in a tupperware and grabbed a Clif bar. Work 7:45am-4:15pm.

Home to pick up my new Lifeproof case for my broken phone. Sweet case. Surfed the internet while the rain passed. Out for a completely overdressed 5+ miles (36:57). I was expecting way colder and came back with heat rash all over my shoulders and chest.

Stretched, foam rolled and popped in the shower. 3 egg omelette with onions, red pepper and tomato (sautéed in salt, pepper, and chili powder). Ketchup and hot sauce on top.

Watched some Big Bang Theory and bed by 10:30pm. 12 miles on the day and let the warm weather please be here soon.

iPhone 4S (S Stands For Sucks)

February 18th: 4:30am wakeup. Out the door by 4:45am. A couple cinnamon scones for breakfast at about 5:45am. Stopped for a Redbull and an orange juice along the Mass Pike. Stopped off in Clifton Park to grab my access badge, a Clif Bar, and the remainder of the Oreos (I was doing well during the work week until the weekend). There are roughly 36 cookies (single stuffed, original) in a "box." Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I had 5 or 6 cookies for lunch each day. I ate a lump sum of them on Saturday afternoon. Monday for work, there were 5 remaining. With the simple math, that puts between minimum 13 cookies to a maximum of 16 cookies for Saturday (short window of time as well). They are my weakness.

Work 8am-4:30pm. Leftover spaghetti for lunch. Home to relax and connect to the wireless network with my iPhone 4S. It wasn't recognizing any networks so I reset my network settings. Wifi greyed out. What??? My less than 72 hour old phone has broken again. I called up Apple Technical Support (AppleCare) and they gave me the lowdown of my options. The best solution was to bring it back to the store and have them replace it (for free) because it's under warranty (and it's clearly a software/hardware/manufacturer's defect). I barely handled the phone all weekend. I ordered a LifeProof case off Amazon to ensure no more possible damage to my phone (water proof, snow proof, dirt proof, and shock proof). Sweet.

Out for a venting solo 8+ mile (56:34) run in the evening around 6:45pm. Smooth run. Right hamstring and calf were tight, but my positive thinking about my next phase of training put it at bay and in the back of my head (Chi running). Back to stretch, foam roll, and pop in the shower.

Made a protein shake with the Magic Bullet and cooked up some chicken. Ate it with some pasta and cheese. Watched Guy Code and headed to bed by 10:15pm.

One Last Shot (USATF NE Championships)

February 15th: 6:30am wakeup. Cereal for breakfast. Work 7:30pm-4pm. Easy day at work and fairly productive. Pasta with veggies, Oreos, and finished off my tub of yogurt. Home to relax for a bit before heading out for a run. 7++ miles (49:48) at 6:50pm. Back to stretch, foam roll and shower.

I backed up my iPhone before bringing it to the Apple Store. I had an appointment at 8:30pm. Arrived a little late, but they fit me in. I explained my issue (wifi was greyed out). The guy at the genius bar noted that there was some green corrosion in the charger port. Aight, new phone had to be bought. I wasn't able to activate it with *228 or with the help of Verizon Wireless support over the phone (called from my iPad through Skype). Shut off the phone for the night and bed by 11pm.

February 16th: Slept in like a champ until 10am. Bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats for dinner. Chilled and my phone was activated when I turned it back on. Unfortunately, the data was not activated. Figured that out and on my way to Mass by 3pm. I had to make another phone call to Verizon to activate my data again once I arrived in Leominster. Kimber came down from NH for dinner. German dinner made by Sarah. Watched the movie Flight with Denzel Washington. Wicked good movie. Bed by 11:30pm. Day off from running.

Google homepage the other day.

February 17th: 7:45am wakeup. Updated my blog while eating oatmeal. Changed up and headed over to Harvard University for the New England Indoor Track Championships for the 1 mile at 9:15am. Snowy conditions slowed me down, but arrived by 10:30am.

Grabbed my bib number and checked into my event in the corner. 2.5 mile warmup on my own at 11ish. Ran within the stadium next door. Some stairs and sheltered from the elements for the most part. Back to grab my spikes and head down to the infield for stretching and strides. I had more than enough time. I was the 1st heat with my seed of 4:18 (goal time of sub 4:20). Lots of fast guys in the heat (Dave Chorney and Brian Harvey from BAA).

Lined up on the waterfall and solid off the line. Splits of what I remember: 32, 64, 2:08-2:09. The next three laps were 32.xx for 1:39 and 3:49 heading into the last lap. I attempted to switch gears and it actually was counterproductive. Crossed the line in 4:23.92. Oh well, I fell short of my ultimate goal to break 4:20 in the mile this indoor season. The last month has been not as consistent as I wanted it to be, but it's all good. Onto the roads and mountains with some raw speed under my belt.

A long cooldown with Brandon Newbould and a couple of his athletes from Phillips Exeter through the wind tunnels and the snowy sidewalks. I had 50+ minutes after we were all said and done (including the jog to Dunkin Donuts down the road). I would put it at 5+ miles because we were going slow and I think I didn't stop my watch at some point. 9 miles on the day and 44 miles on the week with 2 days off.

Back to Leominster for dinner at Bob's dad's house. Pasta with homemade meatballs and sauce. Sarah baked homemade bread that was transformed into garlic bread. Everything was so good and I had two full servings. A piece of cake that Bob's sister Kim baked. Back to the house to make a fruit smoothie and watch Here Comes The Boom (5th time). Packed up my car and bed by 11pm.

Tucker cleaning off her bone (dropped it in the dish when she wanted a drink a water).

A Miracle

February 11th: Didn't turn my volume up on my alarm so I just woke up at 7:45am. No breakfast. Changed up and carpooled to work (I drove because Goup forgot his keys at his mom's house) with no breakfast. Normal day at work. 8:30am-5:00pm. Buffalo chicken sandwich special for lunch. Home to relax and run later. Napped in my room, then on the couch. I changed up and waited for Goup. I feel back asleep and Goup never left his room. Stayed on the couch all night. My legs were pretty sore from skiing. Day off. Clif Bar as a snack at some point.

February 12th: 6:30am wakeup. Oatmeal for breakfast. Pasta and onions (hot sauce and Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ) made simultaneously for lunch (notice the lack of creativity/flavor when I have a lack of groceries). Work 7:30am-4:00pm.

Home to search the Running Warehouse website for some deals since we were sent an email at the end of the day. 60 bucks for two singlets, a pair of shorts, and a winter skull cap. Run at 5:45pm. 9+ miles (61:27). Smooth run with Goup. Back to stretch, foam roll, and throw on some warm clothes for a trip to Da Choppa.

First item in the shopping cart was a thing of Oreos. Veggies, milk, cheese, tortillas, orange juice, a fresh piece of steak, chicken, Cape Cod potato chips (sweet and spicy jalenpeño), and other essentials. With all this shopping, I had a bowl of cereal and protein shake.

February 13th: 6:40am wakeup. Bowl of cereal. Pasta and veggies (tomato, avocado, onion, and mushroom) made in the morning for lunch. Work 7:45am-4:15pm. Late lunch taken at 12:45pm. Home by 4:45pm. Gavs was coming in to check out apartments for his new job in Albany. He was crashing on the couch for the night. Waited for him to stop in before heading out for the workout.

Out the door at 6ish. Goal for the workout was 6x400 and 6x200. Full rest. Quicker. We were hitting up the Par Del Rio straightaway track so it could go either way. Better than I thought. 67, 68, 68, 68, 67, 67 (about a second long). I had to empty myself out on the side of the road. I even split the bathroom break. 26 seconds. Boom. Some long 200's (with a exception of the last couple being a good estimate of what the 200 mark was). 38, 38, 38, 38, 30, 29. 2 mile warmup, 2.5 mile cooldown for 9 miles on the day.

Home to stretch, foam roll, and throw the steak in the oven while I showered. Sautéed up some mushrooms and onions for a solid 10-15 minutes (covered them the whole time just like my mom cooks em). Dinner and bed by 10:30pm.

February 14th: Valentine's Day. 6:30am wakeup. Just another day. Leftover steak with mushrooms and onions. The last couple days I have been spicing up my yogurt by throwing in pieces of banana in it, dipping my Clif Bar in it, and finally crushing up a few Oreos in it (like Yo Crunch).

Home by 4:45pm. Picked up the packages in the office. Wait, they weren't there. The office lady says the UPS guy has been leaving them inside the building (not the usual). Walked into my building and no sign of the packages by the mailboxes. Called the office and as they picked up, the packages were laying in front of our door. Found em! Ripped open my package and checked out all my gear. Put some motivation in me and I changed up immediately to try out my new Sugoi skull cap. Semi-exploration run with no planned route. Ended up with 9.5 miles (65:22).

Back to stretch, foam roll, and shower up. Protein shake. FaceTimed with Kimber because her new iPad came in today. Ending up stubbing my toe and ripping off the fungus extension on my right toe. Cut it off with my knife (pictures below, it's definitely intense). I just need to stub my left toe to remove the fungus off that nail.

Proceed with caution.

Gunstock Mountain

February 9th: Slept in until 11:30am. Breakfast and packed up for New Hampshire. Goup and I were originally going to a 5 mile race in Brandford, Mass, but it was cancelled. 4 hour drive to Dover, NH. Double decker PB&J and a Clif bar on the ride over. Chilled for the night. Steak and veggies for dinner. 

February 10th: 6:30am wakeup. French toast and bacon for breakfast. Packed up the car and jammed out on the way to Gunstock Mountain in Guilford, NH (Call Me Maybe was possibly played twice during the hour ride). Wicked awesome conditions and a full day of skiing. 8:30-4:30pm with a short break for lunch. Napped in the car ride back to Dover. 

Chicken pot pie casserole, baked ziti and garlic bread. Chatted away at the dinner table and finally left for NY at 9pm. Home by 1:15am. A couple Mountain Dews and a brief stop at the Da Choppa in Keene for a much necessary bathroom break. I drove the whole way and don't know how I did it. Bed by 1:45am. 

View from the top at the end of the day.

An Assortment of Things

February 5th: Normal day. Cereal for breakfast. Work 7:30am-4pm. Chicken tenders for lunch. 9 miles (60:10) at 5:15pm. Back to stretch, shower, foam roll. Protein shake. Goup picked up Here Comes The Boom (with Kevin James) from Redbox. Watched that. Friggin hilarous. Chocolate milk. Bed by 11pm.

February 6th: Another basic day. Work 7:30am-4pm. Cereal for breakfast. Pasta and veggies with spices for lunch. Attempted a workout in the frigid cool. The goal was 6x400 and 4x200. Fast. Didn't exactly happen. 3+ mile warmup (23:06). Switched into my Nike Streak LT (first time). Felt solid. 69, 70, 72, 74, 80 (ouch). Switched to the 200's and Goup had me do 6x200. Felt great. It was only the homestretch for the 200's so there was no wind tunnel. 31, 31, 31, 29, 28, 29. The rest on the backstretch was terrible. 2 mile cooldown (14:13). 9 miles on the day. Home to stretch, foam roll, and throw in Here Comes The Boom again? Yeah, I think so.

February 7th: Work 8am-4:30pm. Home to relax and we were in no rush to run. We ventured over to Target to check out running watches. We ended up leaving with over $200 between the two of us. A couple of essentials such as body wash and Clif Bars. Goup grabbed a Sony surround sound system. We grabbed fluorescent Nalgene bottles. Back to the apartment to set it all up and cut out the run for the day. Day off. With the new system hooked up, the only thing that felt right was to watch Here Comes The Boom for a 3rd time. Just as funny. Twisting!

Surround sound. The tall speakers are not in use (just used as shelves).

 

 

The Wii Remote found in the bag next to the television. Hmm.

 

Explosion inside. Instant garbage.

 

Culprit. Don't buy these batteries.

 

Dinner. Cheese, pickle, and ketchup sandwich.

 

Watches synced. The newest on the right.

 

February 8th: Day off from work to attempt to beat the weather. Driving ban ending up taking affect today and a late start to the snow in NY. Relaxed in the morning. Run at 12:30pm. 17 miles (2:02:24). Explored Clifton Park for all it's trails and whatnot. Ran through a couple snow covered corn fields, hit a few side trails and the rest on the roads. Solid run. Slipped on some ice and caught myself with my left thumb. Chilled the rest of the day/night. Returned my brand new watch to Target and grabbed the other one I was hestitating to purchase. The Timex Expedition (original watch I bought) has the split function, but no recall function. I stepped it up with the Timex Ironman with Flix Technology and 100 lap memory. Sweetness. Flick of the wrist and the indiglo lights up. 100 laps for my countless (sometimes illogical or pointless) splits.

NBD.

 

With the storm coming through over the weekend, Goup and I made the decision early in the week to shred up the slopes somewhere in Massachusetts or New Hampshire. With the driving ban in Mass, we leaned towards New Hampshire and somewhere close to his Mom's house. Gunstock it is.

Full Day

February 4th: 4:40am wakeup. Quick bathroom session. Out the door by 4:55am to drive back to NY for work. Raspberry crumb cake bars along the way (homemade from my sister). Work 7:45am-4:15pm. Egg rolls for lunch (the MOAB was one of them).

Home. A couple brownies on the way home because I was starving. 5+ miles (35:26) plus a 1 mile of strides around the complex circle. I did one stride too much and couldn't make it back into the apartment for the bathroom. Ducked into the dark behind the garage unit.

Back inside to stretch, foam roll, and shower. Buffalo chicken tenders (leftovers) for dinner and watched Dodgeball An Underdog's Story. Bed by 11pm.

Top 3 Breakfast Of All Time

February 3rd: 8:45am wakeup. Dog tired. Packed up all our belongings and dropped off our skis at the rental place by the mountain. Decided to stop in Lincoln for breakfast. We went with Flapjacks Pancake House. A serious line to wait in to be seated, but we thought it would be worth it. Sarah, Bob, Kimber and I ordered food as if we hadn't eaten in days. I went with the "Hungry As A Bear" special plus a short stack of French toast. Chocolate milk to wash it all down.

Maple butter and real maple syrup is a mean combo

 

 

The French toast was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Bacon was thickly cut and delicious. Sausage that was extra sweet. Pancakes were thick, but light and fluffy. Two eggs overeasy. I covered the bill. It was the least I could do.

 

Stopped at Lahout's for the clearance sale. Picked up a North Face permaloft pullover. Wicked sweet. Once we were done there, we hit the road down to Peterborough to drop off Kimber. Down to Leominster to pick up Tucker at Bob's Mom's house. Stopped off at a couple grocery stores. Tucker and I held down the truck. We people watched to pass the time.

 

Back to the house to prepare a bunch of appetizers. Chicken tender strips (buttermilk and flour) tossed in Frank's Red Hot, guacamole with sunflower seeds, and hand rolled egg rolls. Lemonade (lemon juice, water and some sugar) to wash it all down. Boom!

 

Tucker sniffing away.

 

Watched the Superbowl. Kimber joined us (drove herself down from Peterborough after we dropped her off) because she went home to an empty house. Amazing halftime show with Beyonce. Bed by 10:30pm. 





Crushing It

February 2nd: 7:30am wakeup. Threw on the multiple layers. Over to the Mountain Bean for a sausage, egg and cheese with a side of chocolate frosted donut. Down the road for ski rentals, a few last minute purchases (skull cap for under the helmet and snacks across the street at the gas station). Over to Bretton Woods at 9ish. Lift tickets purchased and set up Kimber with a 1.5 hour group lesson (first timer) at 10am.

Boom.

Great day of skiing. Clif Bar and beef jerky during our short break. Post lunch, Bob and I crushed it for a couple hours on the slopes. The temperature reached about 18 degrees at the height of the day. Done at 4pm. Kimber killed it. Grabbed a beer in the lodge. Back to the Four Seasons Motor Inn to relax, shower and watch some television.

:)

Over to Fabyan's for dinner. Monster plate of chili nachos, Long Trail Blackberry Wheat and a French Onion burger (thinly sliced onions rings for a topping). We were so hungry that I didn't even capture any of the food for memories.

Back to the hotel to eat some brownies and relax. Bed by 9:30pm. Passed out hard.

Birthday Weekend Begin

February 1st: 9:30am wakeup. Pounded Gatorade hard. Bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast. Watched some television. Packed up my bags and off to Connecticut to renew my license at AAA. Out the door around 10:45am.

Arrived in Enfield around 12:30pm. In and out 15 minutes later. The lady was real nice (initially fairly monotone) and warmed up to me. I guess I can understand when you probably have to deal with all sorts of people at AAA. Devoured my leftovers from my birthday dinner (chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, and russian dressing sandwich) and some soggy french fries in the parking lot. Filled up on gas along the Mass Pike.

New license with a sweet signature.

 

Up to Leominster Massachusetts to Sarah's by 3pm. Chilled and out for a run at 4:30pm. 10+ miles (68:17) with 6 out and back surges on sideroads.Solid run and focused on killing any uphills. Back to stretch, foam roll and shower. Packed up the car with Bob/Sarah and off to pick up Kimber on the way north to Twin Mountain, NH. Stopped for food in Peterborough for dinner. Interesting small little sandwich/convenience shop. A couple short naps in the backset of the F-150 and arrived by 11:45pm. Bed by 12:15am.

Old license. 17 years old.

Birthday Night

January 31st: 6:30am wakeup. Cereal for breakfast. Work 8am-4:30pm. Carpooled with Goupil and my car passed the 19 minute test drive to work. Woohoo! Alyssa made cupcakes for me. I accidentally ate 8 of them throughout the day (I wasn't counting).

Home to relax a little before hitting up the roads for a run. Out over to some side neighborhoods for a couple loops. 8+ miles (58:07). One bathroom stop halfway through the run. The small bakery I consumed was running right through me.

Back to stretch, foam roll and shower. Drank a Newcastle in the shower. Out to the Brick Oven Pizza down the road for dinner and brewskis. Towards the end, a waiter stopped at our table and asked if if I was Eric. That was all. Our waitress came by soon after and let us know the bill was taken care of by my mom and placed a large piece of chocolate cake on the table. Mmmm. And another round of beer! Thanks mom!

Home to throw the PJs on and have a few more on the couch since I had a scheduled day off the following day. Bed by 12am.

Solid birthday.