New Bedford

New Bedford

Friday, September 28, 2012

Delays and Confusion

September 27th: 5:55am wakeup. 4 miles (29:39) at 6:15am. Back for a couple eggs overeasy with toast. Made a protein shake. No real lunch items. Work 8am-5:15pm. Busy day and lots of stuff to do. PB&J and a half avocado for lunch. A couple packets of mini Oreos after lunch from the vending machine. End of the day crap that forced me to stay later than I wanted. Delay #1.

My laundry was already in my car so I drove over to wash the essentials (running attire, boxers and socks). I organized in the morning I always wash my running stuff separately (they get the honor of a whole separate hamper). I sorted out the everyday wear socks and boxers out of the huge pile of clothes in my room (in the morning). A couple t-shirts and a towel for the weekend. Two loads. One finished and transferred it to the dryer. Open up the other one and it's full of water. Hmmm. I asked the manager there and she came over. "Too much. Too much." Okayyyy, what do you want me to do with that information? She mumbled some things in Chinese so I had no idea what she was saying. She ended with "Change. Change." She stated this as she was signaling to move my sopping wet clothes to the adjacent washer machine. Sounds like a plan. Delay #2 of the day.

Everything worked out and I made it back to the apartment by 7:30ish. Goupil finished his run already and started up on push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups. I changed up and scrambled to find my calf sleeves. Goupil and I discussed the major incidents from the day as I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off attempting to locate my calf sleeves. Finally found them underneath a bag and was out the door for 6 miles (40:38) at 8:15pm. End of delays for the day.

Back to the apartment to foam roll, strength train, make a protein shake, eat a cold piece of pizza, shower and make it to bed by 10:30pm.

10 miles on the day. Happy with the slight taper week so far. Long run on Saturday with Ferenc/Goupil and anyone that wants to join. 2.5 hours. Sweetness!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

3xmile (Fast)

September 26th: 5:40am wakeup. Put on some music to keep me awake instead of snoozing for another 15 minutes. Out the door for a 5 miler (36:08). Back to foam roll and make a couple eggs overeasy. Grabbed a few Pyrex containers for lunch plus a Chobani. Work 8am-4:30pm. Busy day at work. So busy that I ate lunch at my desk. I have never done that, but it was necessary.

Home by 4:45pm. Called Collision Experts and scheduled an appointment to fix up my car (unforunately they were booked for a week+). Changed up and headed down to UAlbany for the workout.

5:50pm arrival. 3 mile warmup (20:32 + strides). The goal was 3xmile quick. 800 rest. 4.5 miles total on the track. 4:50 and drop it down for the miles. Smoothness. 4:50 (3:37 rest), 4:46 (3:37 rest), 4:44 (3:42 rest). 25:18 total time. 5:37 pace. 3.5 mile cooldown (25:23). 11 miles in the afternoon.

We went somewhere new for dinner this night. We decided on pizza. Nick Webster joined us for the first time (he usually runs home to his mom for home cooking). We got 2 pies. Chicken parm and pepperoni. 5 garlic knots for $1.59. Goupil and I couldn't pass up the offer. We each ordered some. Garlic knots and three slices of pizza. Mmmm. Doctor Pepper to wash it all down. Always an entertaining time hanging out with Coach Dick and teammates.

Home by 9:30pm. Shower and bed by 10:30pm.

16 miles on the day. The workout was to simulate those random fast miles that might happen in the middle of the marathon. Train the body to be ready for anything.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

It's Been A While

September 25th: 6am wakeup. Tough to get out of bed. Finally emerged from the covers at 6:15. Ran with Goupil for a 3 mile shakeout (23:42). Bundled up with all the winter gear. Back to eat some cereal and a protein shake. Work 8am-4:30pm. Burrito mix, strawberry banana Chobani, and a Red Bull to get amped for post lunch.

Home by 5pm. I was hungry so I made a simple, but amazing combination. Stonyfield French vanilla yogurt and almonds. The best part was I Slapchopped the shiznit out of the almond to make them into dust practically. Mmmm. Chilled in front of the TV for a while. Goupil and I weren't moving much and were on the same page.

Out for a run by 6:45pm. 7+ miles (48:49). Smooth run. Darker earlier every day. Chicken, pasta, avocado, mozzarella cheese with ranch dressing for dinner with a protein shake. Finished most of it and kept a little for a snack at lunch tomorrow.

Bed by 10:30pm.

10 miles on the day. It has been a while that Goupil and I ran together both morning and afternoon runs on a weekday. Same time, same distance.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Simple as 123

September 24th: 6am wakeup. Out of bed by 6:15am. Run at 6:30am. 3+ miles (24:01). Cold mornings causes me to bundle up with full tights, pullover, winter hat and gloves. Nothing wrong with that. Back to stretch, foam roll (as always), and shower up. Lunch was already made (leftovers) so I just needed to compile it in a plastic bag. Bowl of Cinnamon Crumble for breakfast. Work 7:45am-4:15pm. Lots of computer work, which I didn't mind for a Monday. Porkchop, Chobani Raspberry, and pretzels for lunch.

Home by 4:45ish. Run with Derrick at 5:30pm. 7 miles (48:20) of the normal loop with a modified finish. Back by 6:20pm. Awesome. Usually we are just starting to get ready to run at that time. Stretched, foam rolled, and threw on some sweats to stay warm. Double mini burritos for dinner. Super easy and super scrumptious. Such a lazy dinner, but it's not even close to junk food so I never feel bad. Protein shake as a drink.

Super Troopers, shower and bed by 10pm.

10 miles on the day. Easy recovery from the race. Legs don't feel rocked from yesterday.

Falling Leave 14K + Throwin Hunnits (Hundreds)

September 23rd: 5:20am wakeup. Not sure why I was awake, then I remembered. Made some oatmeal for breakfast (with maple syrup, of course). Changed up and packed up the warm layers for the day. Stopped to grab gas before scooting down to UAlbany for the carpool over to Utica.

Smooth ride with a stop for the bathroom and the ATM at the rest area. Made it to the race venue (the beautiful empty town of Utica) by 8am. Popped into the hotel to register for the race. Out for an easy 2 mile warmup (13+strides). Race to go off at 8:50am.

Uphill start. Out strong without any issues. Switched with the defending champ, Sam Morse, for the first 2 miles. He surged ahead once we hit the gravel/pavement golf path. We hit these wicked sweet switchbacks up to the top of the golf course. He was motoring up them and I was holding my own. The last 4 miles was pretty much all downhill. I think we were matching each other on pace and he was hitting them hard. I maintained 2nd without a challenge in 45:55. 5:17 pace. I was happy. Unfortunately, I finished among the 5k finishers that started at 9am so the announcer didn't know I finished. He thought the Chuck Terry that placed 3rd was 2nd. It was kind of a weird finish line, but no worries. 4 mile cooldown (32+) with Marcus (teammate). 10 points for the Grand Prix and I maintain the lead for the Series. Sweetness.

Quick awards ceremony after for a free pint glass and a $75 gift card to the "Sneaker Store." Local store in Utica. I have to make the long drive another weekend. Store didn't open until 12pm. A few Chobani's during the awards and grabbed a few for the work week.

Stopped off at a teammate's parent's house for brunch. We picked up stuff at Hannaford's. We made blueberry pancakes, egg, bacon, and English muffins. To my surprise, I did not have much of an appetite. Once we departed from Utica, it felt like a small little demon was clawing at my stomach and lower back. Strange and I did not like it at any point.

Made it Clifton Park by 3pm to just sit on the couch and recover. A banana, a few swings of orange juice, a tortilla, and some potato chips. Headed out for a shakeout at 6:30pm. 6 miles (43:27). Stopped at about 12 minutes to relieve myself. Wow, I felt amazing. Good to go.

Home to foam roll, stretch, shower, and wash some major dishes. Made a big batch of burrito mix (brown rice, beans, tomatoes, green peppers, avocados, homegrown onions from my parent's garden). Tossed a few scoops on some tortillas with shredded mozzarella cheese and salsa. Mmmm. So good.

Watched Karate Kid that was television. Bed by 11pm.

21 miles on the day. 102 miles (now the highest in my life) on the week. 2nd 100+ mile week in a row. That's what a real man does when he hits his 1st 100 mile week, kills another one the following week. Ca-chang! 3 weeks until the marathon. Taper mode slowly, but surely.

Rack City. Rack Rack City.

Showers

September 22nd: 10am wakeup. Ahh, sleeping in feels wonderful. A bowl of yogurt with chopped up bananas for breakfast. Goupil headed out to NH right before I headed out for a easy 6 miles (44:46) at 11:15am. I had bold intentions of completing a bunch of things between runs, but decided against it. Bowl of Kashi Go Lean (mix of toasted berry crumble and cinnamon crumble). FaceTimed with my sister Sarah for a while. She wasn't too thrilled to watch me eat cereal (I'll agree, I like to eat cereal by myself with no one around). Caught up with our lives and our upcoming races.

Attacked the mountain of recyclables in the kitchen and swung by the transfer station to do my good deed for the day. I think of it as karma. I hate throwing away items that could be recycled. I decided to hang out at the library for a few hours to update my blog as well as update my resume for the future. You never know.

Left to head home by 5ish and get ready for a 2nd run. Before that, I cleaned out my car and organized my gas station receipts (I pretty much keep most of them to track prices). Changed up for my run and thought the shorts/t-shirt combo would be efficient. Within 10 minutes, it was pouring buckets of rain on me. 4+ miles (30:59). Short river run the last stretch of pavement through the complex. Puddle stomping through everything. It reminded me of the snapping turtle Goupil and I found earlier in the week. We tried to help it out of the road, but it had too much tude (slang for attitude). Didn't want to be helped so we left it. It was a small snapper. I didn't want to lose any fingers.

Back to the apartment to jump into a hot shower (two extra long hot showers today because it was just one of those days). Some how there was still a dry spot on the back of my shirt. Foam rolled and starting making dinner. Pork chops cut in half with thinly sliced apples in between them. Closed em up and cut up an onion to scatter all over them. Salt, pepper, olive oil, and maple syrup. Baked at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Cooked some brown rice. Facetimed with my dad while I chowed down.

Some television watching. Bed by 10:30ish.

10+ miles on the day. 14k tomorrow morning up in Utica, NY. I heard it is a beautiful course. Cool weather.

Sarah's laundry detergent




T-shirt



Gourmet Dinner


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Classic Eric Move

September 21st: 5:38am wakeup. Sprung out of bed to go to the bathroom. Out the door for 5 miles (36:36) by 6am. Easiest morning for a run for some reason. Kashi Go Lean Toasted Berry Crumble and a protein shake for breakfast. Work 8am-4pm. Slow and easy day. Stress management class/seminar in the cafeteria at the end of the day. Lots of fresh pineapple.

Stopped at The Mill since it was one of our co-worker's last day in EHS and moving to the preventative maintenance tech position at Globalfoundries. Hung out for a couple hours and hydrated with a few waters.

Home by 6:45pm. Out for a 2nd run at 7:15ish. 10 mile random run turned into just shy of 11 miles (75:37) with a strong push the last couple miles. Complete darkness caused us to miss a turn and loop back into a neighborhood again, but it was all good.

Back to stretch, foam roll, and made a bomb 3 egg omelette. Onions, peppers, and tomato with mozzarella cheese. I had not eaten an omelette in a while and it was just what I needed. Some orange juice. Nothing wrong with breakfast items for dinner.

Started watching television after Goupil headed to bed. I pulled a classic Eric and fell asleep on the couch. Woke up a few times before actually getting up at 2am. I threw on a sweatshirt and sweatpants after my run so I hadn't showered yet. Into the shower and brushed my teeth. Bed by 2:30am.

16 miles on the day. Night runs are always fun and we just coasted through the evening run. Rocked my Lunarspeed Lite's (8 ounces) to get the legs ready for 26.2 miles in flats.

In The Groove

September 20th: 5:55am wakeup. Out for a super easy 4 miles (30:56). First mile in 8:10 and it felt amazing. Legit cold this morning so I dressed as if it was the middle of the winter time to stay toasty. Tall socks, full tights, long sleeve, pullover, light wind jacket, winter cap, and gloves. Sweating by 2+ miles, but never overheated. Cereal for breakfast and a protein shake. Work 7:30-4pm. Double decker PB&J, Snyder pretzels, Cape Cod cracked salt and pepper potato chips, yogurt with cut up banana. Hefty lunch.

Home by 4:30pm. Relaxed until about 6pm. Goupil and I were both in our bedrooms. The official sign that it is time to run is when the music starts playing. That means there is about 15 minutes before we head out for a run. Bathroom then change up for the run.

Hitting pavement by 6:30pm. Goupil did an out and back 7+ while I completed the 11 mile lollipop loop (74:40). Smooth run and the quads are loosening right up each run. High visibility vest since it's getting dark by 7pm now. Stopped at about 5 miles to "use the ferns."

Back to the apartment for foam rolling, stretching and strength training. Showered up. It's always comical to me when I lather up in the shower and a few fern leaves fall into the tub.

Made salad with chicken for dinner. Delicious as usual. Red peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and chicken with ranch dressing to top it all (the light version). Protein shake with chocolate syrup and milk. Some television watching and bed by 10:30pm.

15 miles of recovery on the day. Legs felt good after the tough workout. Falling Leaves 14K this weekend in Utica for a tune-up before the big day.

YOLO

September 19th: 5:50am wakeup. Made it out for a 4+ miler (29:30). Unfortunately, I did not do my usually 2 miles out and back through the Shen High School campus. I decided to head down the out and back 3. I wish I didn't. I saw a German Shepherd on the side of the road. I saw it on the way out. On the way back, I shouted, "Hey buddy!" to just hope for the best. No movement. Just continued back to the apartment. Eggs overeasy for breakfast. Work 8am-4:30pm. Another day down. Leftover steak with mushrooms and onions. Double decker PB&J. Banana. It was nice to have lots of food for lunch with the all the grocery shopping I did. Three meetings to make the day go by quickly. Banana at the end of the day.

Home by 4:45pm. Immediately changed up for the Albany workout. Down there by 5:30pm. A few laps on the track before the actual team warmup. 4 total (27 + strides). The workout was 16x400 with 200 rest. Start at 78 and work down to 68. Went fairly smoothly. 78, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 75, 75, 72, 72, 71, 71, 69, 69, 69, 64). 33:51 total time. 5:39 pace. Chilly so I rocked a hat and half tights. 4 mile cooldown (28:52). Bundled up with a sweatshirt and sweatpants.

Out to Ninety-Nine (99 Restaurant) for dinner with Goupil and Dick Vincent (ARE coach). I was in the mood for a hearty dinner. Country fried chicken and garlic red mashed potatoes with gravy. Corn and honey butter biscuit. A couple waters to wash everything down. It almost felt like a home cooked meal. My mom never makes country fried chicken, but it's someone's home cooked meal somewhere.

Home by 9:30pm. Shower. Bed by 10:30pm.

18+ miles on the day. Productive day and a nice change of gears with the 400s. Felt strong and controlled.

Aqua Jogging

September 18th: Forgot to set an alarm so I woke up to Goupil shuffling to get ready for his morning run. It took me a couple minutes to get out of bed so I just let him head out on his own. I popped out soon after for an easy 4 miles (29:02). Kinda chilly and rainy. Half tights and a few layers on top to keep warm. Back for some eggs and a protein shake. Work 8am-4:30pm.

Stopped off at Da Choppa. Worst day to shop. I was in desperate need of groceries. I was soaked walking from my car to the apartment. Worth it and I made the $90 dolllars worth of groceries in one trip. Yeah buddy! Home by 5:45pm. Some hard rain throughout the day caused some minor flooding in Clifton Park. By the time Goupil and I laced up the old (rainy day) trainers, it was down pouring and rivers everywhere. It turned into a huge puddle stomping/river running excursion. Loads of fun. 8 miles (56:48). Drenched and toast. Legs felt like we went 10-12 miles (it's going in the books at 8), but its all good. We were running through almost knee deep water at times. We stayed off the main roads so we were able to run through the flooded neighborhoods multiple times.

Back to the apartment to pop into a hot shower and stretch after. Pete Thomas always had us shower right away after rainy day runs. Steak marinating in some seasoning and Italian dressing. Strength training while the steak was cooking. Mushrooms and onions to top the piece of meat. Big salad with cucumbers, red peppers, avocado, tomato and mozzarella cheese. Ranch dressing to add to the multiple flavors already in there. Mmmmm. So good. I had to use two plates because there was so much food. Ate the salad and most of the steak. Kept some for leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Pull-ups before bed. Bed by 11pm.

12 miles on the day with an adventurous run in the evening. Definitely needed to remember why I go for a run everyday. The entertainment and relaxation factor. I don't know what I would be doing if I didn't run everyday (more sleeping and less eating).

Oh and the Subie hit 211,000 miles. Boom!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Ouchies

September 17th: No morning run. Slept in until 6:50am. Felt great. A couple eggs and toast for breakfast. Topped em with real maple syrup (yeah, that's how much I love the stuff). Work 8am-4:30pm.

Home just before 5pm. I didn't want to do anything so I didn't. I was mad hungry so I ate a quesadilla with salsa. Then I ate a Clif bar. Goupil headed out for a run. No rush for me. Continued to sit on the couch before heading out at 7:30pm for a 10 miler (69:48). Quads definitely rocked from the hills and trails yesterday. A nice change of scenery and terrain yesterday in Pisgah State Park. Smooth night run though.

Back to the apartment to stretch and foam roll. Protein shake for dinner. Bed by 10:30pm.

10 miles on the day. Ease back into the week.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Pisgah 23K + Hammett's

September 16th: 6:30am wakeup. Bowl of oatmeal with sugar and maple syrup for breakfast. To my surprise, Kimber was already awake before me. Headed over to Chesterfield for the Pisgah 23K/50K. Stopped at Shaw's for Gatorade. Arrived by 8am. Race was set to go off at 8:45am. Registered in the school and met up with some buddies (Ferenc, Hammett, Boj, and Hammett's brothers/dad). Warmed up short of 2 miles (13:06) on my own. Used the bathroom in the woods.

Some strides at the line and off down the pavement hill for the start of the race. The original plan for the day was tempo 20 at 6 minute pace. This was the modified day with the race and hang with Hammett on his home turf. We cruised the first half. In the first 200 meters, Hammett joked that the race went straight and he was turning right to go the bathroom. I listened and went straight. The race went right. There were like 10 big white arrows on the ground pointing to the right. I wasn't paying attention. Hammett felt bad, but it was all good. Reached the top of the ridge (about half way) and Hammett was leading. He hit the steep downhill hard and I couldn't match it. Ended up taking a digger around 55 minutes and "trotted" it in for 1:34:06. Happy with the effort, but I would of liked to stick with Hammett longer. Next year I will be ready for the 23K.

2 mile cooldown (16+). Chilled and back to Hammett's to grill some dogs and eat homemade white chili. I combined the two for chili dogs and some crushed red peppers. It always the best to hang out with everyone (Ferenc, Hammett, Jen, Fyffe, Boj and other runner friends). Always a good time.

Headed out there back to Peterborough around 4:30ish. Shakeout 2.75 miles (23:43) with Kimber at 6pm. Turkey burger after and made the trip back to NY at 7:30pm.

21 miles on the day. Solid trail race in some tough terrain and a great day all around. 101 miles for the week and my first 100 mile week of my career. Sweetness.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Chick Flick and a Wedding

September 15th: 8am wakeup. Laid in bed for a while. Kimber made a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Started flipping through the channels. I found How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. I hadn't seen it so I was immediately sucked into the movie. Watched that until about 12ish.

Changed up for a run. Just shy of 9 miles (62:38). Found a bike path that was very scenic and closed off from the main roads. Hit up a few side trails. Jumped over a small snake along the sidewalk. Definitely nice to be in New Hampshire running.

Back to the apartment by 1:50pm. Jumped in the shower. Downstairs to eat a bowl of cereal. I didn't really eat anything in the morning. Off to the wedding by 2:30pm. Stopped off at Ocean State Job Lot for a $5 black dress belt because I forgot mine.

The remainder of the day/evening was the wedding. Gorgeous wedding at Cobb Hill Estates. Ridiculous view. Relaxed setting with bomb food. Scallops wrapped in bacon, fruit, chicken/beef on a stick, salad, roasted potatoes and more. Cupcakes and apple pie for dessert. Home by 9pm to chill and head to bed.

Easy 9 miles on the day. Big day tomorrow to finish off the week.

Awesome views!

Off To Peterborough

September 14th: 5am wakeup. Snoozed until about 5:40am. Out for a 6 miler (42:47) on the brisk morning. Beautiful weather in the AMs lately. Much more motivating to get out there and get acclimated to the chilly weather. Praying for a cool morning on October 13th (Hartford Marathon). A couple pieces of maple banana walnut bread for breakfast. Work 7:30am-4pm. Itching to get out of there. Peanut butter and jelly for lunch.

Stopped off at the dry cleaners to pick up the dress pants and shirt. Packed up the bags and washed some dishes before heading out around 5:15pm to New Hampshire. Smooth ride. Small amount of traffic through Troy, but made it without any major problems.

Arrived at Kimber's by 8:10pm. Out for a 2nd run by 8:30pm. 4++ miles (29:47). In the pitch dark for some of the parts, but ran down a secluded road for a relaxing run. Back to stretch while Kimber made turkey burgers and sweet potato fries. I was too hungry to take a picture. Delicious. Showered while Kimber passed out on the couch. Bed by 10:30pm.

10+ miles on the day on the double with maximum time between the two runs. Easy run in the morningish and the wedding in the evening.

Simple Day

September 13th: 5:40am wakeup. Out the door by 6ish for an easy 5 miles (34:40). Eggs for breakfast. I forgot what I made for lunch (I know, dissapointing). Work 7:30am-4pm. Car rode perfect to and from work. Woohoo!

Back to the apartment to chill out. Goupil and I headed out for a 7 mile run. Mostly through neighborhoods and I added on to make it 10 miles (69:18). Back to stretch, foam roll, and eat some dinner. Bed at a decent hour.

15 miles on the day. Solid day of recovery.

Boom! Best Workout of My Life So Far

September 12th: Tried to get out of bed before 6am, but I failed. Ran with Goupil at 6:25ish. 3 miles (23:10). Extra cold out this morning so I went with full tights, long sleeve, pullover, winter cap, and gloves. 3 eggs overeasy for breakfast. Made some lunch quickly. Dropped my car off at Clifton Park Auto Repair for a 4 wheel alignment. Goupil picked me up to carpool to work. Work 8am-4:30pm. Double decker PB&J, strawberries/raspberries, and a Clif Bar.

Picked up my car. Back to the apartment to change up and get ready for the workout. Made it down to UAlbany by 5:50am. 3 mile warmup (20 + strides). Legs felt good and I was ready for the tough workout ahead. 6xmile with 800 rest. Half marathon pace (5:10-5:15). The rest was a plus so I decided to keep it at a good clip. I ate a whole bunch of peanut M&Ms throughout the day so I used the port-o-potty right before I started the workout. Phew! Good thing. Workout went like this:

5:09 (3:19 rest)
5:08 (3:25 rest)
5:06 (3:20 rest)
5:01 (3:20 rest)
4:56 (3:21 rest)
4:52 (3:25 rest)

I am pumped about this workout. THe last two intervals were smooth and even split. 50:28 total time for the 9 miles. 5:36 pace. 3 mile cooldown (20:33).

5 Guys Burgers and Fries. I treated myself with Vanilla Rootbeer, Lime Coke, and Raspberry Hi-C. It was heaven. The amazing machine that allows to have whatever kind of drink you want. Burger with mushrooms, onions, mayo, BBQ sauce and hot sauce. They added bacon (even though I didn't order it), but removed it off because I like bacon by itself. It overpowers the sandwich.

Home by 9pm. Showered and bed at a decent hour.

18 miles on the day. Productive day with my best workout of my running career (so far). Sweetness!

On/Off

September 11th: 5:45am wakeup. Out for 4 miles (29:04). Chilly in the morning. Ripped through the closet to grab a pullover, a winter cap and gloves. Warmed up by the end. Bagel for breakfast. Work from 7:30am-4pm. Sausage and peppers for lunch.

Back to the apartment by 4:30pm to relax for a while. Out for the 2nd run at 7ish. The goal was a 9+ mile loop with the first mile+ being a warmup and for the next 7 miles to be a minute on, minute off. I rocked my Nike Lunarspeed Lites. Cruised through the 1st mile in 6:35. The next 7 miles (39:45) felt super smooth and relaxed. I was averaging 5:40s for the tempo section between on/off. Cruised the last mile+ to finish up the run. Total time for the 9.3 miles was 54:11.

Back to stretch and foam roll. Not much of an appetite so I went light with a protein shake and a bowl of strawberries/raspberries. Hit up Target to purchase an iron, Clif bars, salsa, ranch dressing, toothpast, and deodorant (you know, all the essentials). Ironed my shirt before bed for my professional pictures for my company's website.

Bed by 11pm. 13+ miles on the day. Happy with the amount of chillness in the 2nd run. Disclaimer: I am running in Clifton Park, NY where it is flat and roads. So it is easy to cruise through some of the runs.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Day Off From Work

September 10th: 8am wakeup. Rolled around in bed downstairs in the basement. Out of bed by 9am. Said my goodbyes to my sisters as they drove to the airport and Sarah drove back with her fiance, Bob, to Leominster, Mass. I ate a couple sugar cookies with jelly in between them for breakfast. Once everyone left, I went out for my 5 miles (35:18) down some side neighborhood roads.

Back to my house to stretch and relax. My mom was in major cleaning mode and I wasn't. It didn't mix. Fell asleep for an hour. Woke up hungry, which I think was my problem the whole time. I didn't eat breakfast and I didn't really eat after my run. I had a protein shake, but that was it. Made a sausage, pepper and onion wrap. Added pepper jack cheese and red relish to make it uber delicious. Gave me some energy to help my mom. Returned some tables we borrowed to a friend downtown. Made some money doing the bottle deposits at the grocery store. $3.55. Woohoo.

Out for my 2nd run at 5:30pm. 10 miles (65:44). Smooth run and legs didn't feel the 5k from the day before. Sweetness. Packed up my things and made the trek back to NY by 8:30pm. Mom supplied me with some leftovers and snacks. My dinner consisted off black licorice and a couple bottles of water.

Back to the apartment by 11:15ish and bed by 12am. It was great to not be at work on a Monday.

15 miles on the day. A great start to the week and a push for a couple high weeks before the drop in mileage.

Dunkin 5k + Home

September 9th: 5:20am wakeup. Finished packing up my bag for the 36 hour stay at home. Toasted up a half a bagel to keep it light for the race. Goupil and I headed down there in separate cars because I was leaving immediately after the awards to travel home. Arrived at the race venue (the Albany Jewish Community Center) around 6:35am. Picked up the number. Removed a layer or two for the warmup because I bundled up in a short sleeve, long sleeve, and pullover due to the chilly weather in the morning.

3 mile warmup (20 + strides) at 7:50am. Goupil and I helped a guy find the starting line. He was foreign (possibly Kenyan) and we were afraid we just gave directions to the future winner. Back to the tent to change up the shoes and toss the jersey on. No bathroom break needed. A couple swigs of Gatorade and off to the starting line. Conversed with some runner friends from Willow Street and checked out the competition. Saw a guy with a Liberty jersey on and knew he was legit. 8:30am start and the cool weather was still present. A definite plus.

Sprinted out well and settled in the first 100 meters with a group. Let others take the lead and closely followed. Within the first 1/2 mile, I was already 5 meters back off the two lead runners. So I surged to latch on directly behind them. Cruised the 1st mile in 4:54 (Goupil said it was a few seconds off, still sub 5). 2 miles with about 6-8 guys in a group in 9:46 (not sure if it was right or not, but we were rolling either way. A quick bus turn around to break up the momemtum and run the final mile stretch back to the finish line. Surges left and right left me a few meters off the leader, but still in the top pack. Made one last effort, but didn't have the next gear. Finished 4th in 15:13. $150 bucks for 4th. 6 mile (42:13) cooldown with a variety of people including Jodie Robertson (2:42 2012 Olympic Marathon Trial Qualifier that runs for ARE currently). Exited the parking lot of the community center and on the road by 10:30am. A bagel for recovery and a frozen protein shake that melted on the way due to the blasting heat it was resting on.

Made it Newtown (Connecticut) by 12:45pm. Ate a bowl of Go Lean and drank a glass of OJ/Pineapple. Relaxed before heading out for a shakeout run. 8+ miles (57:18) with a sub 6:30 last mile to finish it off. 20 miles on the day. Boom.

Took an outdoor shower and the rest of the day was spent with my family (sisters from California, sister from Massachusetts, future in-laws from California, and others). Bridal shower appearance to see my sisters and all her friends. Back to the house for surf and turf. Amazing time to see everyone. Unfortunately, Kimber had to drive home to New Hampshire before the night was over.

Bed by 11pm.

20 miles on the day. 86 miles on the week with a shorter workout, a bunch of doubles, and a quality 5k. Happy with week of mileage since it was a scheduled 90 and I hit 86 (sick the first few days). The 5k was a solid effort and I hung with the eventually winner (Liberty guy, Josh Edmonds, 14:12 track 5k from senior year 2011) for 2+ miles. Compared to the Alumni Race, I was much more aggressive and stayed tough. A couple more high weeks before tapering down for the big day in Hartford, October 13th.

Double It Up

September 8th: 5:30am wakeup. Bagel for breakfast. Over to Globalfoundries (yeah, not my idea of a Saturday morning) to help volunteer at the Malta 5k with AREEP. The only time I will drive in that direction on a Saturday, not for work. Set up and take down. Out of there by 10am. I banged myself by cutting my finger and knee. As well as hitting my head while jumping back into the back of the truck. I felt like a blacked out for like 10 seconds. I felt nausea, but recovered.

Back to the apartment for an easy 5 miles (34:24). Back to stretch, foam roll, and shower up. Made a grilled cheese with avocado. Sat down on the couch to watch a Netflix movie. Picked out Conan The Barbarian (the remake). My eyes got heavy so I pounded a Redbull. No affect. I think I might be the only person that has the ability to pass out for 4 hours immediately after pounding an energy drink.

Woke up to no power. Thunderstorm and lots of wind. Played my racing game on my iPad to kill time. Goupil and I started to get really bored so we went out for another 5 miles (35:20). We were gonna wait until we got power back to ensure we could shower after the run. As we were getting changed, the power came back on. I was about to go number 2 in the dark. Now I didn't have to do that.

Back to the house to stretch, foam roll, and make a big ole dinner. Goupil and I made almost the exact same dinner. Salad with cheese and avocado. A nice juicy steak (I went with grilled onions while Goupil went with raw in his salad). It was pretty cute that we ate the same dinner. Chowed down our food and watched Mighty Ducks: D2 on TV.

Bed at a decent hour to rest up for the 5k tomorrow in Albany.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Rice A Roni

September 7th: 5:55am wakeup. Out for an easy 4 mile shakeout (27:27) through Shen High School campus. Cruised the second half. Back to the apartment to stretch, foam roll, and toast a bagel for breakfast. Shower and off to work. Work 7:30-4pm. Rice and beans for lunch. A bunch of stuff to do in the middle of the day so a late lunch, 12:45pm. I usually eat around 11:30am so my stomach was grumbling.

Home by 4:30pm. Chilled for a while. Goupil made food. Out the door for a quicker 10 miler through the neighborhoods for a secluded run. 10 miles (65:08). Talked the whole way and it felt smooth. Back for a protein shake and Rice a Roni for dinner. Ate a couple bites and I didn't have much more of an appetite. Weak dinners this week with the

Bed by 10pm.

14 miles on the day with a steady pace for both runs. Almost 100% better and the cold has resided. Just a running nose with clear mucus. Making up some mileage from the beginning of the week.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Playing Cats-Up!

September 6th: 5:50am wakeup. 6:10am out of the door for a easy 3 mile shakeout (22:35). Back to make breakfast, shower, and head to finish up my OSHA 10Hr Construction course up in Wilton, NY. I bought some Redbull yesterday at Target to stay awake and attentive. Clif Bar at the end of the class to hold me over for the 2nd run.

Home to the apartment by 2:30ish to totally relax for a couple hours. Goupil home at 5pm to change up and head out for a run with me. 10 miles (69:19) at 5:15pm. Quality run.

Back to stretch and shower. Stopped off at Da Choppa to grab a few groceries. Threw in a load of laundry before the supermarket stop to optimize the limited time before bed. Rice and beans with avocado, red peppers, and onions for dinner.

Store brand shot of Nyquil and bed by 8:30ish. Another early night.

13 miles on the day and a solid double. Recovering quickly and capitalizing on lots of sleep.

Upswing

September 5th: 6:30am wakeup. Already decided not to run in the morning. 7:15am out of bed to toast a bagel and take a hot shower. Feeling better especially with the excessive gargling of mouthwash and apple cider vinegar. Work 8am-4:30pm. Bought lunch for the 1st time at work. Big waste of money, but oh well.

Home by 5pm. I was feeling better, but I didn't want to make the trip down to Albany and not complete the workout. Ran over to Shen High School for a warmup. 3+ miles (22:36). I was abbout to walk on to the track and Derrick calls me over to his car. I didn't know he was gonna be there, but it's all good. He changed up and we hopped onto the track for strides/warmup. A field hockey game was in session with a crowd so it made it more motivating to run well in the workout.

Goupil wanted me to do 4x800 and 4x400. Smooth from the beginning. 2:34, 2:33, 2:30, 2:30, 72, 72, 71, 69. 4+ mile cooldown (28:34). 12 miles on the day.

Home to foam roll, shower and have a protein shake. No dinner because I didn't have much of an appetite. Store brand shot of Nyquil, a Mucinex, and bed by 8pm. Boom! Mad early.

Oh, and here's the article for those who haven't seen it. Let me know if you have trouble opening it.

http://www.levelrenner.com/wp-content/uploads/issues/Issue%20009%20-%2008212012.pdf

Out Like A Light

September 4th: 6am wakeup. Back to bed until about 7am. Out of bed to make a bagel and zone out from the shot of store brand Nyquil that was slowly wearing off. Work 8am-12pm. A whole avocado and a Clif Bar for lunch. Drove up to Wilton for day 1 of 2 of the OSHA 10HR Construction course.

Back to the apartment by 4:30ish. A couple slices of maple banana walnut bread from Maine. Mmm.

Easy 7 mile run (50:03) by myself at 6:45pm. It wasn't a death march, but my body was just achey all over. Short day of mileage and it was completely necessary. Made it back to stretch and take a long hot shower.

Protein shake. No real dinner. Shot of store brand Nyquil and bed by 8:30pm.

OG Ballers below. Mostly black shorts except for the three most badass alumni. Naturally dark (Na-hem), bronzed out of his mind (Ferenc), and old man status with reverse BAA colors and reflective (me).

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Apple Cider Vinegar Never Tasted So Good

September 3rd: 7:30am wakeup. Throat still scratchy. Gargled with some mouthwash to kill some of the germs and numb the soreness. Easy 3 mile run (22:35). Lightheaded and sorta out of it for the run. Omelettes for breakfast. A piece of cake for dessert at 10am.

Packed up and cleaned the house before making it down South to Kittery. I wasn't feeling very well so I sleeping on the way down. Stopped off at Stonewall Kitchen for snacks. The food helped with the sore throat, but I knew it wasn't a good sign for the next couple days.

The Flying Pig Bakery for some homemade breads. I was treated to a loaf of maple walnut banana bread. Kimber and I headed out after this to make it back to NH at a decent time to run and carpool back to NY with Goupil.

I drove back. Smooth ride. Kimber slept some of the ride. Made it to Keene by 430ish. Stopped at Fowler for a bathroom break. My plan was to run from the gym and get in 10 miles. I ran from "the gym" and only made it 7 miles (49:12). Kimber dropped me off and I saw the gym was open until 11pm. The only catch is that you need to scan your ID at the entrance to gain access. I changed up in the Student Center bathroom and dropped off my casual clothes and shoes behind a dumpster in the outdoor recycling center. Wasn't feeling the run and any type of workout after the first 2 miles and ran Beech Hill 7.

Back to the gym to stretch and meet Kimber. She picked me up some dinner at the grocery store. Some pasta salad she made herself at the salad bar. Pretty dang good. Goupil and I made the trip home to Clifton Park. It was a breeze and we caught up on the last 2 days of not seeing each other.

Home by 9pm and bed soon after.

10 miles on the day. I need to take it easy and recover from being under the weather. Sleep in tomorrow and a single run.

Oh, and it was my wonderful sister Erin's birthday yesterday. September 2nd. She turned the big 30. It was an awesome weekend up in Old Orchard Beach with everyone. Aside from catching a bit of a cold, I enjoyed every minute of it and always love spending time with my family :)

And this a picture of me sleeping in the car that Kimber took with my phone. And my arms are inside my shirt because I was chilly. It's comfortable and you can't bash it.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Day Off

September 2nd: Woke up a bunch of times in the middle of the night into the morning. Kimber and I were sharing a single aerobed in the living room. Not exactly the best sleeping situation when you like to sprawl out and hog the covers (me). Kimber eventually moved to the couch. I woke up and walked Tucker (the dog) at around 8ish. I was freezing all night. I thought a sheet was efficient, but its September now and the windows were open. I should of known better living in the woods last summer.

Egg quiche casserole thing with white bread, onions, bacon and cheese. So bomb. I had a piece and finished off both of my sister's pieces. Cleaned up and relaxed before heading to Portland for some shopping.

Window shopping, chocolates, lunch, ice cream, and staying dry the first 30 minutes from the rain. Turned out to be a beautiful day. Stopped in a popcorn placed and picked up some salt & vinegar popcorn. Chyeah buddy!

Back to the house for some cornhole (the new boards needed to be broken in) to work up an appetite. Pizza downtown at Bill's and Rocco's (competing restaurants that serve single slices). I went with onion, mushroom and sausage. Salt and vinegar fries from Pier Fries. Back to the house for 6 layer raspberry cream cheese almond cake Sarah made. Friggin ridiculously good. Finished off Erin's piece.

Cranium until 1am. Bed with a scratchy throat. That's what I get for eating all that food (and sleeping in the cold the night after a race).

0 miles on the day. Scheduled day off in the middle of the marathon training. 6 weeks until the big day.

One of the things we witnessed while in Portland. Some unique characters.

Alumni 5K + Maine

September 1st: 7:30am wakeup. Dunkin Donuts with Goupil for a plain bagel toasted with butter. Back to the lake house to get ready and drive over to the Athletic Complex by 9:15am.

Relaxed in the parking lot to greet teams, alumni, friends, and families. Warmup at 10:50am. 3 miles (20 + strides). Sun was shining and not too much cloud coverage. Switched into my flats (Lunarspeed Lites). Over to the start line for strides and a huddle with the alumni. Sported the new haircut and I was turning heads. Three years in a row for ridiculous haircuits to shed some of the serious off of the race. 10 teams this year (outside of Alum and current guys) to make a much bigger race.

Race went off at 11:30am. First mile 5:08ish I believe. Let some guys get in front of me. Started "jogging" from mile 1ish to mile 1.5 or so. 2 miles: 10:26. At this point, a Keene freshman tried passing me that brought me out of my own zone. I cruised the railroad bed and caught up with 10-15 meters of Hammet and Hoyt. With a mile to go, I started to push and passed Hoyt through the soccer field loop. Passed Hammet soon after. I was hoping he would go with me to bring it in with me (with those 1:59 legs), but he was didn't have that extra gear. Solid finish to cross the line in 16:09. 2nd alumni and 4 alumni in before the first Keene Stater. Boom! Destroyed. MIT put two in front of Ferenc (1st alumni) in the last 400 meters, but its all good. He isn't training for a cross country 5k. He is in a big boy race (Mountain Marathon in Europe through the Alps).

Yale 7 for a cooldown with a bunch of the guys. 6 miles. 12 on the day.

Back to the Lake House to cut the rest of my hair. Shower and head over to Coach Pete's house for a BBQ. Lots of food and laughs. Always a fun time when you have a bunch of runners (especially Keene Alumni and honary Alum) in one spot.

Left around 3:45pm from Pete's to drive up to Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Smooth ride and surprised my sister, Erin, and her fiancé, Dominic, with my appearance.

Chilled the rest of the night. Lobster dinner. I ate chicken. I did try steamers, which were pretty good. Kinda tasted like beach/sand, but covered in melted butter. You can't complain.

Dance party with my sisters and some Woodchuck ciders. Bed by 12:30am.

12 miles on the day with a content race performance. I was shooting for sub 16, but I feel asleep the 2nd mile. Another 5k next week in Albany. Money prizes.

My sister, Sarah, and her fiancé's dog, Tucker. Adorable.

Keene Bound

August 31st: 5:30am wakeup. Packed up my things for the weekend (Keene, NH and Old Orchard Beach, ME). Out for a 5 mile run (36:40). Legs still feeling Wednesday, but no worries. Goupil and I carpooled to work because we were carpooling from work to Keene. Balance bar for breakfast. Work 7:45am-4:15pm. Quick day at work except for the last couple hours. It was dragging, but pushed through it. Goupil and I practically ran out of work to hop in his car to make the drive to Keene.

Drove to Keene and made it there by 6:30ish. Another 5 mile run (36:45) with Najem and Goupil at 7pm. Railroad bed for some soft trails. Boj was already out for a run so he turned around and finished up the run with us.

Back to the Lake House to cut my hair real gross. Just shaved the top of my head. Showered and Athen's for dinner. Chicken parm sub. Kept my hat on to avoid any harassment from the Keene night crowd. Rented Contraband from Redbox and watched that before going to bed. Jared joined us the beginning before bouncing. FaceTime with my family (in Maine at the time) to show them the sweet haircut.

10 miles on the day. Runs felt good. Alumni 5k tomorrow.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Late Night Exploration

August 30th: 5:50am wakeup. 3 mile shakeout (23:55) with Goupil this morning. I was moving slow to get out the door. Work 8am-4:30pm. Chicken and pasta with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce on it. Another busy day at work.

Home by 5pm to relax and eventually get out the door for a 2nd run. 8 miles (56+) with Goupil. We weaved through the neighborhoods for most of the run. Noticing that its starting to get dark out earlier. We were in reflective material darkness for the last couple of miles.

Made it back safely to foam roll, strength train, stretch and make some dinner. Grilled cheese with avocado. Mmmm. Television and bed at a decent hour.

11 miles on the day of straight recovery after Wednesdy's workout on the track.