Apples + Dunkin 5K Weekend

September 21st (Saturday): Woke up on the couch after a great night sleep. I hadn't showered after last night's run. Oh well. Made myself some oat bran with maple syrup and almond milk. Vegged out on the couch before changing up the shorts and socks (kept the same shirt on) for the morning run. 7.5 miles (53:35) on my own at 10:30am. Relaxing run. Hopped on the short trail system for a couple miles. Back to foam roll, protein shake it up, ice, shower, and head over to Rexford for apple picking with a couple buddies at 1pm.

Bought about 6+ pounds of apples, a bag of caramel, a gallon of apple cider, a large jar of honey, and a dozen cider donuts. Support the local community. Hung out for a bit before making it home by 4ish. Back on the couch to relax and watch television. I packaged my cider donuts into sandwich bags to elongate the freshness (and proportion them evenly for myself, 2 donuts a sitting). I packaged 10 total. 2 were eaten while I was packing them. One was squashed so it would of been inhumane to let it suffer.

 To control myself.

 Local. Keeps the sickness away.

Eventually I was out for my 2nd run around 6pm or so. 5.5 miles (39:18) on my own. Back to make a hearty meal for dinner. Washed it all down with a protein shake. See below:

Clockwise: Sweet potato with maple syrup and butter, BBQ chicken over a bed of rotini, broccoli.

Both chicken and broccoli topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic.

September 22nd (Sunday): 6am wakeup. Downstairs to make some oat bran with maple syrup and almond milk. Gathered up all my stuff for the race. On the road by 6:50am to head down to Albany with Jeff and Kristen. Arrived by 6:30ish. Picked up the bib inside and back to the car to huddle up the crew for a warmup. 2.5 miles (18+) with Webster and Paley. Stopped in the woods for a number 2 break. Portajohn line was too long anyways. Back to the car to change up into the flats and strip down to racing gear.

Over to the line. Chuck let me know the winner from last year was here this year. Josh Edmunds from Liberty. 14:12 on the track back in college. Hmm and quick in the shorter stuff. 8:30am start. Off the line well. Lead from the gun. No messing around. Aggressive 1st mile and running in fear. 4:40's and kept it going. No one contended with me. It was a 2 lollipop loop course that started and finished in the same spot. The 2nd turnaround was a tight one so I could see the 2nd place person. I had a decent gap and kept it going. Finished in 15:00. Flat. Couldn't quite dip under 15, but a strong race. Happy with the results especially with the killer half marathon last week. 2nd place was 15:18.

Watched the 10k finish up and out for a 7 mile (51:03) with a bunch of guys (some on my own, some with others). Awards, light massage, and the scenic way home. Home by 12:45ish. Two apple cider donuts with a glass of apple cider were consumed almost immediately. Other snacks such as leftovers (broccoli and BBQ chicken). Relaxed the rest of the day with an assortment of Netflix movies. I started with End Of Watch, followed up with Charlie Bartlett.

Out for a easy 7 mile (47:27) around 6:30pm. Back to foam roll, make a protein shake, and shower up. Finished off the night with My Idiot Brother (starring Paul Rudd). The easiest (and best way) to get out for a shakeout run in the evening time after a race is to NOT SHOWER and NEVER CHANGE OUT OF YOUR RUNNING CLOTHES. Soak in the success and bring it into that 2nd run.

 Leftovers with apple cider.

Bed by 11pm. Added up the miles for the week. 107 miles for the week. PR for mileage and a road PR for the 5k. Another great week of training and loving every minute of it. Since pictures don't show up that quickly after NY races, I was unable to attach any pictures of the race.

Wait. Found a couple after some research.

  Start. Only 10 meters into the race.

Couldn't snag 1 second. Oh well. Still a 13 second PR on the roads.

Late Night Runs

September 19th (Thursday): 6am wakeup. 4 miles (30:21) on my own around 6:20ish. First mile was 8+ minutes and it felt amazing. Protein shake for breakfast. Chicken wrap with "chutney" for lunch and some snacks. The chutney was basically spinach, raw onions, raw red peppers and raw mushrooms. Busy and nonstop day at work. Home by 4:30pm. Grabbed the two containers of yogurt that didn't have too much left. Picked my two weapons to destroy the yogurt and granola I added with it.

I'm sorta addicted to yogurt.

Chilled on the couch and then out for 8+ miles (58:06) with Goup around 7pm. My Runningwarehouse shipment arrived this afternoon so I was able to rock my new Nathan high visibility vest. Beautiful night out and in the low 60's. Back to the house to have a bowl of Autumn Harvest. Going off my FaceTime conversation last night with Erin and Dom, I drizzled some New Hampshire maple syrup on top of the cereal. Bed at a decent hour.

You can't tell there is syrup on it, but it was good. The combo of vanilla almond milk is bomb.

September 20th (Friday): 6am wakeup. 5 miles (35:11) at 6:20ish. Protein shake for breakfast. Chicken wrap for lunch with some snacks for lunch. Long day of work 7:30am-5:30pm. Lunch was eaten at my desk as well. So it was a long.day to say the least.

 Made in the morning.

Stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things for the weekend. 3 more 2 pound containers of yogurt because it's an essential in my fridge. Some other things before making it home to just relax a bit. Out for 10+ miles (70+ minutes) on my own. Rocked my new high visibility vest PLUS the new Petzl Tikka 2 headlamp. Worked like a charm and wasn't even close to getting hit by a car.

Home by 8:20pm to FaceTime with my dad on the porch until I caught a chill. Inside to continue the conversation. Katie called the house phone at my parents' house. My dad threw her on speaker and we continued to FaceTime. 2 hours later, we ended the conversation. On the couch to relax and I ended up falling asleep on it. Oh well. Solid Monday-Friday. Dunkin 5k on Sunday.

6 x mile + 400's (Dang!)

September 18th (Wednesday): 6am wakeup. Out for 5 miles (35:54) on my own. Normal day at work. Busy day with meetings and completing a bunch of tasks. Chicken with pinto/black beans wrap for lunch with a couple snacks.


Home just before 5pm. Relaxed on the couch for a few minutes and watched some of The Social Network. I was starving so I finished off my bunny graham cracker snacks and vanilla wafers. Washed it down with some honey. Upstairs to change up for my workout and gather up some warm clothes. On the road by 5:50pm over to Burnt Hills for a hefty workout. Similar to last week, but with some 400's at the end.

3.25 mile (20:57) in the back neighborhoods. Over to the track to drop off the bag, change into the flats, and get some strides in before starting up the workout.

The workout was a plan of 6xmile (200 rest), 400 rest after the last one to finish up with 4x400 (full rest). 5 seconds faster than last week's workout. I decided on 8-10 seconds faster. I was just going with the flow and letting my body cruise.

5:07, 5:06, 5:03, 5:02, 5:02, 5:00. 66, 65, 63, 63. Boom! 200 rest was keep between 47-51. I allowed myself to just trot off the full rest for the 400's to ensure I hit the 400's fast. Goup wanted me to get after it on the 400's and take the full rest. Total time of 48:59 for the 9 miles. I added on an extra 200 at the end to make it the full 9 miles. 3 mile (21:24) cooldown. Back to the car to add some layers and place the towel on the car seat to keep it fresh to def!

Home to have a protein shake and eat a classic meal. Foam roll and bed at a decent hour.

 Stonyfield yogurt with granola. A Clif Bar that was dipped in it.

Better Than I Thought

500th post, woohoo!

September 16th (Monday): Slept in after a wonderful night sleep. Protein shake for breakfast. Taught NCO first thing in the morning to start the week off right. Chicken wrap for lunch with a whole bunch of snacks since I packed a huge lunch. Normal day of work 7:30am-4pm. Busy week overall with all the preparation for EHS management systems audit. Lots of "running around" completing things. Home to have a mug o' cereal and a Clif bar before getting out for a run.

Just the right amount before the run.

11 miles (76:16). First 7 miles with Goup and added on some more. A bit of soreness, but nothing serious. I was surprised with the springiness in my step. I had an emergency stop around 9 miles or so. I found some woods, but jumped into a bush that I thought I could make it through. Instead, it was a pricker bush that was thickly grown. Ouch. Found a compost/grass clippings pile down the ways that I contributed to nicely.

I looked back at the immediate week after New Bedford (2 years ago, 67:56) and I barely ran 5 miles on the trails the next day. No workout during the week to just recover. This year is much different. Breezed through 11 miles and a planned workout on Wednesday or Thursday.

Back to the house to foam roll, relax and shower up. Made myself an omelet for dinner. Cooked up pasta and chopped up some veggies for a cold pasta salad (lunch for work tomorrow).

September 17th (Tuesday): 6am wakeup. 4.5 miles (32:24) on my own at 6:25am. Protein shake for breakfast. Packed up the lunch (cold pasta salad - onions, red peppers, spinach, and some marinated chicken) and work 7:30pm-4:30pm. Another busy day. Home to have a bowl of cereal and yogurt with granola (dipped Clif bar in it) before the 2nd run.

9.7 miles (69:42) plus 6xstrides in the complex parking lot. 15 miles on the day and another solid day of recovery divided into 2 runs. Back to do lots of foam rolling and fueling up with a protein shake. Bed at a decent hour.

Palio 1/2 Marathon Race Report

September 15th (Sunday): 5:45am wakeup. Out of bed by 5:50ish to use the bathroom. Downstairs to start up the oat bran on the stove while I retrieved my laundry in the basement. Upstairs to change up and back downstairs to prepare the oat bran with maple syrup and almond milk. Scatterbrained a bit to ensure I had everything for the race. Socks, flats, extra clothes, warm clothes, trainers, etc. Sat down and ate my oat bran. Pinned my number on my jersey.

Out the door and on the road just before 6:30am. In Saratoga by 6:45am. Parked approximately 0.6 miles away. Planned out my warmup according the distance away from the starting line. 2 miles total for a warmup. 6+ minutes out. Popped in the woods for a poop. Back to the car to change up into flats and apply the Bodyglide to the inner thighs. Injinji socks to prevent the blisters. Zensah sleeves to protect the calves. Trotted over the starting line with a long sleeve on because it was chilly out. Tossed it behind the fence to hide it. Over to the line for strides and seen some familiar faces.

7:30am start and the temperature was in the low 40's (perfect). Scoped out the competition quickly and lined up right in the middle. Decided on wearing a watch to get mile splits. Off the line well and felt out the 1st mile to see if anyone was looking to go after it. Mike Rhoda was rocking the first 1+ mile with me. I decided to drop the hammer down on the 2nd and 3rd mile to break away. The remaining race was running in some fear, but staying relaxed as possible to hit my splits. Cruised right through the miles and happy with the ease of the controlled pace.

5:34, 5:01, 5:01, 5:13, 5:12 (26:02), 5:12, 5:03 (downhill), 5:13 (decent uphill), 5:11, 5:08 (51:52), 5:09, 5:08, 5:01 (13th mile), 29.xx for the last bit. 67:41 for the win. Boom!

Killing it!

 Bringing it home.

Cheered in the next couple guys before jogging off the car to grab some warm clothes for a cooldown. Jogged off 2 miles with a couple people. Grabbed a blueberry bagel and smeared some cream cheese on it for the walk to the car. Back to my car to put on more warm clothes and the Sanuks with the fur to keep the toes warm. Picked up my shirt by the starting line and down the Fleet Feet tent for an ice bath.

What's cooler than be cool? Ice cold!

Awards weren't until 11:30am. Renee's kids were running the kids run (well Sydney was, Addy's legs were sore). So Sydney and I warmed up. I headed over to the finish line on the grass to cheer on Sydney. It ended up being too short for her and she didn't like that it was on the grass. I asked if she wanted to do a longer road race and she was all in for it. Addy's legs "loosened up" and she wanted to run too. So we found a starting line and an obvious landmark to run towards (Police Do Not Cross Barricade, Perfect!). Obviously, a ready, set, go! Took a short break at the barricade. A 2nd ready, set, go and back to the starting line (now set up as a finish line with a jacket as the finishing tape by Renee and Charlie). Sydney crossed the tape first and Addy in 2nd! I can't win 'em all!

 Discussing the race tactics and course (Sydney on the left, Addy on the right).

Awards ceremony. Out to eat with Kevin and Rich for appetizers and a wrap. Deep fried potato slices, jalapeno poppers, and a Cajun chicken wrap with a side of potato fries. Stuffed. Home by 2pm to relax on the couch and have a protein shake/Clif Bar.

Out for a 3.7 miles (25:58) shakeout at 6:30pm. More couch sitting and snacking on a bunch of different things. Bed by 11pm. 

105 miles for the week and an all-time high for weekly mileage. Another 100+ this upcoming week and then the tapering begins for the Hartford Marathon on October 12th. Pumped.

Rest Up With Miles

September 13th (Friday): 3 miles (23+) at 6:25am with Goup. Foam roll and made a protein shake for breakfast. Decided to have a bowl of cereal too. I didn't have to make lunch because I was have a work lunch with my project manager and the owner of the company. Work 7:30am-4pm. 2 hour lunch work meeting in the middle of the day. The purpose was to catchup with me and receive feedback on how the project was going at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. 

Home by 4:30pm. Steady rain in the evening hours forced me to wait it out and run around 7:45pm. I killed time by eating a Clif Bar, yogurt with granola, fruit stripe, and kettlecorn. Out for 8+ miles (57:57). I was slow to get out the door so I thought listening to music would help on my run. Wrong! I lasted 2 miles before I pulled off to use the bathroom in the woods. Back on the road with the headphones wrapped up and tucked away in the half tights. The remaining miles were spent listening to the light rain and silence of the night. Very soothing and easy recovering run. Home to make a protein shake and get to bed at a decent hour.

 Yogurt with granola and a Nature's Path Crunchy Granola Bars.

September 14th (Saturday): 7am wakeup, on the couch. Oh well. Bowl of oat bran with New Hampshire maple syrup and vanilla almond milk.  Classic and so delicious.

 Don't worry, I stirred it up.

Down to Clifton Park at 9am to carpool up to Saratoga to preview some of the course and pick up my bib number. Up to Saratoga to run a 5+ mile (37:55) loop with Karen and Crystal (3.5 miles with them on the course and added on extra by myself). Inside the hotel for the mini expo and packet pickup. Photo booth fun. And it was free.

Boom!

Home by 11am. From 11am-6pm was spent mostly on the couch. So many good movies on television and I ate a whole bunch of food to fuel up for the half marathon on Sunday. Food included a bowl of cereal, a bowl of yogurt with granola and a Clif bar to dip in the yogurt, lots of grapes, strawberry fruit stripe, half a bag of kettlecorn and a chicken wrap.

 BBQ chicken/sauteed mushrooms, onions and spinach/ranch dressing

Out at 7pm for another 6++ miles (46:13) to make it 11.5 miles on the day. Back to foam roll and ice the calves. Protein shake. Some more yogurt and bed by 10:45pm. Palio Half Marathon tomorrow morning at 7:30am.

Always clean the 2 pound yogurt container out with a spatula.

Back On The Saddle

September 11th (Wednesday): 5+ miles (37:12) on my own at 6:10AM. Back to foam roll and make a protein shake. Cooked up the rest of  the turkey meat into a burger for lunch. Separate container for the tomatoes and hot mamas. Grocery store after work for some large grocery shopping. Lots of yogurt, milk (almond and soy), snacks (vanilla wafers, fruit stripes, granola bars, etc).

Home to relax before heading out for a pre-run. I changed up and warmed up. Did not check the forecast, but it looked like rain. I made it just over a minute out when a crack of thunder caused me to jump out my skin. Turned right around and decided to wait it out.

Back to organize the recycables, empty the trash, do the dishes and check the weather more closely. A whole Clif bar right before I walked out the door. Back for a 2nd attempt around 7:30pm. Beautiful out. Light rain/mist. humidity was cut, and it turned out to be a great run. 8++ miles (57:55). 13.5 miles on the day.

Back for a protein shake and a bowl of yogurt with granola. Foam rolled. Relaxed and bed by 10pm.

September 12th (Thursday): 6am wakeup. 5+ miles (36:37) on my own at 6:15am. Protein shake for breakfast. Taught New Contractor Orientation (NCO) this thing in the morning. Busy day at work. Chicken wrap with spinach and tomato for lunch. Organic grapes for a snack. Clif Bar.

Home to organize my credit card online billing services. Squared away. This allowed me to workout with a clear mind. Graham cracker snacks and honey for a snack. Over to Burnt Hills by 6pm. Workout was 8 x 800/400 alternating with half rest. 800 interval, 400 rest, 400 interval, 200 rest, back into the 800.

3.25 miles (21:12) through the normal back neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the forecast was rain the whole time I was going to be present at the track. Lightened up for the warmup. Nothing too heavy during the workout.

2:28, 73, 2:26, 73, 2:26, 73, 2:25, 73, 2:25, 71, 2:25, 70, 2:24, 71, 2:23, 69.
9 miles on the track. Total time: 49:54. Solid workout, happy with the results especially after Tuesday's endurance workout. Changed gears well. Nothing too crazy. Focused on the 800's.

3 mile (21:05) for a cooldown. 20.5 miles on the day. Solid day. Home to foam roll, stretch, and make some avocado/salsa dip. Protein shake. Chips and the dip. Bed by 10:30pm.

Looks gross, but it was bomb. Seasoned with chili powder, cumin, black pepper and hot sauce.

Complimented with sweet potato tortilla chips.

6xmile (200 rest)

September 9th (Monday): Slept in like it was my job. Protein shake for breakfast. Work 7:30am-4pm. A bunch of miscellaneous snacks for lunch. Drove down to Target to pick up a few things (granola and Clif Bars) before heading back to Ballston Lake by 5:20pm.

SMBA trails with Goup and Shaun at 6pm. Again, drove the Honda. Every time I drive, I become smoother with the manual transmission. 10.5 miles (71:35) on some soft terrain. Cruised the run. Amazing weather. 60's and overcast.

Back to the house to make a mushroom and onion omelet for dinner. Hit the spot. Bed at a decent hour. Solid day overall. Good food and a solid run with a couple buddies. Enjoyed every minute of it.

September 10th (Tuesday): 4 miles in the morning on my own. Protein shake for breakfast. Chicken wrap with freshly grown tomatoes from my parents' garden. Standard day at work. Carpooled with Goup. End of the day meeting with the project manager so Goup got a ride home with a co-worker. Home to relax and take care of a few things before changing up for the workout.

Goup and I headed to Burnt Hills for a workout. I had 6xmile with 200 rest. Goal was marathon goal pace or slightly under. 3.25 mile warmup (22:00) in the back neighborhoods with Goup. Over to the track area with a whole bunch of activity surrounding it. Luckily, no one on the actual track so it was wide open.

Some strides and shirt removed because it was tad bit humid out.

5:17, 5:17, 5:15, 5:12, 5:10, 5:09. Rest keep between 47-51.
Total time for the 6.75 miles: 36:23. 5:23 pace overall.

Wicked smooth. I applied the brakes the whole time to focus on pace and staying relaxed. Negative split the last one 2:36, 2:33. Boom!

Same warmup loop for the cooldown on my own. 19:52. Cruised it in the dark. 17.5 miles on the day. Home to make a protein shake, eat the rest of the Clif Bar, and make a turkey burger with ketchup and some hot mamas. Headed to bed at a decent hour.

Finish Strong

September 8th (Sunday): 9am wakeup. Breakfast. Chilled and out with my mom for errands. I chaffeured my mom around with the new ride. The first hour or so was dedicated to learning to drive in traffic as well as starting on a hill. Some stalls and bucking that gave my mom a real good solid laughing episode. TJ Maxx, swung by to see my Uncle David, and Walmart. Home by 2:30pm to change up for a long run.

Drove down the road to Kevin Hoyt's house to run the first halfish with him. 9+ miles (63ish). Inside to grab a drink of Gatorade and take a Clif Bar Shot Gel. Back out for a 10 mile loop at tempo pace. Ending up cruising the first 4 miles (mostly uphill) and starting hurting a bit. Salvaged the loop in 57:xx. 1 mile cooldown. 20+ miles (2:09:09) to finish off 92 mile week. A couple tough workouts and a survival long run. Gotta get back into the swing of things next week.

Met up with my high school buddy, Ben Wicki, for some ice cream at The Creamery. Drove the new whip to show it off to him. He was digging it and the fact that it was manual. He was able to give me a few tips since he drives stick too. Cool!

Back to the house to pack up and get on the road by 8:30pm. Home by 11:15pm. Bed soon after.

The old Subie and one of the main reasons I purchased a new car.

The link if you can't view the video...Subie Not Moving

2010 Honda Accord

September 7th (Saturday): 7:00am wakeup. Oat bran for breakfast. Packed a small bag for the weekend. On the road by 7:45am to travel down to CT to pick up the new whip in Hartford. 12pm scheduled pick up. I had to stop at my bank to get a cashier's check for the remaining amount of the down payment. Ughh! Oh well.

To my parents house to carpool. Mom and dad went down with me. Arrived at about 12:15pm. Stepped into the financial services office to iron out the paperwork and financing before driving away in the new ride. Yeahhh buddy! $211 a month for payments. Not bad! 2010 Honda Accord EX with manual transmission. Sunroof and all. Pumped!

Finally I was able to receive the keys and walk out with the guy that put on the new plates. Cool! Drove it out with my dad back to Newtown! Woohoo!

Badaboom! Gangsta!

Home to relax before making it out the door for an adrenaline filled 12 miler (80:44) on my own. Solid run and back to make myself a hefty burger with baked beans on the side. Washed it all down with a Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale. Well deserved!

Ice cream for dessert with chocolate chips & maple syrup. Bed at a decent hour. A long, but rewarding day all around.

September Begins

September 1st (Sunday): 7:30am wakeup. Over to the gym to get in 8 miles at 8am before running with a big group at 9am. Beech Hill 7 plus some before swinging into the gym to gather up everyone. Najem, Garrity, and others sludged out to Goose Pond for 11+ miles. Jumped in around 7 miles. Felt amazing. Straight back to the gym. A single lap on the A fields to make it 20 (2:21:54). Great run overall.

Chilled and over to the DC for French Toast sticks, chocolate milk and Doctor Pepper. Back to Fowler to watch Happy Gilmore and Strange Animal Couples off Netflix before making the trek to CT. Smooth ride back to Newtown to just relax for the night. 96 miles for the week. Boom!

September 2nd (Monday):  Woke up and had some breakfast. Chilled at the house before my Dad and I swung down to the Honda Dealership in Hartford to check out a couple whips. A bunch of chatter with the salesman before test driving a 2010 and 2012 Honda Accord EX (both manual). My dad helped me out by performing the test drive since I'm sorta still learning to be smooth.

After extensive investigation on each car, I decided on the 2010. 1st installment down payment and arranged for a pickup the following weekend. Sweet!!! Spent from 12pm-3:30pm at the dealership from start to finish. Worth it. Made a big decision.

Home by 4:30pm to grab some food and get the door for an easy 10 miles (69:36 + strides). Ran the first couple miles with my dad before parting ways. Back for a hefty dinner of steak, potato and corn on the cob. Goup let me know that the rain was crazy in NY and I should probably stop driving (if I was on the road) and stay where I am. I was on the couch eating ice cream for dessert. Stay the night in CT was the right decision and leave early in the morning.

September 3rd (Tuesday): 4:55am wakeup. Drive to work in NY from CT. Bought breakfast and lunch at work. Made myself a bowl of oat bran for a snack when I arrived home. Called up some insurance companies for quotes on auto insurance. Geico gave me the best price (hands down). Workout at 7pm at the track. 12x400, 8x200. Mostly in the dark, but an overall solid workout.

74, 73, 74, 72, 71, 71, 69, 69, 68, 68, 68, 68, 33, 32, 32, 32, 33, 33, 32, 32. Worked on keeping it under control and the 200's were an acceleration to 100 meters. Focused on working the final stretch. 3+ mile warmup and 2 mile cooldown. 12 on the day with no morning run due to the traveling.

September 4th (Wednesday): Easy day overall. 5 miles (36:50). Leftover steak and potatoes for lunch. Purchased my car insurance with Geico. Out for another 8.5+ miles (62:33). Both runs felt kinda exhausting due to my early morning yesterday. Pushed through the weakness and salvaged a solid day. Bed by 9pm.

September 5th (Thursday): 4 miles (28:20) in the morning solo. Felt refreshed after 9+ hours of sleep. Normal day at work. Afternoon workout. Not as well as I wanted it to go. 4xmile. Quick. 800 rest.

3+ mile (20:17) warmup and 3+ mile (23:55) cooldown. Felt smooth through the 1st couple intervals, then the wheels fell off. 4:49, 4:46, 4:50, 4:59. 16.5 miles on the day.

Orzo rice, broccoli, beans, onions, and chicken. Seasoning. Delicious.

 

September 6th (Friday): Easy day all around. 3 miles (20:34) in the morning on my own. Major rancid gas through the whole day due to the large amount of veggies last night and for lunch. I needed the hearty meal though. I think my body was depleted. Home from work to get out for an easy 5 miles (35:25) with Goup at about 5:15ish or so.

Chilled at the house. Watched "Now You See Me." Good movie. Omelet for dinner. Bed at a decent hour.

Alumni Weekend

August 29th (Thursday): 3 miles (21:55) with Derrick in the morning. Protein shake for breakfast. Burrito mix for lunch. Bunny graham crackers for a snack after work. Attempted a bigger ladder workout in the evening. Made it to the mile. 6x200, 4x400, 2x800, 1xmile. 33-34, 72, 72, 71, 70, 2:23, 2:22, 4:59. I tried shaking off the mile and bringing it back down. 2:42 for the 800. Closed up shop with 2x200. Weak sauce. 34, 34. Body just tired, but a good day overall. Found my weakness for my training. Turnover and speed. 16 miles on the day, still a solid day. Strides will be brought into the picture.

 More pizza! And ICE!

August 30th (Friday): Switched into an easy day of a double day of 3 and 5. 3 miles (20:29) before work. Over to Keene after work. Thomas and I ran 5+ miles (NT) around 7:45ish. Tried to trim up my hair into some gross, but it didn't work. Decided on trimming up the facial hair to white trash/southern. Athen's for a chicken parm sub and a Snapple. Crashed on the futon.

 The real Honda Accord I want. Not!

August 31st (Saturday): 8am wakeup. Breakfast at The Pub with Tim Pipp and Jared. Pancake and a short stack of French Toast. Inhaled it. Back to Fowler to change up and chill before heading over to the Sports Complex at 10:30ish. 3 mile warmup (20 + strides) with a big group of Alumni (first half with Glen Hammett). Back to the bag to switch up the socks and shoes. Apply the Body Glide and stick the calves real quick. Over to the starting line for strides and a team huddle. 11:30am start. Off the line well and mixing it up in the 1st mile dodging puddles and cruising each turn. Through the 1st mile in 5:01 and leading. The game plan was stay conservative and be in the group at mile 1, then drop the hammer. I did just that over the small hump just after mile 1. Never looked back and kept going through 2 miles at 10:08. With about 3/4 of mile left, I had a solid gap and just kept crushing. Finished up in 15:46 for the win! Sweetness! Ferenc 2nd and a couple current guys to follow. Muggy out, but wasn't bad for the 5k distance. Better shape than I thought I was in. Can't wait for the road 5k in a few weeks.

5.5+ mile (37+) cooldown with a bunch of guys. 12 miles on the day. Grandparents were able to witness the greatness and that made me extra happy! Out to lunch at Fresh Salad with the parents and the grandparents. Candy store after for fudge and goodies. Over to Pete Thomas' house for the BBQ at 3pm. Chilled there for a few hours.

Back to Fowler to shower and hang out in the backyard with everyone. Out to the bars for the bit and crashed at Fowler for the night. Buffalo chicken sandwich and a few slices of pizza.