A diverse week 1/30 - 2/5

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - Presumpscot Trail, 7.1.  I started out today's run feeling sluggish and unmotivated, and just a few hundred yards down the trail didn't even feel right in my own legs. The ground felt hard, my ankles felt like unmovable oak stumps, and my mind was elsewhere. By the time I got to the river, picked my head up, looked around at the beautiful wet snow falling, the quiet water flowing, and felt the gentle fluff and crunch underfoot, I'd gotten out of my funk. If only I'm able to remember this at mile 77 in May.

Just took 'er easy today and did both out-and-backs with all the loops. By the end of the run I was real cold from the wet snow and brushing up against all the trees, but was happy to be running on such a fun trail making fresh tracks.

Wednesday - Scarborough Downs Loop, 8.6.   I originally wanted to do an interval workout around the Back Cove, but opted for a run from the house later in the day when the sun came out. I thought I might run to the Scarborough High School track but decided the roads were good enough.

After a two mile warm up I did 4 x 1 mile repeats with a three minute jog in between. Cooled down about a mile and a half. The repeats went well and were tough at the end. On the third I thought I heard my watch beep so I slowed then realized I was hearing things and had to pick up the pace again which messed with my head. (I think I was already getting loopy). It was a bit interesting doing a speed workout during rush hour traffic by Scarborough Downs, Payne Rd. and Rt. 1, but might have pushed me a bit.

Thursday - Blackstrap, 8.1.  Hit Blackstrap today and hung out on the power lines for a few miles until wrapping around the back side of the tree farm. Did a few repeats on a beautiful day with snow still on the trees and just the right under-foot crunch.

Friday - Robinson Woods, 7.  Easy run on icy trails which made the IceSpikes a bit annoying underfoot. Really tried to take it easy in preparation for the runs coming up this weekend.

Saturday - Kennebunk, 14.2.  I planned on doing 15 today and wanted to hit the Kennebunk trails for some diversity and freshness. I definitely should have brought snowshoes, or done the Beautiful Loop with the Trail Monsters as the conditions were rough. After the first mile or so of icy trails the yellow loop was mostly crunchy, weeble-wobble post-holing footing making the going real hard, slow and taxing. I looked for a trail Jamie and I had run on that was more like double track and hoped there would be more traffic or a snowmobile track. I never made it though and ended up going back to the yellow loop and headed back to the truck.

My watch was playing tricks on me today and it was only showing laps. After resetting, it continued to only show laps, so when I decided to hit the road to finish the run I had to do a bit of math and figure out the out-and-back on top of what I'd already done in a couple entries of the watch. Yeah right. So to the ocean I went, on the road which wasn't all bad except for the strong winds on the way back. All said and done I was happy to have finished the workout and ready for some food. I was disappointed though when I got home to find I'd only run 14ish, and of course done the math wrong.

Sunday - Winnick to the Sea, 22.4.  The goal for today's run was negative splits. I decided to hit a loop that Zak and I cruised on a few weeks ago and add a few miles in. It basically connects Winnick Woods, a golf course, Robinson Woods, Greenbelt Trails and Fort Williams.

I went out real conservative on tired legs from yesterdays' post-holing and the weeks efforts. Deciding on my screw-less Mudroc's instead of the Mudclaw's due to harder conditions and a small road section may or may not have been a good idea. The Mudroc's are real worn, ripped and no longer a two arrow cushion.  However on the last few runs with the IceSpiked Mudclaw's my feet have felt the metal underfoot.

At 11 miles I picked up the pace as I circled the gorgeous views at Fort Williams. The weather was just about perfect with sunny skies and a gentle breeze and I was very appreciative to be enjoying the unseasonable February temps. At about mile fifteen I wasn't really paying attention and went down on an icy decline. I smashed my wrist and elbow and rolled to a grunting halt. Damn, wish I had the screws in right now. No real harm done though just a real cautious couple miles to avoid any further mishaps.

I finished well enough and was happy with the effort on not-so-fresh legs with the first 11 miles in 2:10 and the final 11 in 1:58. Nice and slow, conservative pace but I really wanted to run the negative. Fun, fun.



67+ for the week.