Training Update 6+/-

...just catching up on the training log here... I skipped a few weeks (with poor records) so I will just start back at the beginning of the month.

Monday J01: AM 0:58 cycling- to the Randolph train station PM 0:30 cycling- from the Amherst train station to Ned & Amy's PM 1:00 running- vampire loop with Ned
Tuesday J02: AM 1:01 running- out and Back on the BLT with Ned 2:15 cycling around the Catskills
Wednesday J03: AM 0:42 running- around Windham, NY with K PM 5:23 cycling- in the Catskills
Thursday J04: AM 2:28 cycling- around Windham, NY PM 1:14 running in Amethyst with K
Friday J05: AM 1:00 running- vampire loop with Ned 2:18 cycling- around Shuts-Lev-Pel-B-towns
Saturday J06: 1:58 cycling- to and around Quabbin Park
Sunday J07: AM 3:50 cycling- ride around the Quabbin with some additional outs and backs- felt good PM 0:34 running- around B-town

Weekly totals:
5:31 running (38% of total)
19:40 cycling (62% of total)

Total: 25:11

Comments: This was a very good week- the first week that I have been happy about in quite some time. If I could manage this volume of cycling with just a little more running (and with a considerable amount of quality thrown in), I think that I could get fit enough to race!?! The best workout of the week was the 5:23 ride that I did on Wednesday


Monday J08: AM 1:02 running- M&M trail north- felt good in my first run on hills and rough surfaces
Tuesday J09: AM 1:00 running- M&M trail north
Wednesday J10: AM 1:03 running- M&M trail north
Thursday J11: AM 0:25 cycling- to UMASS PM 0:35 cycling back from UMASS
Friday J12: PM 1:15 cycling back from UMASS and then up to Leveret PM 0:52 cycling back from Leveret
Saturday J13: 1:00 running- vampire loop with Ned
Sunday J14: AM 3:46 cycling- ride around the Quabbin- felt good

Weekly totals:
4:05 running (37% of total)
6:53 cycling (63% of total)

Total: 10:58


Comments: This was not a good week for running/training. On Friday, I (successfully) defended my dissertation and so the week was spent preparing for and recovering from this once-in-a-lifetime event. The best workout of the week was the ride around the Quabbin. This was the first time that I had done this ride in over two years and it is just fantastic- beautiful, low traffic, nice hills, and a good challenging length.


Monday J15: AM 1:00 running PM 1:01 cycling
Tuesday J16: AM 0:59 running PM 1:00 cycling
Wednesday J17: AM 2:04 cycling up north and then into UMASS PM 0:33 cycling- home from UMASS
Thursday J18: PM 1:07 running- home from UMASS in a pouring (but warm) rain
Friday J19: AM 0:58 running with Ned- road loop in B-town PM 1:57 cycling
Saturday J20: AM 9:46 cycling- from Belchertown, MA to Northfield, VT- my legs felt pretty good throughout for this 150 mile ride and my only complaints were that I left too late in the day and that my pack (15.8 pounds) gave me butt, arm, and hand problems (at least more so than I would have expected without the pack)
Sunday J21: PM 1:02 running- Paine Mountain Loop- my legs actually felt a lot better than I thought that they would considering yesterday's ride.

Weekly totals:
5:06 running (24% of total)
16:21 cycling (76% of total)

Total: 21:27

Comments: This was a lackluster week with one really good day (the long ride).


Monday J22: AM 1:01 running- Paine Mountain Loop- felt good PM 2:30 cycling from Northfield to East MontP
Tuesday J23: AM 1:45 cycling into and back out of MontP PM 0:50 running- around some residential neighborhoods in the dark with pMax
Wednesday J24: PM 0:50 running- around some residential neighborhoods in the dark with pMax
Thursday J25: PM 0:42 running- to the rail-trail in Lawrence, KS, out, and back with pMax- I felt pretty good and the fireflies along the river were the highest density that I have ever seen!
Friday J26: AM 1:02 running- to the rail-trail in Larwence, KS, out, and back- I felt pretty good on for the first 45 minutes (aside from feeling like I was going to melt!) but then my knee began to tighten up and hurt a bit.
Saturday J27: AM 3:00 cycling- from Manitou to Divide (9136') and back with some additional riding in Manitou at the end. I felt pretty good but I was getting a bit light headed toward the top.
Sunday J28: AM 3:04 cycling- west of Manitou on and around Woodland Park PM 0:56 running to and from the store in Manitou

Weekly totals:
5:21 running (38% of total)
8:34 cycling (62% of total)

Total: 13:55

Comments: This was a tough week as I was traveling (almost) across the country (VT to CO). At least, I had a good training partner along (pMax) since the runs were often in less-than-desirable places. The best training day was probably Monday- I felt great for my last run on Paine Mountain in a while and the longer-than-expected bike ride was pretty nice as well. The running highpoint for the week was the run along the rail train in Lawrence- the lightning bugs were amazing! The non-running highlight was, of course getting to see Kelli on Friday night!

Update

It has been a long time since my last blog entry and my three or four readers have probably forgotten that I write here. My absence was related to a combination of three things. First, I got really busy. During the semester, I am always quite busy but what really killed me this spring was the addition of two professional talk (one at Norwich Uni and the other at the Northeast Section meeting of the Geological Society of America). In addition to my teaching duties- which for the spring semester included a new upper-level course that was outside of my area of expertise where enough for my to forgo writing here (even though it should really only require a few minutes out of the week.) I have alway felt that it is better to go running than to write about going running and so I used my time to go running...

The second thing that has happened in my absence from posting here is that my knee injury has returned. On April 4th, I ran a hard treadmill workout that left me with a slight limp. I backed off from running for a few days but have not been able to get the swelling or pain to subside entirely. As of now, my knee feels slightly better than it did last year at this time but I am limited to about one hour of easy running on preferably flat ground This was certainly not something that I wanted to write about at the time but I am now far enough removed from the disappointment of another season that I am ready to start writing about my extremely-cross-training-heavy workload. I will give updates on the status of my knee in the future when appropriate.

The third thing is that midway through the semester, I learned that my position at NU was being eliminated. This was unfortunate in the long run because I enjoy teaching at NU and Northfield is an excellent place to run. In the short run, however, this also meant that I needed to spend an additional (and considerable) measure of time looking for and applying for a new job. I ended sending out 13 applications for positions in 13 different states. I am pleased to announce that I have accepted a one-year visiting professor position at Washington and Lee. While I am sorry to leave New England (I have lived in western New England since the fall of 2001), I am looking forward to the challenges that await for me at W and L. Look forward to some farewell New England posts in the future...