Base Training Week V...

Monday: I did not get up early this morning. I was actually pretty wiped out following yesterdays long run and went to bed a little after seven o'clock. In the afternoon it was sort of cold so I bundled up in pants, a long sleeve, and gloves for my run. Ran my Thatcher Hill seven milers at an easy pace. I am starting to be more in tune with my running posture. I think I've been slouching! (47 min.)

Tuesday: Turned off the alarm this morning and was going to sleep for an extra hour. Four minutes later I was pissed off at myself and dragged myself out of bed for my ride. My quads were still very fatigued starting the ride and I felt pretty terrible for the first fifteen minutes. I kept the HR pretty low thinking that I still needed some recovery time. I did some serious day dreaming about the Mt. Sunapee bike race next spring. Its been so long since I've raced that I will have to go cat. 5 which should be amusing. Audioslave, followed by Foo Fighters on the iPhone. (45 min.) In the afternoon I jetted out the door after walking Eko for a solo seven. Focused on running form most of the way which inherently caused me to run faster than I have been. I worked on running with a real stride on the hill opposed to the tiny steps that I fall back on when I am feeling tired.(45 min.) Overall a pretty solid day of training. (1 hr. 30 min.)

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Total:

Base Training Week IV...

Monday: Sore and tired this morning so I skipped my ride. In the afternoon I spent two and a half hours connecting my back yard to the trail network. Cleared brush and raked about 600-meters. My arms were dead following this activity so I chilled for the rest of the day.

Tuesday: I got up extra early so I could squeeze an extra ten minutes on The Soloist. I felt great this morning which is always a little surprising at that hour. According to the cycling plan that I am reading I think I am still riding to hard on some of these base training days. The training plan that I am using says that on easy days that I need to stay in the 120s with HR which seems way to easy for me. I may invest in a better monitor because I am committed to riding with a training schedule based around HR. In the afternoon I headed over the Thatcher Hill for a workout that I have been planning. I want to rebuild some dynamic muscles and focus on form. I think this combination will pay off three-fold in the long run. Improved form, improved speed, and improved late race running economy. This workouts original intent was to bound the entire 800 hill but I found that when the grade lessened that bounding was pointless. The workout shifted to bound, run, bound run, dictated by the natural features of the hill. I did five of these and I could really feel it in my legs. My hamstrings were really involved during the bounding which was a odd sensation. When I would go back into a run I almost felt like I was getting off the bike in T2 so I see this as another advantage. Tough day but a good day. Easy miles tomorrow. (1 hr. 40 min.)

Wednesday: I got up again at 4:45 to fit in some extra time on The Soloist. I was very mindful of yesterday and kept my heart rate between 125 and 135. My legs were pretty tired this morning so I know that yesterday was a success. In the afternoon I really struggled warming up after my ride home in the rain. I finally got out the door and did an easy five around the Thatcher Hill loop. I have a weird pain in my right hip that I will need to keep an eye on. (1 hr. 10 min.)

Thursday: I woke up early for another forty minute ride on The Soloist. During the middle of the ride I did a long simulated climb while keeping my heart rate under 150. I have been spinning for nearly a month now so grinding a big gear felt a little weird. In the afternoon Eko and I took a huge walk which ate into a big chunk of my run time. On top of that it was my night to make dinner. I still got out for a run and essentially ran for twenty-minutes as fast as I could. Strange I know but an effective use of my lack of time. (1 hr.)

Friday: Up early for forty minutes on The Soloist. I rode pretty easily with the intent of riding hard tomorrow for the first time of the base building period. In the afternoon yet again I was a little time crunched so I could only manage seven miles. (1 hr. 25 min.)

Saturday: Ran a hilly ten miler with Najem from the house this morning. This is the first time that I have run over ten since the summer. We finished off the run on the trails outback and finished the run in the backyard. I think it is pretty tough to beat that feeling! (1 hr. 7 min.) I really wanted to do a 40k TT this morning but with the traffic I figured that I would end up getting hit. After the run and a trip to the dump I was a little under the gun to make it Greg and Jen's wedding so I only managed thirty minutes hard. Five minute warm-up, ten minutes at lactate threshold (167-170 bpm), ten minutes past LT (170-180 bpm), five minute cool-down. My quads were tight in the aftermath but I felt really strong while going hard. I was out of the saddle on the hardest gear so I really felt like I was climbing nearly all out. Solid day, fun wedding! (1 hr. 37 min.)

Sunday: Najem and I met up with Matty P. and Goupil back in Rindge this morning for an "easy" sixteen miler. It was 34 degrees at the start of the run so I wore a thin hat and gloves with a long sleeve and capri tights. I love running on cool fall mornings! I thought there was a actual run planned but we ended up just doing a series of three out and backs to get an hour and forty-five minutes in. First three was just over twenty flat, next three was eighteen flat, you get the point. I don't remember the last time I ran this far and I must say I was pretty excited. I forgot how much fun it can be running with a few friends for a couple of hours. Following the run Pete and I headed down to the house and I made a massive and delicious breakfast! (1 hr. 45 min.)

Total: 8 hours 43 minutes.

The day off was a bummer but I really needed to get that trail done. Having instant access to the trails is going to make a huge difference in where I will run, especially this winter. I felt great most of the days this week. The hard run on Saturday and the long run on Sunday were highlights. I would love to get to ten hours this week and hopefully noting major will spring up and take away a day. I am going to up my morning rides to forty-five minutes this week.

Cheers,

Mark

Base Training Week III...

Monday: Up a little later due to a workshop day at school. Got on The Soloist at 6:00 and rode for forty five minutes while listening to Foo Fighters Wasting Light. I was tired and more fatigued than yesterday so I kept things pretty chilled out. In the afternoon I mowed the lawn and then headed out for my new default run over Thatcher Hill. At the summit of Meetinghouse Road I explored some trails that ended up being a huge bust. I was attempting to make a seven mile loop along the same basic premise of my five miler. Once again I was tired on the run this afternoon. Perhaps I pushed a little to hard on my afternoon ride yesterday? (1 hr. 30 min.)

Tuesday: Up early for thirty minutes on The Soloist. I had a super late meeting at work and was mentally exhausted by the time I got home. I didn't even listen to music on my ride home! (30 min.)

Wednesday: I woke up extra early this morning for some chores before hitting The Soloist for a thirty minute ride. My in laws came in the afternoon so I was unable to get out the door for a run. (30 min.)

Thursday: Up early and squeezed an extra five minutes on the bike. (35 min.) In the afternoon I explored so new trails with very limited success. I am running into a lot of dead end trails out there. Still managed an hour. (1 hr.) (1. hr 35 min.)

Friday: I woke up and realized that I did not have any clean cycling shorts so I bagged the ride and played with my new phone. AT&T is giving away old iPhones right now which absolutely boggles my mind. In the afternoon I got out the door for a hilly nine mile run. I thought the rain has subsided so I brought an iPod. Moisture somehow managed to throw the whole thing off and I am a bit worried that it may be ruined. I made a pits stop at home forty-five minutes in for a fresh shirt. Right off the run I headed into the basement for thirty-minutes on The Soloist. I spun a pretty easy gear for most of the ride and kept my HR around 150 for the duration of the ride. (1 hr. 30 min.)

Saturday: Up way to early for Saturday (4:50) and rode The Soloist for thirty minutes. Framed a roof in Hopkinton with Paul all morning. Mountain boarded with Mary's brother John all afternoon. Ran nine miles alone. Crashed! (1 hr. 30 min.)

Sunday: Alternative day of physical fitness. Went stand-up paddle surfing for an hour which was pretty cool. Lakes in New Hampshire really need waves. Followed that up by a serious session of mountain boarding. My legs were so dead but I still squeezed in five miles with Mary. (35 min.)

Total: Seven hours and forty-five minutes

Weird week with the weekend stuff that I was not used to doing. I have a trail to build Monday then back to work Tuesday through Sunday. The action shots above don't really reflect the action. I love the shot of Eko checking to make sure I am ok after my only crash!

Mark

Week II...

Monday: I had a terrific afternoon of home ownership today. Walked Eko, assembled my new mower, mowed, and made a delicious dinner. Shortly after all my chores were wrapped up Greg showed up and we did a little exploring off of Stone Pond Road. We caught an amazing view of Monadnock which made the run even better. (1 hr.)

Tuesday: Up early for thirty minutes on The Soloist. Kept my heart rate between 140 and 152 bpm. Felt solid and uneventful but I was pretty jazzed following a super cup of coffee. In the afternoon I went exploring out on the back trails. It was amazingly wet on the trails following all the rain but I am certain that I am going to have hours and hours of fun back there. (1 hr. 15 min.)

Wednesday: Up early for thirty minutes on The Soloist. Felt good and mostly chilled again between 140 and 150 bpm. In the afternoon I needed to sand some chairs so I put off my run. (30 min.)

Thursday Up early for thirty minutes on The Soloist. Despite not working hard at all I really felt like I was making good power toward the end of the ride. I did one minute on each leg of single leg riding to work on full circle pedaling. In the afternoon I did my new five mile loop out Webb Depot and up Schafer Hill. This run has the most incredible view of Monadnock. I will have to bring a camera and post a picture to share with everyone. (1 hr.)

Friday: I would chalk today up as a solid step in the right direction. Started off again at 5:30 am for thirty minutes on The Soloist. The last ten minutes of the ride I stayed on the drops and brought my heart rate to 165 and kept it there by experimenting with different breathing techniques. In the afternoon I got a little pushed back with the assembly of a breakfast table but still managed to get out the door for five miles. Ran the Thatcher Hill / Meetinghouse Hill loop. I would love to organize a group workout on Thatcher Hill this winter. The hill runs about four minutes at training pace but is as brutal as Crittenden Hill in the Bridge of Flowers race! Any takers this winter? (1 hr.+)

Saturday: I headed over to Granite George this morning for the first annual Mountain Goat Scramble 5k. After registering I scouted the loop that entailed a climb three quarters of the way up the mountain followed by an incredibly technical and muddy decent. I ran the loop twice and was really feeling tired so I finished off the warm-up on route nine. Back at the car I unpacked my xc spikes that I bought in 2005 for xc races with the BAA. The last time I busted these guys out was back in aught nine for USATF Nationals in Spokane, WA. Over the past couple of years while in my overheated attic the shoes shrunk about a half size! I could barley squeeze my fat ugly feet in but they were my only option other than my heavy wet trainers. I had a funny feeling that I had some foot pain coming in the not to distant future. At the starting line I sized everyone up and picked one guy out that looked pretty fit and looked like a solid trail athlete. At the start command I bolted up the first slope only to find the guy that I had just scouted sitting on my shoulder. Surely I'd quickly shake this guy, right? Wrong. We ran together the entire first lap and I started to do a little planning that I had not planned on for such a small race. Heading into the second lap I was going to slow and let this guy pull for a bit so I could size up the threat and get a gauge of his strengths and weaknesses. With thee laps to go I figured that I would be able to pinpoint how exactly to crack this guy. As I was slowing at the start of the second lap the breathing on my shoulder became increasingly distant so I quickly abandoned my plan of slowing down and hit the gas at full tilt. I was at the steepest point of the climb so I went into the hurt box pretty quickly. I really had to focus on relaxing because I was right on the red line heading toward the second summit. I was already lapping runners so being aggressive on the decent became an even trickier proposition. I dared a quick glance heading into the most technical corner of the descent and knew that I was clear. The third lap was more of the same but my quads were already quite sore and my big toes were aching like mad. I tried to stay as aggressive as possible on the third lap but I was paying the price for the move on the second climb. Hitting the bell I went back to work on the climb. My quads burned the best type of ache a runner can find and my strides became an miniature version of its typical self. I powered over the summit the last time and was super aggressive on the final descent. My toes were killing me and my heart rate felt north of 200 but I pressed on. Into the final straight I summoned a weak kick and then it was over. With out a doubt the hardest race that I have ever run and an new 5k personal worst of 24:07! Like I said it was a killer course. Following the race I chatted up the race director and talked her into moving the race to June and contacting USATF NE to get the race on the mountain circuit. Finished off the morning with three miles down to Otter Brook park and back. (65 min.) In the afternoon I headed out from the new house for a twenty mile shake out ride. I wore the monitor and made it a point to keep the heart rate below 160. My toes were killing me from the morning and I'm pretty sure that I am going to loose both big toenails. My quads were killing me on the ride so I knew that I had had a solid morning. I idiotically didn't pack any fuel because I've been so used to riding indoors with fuel on the dryer. After sprinting four town lines against myself I went into Defcon wait I mean Bonkcon one. I was ten miles from home, sore and bonking without my wallet! For the next thirty minutes my average speed dropped a mile and a half per hour and I fantasized about how delicious Coke is. The approach to my new house is nearly two miles of difficult climbing. Being in the later throws of a serious bonk every pedal stroke was tedious and energy sapping. Still managed a 20 mph avg. and finished off the ride in one hour on the dot. Overall a solid day of training with a serious morning effort. Recovery will be important tomorrow. (1 hr.) (2 hr. 5 min.)

Sunday: After a few chores this morning I headed up to Stone Pond and back. My quads and feet were still moderately sore so I kept things pretty mellow. My toes were wicked sore on the decent so the second half of the run was pretty much the same pace as the way out. (1 hr.) After some painting I made a last minute decision to head to Jaffery and back on The Soloist. I rode right on the top end of my target zone on all the climbs and felt pretty amazing considering how sore I was this morning. (40 min.) (1 hr. 40 min.)

Total: 8 hours 30 minutes

It has been very interesting coming back this time around. I am still a little shell-shocked from my visit to Hematology and am feeding off incredibly grateful energy. I just read Tim Pipp's blog and remember my younger days when an injury would blow up a cycle and leave me feeling incredibly frustrated. Everyone is always at a different point in a cycle which makes it so special when a few of us can match up and really battle together on a week to week basis.

I am very happy with how things went this week. I ran and rode six days and did not have any days off which is always good at this stage in the game. I am really finding that the heart rate monitor is a useful training tool during base training. I feel like when I am riding that I can assess my pace in a more practical and meaningful way. Forty-three miles of running this week with a good effort at the race on Saturday. Next week I am going to run every day and try and get my hours into double digits. Also I am pretty psyched to see Crowie win at Kona yesterday. I love having the knowledge that I have eight or nine more years to succeed at Iron distance races.

Late Call...

Thursday night Dr. Steve Larmon called while Mary and I were unpacking the rest of our belongings. Anytime a doctor call on his own time from home it is immediate cause for concern. Fortunately Steve is just extremely professional and wanted to call me to put my mind at ease. Preliminary results of my most recent blood work is showing my total white blood cell count making a big comeback. In the month since my last test my count has risen by nearly a million cells per liter. Steve is running more tests to pinpoint the exact cause of my difficulties but is more and more confident that his mono hypothesis is going to be the conclusion. I will give everyone an update next week as more results come rolling in. It even appears that Steve is going to give me a full print out of all my numbers from the last few years so I can have a better understanding of my training cycles and the impact that they have had on my blood values.

Cheers,

Mark