Last few days

Last week was a challenging week with trying to get outside for runs because of the weather plus work has been little hectic these last two weeks (oh the emotional distress).  I managed to miss just one day (will call it a rest day - Tuesday). The rest of the week all I could get was average of 5 miles.  Sorry, I’m not Jeff or Jonny - I have a life (that’s a joke).  In addition to the hectic week my space watch was not doing the space stuff its suppose to – technology – what happened to the old days.  More on the space watch later.

Saturday 17 (group run)

According to Jeff this was the largest group run (8) that we have had. We started at my old high school – Chariho (4 of the 8 are alumni), so another back-in-time.  I’ll be honest, I was little nervous about this group run, not because of the distance but the pace.  The email that went out mentioned peppy casual.  I wasn’t sure I was ready in my training for peppy.  I figured this was good time as any to see where I stood.  Plus some of the group was bailing out just after 5 for 10 mile run because of obligations (they have a life) so I could always go that route.  Around mile 1 you can hear the beep of everyone space watch so I decided to look at my left wrist to check the pace – all I see is the time.  I thought I lost the signal and started hitting buttons – nothing - errrr.  The group that was going to depart around the 5 mile mark was Nate, Chris and FiveK – yeah, like I’m going to run back with them.  You ever watch a horse race when the thoroughbreds are being escorted by OTHER horses around the track.  That’s what Jonny, Muddy, Seth, Jeff and I felt like – the other horses.  They hit the starting gate at Collins Road running the last half of the 10 miler at sub-6 minute pace.  I’m sure they were calling us suckers as the five of us continued on for more torture as we had HILLS coming.  Jonny – who planned the route, had to get in some kind of trail run – you just knew this was going to happen.  So we took a right turn onto Tomaquag Valley Road (dirt road) - my kind of trail running. At the end of this road you are less than a mile from the world famous Juniper Drive, Ashaway.  We continued on going Diamond Hill, Route 216 to Route 91 which including the climb up Route 91 onto Brudickville Road for a quick downhill into Charleston.  We stopped at the bridge for a quick rest. At this point in the run – not sure of distance as space watch is down – I started to hear moaning and complaining.  I forgot about the second half Brudickville Road which included two miles of hills. I was about 10 seconds behind the group – how I knew, I was counting trying to keep the mind engage and the inner voice silent.  The last third of this hill climb I was starting to fade.  Jeff looked over his shoulder, slowed to my pace and started a conversation on what part of Brudickville Road was more difficult.  You would have to travel this road to figure out what he was characterizing.  For me it’s a sufferfest either way as I have bike it and now run it.  Kudos to Jeff for slowing up and keeping me company – thank you.  As we finally got to the top of the last climb, Jonny house was just around the corner where he had water out for us.  Quick break and back to the run, which now we are on Shumankanuc HILL road – oh shit, not another hill.  This was the hill just before Kings Factory Road which wasn’t that bad considering what we just came from.  I was able to hang with the pack knowing that it was basically downhill on Kings Factory Road than flat rest of way.  As we reach Route 91 the pace started to pick-up and I started to feel good/confident – maybe because no more hills - we ended up back at Chariho. Good run and workout.

Conclusion – I’m glad that I decided to go long as this is needed in my training and that hills SUCK like that snowman Jeff made

Sunday 5

Saturday night during the snow storm I did some Google-ing and found out how to re-set the space watch. After I cleared the driveway I went out for a quick run – little slushy and windy and it didn’t help matters that I was little under dress. Didn’t matter as I wanted to make sure the space watch was working. It was funny – like running with it for first time – always looking at it making sure it was working