If You Can't Duck it...: Wintah Challenge (1/12/14)

Last Mile

Race: 2014 Wintah Challenge
Location: Somerville, MA

Every year the Somerville Road Runners puts on the "Wintah Challenge."  It's best described as our Thursday Night Run on Sunday Morning with Breakfast.

Well this year, I ran in a Duck covered onesy...

Yeah, that's all I got...

All Hallow's Eve: Zombie Boo-Run III (10/31/13)

Ann, me, Deb, Karen and Steve

Event:  Zombie Boo-Run III

Location: Somerville, MA

Distance: 4.06 miles

Time: 2:00:45

Pivo Index: 5

Pre Race, Casey's Pub

Tom, Paul and Anthony

Emma

Karen - looking Smurfy

Start Line

 Stop 1 - the Pub

Pivo number 1 - Harpoon IPA

Matador!

Superman Pours some beers

We ran into members of SRR Kids program

 Stop #2 - Maison Caffrey

Pivos #2&3 - Kerel's Big Brown Nut

Making sure people weren't lost on route

Paul serving his brew

Cats in Hats

My clever well thought costume

Paul's Brews

Timmy!

 Stop 3 - Sarma

Pivo #4 - Miller High Life

Prince of Whales, Princess

Pepe....

 End - Casey's

Pivo #5 - Pumpkinhead 

Double Disaster: Steve Burton's Double Dare (8/22/13)

Race: Steve Burton's Double Dare
Distance: 8.31 miles
Goal Time: 1:00:00
Actual Time 1:02:25

Once year we run the SRR Thursday Night Run as a double loop.

At this year's Double Dare, I was going to break one hour.  This should be pretty easy since that averages out to my goal marathon pace.

It wasn't; I failed.  One has to wonder if I can't keep it up for even 8 miles how I could possibly get myself in shape to do it for 26!

Just another disaster in a year of disasters...

Boom Goes the Dynamite!: Casey's (4/26/11)

Race:  Casey's (World Famous - in Somerville) Thursday Night Run
Location: East Somerville, MA
Distance: 4.06 Miles
Goal Time: 25:37
Actual Time: 26:10

As I charged up the hill in the first mile, Bradley and a new guy followed me up.  Bradley commented: "This is an interesting taper tactic."

From June 2010 until January of this year, my record had held at 27:42.  Several times since then I had came close to the record.  I ran anywhere from 27:45 (ugh) to 28:10 in my attempts to break it.  This January I went for it and finally smashed that June 2010 time by nearly 30 seconds with a 27:19.

That record stood for a mere month however.  On February 9th I beat that record by almost a minute and a half.

Since then I haven't made a real run at it.  Well, I figured with 10 days left to go before my marathon was the perfect time to go after my Casey's (World Famous - in Somerville) Thursday Night Run Personal Record.

The first mile (up and over Winter Hill) I put in about 5 seconds faster than I wanted - 6:55.  Bradley, John W., and new guy were still together here.  The second mile was a good strong 6:10.  New guy was now getting comfortable (and probably antsy since he was pretty quick).  At around 2.5, Bradley and I gave him directions and he was gone disappearing into the darkness on Lowell Street.

I kept up with Bradley up until the two hills on Lowell.  Here I tried to push myself through and knew I would have the downhill to catch him.  I slowly was pulling Bradley back and well on my way with a chance to beat 25:44.

Then: BOOM! Goes the Dynamite!  I got caught at the very last red light! Now with a quarter mile to finish in 40 seconds - I jogged it in for my SECOND fastest Casey's.

Bradley pulled off a PR (~25:45) - so some good came of the run.

Casey's 4.21 (4/29/10)

So, all the fast runners might not actually be impressed. However the speed is actually returning to me.

At the weekly Casey's Run, I felt really good leaving the starting line. I was the first one up Winter Hill. The actual fast people caught me at the top but I followed as best I could after that. Our split at 2 miles was under 13:30.

While I lost the fast group after that, I did manage to maintain some pace. As I turned down Pearl in the last mile I felt surprisingly good for the speed I was going.

I pulled in at 28:39 for 4.21 Miles! That translates to a 21:04 - 5K. We'll see.

********

May will be my active month. As, I stretch toward my June and July A-Level events I have four events in May.

5/1 - Cycling - Boston Brevets 200K (Goal Time - 12:30:00)
5/9 - Triathlon - Sudbury Spring Triathlon 400yd S/7mi B/2.7m R (Goal Time - 1:05:00)
5/15 - Cycling - Boston Brevet 300K (Goal Time - 18:00:00)
5/22 - X Country - Playworks Run for Recess 5K (Goal Time - 21:30)

Tino pai

Jesse...