10 days from Hyannis Year 5 - the beard is in full effect.

I love Hyannis.  Not convincing enough?

I LOVE HYANNIS.  A little better?

2008 - 4:42:35

I mean, that should be the reason I keep coming back year after year.  It shouldn't have nothing to do with the challenge factor of a New England marathon in winter, or the propensity of endurance runners to always take masochism to the next level.  Right?  Anyway.  Here it is, for the fifth time.  It's hard to believe I've already run 11 marathons, 4 of them in the same place.  Hyannis was my first - perhaps that's the biggest reason to run it year after year - and always helps me set myself straight for the rest of the running year.

I've made the odd little tradition of growing a beard for February just for the race at the end of the month.  I suppose it's largely symbolic to the ruggedness and chaos of the winter...because it is far from tame.  At least it doesn't last long after the marathon.  I'm not sure how acceptable looking like a lost band member of ZZ Top would be in the workplace.

2009 - 3:32:03

My weight has stayed down between 185-190 in the months of January and February.  Considering that these are my hibernation months and my metabolism naturally slows down in the winter, holding steady at this weight is a huge sign of progress for me.  Perhaps there's hope for me to to hit 170 again - that hasn't been done since 2008 and that was when I had less muscle mass.  It's exciting and I hope it will really reflect in my spring and summer running.

My running times - including the easy runs - have stayed amazing fast as well.  I've only run one race since the new year (4.5 miler) but it was far faster than any of the previous years (29:12 compared to 31:31 in '11 and 30:03 in '09).  Unfortunately I have not been able to run the other February races that prep me for Hyannis so I don't have much to go on in terms of speed preparation.

2010 - 3:45:34

My weekly mileage has been consistent this year, too, which has always been a struggle.  I have logged at least 35 miles every week so far, only going below 40 twice since the new year began.  I even logged 50+ last week during my final long run.  That will only help me improve my Hyannis time.

Pretty much the only thing left to do is to slowly start tapering and keep my diet and exercise in balance as I head into the final stretch leading to Hyannis 2012.  Weather is the only thing out of my control at this point, but as many of us know, weather could be the huge factor for a Cape Cod February.

2011 - 3:27:04

Run Long!

Today's Run: 19.68 miles through Yarmouth (Home)
Time Finished: 2 hours, 42 minutes (8 minutes, 14 seconds per mile)
Type of run: Long Run
Miles this week: 46.95

Running sensei say, "Run long time."  So I run long time.

The run felt remarkably better than I thought it would, knowing I hadn't run this long at once since the Maine Marathon.  Oh yes, the calves are sore and bubbling, but I'm proud of the pace I maintained when the primary goal was just to finish the route I planned today.

2 weeks until Cape Elizabeth.
3 weeks until Somesville.
5 weeks until Hyannis.

Through Illness and Injury

Today's Run: 6.94 miles through Bath (work)
Time Finished: 55 minutes, 6 seconds (7 minutes, 56 seconds per mile)
Type of run: Easy - relaxed pace
Miles this week: 6.94

(Picture:  Saturday's run in Portland.)


I won't sugar-coat it; it's been rough for the last 5-6 days.

Only today have I felt 100% on my run after the calf strain I suffered on tuesday. Part of it probably has to do with overuse and part of it with very old shoes as the heel area starts to disintegrate. (I need to break down and buy a new pair; I've almost logged 1,500 miles on these shoes.) I ran 2 runs more than 3 miles from that point until today, both times the muscle reminding me that it was not ready to go.

During this time struck a cold that knocked me for a loop. It wasn't until Saturday night that it really struck full-force but it kept my energy much lower than normal for much of the past week. As debilitating as it was, it may have been a blessing in disguise as it forced me to rest and recouperate a couple of extra days and not try to risk running though all of what I had.

Today I'm mostly over the sickness and, after gauging my leg with a relaxed 7-mile run, over the strain as well. It was a bit of a stumbling block in my training but with some discipline I should overcome it pretty quickly.

Oh, and I officially registered for Hyannis yesterday. It was a bit earlier than I usually do but with the registration closing within the next 48-72 hours I need to sign up now if I still wanted to go.

Believe me, I still want to go.

January Plans

As with every December and January in Maine, the races are light and the weather is harsh. Add to that the hectic scheduling that is the holidays and you suddenly find yourself with little motivation to keep running.

For some of us, we just have to be more creative and focused.

My first run of the year was a wholesome 14-mile trek through snow-filled roads in Yarmouth, setting the bar for what I hope will be a strong running year. Last week was also the first time I logged over 40 miles in a single week since the Maine Marathon, another sign that I'm putting myself back on the training track. With 8 weeks to go to Hyannis 2010, the time to start focusing has to be now. With a mix of some old and new ideas, I have planned out the next three to five months of races and training, starting (obviously) with January.

Hyannis Marathon Training

January will encompass the 4-8 week mark prior to the race. At this point I will only get in 3 really good long runs (16, 18, and 20 miles) before 2/28 but they will go a long way in getting my legs acclimated to the 3 hours of pavement-pounding on the cape. Yasso 800s will be my speed workouts combined with a few races along the way (I'll elaborate on what my Yasso 800s are later in the week). In the meantime my mileage should increase to roughly 55/week by the end of the month which should line up with my target of at least 60 miles on the week of the Somesville Run.

Races in January
Frozen 5K, January 10, 1:30 pm, Scarborough, ME. Though I originally intended this as a 'maybe,' I likely will not be running this. Sunday afternoons are not convenient for running races as it pushes up against a prior running engagement (and a fun one, to boot).

January Thaw (4.5-miler), January 16, 10am, Belgrade, ME. I ran this one in 2008 (finish photo above) and finished under an 8-minute pace for the first time in a road race. I missed it in '09 but will be returning to it this year. It's a small scale run done on quiet rural roads but the hills are rolling and provide a decent race challenge.

Set the Pace 5K, January 17, 11:10am, Camden, ME. This one was moved from the original January 1st date due to bad weather. Because of this I will not be running it, as I have prior plans for that day.

January is a tough month for me on many levels but this year I have a decent amount of running confidence and momentum - a sign that 2010 could be a very good year.

Easy Means Easy

Today's Run: 9.01 miles through Bath (work)
Time Finished: 72 minutes, 37 seconds (8 minutes, 4 seconds per mile)
Type of run: Easy - relaxed pace
Miles this week: 9.01

The run was slower than what I've been doing the past few weeks, but there's a good reason for this, thanks in part to RK's advice yesterday.

Every so often I get myself into these stretches where I have a lot of energy and push my legs harder than I need to. I'm not at injury-risk stage yet but at the same time I'm not greatly improving my endurance as much as I'm wearing my legs down. A typical training week consists of a speed workout, a long run, and easy runs the other days. The easy runs are what I've been missing for the most part.

This week will be dedicated to getting myself on that more structured track, while there's still time to make adjustments. Less than 6 weeks until Cape Elizabeth, less than 7 to Somesville, and less than 9 until Hyannis.