Glastonbury Running

Cranmore Hill Run Training Log: 6.17.08

Still feeling relatively horrible, but pushed through a nice run with Sattler this morning.  We hit a few big hills and then I tacked on a short bike ride after the run.  I don't know if I'm suffering from allergies, a stubborn common cold or something else.  Whatever it is, I hope I shake it off soon since the race is coming up fast!  Looking forward to a couple weeks of training in New Hampshire soon.

8.9 miles of running and 5 of cycling this morning.  11 training days until Cranmore.

Cranmore Hill Run Training Log: 6.16.08

The congestion continues, but I dragged myself through a tough, hilly 1-hour run which included Chestnut Hill, Littel Acres, Mosely Terrace, Knob Hill and the tough climb on Overlook.  Forcing myself to do all of these hills has been working...whenever I look up and see a tough climb ahead it now takes very little motivation to pick up the pace and launch an all-out attack.  Unfortunately, I haven't trained on anything even remotely as steep as the ski slope that awaits me at Cranmore, but I'm trying my best with what I've got!

8.4 miles of running followed by 7 miles of cycling.  12 training days until Cranmore.

Cranmore Hill Run Training Log: 6.13.08

Boy, it was an absolute pleasure to be a runner this morning with the chilly 50-degree temperature and sunny skies.  A nice change from the fast-forward-to-late-July weather we had earlier this week! 

The legs and hips were a little sore after the backwards mile challenge yesterday.  But I tackled my hilly Orchard Loop for the second time this week and managed to chop nearly a minute off of my best time.  Belltown Hill is becoming less and less intimidating these days.  So I think training is going very well as the Cranmore Hill Run is quickly approaching.

9 hilly miles in 63 minutes.  15 training days until Cranmore.

Cranmore Hill Run Training Log: 6.12.08

Ran with Sattler and O'Toole this morning and stopped at the GHS track so that O'Toole and I could have our backwards one-mile showdown.  Sorry to say, but my heart just wasn't in it for some reason (I pulled a Big Brown, you could say) and it was pretty much over by the end of the first turn.  I clocked a 9:09, which was well behind O'Toole's 8:49.  But we were both still a good universe behind Sattler's 7:09!  In any case, our backwards running careers are probably over at this point.  But it was fun while it lasted.

I do think I can legitimately consider today's workout as helpful for my Cranmore Hill Run training.  Backwards running works the quads pretty hard (an understatement), and strong quads come in handy when running up a ski slope!

16 training days until Cranmore.

Cranmore Hill Run Training Log: 6.11.08

I ran my regular Orchard Loop, a very hilly 9-miler up in the South G'Bury orchards and I was happy to see that I covered the route in a zippy 7:07 pace and chopped 2 minutes off my time from the last time I ran it, which was sometime last week.  I was helped along by DMB on the MP3.  The weather was MUCH more tolerable this morning, which was a huge help.  I even added a little walking workout after the run as I applied "Step 2" to the backyard (actually got it down when I was supposed to this year!).  By the way, I'm deeply committed to finally getting my lawn under control this season...thank God for the Scott's 4-Step law maintenance program!

I should probably pre-register for this Cranmore Hill Run.  I don't want to pull an O'Toole and get shut out of registration.  Plus I want to make it hard for me to back out of this one, which will probably be sorely tempting as race day approaches.

Anyway, only 17 training days left until Cranmore.

Cranmore Hill Run Training Log: 6.10.08

This morning's run was a slow & sluggish 10-miler at 7:31 pace with Sattler and O'Toole.  On most training runs it starts out as a hard effort, but then I end up finding my groove at some point, usually during the first quarter of the run.  But this morning it just felt like a hard effort throughout the run, regardless if how slow I was going. 

I'm assuming it's the hot & humid weather, and I'm probably still recovering from yesterday's tough, hilly workout in similar weather conditions.  Hopefully I'm not getting sick or something because I have precious little runway to work with as the Cranmore Hill run is quickly approaching.

18 training days until Cranmore.

Cranmore Hill Run Training Log: 6.9.08

After staying out late at the Rotary Club's annual Lobsterfest on Saturday night, I was forced to sleep in and take a day off yesterday, which I probably needed anyway.

In keeping with the "Hills & More Hills" training theme for the month of June, I trekked south in Portland this morning and tackled the dreaded Isinglass Hill and Thompson Hill combination, as well as Apple Tree Hill.  The overly-hilly profile and hot & humid weather combined for a sluggish 7:30 pace for the 9-mile run.

19 training days until Cranmore.

Cranmore Hill Run Training Log: 6.7.08

Due to some GI concerns, Sattler and I did a convoluted workout in which we alternated one-mile runs on the GHS track and solid efforts up the Hubbard Street hill in front of the school, all in an effort to stay close to a porta-potty (which, it turned out, we never actually needed).  And we didn't have the quiet and peaceful 5am workout that we anticipated since there were tons of students congregating in front of the school and boarding buses for some event, so our hill repeats actually caused traffic problems with cars turning into and out of the school!

10.2 miles at a solid 6:47 pace.  Exactly 3 training weeks until Cranmore.

The 2008 Living Well in Glastonbury Summer Racing Series!

I'm proud to announce that the Glastonbury Summer Racing Series is back this year, albeit with a much different look.  My co-director for the past couple of years, Jay Sattler, finally came to his senses and decided to bow out this year so I'm now in charge of the series on my own...for better or for worse. 

First change is the name.  I'm on the planning committee for "Living Well in Glastonbury", which is a wellness initiative that was launched earlier this year by the Glastonbury Chamber of Commerce.  Since running is my wellness drug of choice, I decided to tie the racing series into this fantastic initiative.

The second change, and the change most relevant to participants, is that the races are now much tamer than past years.  Race #1 (7/19 at Smith Middle School) is still a flat and fast 5K like last year.  Race #2 (7/26 at Addison Park) is a moderately challenging course with some off-road action thrown in, again like last year, but the distance has been cut dramatically from 10K to 4.5 miles.  And Race #3 (8/2 at the new Nayaug School), which was last year's dreaded King of Pain 10-Miler, is now a very scenic out-and-back 10K along the Connecticut River.  Runners will need to wrestle with the nightmarish Old Maids Hill at the very end, but the race still pales in comparison to the difficulty of the KOP.

Although last year's King of Pain 10-Miler offered deep satisfaction for my sadistic side, the turnout was pretty low since there are only so many clinical masochists out there these days.  I may resurrect this race in the future, but it's been shelved for now.

Please click here for all of the particulars.

As usual, the racing calendar in the local area is a bit thin during July and August.  So if you plan on running the Labor Day race in New Haven or a fall marathon, then you can use the series to keep your training honest through the dog days of summer.

I hope to see you at one of more of the races and PLEASE pass the word on to your training buddies.

Cranmore Hill Climb Training Log: 6.5.08

Today was the usual easy Thursday morning run with Sattler, O'Toole and Byram.  No backwards challenges this week, just Sattler and I sharing our re-caps of the grueling Nipmuck Trail Marathon last weekend.  We also realized that there's a strong possibility that all four of us will be qualified for Boston '09.  Three of us are already in and O'Toole just needs to break 3:16 on the net downhill course at the Clarence DeMar Marathon, which he is probably already capable of doing.  April's a long way off, but it's not too early to daydream.   

9.7 miles at 7:34 pace and today's run brought me to 1,642 on the 2008 mileage.  23 training days until Cranmore.