Another solid week with quality miles and no injuries. Can't ask for much more as I plow through these cold weather weeks of training. As always, the highlight of the week was my long run - a 40 miler on the Mt. Vernon Trail - but a close second was this morning's 'rebound run'. Usually the legs are a little stiff and I'm happy to simply cruise slowly through my run the day after a long day, but I had some surprising spring in my step for the whole 8.5 mile loop today. I never time my non-long runs, but this one felt pretty darn quick.
The only other note on the week is that I'm down to my last week on the pair of Brooks Trance 6 shoes I started wearing a couple days before New Years. 400 miles is about the limit I like to put on my shoes before swapping them out, and sadly it only takes about 5 weeks these days to reach that mark. I really need to get myself a shoe sponsor in the next couple of months...who said running was an inexpensive sport? I'm hoping that a solid showing at Umstead in April will get me a little more ammo to come back again and beg for help from New Balance/Saucony/Reebok. All three are Boston-based and would surely benefit from the added local publicity of sponsoring me for the Run 192 campaign. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...
Week Log:
Monday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Tuesday - 4.3 miles - Treadmill Death March
Wednesday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Thursday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Friday - Off Day
Saturday - 40 miles - Mt. Vernon Trail
Sunday - 8.5 miles - Hains Point Loop
Total - 78.3 miles
2 comments:
a) love the new photo-title, it's much prettier. but maybe you should put up a link to a map of the race, so non-schooled peeps can check it out? or is it on there and i'm too dumb to find it....
b) what kind of apparel can you recommend to others who may be working out in the winter weather, and crave something that will wick away sweat, but keep me warm at the same time?
c) when you do the MV trail, does that last climb up to the parking lot kick your ass, or is that just me (even when I'm on wheels?)
a) I've manually entered (turn by turn) the entire 192 mile PMC map on www.usatf.com, but I haven't had the time to try and figure out a usable map to post here just yet. As it turns out, 192 miles is a REALLY long way to go.
b) Here are my winter running apparel rules:
Over 50 degrees - shorts, wicking t-shirt, and running gloves are all you need. You'll end up taking the gloves off after a mile once you warm up.
Between 40 and 50 degrees - shorts, long sleeve wicking T, ear covering (headband kind is good), and gloves. Headband and gloves may come off after a mile depending on wind. The long-sleeve t-shirt only needs to be medium weight, once you warm up, you'll end up rolling up the sleeves anyway.
Between 30 and 40 degrees - Tights under shorts, wicking long sleeve T, full hat, gloves. The closer you get to 30, the more you'll need that shirt to be a thicker material. The rule is, if you can hold it up to a light and see your hand on the other side, it's probably best for 40 and above temps. If you can't see your hand, it's good for sub 40. Every company (under armour, adidas, new balance, etc) makes wicking shirts in both weights. Do the light test in the store to see what's best.
Below 30 degrees - Same as above, but I put a tank top under my long sleeve T for an extra layer (and I tuck that layer in my shorts to keep the wind from gusting up and burning my chest).
Check weather.com before you go out to see what to expect and dress accordingly. I check that site 20 times in the winter hoping for a freak heat wave. When the wind is over 10mph, make sure you dress for 5 degrees colder. That wind-chill stuff is serious business.
c) Yes, if it wasn't UPhill, I'd swear that last mile before Mount Vernon was the path straight to hell. Especially since I hit it at mile 20 or so. ...the good news is, once we turn around to come back, it's all free speed on the downhill. God bless gravity.
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