November 2nd, MondayA beautiful morning for a  cross country race at Holmdel Park

The sixth 5k run was a return to Holmdel Park on Saturday, October 31st.  My finish time was a respectable 28:49.   That is a 24-second improvement from the same course five Saturdays ago.  I was hoping for a more significant Improvement then that after 5 weeks.  When I consider that the main goals for signing up for this six-week series were to focus my training and insure one hard training run each week, I accomplished both.  Running  six, hilly, trail courses in six weeks was a demanding, humbling, illuminating and gratifying experience.

My next focus will be to find a flat, road 5K sometime around Thanksgiving to see if I have in fact improved my fitness for road racing.  I would also like to get to a local track and run a trial 800m or 1500m.

Stats remain stable and good.

October 25, Sunday

#4 5k on October 17th at Big Brook park was another hilly course.  I managed a 28:23, fastest time yet.  Still weak on the hills, quadriceps burn and stride is reduced to mere inches as I struggle to crest the incline.  Recovery occurs quickly enough and stride returns to normal until the next hill.  Mile splits were 8:09, 9:57, 10:03.  Maybe I’m going out too fast. The early mile was basically flat

#5 5k returned to Tatum Park on October 24th.  I ran a 1I:29, 57 seconds faster than last time, admittedly on an altered course that could be judged as slightly easier.  The positive takeaway from this one was that on the Hills I did not experience what I described in the foregoing paragraph. I crested the hills rather easily with no burning and in semi normal stride.   I did start out much more under control, maybe that was a factor.  I also did a much less intense warm up than I did in all the previous races. I approached the race with no intention of trying to run very fast, only to make it a good Saturday morning workout.  I also experienced some pretty severe pain in my left calf muscle for the first mile. At one point I wondered if I was actually going to finish the race. Somewhere along the way the pain subsided and I managed to finish, but my calf muscle was very sore after the race and still is 24 hours later.  I plan to have a very light recovery week and run a killer 5K at Holmdel Park on Saturday to conclude this six-week series with a bang. The goal from the beginning has been to refocus my training which had lost its sharpness during the pandemic months.  I am convinced that I have become more fit, but it has also taken a toll on my body.  That was also evidenced by my lack of enthusiasm for posting my workouts over this period.  Failing to post about my daily workouts was rare during the past 5 years of this +70Runner experience.  Most nights I could hardly wait to describe the fun, the joy, the weather, the topography, my times and splits and distances in great detail, not to mention bragging about my race performances whenever possible.  I feel that I am beginning to reignite that “Schoolboy Heart” attitude.   With regards to Jimmy Buffet:

October 16th,  Friday

– Today was going to be a light day anyway. But since it is raining and cold,  it makes it an even better day to just rest.

– Turkey Swamp Park is quickly becoming my favorite workout venue. I ran my last two workouts there on Wednesday and Thursday. The 2-mile dirt trail that I have been running is level, obstacle free, tightly packed dirt and very gentle on the feet and legs.  Usually I passed no one along the entire 2-mile tract.

– On Wednesday I got out late. So, I decided to run a quick work out on the only significant hill on the trail.  Starting on the flat and running slightly over the crest of the hill it is 75 strides, about 75m.  I ran up the hill quite fast, jogged down and repeated with no rest 10 times.  The  legs was surprisingly light and quick after yesterday’s workout. (Elegant 8’s)

– On Thursday I  planned to run four comfortable miles on a chilly afternoon. The first two mile loop was run with sweats on and rather moderately.  Second loop I stripped down and decided to run a tempo with the goal of maintaining 10 minute pace throughout.  I accomplished that goal with relative ease. So, the outcome was 2 miles Van Aaken pace and 2 miles at Tempo pace.  That was a little more effort than I had anticipated for the day, but it’s all good.

–  I was awoken by cramps in both my calf muscles in the early hours of this morning. I am going to attribute that to improving the quality of my training for the last 3 weeks.

Stats-

Weight is stable mid 140’s

Sleep is good, 10 hours last night

Diet is healthy   (Stopped worrying about ice cream and beer.)

Legs and feet are feeling healthy. No soreness on waking up in the morning.

October 13,   Tuesday

A little update:  On Saturday I ran another 5K in the 6-week series at Thompson Park in Holmdel.     18:11 for 5K, not bad.  I am still using these Saturday 5K races as my one hard workout per week. This one left me a little tired and a little sore. So, I did a lot of walking on Sunday and Monday but no running. Today, Tuesday, I went to the cinder track and did some of what Rich Refi and I christened as elegant 8’s at Hillsborough. The 5 x 800m repeats went  Progressive from 5 minutes down to 4 minutes with 2 minutes walking recovery.  1 mile warm up and half mile cool down made for a 4 mile day.

Stats-  Diet, weight and sleep  are good.

Beginning to get some aches in lower legs, tight calves, heel and foot nicks that take a few  minutes of walking  and jogging to disappear.   I think this is a result of the unstable terrain on which I have been Racing for the last three Saturdays. Hopefully my feet will be gaining strength from these race events.

The friendly cinders always feel good.

October 4th through 8th, Sunday through Thursday

” What fun is it? Why all that hard, exhausting work? Where does it get you? Where’s the good of it?   It is one of the strange ironies of this strange life that those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest.”

Brutus Hamilton, coach of the 1948 US Olympic track and field team

After Saturday’s race I did two and a half miles on the Cinders on Sunday with 3 x 200m speed segments of :53, :51 and :48.

On Monday I rested

On Tuesday I ran four Progressive miles in 46:15.   12:15, 11:15, 11:30 and 11:00

On Wednesday I ran 3 miles in 39 minutes with 10 speed segments.

On Thursday I ran 6.2 miles in 67 minutes. That is a significant improvement from my last 10K of ten days ago(76 minutes). Most notably was the fact that the last two miles were very quick in 9:46 and 9:11.  I am very satisfied with the progress of my training at this time.

Stats- are stable and positive

October 3, Saturday

It was cold this morning, but it has turned into a spectacular autumn afternoon. The house smells great because we are in the middle of making Arlene’s classic, chicken soup broth. And Gracie is back!

Race #2 of the six week, 5K series was this morning was at Tatum Park in Middletown.  The week started out with some good work on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesday  I was very tired, so I took the day off.  For 2 days I had some stomach issues and got very little sleep during the night. I did manage to get out Thursday afternoon for a pretty good workout on the road. It was 5 miles with warm up and cool down. In the middle I ran 3 miles Tempo work in following manner. Began with 4 x 800 meters with the goal of staying under 10 minute pace. I accomplished that with Progressive times getting close to 9 minute pace. Then I ran a 1600 m in 9:02.  This was done on the road behind my development which is straight and flat and very light on traffic. I took Friday off to visit the stomach doctor. He convinced me I had little to worry about. On Saturday I ran the 5K at Tatum Park in 29:23. I had never run this course before and was surprised at how hilly it was. I’m guessing there were at least 40 hills on the way that ranged from 50 to 500m. It was like running a roller coaster the whole time. I gave up trying to run fast halfway through the race and just hoped to survive without getting injured.   The time was faster than I thought. But my watch only measured the course at 4900m.  It is clear that none of my training has prepared me for hills. I get passed or dropped on every hill.  It turned out to be a good training run; plus my stomach is feeling much better today. I am planning on going for a second short run this afternoon just to keep my mileage growing.

Stats were a little raggedy this week because of poor sleep and modified diet.  Legs feel good.  Weight remains steady in the middle 140’s lb.

September 29,  Tuesday

“Number one is just to gain a passion for running. To love the morning, to love the trail, to love the pace on the track. And if some kid gets really good at it, that’s cool too.”

Words of wisdom for coaches by Pat Tyson

*

Sunday – 40 minute bike ride

Monday – Ran on the cinders and friendly soccer field grass at the Senior Center.  10 x 110m SS at fast pace with 30 to 60 seconds recovery.  Maintained  middle 130’s HR throughout. That was sandwiched between three and a half miles on the cinders

Tuesday – 10,000m on Jackson roads and Turkey Swamp Park dirt trails .  Accelerated on every hill.  76 minutes.  Very tired!

Good stats

September 26, Saturday

“You only grow as a human being if you’re outside your comfort zone.”    Percy Cerutty

For the last three days I tried to keep a decent workout schedule while preparing for a respectable run on Saturday. Since I plan on running a 5k every Saturday morning for the next six weeks, I need to have a good plan in place. So, I did a 55 minutes easy run on Wednesday, 3000m at Turkey Swamp Park with 10-speed segments on Thursday and one hour in motion on Friday, walking and jogging.  That sequence seemed to work out well as I ran a more than respectable 29:11 on Saturday. As I mentioned in the previous post, I was hoping to break 30:00 five weeks from now when will I return to Holmdel for the final of the six 5K events. I estimated that I ran between 80% and 85% effort today, which means too much time in the comfort zone.  Now I must trust Percy Cerutty and set more challenging goals.  All this much be approached in the context that I set out planning this six-week schedule to be only a means of focusing my training. I must avoid the temptation of making fast times the goal.  But I liked the atmosphere of the race this morning, and I am having fun.

Stats are holding steady and in very good ranges.

September 22nd, 2020.   Tuesday

I returned to Holmdel park today to run by pre-race inspection of the course.   I did a moderate warm up which I subsequently came to believe was not enough after I ran the course. The goal was just to complete the course while making note of the unique characteristics along the way. I experienced many different emotions as I approached the starting line keeping in mind the hundreds of athletes I had sent off from that line while never having done so myself.  I ultimately decided I would treat it as a personal, landmark, life event and enjoy the hell out of each moment.  None of that lessened my apprehension about the possibility of being totally crushed by the course. I ran the first 1200m completely under control aiming only to survive. It was an interesting roller coaster of emotions through the so-called Roller Coaster segment of the course.  I survived and settled into a comfortable pace for the remainder of the course. I did experience heavy legs and breathlessness at the hill in the bowl, but I recovered within about 200 meters.  The remainder was flat and downhill. Each mile got a little quicker.  I actually found myself holding back on the downhill through the woods for fear of getting out of control. I think it will be less intimidating the next time I run the course. The most fun of all were  the images that flashed through my head of various runners who have dominated here for North Hunterdon over the past years, including images of my son Rob and daughter Kristen battling the ups and downs and twists and turns of the legendary trails of Holmdel Park.  My finish was strong and exhilarating with a final time of 33:02.  That time exceeded my expectations for a nostalgic, exploratory effort. It gives me reason to believe that I may be able to break 30 minutes on this course in 6 weeks which was my ultimate goal in signing up for this series of races.  As I walked away from the finish line I was reminded of our slogan at North Hunterdon regarding this course;

                       “WE OWN HOLMDEL.”

Good stats.

September 19, Sunday

New Jersey’s  Legendary Holmdel Park Cross Country Course

As we approach final days of summer, the air has grown crisper and the temperatures have dropped. Today was marked by blue skies and bright sunshine as I set out for an Ernst Van Aaken style slow, long run. I decided to run the two miles of roads to Turkey Swamp Park, continue on the 2 mile dirt road circuit within the park, and finish the two miles back to home. Just as I started to run Rich Refi called me. So, I returned home to pick up my Bluetooth ear piece, and we chatted as I ran the first four miles. I was very relaxed as the miles passed quickly. I pushed the pace slightly for the last two miles and finished feeling quite strong. This was the longest non-stop run that I have completed in many months.

One week from today I will be running the first of my scheduled, six 5K races it’s six weeks. The first one is at Holmdel Park which I have never run. I find it hard to believe that, with all the time that I have spent at Holmdel Park in the last 45 years, I’ve never actually run the course.  I guess it’s time.   I plan to jog the course one time during this week so that Saturday is really not the first time I experience the course.  Even though my plan is to run these six, 5K races as six tempo workouts, I’m still a little intimidated by the whole situation.  I think it will be fun.

Stats are good.