This Week in Running 12/26/21

 Total Miles: 17

Tuesday: 45 min elliptical + 15 min row

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min elliptical + 15 min row

Saturday: 9

Sunday: 45 min elliptical + 3

This Week in Running 12/19/21

 Total Miles: 14,5

Tuesday: 15 min row + 45 min elliptical

Wednesday: 45 min elliptical + 3

Friday 7.5

Sunday: 15 min row + 30 min elliptical + 4

This week in Running 12/12/21

 Total Miles: 14

Tuesday: 45 min elliptical + 15 min row

Wednesday: 30 min elliptical + 15 min row + 3

Thursday: 45 min elliptical + 15 min row

Saturday: 8

Sunday: 30 min elliptical + 15 min row + 3

This Week in Running 12/5/21

 Total Miles: 18.5

Tuesday: 45 elliptical + 15 row

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Sunday: 13.5 (including Jingle Bell Half Marathon)

Jingle Bell Half Marathon 2021

I ran the Jingle Bell Half Marathon, the same race I did two years ago in a time of 1:48. This time I did it in 1:55:47. This course isn't easy, with over 500 feet of elevation gain. I'm not in the greatest running shape - mostly because of weight - and did about as well as I could expect. I'm more impressed with how I did two years ago on this course!

This race is a great one to run. At Northern Essex Community College, there is plenty of parking near the start and finish lines (which are essentially the same place.) There was good swag including a hooded pullover and a long sleeve t-shirt. Good post-race food including bananas, energy bars, pizza and hot chocolate. It's an attractive course as well with a lot of farms and animals to look at. Not a course to PR on, but certainly an enjoyable race.

This Week in Running 11/28/21

 Total Miles: 20

Tuesday: 45 min elliptical + 15 min row

Thursday: 6 (including Wild Turkey 5 miler)

Friday: 60 min elliptical + 20 min row

Saturday: 11

Sunday: 45 min elliptical + 15 min row + 3

Wild Turkey 5 Miler

Ellen and I ran the annual Wild Turkey 5 Miler in Salem on Thanksgiving. It was cold but there was no wind so it was a nice day for a run. Not particularly fast but it was fun.

From the Garmin. I did manage to get down to just about an 8:00 min/mile pace at the end.

This Week in Running 11/21/21

 Total Miles: 19

Tuesday: 15 min row + 45 elliptical

Wednesday: 6 (including D5K)

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 15 min row + 45 elliptical + 3

This Week in Running 11/14/21

 Total Miles: 18

Tuesday: 15 min row + 45 elliptical

Wednesday: 6 (including D5K)

Saturday: 9

Sunday: 15 min row + 45 elliptical + 3

This Week in Running 11/7/21

 Total Miles: 19

Tuesday: 15 min row + 45 min elliptical

Wednesday: 6 (including D5K)

Friday: 20 min row + 60 min elliptical

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 15 min row + 45 elliptical + 3

This Week in Running 10/31/21

 Total Miles: 16.6

Tuesday: 50 min elliptical + 20 min row

Wednesday: 4

Friday: 60 min elliptical + 20 min row

Saturday: 9.6

Sunday: 45 min elliptical + 15 min row + 3

This Week in Running 10/24/21

 Total Miles: 16

Tuesday: 10 min row + 50 min elliptical 

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Friday: 15 min row + 50 min elliptical

Saturday: 8

Sunday: 15 min row + 45 min elliptical + 3

This Week in Running 10/10/21

 Total Miles: 13

Tuesday: 60 min elliptical

Wednesday: 4 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min elliptical

Saturday: 6

Sunday: 60 min elliptical + 3

This Week in Running 9/5/21

 Total Miles: 17

Tuesday: 60 min elliptical

Wednesday: 5

Friday: 60 min elliptical

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min elliptical + 2

This Week in Running 8/22/21

 Total Miles: 19.5

Tuesday: 60 min elliptical

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Thursday: 60 min elliptical

Saturday: 11.5

Sunday: 60 min elliptical + 3

This Week in Running 8/15/21

Total Miles: 19

Tuesday: 60 min elliptical

Wednesday: 6

Friday: 60 min elliptical

Saturday: 9

Sunday: 60 min elliptical + 4 

This Week in Running 8/1/21

 Total Miles: 17

Tuesday: 60 min elliptical

Wednesday: 5 including D5K

Friday: 60 min elliptical

Saturday: 8

Sunday: 60 min elliptical + 4

This Week in Running 7/25/21

 Total Miles: 7

Monday: 60 min elliptical

Wednesday: 90 min elliptical

Friday: 60 min elliptical

Saturday: 60 min elliptical + 3

Sunday: 60 min elliptical + 4

Pinky toe is healed enough to run without pain.

This Week in Running 7/11/21

 Total Miles: 0

Monday: 60 min Elliptical

Wednesday: 90 min Elliptical

Friday: 60 min Elliptical

Saturday: 90 min Elliptical

Sunday: 90 min Elliptical

Broken pinky toe getting better.

This Week in Running 7/4/21

 Total Miles: 5

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Sunday: 60 min Elliptical

I was supposed to run a 5K in Amesbury Saturday morning. Unfortunately Friday night I stubbed my left pinky toe and broke it. There's not much to do with those other than tape them to the next toe and wait for it to heal. I did a virtual appt. with the doctor and she said I'd be fine to run again in a couple of weeks or even sooner. It hurts to put on shoes (which I do on the Nordic Track), so I thought I'd head back to Planet Fitness and try the elliptical machine in sandals. That fortunately worked fine.

This Week in Running 6/27/21

 Total Miles: 20

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 5

This Week in Running 6/20/21

 Total Miles: 19

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Saturday: 4 (including Jamaco River Run 5K)

Sunday: 10.25

Jamaco River Run 5k

 I ran a 5k in Merrimac, MA today. Usually I go for the longer distances in my races but I thought I'd try a 5k for once (other than the D5K). I've discovered that since I can't put in the training miles I used to, running the longer races wipes me out for days. Hopefully the 5K will have a quicker recovery.

The Jamaco River Run course is medium hard, rolling with one major hill at the halfway point. The first mile has more downhill than uphill. I had done a good warmup so I was moving on that first mile, a 7:39 which the fastest mile I've run in a long time. I gave it all back on the second mile, however, which includes that long steep hill. Also the race start was at 10:00 AM on a hot day, so by the time I got to the top of the hill I was pretty spent. I never really did get my breathing back under control for the rest of the way.

This Week in Running 6/13/21

 Total Miles: 23

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 5

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 12

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 6

This Week in Running 6/6/21

Total Miles: 20

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Thursday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 5

This Week in Running 30 May 2021

 Total Miles: 20

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 5 (including D5K)

Thursday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 5

This Week in Running 5/23/21

 Total Miles: 20.5

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday 5 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 11.5

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

This Week in Running 5/16/21

 Total Miles: 19

Wednesday: 4 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 5

This Week in Running 4/9/21

 Total Miles: 13

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 3 (including D5K)

Saturday: 10 (including Total Image 10 mile race)

Total Image 10 Mile Race

 I ran a 10 mile Race in Manchester, NH today, the Total Image Running 10 Miler. The event also included a 10K race and a relay. The official charity for the race was For The Love of Dog, so running with dogs was allowed, which a good number of runners did.

The course was an out-and-back along a rail trail and, although it was relatively flat, it was harder than it looked. The out section was a long, gradual grade. Not all that steep but it rarely let up. Of course coming back we got the benefit of the slight downhill, but the non-stop grade on the first half did a job on the quads. I had a nice race in any case, running an 8:31 pace, which is about what I expected. It's hard to expect more when I'm not even running 20 miles/week. With the arthritis, I'm just happy to be running at all.

This Week in Running 4/2/21

 Total Miles: 18

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

This Week in Running 4/25/21

 Total Miles: 18

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 30 min Nordic Track + 4

Friday: 60 in Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

This Week in Running 4/18/21

 Total Miles: 17

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 9

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

This Week in Running 4/11/21

 Total Miles: 16

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday 60 min Nordic Track + 3.14 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 3

This Week in Running 4/4/21

 Total Miles: 16

Wednesday: 3.14 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 3

I did my long Saturday run along Plum Island in Newburyport. It was a glorious morning:

This Week in Running 3/28/21

Total Miles: 19

 Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 3.14 (including D5K)

Saturday: 2

Sunday: 14 (including Hampton Half Marathon. See separate post).

Hampton Half Marathon

 Today I ran the first race in more than a year... and it was the last race I ran last year, the Hampton Half Marathon. Not having raced in a year, I really didn't know what to expect. Furthermore, the first half mile is run on the sand on the beach! That's new this year and is part of the race plan for social distancing. The rest of the course is similar to what it was last year. The start was staggered.  Runners were given a specific time to show up at the start on the beach and were sent off in 10 second intervals.

I'm still running no more than 20 miles/week, with a lot of time on the Nordic Track. This course is mostly flat, but includes some long inclines in miles 6, 7 and 8. I wasn't sure how I'd handle the hills after the initial half mile in the sand, or what kind of recovery I might make after the hills. It turns out that all that time on the Nordic Track helps, because my quads had second and third winds in them. My joints mostly cooperated as well. My knee and hip became a little sore in the last 5k, but not bad and not any worse than on any of my training runs. There was enough left in the old bones to make the last 5k my fastest part of the race.

Hopefully things will hold together and this year will be a good racing year.

This Week in Running 3/21/21

 Total Miles: 19

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 12

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 3

This Week in Running 3/14/21

Total Miles: 19

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 11

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

I ran the Danvers 5K for the time in more than a month. This is the first time I've run hard since the hamstring injury I've spend the last month recovering from.

This Week in Running 3/7/21

 Total Miles: 19

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

Thursday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 11

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

This Week in Running 2/28/21

 Total Miles: 17

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

Friday:  60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 3

This Week in Running 2/21/21

 Total Miles: 15

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 8

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 3

This Week In Running 2/14/21

 Total Miles 10

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 3

Thursday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 3

Hamstring feeling good. I’ll keep increasing mileage next week.

This Week in Running 2/7/21

 Total Miles: 4

Tuesday: 60 min NT

Wednesday: 90 min NT

Friday: 60 min NT

Saturday: 90 min NT + 2

Sunday: 60 min NT + 2

Coming pack from the hamstring injury. The two miles each on Saturday and Sunday felt fine. I'll likely run 2 again on Wednesday then increase the mileage a bit next weekend.

This Week in Running 1/31/21

 Total Miles: 4

Tuesday: 60 min NT

Wednesday: 90 min NT

Friday: 60 min NT

Saturday: 60 min NT + 4

Sunday: 90 min NT

I've been struggling with a hamstring injury the last several weeks. On Saturday I tried a run but felt the hammy start to happen after 3 miles so I shut it down. I'll stay with the Nordic Track this week and maybe try a 1 or 2 mile run next Saturday, since the hamstring was fine up to 3 miles.

This Week in Running 1/17/21

 Total Miles: 15

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 5 (including D5K)

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 90 min Nordic Track

Sunday: 10

Saturday was cold, windy and rainy so instead of my usual long run I just did the Nordic Track for an hour and half, then did the long run on Sunday. Once I again I did the Salem-Beverly loop. It's a nice run that goes by or across the water a number of times.

This Week in Running 1/10/21

 Total Miles: 18

Tuesday: 60 min Nordic Track

Wednesday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

Friday: 60 min Nordic Track

Saturday: 10

Sunday: 60 min Nordic Track + 4

On Saturday I ran a 10 mile loop through Salem and Beverly and back to Danvers. Here is a picture from the Salem-Beverly Bridge: