Going Long (again) in 2024

Easy run at a 9:16 pace.  A very light dusting of snow on the ground.  Getting a bit colder though at -12C/11F.

Easy run in a brisk wind. 9:26 pace

Freezing rain this morning, and the roads were really slick, so I took to the treadmill instead.  Two days in a row with no pain or tightness in the knee.  Hurray!  9:31 pace.

My headlamp went out at mile 2 (forgot to charge it), and so the next 2 miles were run in the dark.  The last 2 were in twilight, so not too bad.  Not much traffic yet, with school still out, so I managed.  We had a few centimeters of snow the other day, and the traffic packing it made it pretty slippery, so I had to watch.  9:09 pace.

Cold morning with a stiff wind.  -10C/14F, but the windchill made it -18C/0F.  A stoat ran across the road just in front of me at around mile 4 on Goodwill Drive.  Hips really tightened up on the last mile.  I'm really looking forward to a hot shower!  9:25 pace.

Snow covered roads. Packed in places, and loose in others. Big storm coming tomorrow, so we may finally get our heavy snow. Registration for the Haliburton 100 Trail Ultra opened yesterday. Yes. I am registered. So 50 miles in May and 100 miles in September. 9:10 pace today. I had a massage first thing, so a late morning run.

Got it done before the coming storm hit. Stiff East wind. 9:22 pace.

We got hit pretty hard with our first major snow storm of the season.  It started yesterday early afternoon and is still going.  So, hit the treadmill today.  9:31 pace.

I have a funeral Mass tomorrow, so decided to run my 16 miler today.  That, plus another big storm will hit us tonight, and I didn't want to run 16 miles on the treadmill if it was avoidable.  I was up early anyway, and so was out the door at 5:30 this morning.

Cold.  It was -18C/0F and it snowed lightly the whole time.  I was dressed for it, but was still chilled by the end after being out there for 2 1/2 hours.  Every facial hair was covered with thick frost when I was done; my eyes were blocked by little icicles hanging from my lashes.  

The road was well packed and traffic was relatively light; I managed a pretty decent 9:10 pace.  

Big storm outside; I ran inside.  5 treadmill miles at 9:22 pace.  Left shin a bit sore today; will have to work that out.

Cold morning, but bright once the sun rose. 9:03 pace. Ski trails opened yesterday, so I bought my season pass and skied 5K. Will go for another 10K today.

Cold,and a touch windy early this morning. 9:19 pace. Skied 5K later in the morning.

Going to be doing speedwork on the treadmill on Wednesdays from now on.  Today was 4 x 800 repeats @ 7:03 pace with 400 recoveries.

The good news is, no pain.  Shin cleared up, as did the knee, and no further hamstring issues.  The only lingering 'thing' is the numbness under my toes from the plank plate rupture, but my doctor told me that is just nerve damage.  I can live with that, if need be.

Long run on the treadmill early this morning.  9:31 pace throughout.  

At mile 12, a couple toes on my left foot were screaming at me.  Too much pressure, I think, from the orthotics.  So, I switched to the Hokas and didn't bother with the orthotics.  Instant relief.  

Back to the treadmill; 9:31 pace.  It's warming up a bit next week, so am hoping to take it back outside.

Warmed up a bit, so took it outside. Roads in decent shape, with a bit of slushy snow in places. 9:06 pace for a 91 minute run.

Easy 9:52 pace today. Stiff North wind.

Speedwork on the treadmill.

5 x 800 repeats @ 7:03 pace with 400 recoveries.

Back to the treadmill for this long run.  Even 9:31 pace.  Nothing hurting, so things look hopeful in that regard.  I think running 3 hours on the treadmill is good training for the mind more than anything.  You really have to push through that urge to stop.

Relaxed run at 9:30 pace. Warm weather means closed ski trails, but also bare roads. Just below the freezing mark this morning with no wind.

Mileage cut back week. Hovering just below freezing and no wind.

9:07 pace.

Easy run on a slush covered road. 9:05 pace.

Speedwork Wednesdays on the treadmill.  2 miles Tempo pace 7:35.

Just over 2 hours on the treadmill.  9:31 pace.  

Apparently, the big maple syrup producers are already seeing the sap run.  Amazing.  That being said, it was brisk enough this morning at -11C/12F.  The sun is out in full force, however.  We haven't seen much of it this winter so far.  9:10 pace.  That finishes the first third of my training program.  The next 16 weeks will see back to back long runs most weekends.

Beautiful morning. Just a bit below freezing and no wind. Ran a touch faster than planned. 9:00/mile pace.

A feel good 8:49 pace. Felt easy. A cool -9C/14F, but little wind and the sun was bright.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  2.5 miles @ 7:35 pace.  

Easy 10 on the treadmill; 9:31 pace.  If the rain/snow holds off tomorrow, I will try taking my 20 miler outside.

Was able to take it outside today.  It rained a bit last night, and it was hovering around the freezing mark for the entire run (3 hours).  I ran 3 'laps' of Goodwill Drive, plus another half mile at the end.

The first lap was icy, as the rain had frozen to the pavement.  By the time I ran the second lap, it had all thawed.  It was snowing lightly for the third lap.

Ran a pretty steady 9:07 pace.  Stopped to refill my handheld after the first and second laps.  SO nice to be able to get off the treadmill, especially for these longer runs.

Nice morning for a run, and I took to the trails for 8 miles of it. Just a light dusting of snow, but enough to see a lot of animal tracks. Mostly fox, rabbit and weasel. -5C/22F. Even with walking the steeper hills, I averaged a 9:12 pace.

Easy recovery run. 9:10 pace. Winter is back. Stiff North wind, so tough first mile. Easy after that. A fair bit of snow over night, but not nearly enough to justify cancelling the school buses today, at least in my opinion. What a coddled culture we've become!

Speedwork on the treadmill.  6 x 800m repeats at 7:03 pace with 400 recoveries.

Heavy snowfall yesterday.  Good news - ski trails are open again.  Hopefully will get out on Sunday.  Long run on the treadmill; 9:31 pace.

Very cold, with a North wind to make it feel colder.  -20C/-4F.  It was clear, at least, and once the sun came up, it felt good on my face - at least when I was running East.  8:53 pace, with the second half about 10 seconds/mile faster than the first.

Icy cold again. About the same as on Saturday, but without the sun shining. 9 miles on a trail. It's actually a mining road that is kept open in the winter for exploration. I counted 27 hills that were steep enough to require walking, so pretty comparable to a trail. 9:17 pace.

Still super cold outside, at least for another day or two. 9:04 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  

6 x 800 with 400 recoveries.

I've been splitting the distances between the 50 mile/week and the 70 mile/week peak training programs, but if I hit the 34 mile back to back this weekend, then I'll be right on track for the 70 mile/week program.  My goal - we'll see.

It's turning frigid again, at least for a few days.  Even during this 90 minute run, the temperature was steadily dropping and the North wind was picking up.  I am still debating whether to hit the treadmill tomorrow for my 24 miler, or brave one of the coldest days of winter.  I'll decide in the morning.  Today, 8:52 pace.

I decided to take it outside; glad I did.  It didn't get quite as cold as predicted, so I started off with temperatures at -22C/-7F and a barely noticeable wind, and finished just over 3 1/2 hours later with temps at -14C/7F.  It helped that it was clear, and whenever I was facing the sun, it felt great on my face.  I also had a hand warmer in each mitten and that was a huge help.  

I ran a 6 mile loop four times, so stopped three times to refill my handheld.  I used hot water, and it still was freezing up on me.  My pace was steady throughout and averaged 9:00/mile; a bit on the faster side.  

So, I've fully transitioned to the program that peaks out at 70 miles/week - the same one I used 5 years ago.  My body seems to be holding up so far.

Very easy run. Full sun and beginning to warm. 9:30 pace.

Gorgeous morning for running. Sunshine and hovering around the freezing mark with little wind. 9:25 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.

7 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.

Crazy weather today.  Thunderstorm and heavy rain when I put the blue box out, and a flash freeze coming this afternoon with a lot of snow.  Temperatures to drop to -21C/-6F, then back to above seasonal for the weekend.  No more skiing.  I only got out 6 times this winter.

I tap the two maple trees in front of my house.  I already have over 2 gallons of sap - everything is early this year.  It looks like the season might end by the middle of March, if not sooner, which is when it usually begins.

Treadmill; 9:05 pace.

So, the power went out last night sometime before 2am - that's when I noticed it.  It came back on at 5:30am.  I'm usually out of bed before 5am, but with no power, just stayed the extra.

Had 3 thoughts: 

How will I make coffee?

How will I run on the treadmill?

It's COLD!!!   It was 14C/57F.  Enough to keep me under the blankets.

It was actually nice running on the treadmill with the cooler temps in the house.

Hovered just around the freezing mark and just a slight wind.  The sun was in and out.  Pretty nice for running.  9:01 pace.  Rubber legs towards the end, especially on the hills.

Tried to take it to the trails today, but 2 miles was as much as I could manage in the mud and ice. A bit of rain fell at the 7 mile mark, but overall a very nice running morning. 9:34 pace.

Heavy downpour this morning. I waited for it to end, but finally decided to hit the treadmill. 9:50 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.

6 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.  No problems, and feeling strong.

Early morning run, most of it in the dark.  Just a touch below freezing, with clear skies and little wind.  8:48 pace.

Steady (at times heavy) rain for the entire run, with a stiff North wind to boot.   Temperature held steady at 1C/34F throughout.  So, cold, wet and challenging.  Still, SO much better than on the treadmill.  9:04 pace.

A bit of a setback today.  Scheduled for 14, but felt some tightening in my right groin area at around mile 6.5, and by mile 7 there was some slight pain.  So, I walked the final mile home.  It felt better as I walked.  So, I stretched out and foam rolled for a half hour, and then tried to run at a very slow pace.  Still tight after a half mile, so I decided taking time off was far better than risking an injury.  That's the wisdom of experience - not that long ago, I would have run through it, got injured, and been off running for a couple of weeks or more.

Pretty sure it's the psoas muscle, and likely from tightening up during that cold, wet 24 mile run on Saturday.  This was supposed to be one of my peak mileage weeks at 68 miles, but I'm okay taking it all off if I need to.  It won't affect my overall training.  

I'm scheduled for an easy 6 tomorrow, so I'll see how I feel then.

I decided to err on the side of caution, and took 4 days off running.  Today was a short and easy run 'just to see'.  A very casual 10:31 pace.  There is still some tightness in the right groin area, but no pain.  And the tightness did not increase during the run.  I'll take tomorrow off, as planned, and then see if I can get back to my regular training starting on Monday.

I had a massage on Tuesday, and I've been stretching the psoas out all week.  I'll so some Ultrasound and TENs on it tonight; hopefully things will continue to improve.

Easy 9:55 pace. On the cold side with a stiff North wind. Good news ... No pain or tightness in the groin/psoas. So glad I rested last week. Hopefully, will not see a relapse as I ramp up my mileage.

Easy 9:50 pace. No issues. First day of Spring and Winter is back. Fairly heavy snow, driven by a stiff wind.

Today is my Conception Day, so I'm now 59 years old.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  7 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.

2 1/2" of snow fell yesterday.  It may not sound like much, but in a winter that didn't see much snow at all, having that much fall on the 1st day of Spring seemed remarkable.

Dark and cold morning, so I chose the treadmill.  9:05 pace.

I planned on road running today, but woke up to a significant blizzard.  Low visibility, with huge, fluffy flakes of snow.  One of the nicest snowfalls this year, but I opted for the safety of the treadmill.  9:31 pace.

9 weeks to Sulphur Springs 50 and 24 weeks to Haliburton 100.

Back on the road today. On the cool side, but ok for running. 9:17 pace. I may have a fracture in my middle toe on the left foot. It has been hurting for a few weeks, but I really felt it today. Not affecting my running form, so will continue running through it. Hopefully doesn't get any worse.

Very easy 9:25 pace.

On the treadmill for today's speed workout.

7 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.

Everything feels great.

Overcast and cool, at -3C/26F; good for running.  8:57 even pace.

I ran this in 3 loops so I was able to make my home a 'rest stop'.  8 miles for the first loop, then I picked up a flask of Tailwind.  By then, it was 'warm' enough for it not to freeze.  Then I ran a 10 mile loop, stopping after that to eat a banana and add more Tailwind to my flask.  Also ditched the mitts and neck warmer, and put on gloves.  The final 6 loops had the sun shining, and I finished with no aches or pains; just heavy legs.  Averaged a 9:38 pace, so 9 minutes shy of 4 hours.

Gorgeous running morning. Hovering just around freezing, with a warm sun once it rose. A stiff North wind which I ran 3 of the miles into. 8:55 pace. It just felt good to run a bit faster.

Bright and cool early morning run. 9:04 pace.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  

7 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.

Late snow storm on Wednesday. Over a foot of very wet snow. I had to start really early this morning to get my mileage in, so ran on the treadmill. Mostly at a 9:31 pace, but I slowed it down after mile 11 because of some tightness in my psoas. I got off a few times to stretch it, and it seems to be ok. I'll find out tomorrow when I run 22 miles to complete my back to back.

Second half of my 'back to back'.  Full sun.  Just at the freezing mark to start, and then up to 4C/40F at the finish.  Heavy legs toward the end, but kept a pretty even pace throughout, which averaged 9:41/mile.  No issues with the psoas today, but I stopped to stretch it out twice just in case.

Eclipse day. Cloudy. Of course. Slight soreness in my left iguinal ligament, but was ok for running. Pancake flat road, which helped. 9:46 easy pace.

9:32 easy pace.  Everything feels great, so no soreness after last week's back to back.  And that is after a long drive home today.  Well, 6 hours, so not TOO bad.

Was in beautiful Dunnville, on the North shore of Lake Erie, for yesterday's total eclipse.  I drove down Sunday and just returned today.  This was a redemption trip, after my very long 1600km (1000 mile) motorcycle ride to Bloomsdale, MO in 2017 to watch the eclipse there.  Then, it was a very hot day with very clear skies.  Just a few minutes before totality, one stupid cloud floated in front of the sun and totatally blocked the view.  It drifted away a few minutes after totality.  The man next to me summed up everyone's feelings when he said sarcastically "Well, ain't that just sweet!  Thank you Jesus!"  That sentence made it all worth while for me!  Especially afterwards, when I was stuck in the biggest traffic jam in American history.

This time, it was cloudy for most of the morning and the afternoon.  You could catch glimpses of the partial eclipse every so often when the clouds parted.  Then, for most of the 3 1/2 minutes of totality, the clouds right at that point cleared, and I had my first view of the sun's aurora.  It was awesome!  Made it all worth while once again.  A trip well worth taking.  Thank you Jesus! (and no sarcasm) :)

Speedwork on the treadmill.

7 x 800 @ 6:53 pace with 400 recoveries.

Nasty morning.  Cold.  Windy.  Wet.  Treadmill run.  9:31 pace.

It rained 2 inches over the past 2 days.  A little snow thrown in there too.  And lots of wind.  Today, it's just the wind.  35-55 km/h, which is 20-35 mph.  Great when it's at your back, but not so nice in your face.

Anyway, other than that, it was hovering around 2C/35F, so not too bad for running.  Pace was 9:15/mile, so just shy of 2 1/2 hours of running.

Next Saturday will be my longest "long" run (31 miles) before my Ultra at the end of May.

Easy run in the rising sun. 9:00/mile pace.

Ran in my Boston Marathon jacket yesterday and today in honour of the big day. I see an Ethiopian won. I stayed with an Ethiopian family in 2017. Wonderful people, but should not have eaten their food the night before my marathon. 9:33 pace today.

Early morning run; 9:01 pace.  

Easy run in a light, cold rain.  9:05 pace.

Long run today, with half on the Capreol Ski Trails.  I ran 8 road, 15 trail, 8 road.  5:20:38.  Average pace was 10:21.  It started off around the freezing mark, and got as high as 4C/40F.  There was some gusty wind, but the forest nullified that for the most part.

Was startled by a big moose in the woods just off the trail, about 30 feet away.  It's amazing how big those things are.  You don't appreciate that until you are up close.  Of course, I startled it too.  Also stirred up a partridge at one point.

There was rain/sleet at one point.  Then some snow.  A bit of rain.  And the sun, finally, came out toward the end.

Easy run at 9:13 pace. No ill effects from Saturday's 50K run.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  

7 x 800 @ 6:53 pace with 400 recoveries.

Steady 8:53 pace for this early morning run.  I think I'll hit the ski trails tomorrow morning.

Back to the Capreol Cross Country Ski Trails.  Three loops of the 10K trail (which is really only 8K), plus another mile.  I figured I would get soaked, based on the rain forecast.  However, it didn't start to rain until around mile 15, and I was finished when the heavy stuff began to fall.

Last week, there were a lot of branches and trees fallen across the trail, which made it more challenging.  This week, to my delight, I see someone had gone through with a chainsaw and cleaned it all up.  Nice.

4 weeks to Sulphur Springs.