Training Log Archive: iansmith

Skyline run with the CSU Crew. I sent an e-mail to CSU training a few days ago suggesting this run after discussing the possibility with Magnus. I showed up 9 minutes late (fail), and I drove since I had a car for hiking yesterday.

A larger crew had congregated than I expected - Ian F., Andy Hall, Ross, Anna S-S, Magnus, Alex, Giovanni, Katia, and I formed the Skyline crew, while Barb, Wendy, Mori, Ethan Hall, and some others went for a morning walk.

My left calf felt a little tight, but I was otherwise fine. I noticed no ill effects from the hiking trip yesterday except moderate fatigue. The Skyline is a delightful run - rocky, with occasional hills, and just long enough to be taxing. Our pace was relaxed, and we ran as a group. The time on the Skyline itself was 1:16:53. As we hit the biggest hill on the trial, most of the conversation ceased as people attacked the hill, but Ross happily chattered on, impervious to difficulty.

Update: the pace felt relaxed to me for the first half or so, then gradually picked up as Magnus, Giovanni and I rotated leading. I probably can't count avg hr of 164 as "relaxed;" I get excited when I run the skyline.

n-minute abs led by Alex, for some value of n (12?). Tuckups, ankle-on-knee leg extensions (x2), plank, cherry pickers, back plank, side plank (x2), supermans, pushups, and I think one or two other exercises. I also did ten pullups on a friendly-looking branch.

I must stop whining during core workouts; they're excellent, and I should relish them. I cannot be a common man; common men do not achieve the extraordinary. I must be uncommon.

My crush on Tove Alexandersson was critiqued during the workout.

C • Your taste in women 7

Moosilauke and South Peak solo via Gorge Brook Trail - Moosilauke Carriage Road - Snapper Trail route. In nearly perfect conditions, I climbed Moosilauke for the first time. I woke at 7:15 instead of 6:00, didn't get to the trailhead on NH-118 until 10:30, and was worried darkness might overtake me on my proposed 10 mile loop. I set 2 PM as my turn-around time. The sky was overcast, with a temperature of about -2° C at the base and -10 C at the summit. It was very windy above the treeline, with ~50-60 kph winds.

I presciently (lookin' at you, bgallup) acquired Kahtoola Microspikes on Friday based on my icy Monadnock experience, but otherwise had the same equipment as Jan 1. The microspikes were unnecessary on this expedition, though I did test them for a few hundred meters and found them superb. About 30 cm of snow blanketed the ground, and the trails were packed. With snow in lieu of the slippery rocks and ice sheets on Monadnock, I had solid footing and made great time. I reached the summit at about 1:15 (obligatory myspace pose). I was feeling excellent, so I continued my loop rather than returning via Gorge Brook. I was sufficiently warm in a compression shirt, long-sleeves, a windbreaker, tights, wind pants, 2x gloves, and my balaclava, and I had in reserve two top layers, one bottom layer, and a hat. There were few views on the ascent due to extensive tree cover, but from near the summit, I beheld Franconia Ridge and the mountains to the East in all their glory.

While visibility was good, the terrain above the treeline was vast and featureless, and I was concerned I might lose the trail. With overeagerness from my mountaineering books, I left a trail of baby carrots from the trail at the treeline to the summit. The orange carrots stood out marvelously against the white winterscape, and I would have had no trouble returning. The return journey was uneventful - descending in the snow was like stepping onto a soft pillow, and the footing continued to be fantastic. I returned to Ravine Rd at about 3:20 PM, and to my car by around 4.

Moosilauke was wonderful; it wasn't representative of winter challenges, since conditions were perfect, with amazing footing, no precipitation, and calm-ish weather. It occurred to me that I would have had difficulty making a fire on the summit ridge because all the trees were covered in icicles. The only equipment that may need an upgrade are my boots; they are better suited as work boots than hiking boots, and absorb some water slogging through snow. The hike was not physically difficult, though I was sufficiently tired after I returned to take a nap before driving back. I don't know my limits that well, and I will be cautious before trying more ambitious trips. I will probably drive up the night before for future expeditions like sgb; daylight is a major constraint, and I want to avoid hiking in darkness.

I took a rest day, partly because I had put in 20 miles over the past three days, partly to rest for Moosilauke, and partly because my left arch hurt. I suspect I didn't stretch enough after intervals on Thursday, and my calf tightened up. I felt no pain during the hike on Saturday or the Skyline on Sunday, so it was probably not serious.

Running over to track. A call from the DNC just as I was walking out the door delayed my departure, though I probably would have been a few minutes late anyway. I arrived just as the group finished its warmup drills. While I support the democratic position on many issues, I am reluctant to contribute to the political arms race to which their can be no victory. I suppose political spending is a form of stimulus, though I would rather my dollars didn't go to swing states. I didn't wait for my Garmin to locate satellites, so the GPS data is gibberish.

Warmup and strides. I think I ran four circuits of the track.

CSU Track workout with special guests Ross, Sam, and Anna. Our workout was 3x (1000, 600) at 3k-5k pace (VO2 max intervals) with 200m rest followed by 2x400. I think I spent a bit too long resting. My heart rate graph plateaus nicely at 185 bpm, which assuming I was at 95% HR max, yields HR max of about 195. I mostly hung behind Tom D, though I led a few of the intervals for my subgroup. Ross was flying, and Terry and Kevin somehow drifted out of phase with mine group. Magnus and I rocked the 400s at the end, though Ross breezed by on his way to a 73 on the first one. Keith also joined us for his first CSU track workout of the year.

Intervals:
1k/600: 3:33, 2:05; 3:29, 2:04; 3:35, 2:01
400s: 80, 79

I wish I were moving faster, but denial will not change my current state. My objective with training is to maximize my progress, and the current paces are likely to achieve that end.

After the session, we hit up Qdoba and retired to Chez Huberman-Granger-Bevan for good socializing and to ponder the great philosophical questions of our time, like the social protocol about athletic attire (case study: tights) and the merits of Pawtuckaway.

I was in a hurry to make it for bowling, so I ran hard. The temp was -2°C, but I dressed adequately - two tights, SLS shirts, two gloves, jacket, and balaclava. I felt good at the end.

Chopin Prelude No. 4, Nocturne in E flat Maj, Revolutionary Etude (with sheet music for the first time); Beethoven Pathetique I, II, III, and Moonlight I; Pictures. Given how much I practiced Revolutionary in 2003-2006, it is unsurprising that I remember it pretty well. Pictures is really difficult to remember; I may have to attack it with rote memorization.

Today was especially cold: -12 C, with a NW wind of 25 kph; the wind chill was reported as -20 C. Taking two consecutive rest days was unappealing, so I put on about half of the running gear I own - four shirts (SSLS), two tights, shorts, two pairs of gloves, and my balaclava. The only exposed skin was the window of skin on my face, though my elbows and forearms were painfully cold by the end with only a single layer.

I cruised around Cambridge with my extra padding and was generally comfortable. I stopped at building 10 to go to the bathroom. I made a poor route choice after crossing Mass Ave and had to double back to cross the train tracks.

Bring it on cold conditions; I am undaunted. I probably will wear a light jacket during similar weather. Yay, I can't feel my face. Breathing through a balaclava is difficult, and condensation from my exhaling had frozen on the surface of the cloth.

C • Cold 3

Piano at the Bermans before meeting Team North Carolina for dinner. I didn't have enough time to get through my short repertoire, and basically only practiced Pathetique.

While I don't seem to be worse for wear after the hike yesterday, I took a rest day to let my body recover after several days of effort.