Caryl Short. Got out early to give myself maximum recovery time (while still getting dogs out for adequate exercise) before Billygoat. Conditioning feels good and I have guarded hopes for getting my initials on a 2011 control, although I anticipate it will require a nearly flawless performance as a review of the start list reveals 25 runners whom I should not expect to beat even with an exceptional run. Beating PG may be possible as well, although I suspect that my excellent knowledge of the map does not exceed his.
Trail run32:46 [3] 3.6 mi (9:06 / mi) weight:177.4lbs
Needham Town Forest. This was intended as my last hard run before the Billygoat, but heat again a problem and I was forced to wait a total of 3:31 for Fonzie. Did a little trail maintenance as well once it was clear that the overall time would not reflect the effort. Nevertheless, covered the last "mile" in 6:42, which was quite encouraging.
Caryl Short. Weather much cooler with light drizzle, so prospects for a good time were greatly enhanced. Felt strong heading up the long uphill, and when I reached halfway point at just over 13:00, I made the decision to make an assault on the PR. A new standard was duly established with splits 13:04/8:46/3:43.