Quintal in the Tribune

http://www.eagletribune.com/sports/x657348240/Quintal-excite

6/28/10 - 7/4/10

Mon 6/28/10 PM Evening run in NA solo 75 minutes (9.5 miles)

Tues 6/29/10 AM 54 minutes in Lawtown (7.0 miles)

Wed 6/30/10 PM Easy 40 minute run (5.0 miles)

Thurs 7/1/10 PM Very quick 8 miles with group at Whirlaway (52:30)

Fri 7/2/10 Day off.

Sat 7/3/10 PM 10 min warmup and a couple of strides/ 10k race in 36:08/ no warmdown

Sun 7/4/10 Another day off.

A down week for sure. Not very concerned with mileage or workouts or much of anything to do with running. The heat and holiday activities had a bit to do with it plus I have been running really crappy latley and feeling generally miserable during most of my runs. The last couple of weeks have been light and I think I might be ready to start some serious training again. I am going to try to increase my mileage and begin the workouts that got me into the shape for the Bedford 12k. I am not too sure if I will be racing at Stowe due to family matters. Its 50/50 at this point.

6/21/10 - 6/27/10

Mon 6/21/10 River "10" with JJ and MQ very slow and I bonked at the end.

Tues 6/22/10 AM 45 minutes easy (5.75 miles) PM 21 minutes (2.75 miles) 8.5 total

Wed 6/23 AM 14 minute jog with AQ (1.5 miles) 30 min spin on Bianchi very hard

PM 30 min solo run (3.75 miles)

Thur 6/24/10 AM Easy 3 miles in 24:00 PM 48 minutes on Bianchi steady spin

Fri 6/25/10 AM Easy 3 miles in 24:00 PM River "10" in 74 min couldn't match JJand MQ so hung back with DV and JH.

Took a nasty wiffle ball back to the box courtesy of MQ's line drive before the run. Now I need to find a missing hamster in the house.

Sat 6/26/10 day off

Sun 6/27/10 AM 93 minute run on roads solo 13 miles PM 35 minutes on Bianchi

50th Annual Mount Washington Road Race

Pretty much everything has been said regarding Friday's wiffle ball game, bear sighting, the shakeout run through the Saco trails, the Hall of Fame ceremony, the Sphaghetti Shed's lousy meatballs, and so forth. This edition of Mt. Washington was a big deal and everybody and their brother was here to race. After the shakeout run, DD and I went over to the pool to cool off and we discussed our goals for the race. DD predicts every year and is usually quite accurate with his times. I felt that a 1:12:30 was a possibility and Dave told me he was going to have splits for that time so we decided to try to run with each other come race time.

DV drove MQ and I over to the race Saturday morning. While we were in his truck, we heard a real 80's hit by Rod Stewart. I was a little tired but knew that once we got to the race, I would feel better. Wishful thinking. I never quite felt it in the warmup and was getting very concerned about the rising temp's. Fifteen minutes before the start, I jogged over to the stream near the highway and sat in the water to try to cool off. I tried to relax and told myself to run smart and hang in until the end.

I positioned myself on the far right side about 3 rows back and was near teammates Ernest Brake and Tim Mahoney. This seems to be a recurring theme each year and it helps to see familiar faces as we try to fire each other up. Dracut's Joe Donnelly (Gate City Striders) who has been tearing up the Good Times 5k's was asking me what I wanted to run and I said my first goal is to get to the top but I wanted to run 1:12:30 but cautioned that the heat was going to be a factor so anything under 1:17:30 would be satisfying. The cannon finally went off and I looked for DD. I found him before the first hill and basically shadowed him for the first mile. I felt okay but was feeling the heat. I really wanted to get to the first water stop. I hit mile 1 (.9 miles) in 7:13 and was probably 3 seconds behind DD but he seemed to be having an easier time than me as I never really matched his stride. I could see the large mass of runners up ahead and spotted MQ as he must of hit mile 1 in 6:45.

Mile 2 is long and difficult and I just focused on DD. He was probably about 15 seconds ahead of me as I went through 2 in 16:13 (9:00). This was pretty quick for me and probably about 1 minute ahead of last year's pace. As we started mile 3 I could see MQ walking on the left side of the auto road right around Raymond's grade. He had gone out too quick and his first time experience was going to be a long, hard fought struggle to the finish. He is a tough dude who hung in there. Although he is disappointed, he is determined to come back and try to run better.

Mile 3 was tough for me as the quick pace and heat slowed me down to a 10:07 mile split as 3 miles was reached in 26:20 (1 minute and 13 seconds ahead of last year's 1:14:26). Halfway was reached in 35:35 and I took a lot of water and poured a cup over my head. I hit the 4 mile mark in 36:36 and was starting to find a rythym and was focussing on the climbs ahead. I was expecting cooler temp's at this point but, save for a light wind, the sun was still quite strong and I continued to take water all the way. My split for 5 miles was 47:20 (10:44) and 6 miles was 58:00 (10:39). I got to the hairpin turn and really felt that climb as I power walked for about 50 yards. This has got to be the most difficult stretch of the race as you approach the Cow Pasture where it seems to almost level for a bit before the final stretch to the finish. Mile 7 was reached in 1:08:52 (10:51) and I managed a 6:51 final .7 to reach the finish line in 1:15:42.

6/14/10 - 6/20/10

Mon 6/14/10 AM Steady 60 minutes (8.0 miles)

Tues 6/15/10 AM Steady 50 minutes (6.5 miles) PM 40 minutes spinning on Bianchi alternating 5 minute out of saddle in big ring simulating a long climb followed by 5 minutes of spinning in small ring

Wed 6/16/10 Day off. Just could not get a workout in as I was very busy with life issues.

Thur 6/17/10 50 minutes steady (6.5 miles)

Fri 6/18/10 35 minutes easy on Saco River trails behind Attitash w/ CMS crew (4.25 miles)

Sat 6/19/10 3 easy miles before 50th MWRR/ 7.6 MW in 1:15:42/ 7.6 miles down MW (18.2 miles)

Sun 6/20/10 65 minute run with turtles and CMS (8.0 miles)

Andover Days 5k leaders

Waiting for Verrington

Verrington kicks it in.

GLRR - Bedford 12K - 5.22.10

Week ending 6/13/10

Mon 6/7/10 75 minute run with Jim Q. (10 miles) hilly run through Derry /rail trail

Tues 6/8/10 AM 48 minutes easy (6.5 miles) PM 52 minutes on Bianchi 52/12-14 entire way and working on climbing/out of saddle very hard hard effort

Wed 6/9/10 74 minute run on river trail with Jim J. (10 miles)

Thur 6/10/10 63 minute spin on Bianchi

Fri 6/11/10 70 minute run solo in North Andover..ran old 4th of July 10k course in 40 minutes hitting sub 6 on many occasions and really working hills (10 miles)

Sat 6/12/10 Easy 4 miler after work

Sun 6/13/10 Noon. 80 minute run hitting my spots along the way dipping down to 5:27 pace but overall a relatively easy 10.5 miles.

Rhody 5k

Not much to report here but a big flat egg. Simply put, the heat and humidity fried me a bit and I had nothing in me except for a 5:19 first mile which was followed by a couple of 5:35's. The men's open team all ran awesome as did several of the master's runners. The highlight of my day was watching my two youngest boys race around the greyhound racetrack. On to bigger and better things in the next couple of weeks.