Enjoying The Off-Season

Well, it has been three weeks ... I know it is completely inappropriate for this blog and some folks will be shocked, but ... I am really enjoying the off-season (scream, horror). It is a strange and new sensation to me ... the one who can not stop and will train through wind, rain, snow and Armageddon. I will admit that I have done some running and swimming, but very little. I am now starting to ramp back-up and I think it has come very easy to me, as I have had no recovery from any big races or a marathon or anything like that. January 1 will roll around soon enough and I will be back trying to one-up on last year's Boston. The bike ... there has been no biking, bike-commuting, cross, mtb or anything (boo, throwing objects). I cycled more today with MRC folks than I have cycled in the last two months! only 35 miles. I am enjoying my return and maybe a little time away from the sport has been good. Last year was maybe a little too extreme. The good news is I haven't ballooned into the fat B@st@rd like last year after Clearwater. Anyway, I am moving on ... there really aren't any races this time of year locally, so I will return with fresh spirit and enjoy this time, not worrying about training, times, mileage, etc.

Please comment if you actually think I can be succesful at this.

Groton 10 Mile Trail Race Report

My return to the Groton Trail Race ... I checked coolrunning and it was indeed 6 years ago when I last ran this race. The race has really grown in size and to no surprise; the same trail gurus that were there 6 years ago and at all the other trail races I have run, were there. To say the least, it was pretty well stacked with some fast guys and is part of the big trail race series. Here's the report; not much running the two weeks before, I decided to race as it was almost like a taper into a race. Absolutely zero speed work over the last month. Weather cool with rain threatening through-out the morning. After a delay of 20 minutes, they finally got the race off. Out to a VERY fast start, these two guys went off at an unbelievably fast pace. It's hard to pass on these trails, so I got out fast and tried to settle-in at a good pace; one that would be sustainable over this distance and terrain. For those who have not run this race; it's HARD. Up and down with some steep climbing and descents. Nothing like Wapak, but never-less some steep cross-country-esque hills with tough footing especially on some of the downhills. I did absolutely no preparation for these and I don't have any trails like that locally, so it was a stretch for me. Also, as I have said before, I do not do well on the fast downhills. I was just out of control most of the time and I just do not have the balance and/or coordination for that, so I lose time to these guys. On a positive note, this has been my first trail race in three years!! Wapack 07 was my last. Talk about a long stretch, I need to target at least one trail race a year.

Results: 14th Overall 1:09:25 A new PR!!!

I will take sub-1:10 any day and I smashed my PR by four minutes. I know I had run Baystate a couple weeks earlier in 04, so my legs were a bit on the recovery. Anyway, I am glad I ran this race and I had a really good race too! I like the low-key feeling of the trail races. No big award ceremonies or any of that stuff - just bragging rights. I really needed something like that this fall. Anyway, I have gone into off-season and will be taking some time off the next few weeks. I may do some easy running, but for now I just want the body to recover from all the endurance training this year. I did not want to repeat last year; crazy training and racing, way to much.

Looking for another form of exercise that doesn't involve the usual three - anyone have some suggestions? Also, I want to do some XC ski races this year. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I will probably try Great Brook or Weston. I hope everyone had a great year and is winding down for the year. I will probably start running again around Thanksgiving and then start training for Boston on Jan 1st.

Cheers! -Kyle