Seven & The {Not So} Ragged Tiger

I must be chasing after rainbows one thing's for sure you never answer when I call
And I wipe away the water from my face to look through the eyes of a stranger
For rumour in the wake of such a lonely crowd trading in my shelter for danger
I'm changing my name just as the sun goes down walking away like a stranger
For rumours in the wake of such a lonely crowd treading in my shelter for danger
I'm changing my name just as the sun goes down in the eyes of a stranger

Seventh Stranger-Duran Duran

#yourhavingafuckinbubble

70 degrees on the last Monday of November??????? this time last week we were bracing ourselves for a couple of below freezing days.......but there's  NO Global Warming!!!!!!
Wasn't sure how trashed my legs might be following Sundays race but was pleasently surprised to feel no ill effects from  four times up the back hills of VCP.
That said I only opted for an easy 7 miler as I had "time constraints" on my docket that made a preferably longer run problamatic but in the general scheme of things not a big deal.

Since I want my "cake and eat it" and get a 5 day 50 mile week in on top a race AND take Sunday off there's very little "wiggle room" on this weeks schedule.....touchwood I can go 7,10,10,14,9 w/ back to back 10s Tuesday & Wednesday take care of my "long run" on Thursday since I have off and then get a rest day b4 Saturdays race 3 mile warm up,5k race,3 mile cool down.....let's just hope it's not a case of Theory and Practice being the horse of a different colour!!!!

It would've been a crime not to have ran yesterday in 70 degree temps,tempted as I was to bust out a sleeveless running shirt for the fuck of it I went w/ short sleeves.....me thinks I'll be wearing said short sleeve shirt under my half zip shirt the rest of the week.
Time to start thinking new running shoes,providing I dot all the eyes and cross all the tees this week my current shoes will have 399 miles on them as I'm probably looking at a 200 mile month......

A Bronx Tale

Up at the ungodly hour of 5.10am.......strewth it's enough I have to awaken from my slumber at that hour on a weekday but on the weekend????
Out the door by 6am the #34 trolley was slowly filling up w/ marathon and half marathon runners taking part in this mornings Philadelphia Marathon and half marathon......yours truly was planning a marathon of his own a 15k xc race at famed Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
It's been a few years since I've ran xc at VCP but since 05 I'd ran the 5k course a number of times which would be a big help today since I'd be tackling it three times!!!

It was always going to be a long day and not just from the standpoint of a 9 mile race w/ another 6 miles tacked on for warmup/cool down but to get to VCP I had to: take the trolley to Center City,take the local R7 train to Trenton,change there for a New Jersey Transit train to Penn Station and then the Subway to 242 & Broadway......but armed w/ music on my phone,my diary,a book and a couple of Venti Zen Teas from Starbucks along the way it was civil enough.
Arrived at Van Cortlandt Park by 10.45am a little later than I wanted but still w/ enough time to take care of registration and do a mile warm up.
The original plan was a lap of the 5k loop to warm up followed by another to cool down but given the intestinal issue I was dealing w/ I thought it maybe prudent to only do a mile in my warm up and save myself for the three loops,if I had to do a 5 mile cool down post race sobeit.

Glorious conditions,I didn't have an official temp reading but let's just say I didn't need a hat,gloves arm warmers or long sleeves,Saturdays 5k back here might be a different story but I'll worry about that then.
Setting off at a comfortable pace for the opening loop I didn't concern myself w/ what the field was doing this was unchartered waters for me over 15k,in my road running days I ran a couple of 15ks out at Downingtown on July 4th but never in xc,where I've only ran 1 10k which was 2 years ago in Kentuckey at Club Nationals,couple w/ the fact noone from the club had ran 15k xc this was a case of "to boldly go where no man has gone b4".
It might've been a few years since I last graced the field of VCP but I'd logged enough races there to know the "lay of the land",three times up those back hills was going to be a test but frankly if I didn't think I was up to it why bother coming all this way?
Sadly no mile markers and the only clock was at the finishline but since I had no real idea of what I should be running I guess it didn't really matter too much in the general scheme of things.

Little by little I was picking off runners ahead of me w/ the exception of a Van Cortlandt Track Club runner whom I jockeyed back and forth w/ on laps 2 and 3 I was never overtaken, a testimony to good pacing on my part.
23rd overall in 63.22,second in the 50-54 age group good enough for a silver medal,while the pr and club record had come by default I had at least earnt my medal
No time for back slapping though,still had the wee small matter of a 5 mile cool down to take care of if I wanted a 50 mile week so "once more w/ feeling" around the 5k loop and a 4th trip up the back hills b4 2 miles out around the front section of VCP.
All in all a good mornings work,a 15k xc under my belt,a silver medal to add to the collection,a pr and club record and another 50 mile week,lets hope come the 10k Club Nationals at Lehigh in three weeks time I'll benefit from "going long" today,to that end Saturday Foot Locker 5k will give me a better idea of where I'm at.......only one set of those bastard back hills to contend w/ then!

Down,But Not Out

I sat out Wednesdays  scheduled run due to a combination of maybe paying for my bravardo on Tuesday and having a slightly questionable constitution,trust me these weren't the conditions to get x ammount of miles into the run only to discover you didn't have the chops to finish it so I sat it out.....and re rewrote my schedule!

Having logged 9 miles on Tuesday I now needed to go back to back 10 milers Thursday & Friday w/ an easy 6 miler on Saturday to put me at 35 miles going into Sundays 15k xc w/ a 3 mile warm up and a 3 mile cool down for 15 miles to round out a third week of 5 day/50mpw.
Mercifully conditions were much warmer than Tuesday,46 degrees compared to the 28 I ran in 48 hours prior.

I'm lead to believe things will be "brisk again" tomorrow when I tackle my second 10 miler....hey ho nobody said the road to the "promised land" was going to be easy,at least w/ the easy 6 on tap Saturday morning I can hopefully flush out any crap in my legs from back to back 10s b4 "going long" on Sunday as I not only tackle my longest ever xc race but also look to add another entry onto the GPTC club records.
Nobody has" had the balls" to do 15k xc so muchlike when I got the 10,000m record on the track back in 2011 and the 1,000m track record in January it's by default but a record is a record right?

Brass Monkeys,Polar Bears & Penguins

#FUCKINADA
First real test of my Fall training a severe dip in the temps,it was below freezing most of if not all day and it's one thing I've gotta freeze my nads off all day out on the loading dock but then I've gotta go out and run ...not sure there was room for my "big boy pants" w/ all my other layers of clothing but  this was not a day for the faint of heart or bereft of "bottle" you wanna dance Mother Nature??? let's fucking dance!!!!

Dressed to the nines w/ regular socks,thermal sock,.3/4 length tights,warm up bottoms,running shirt,half zip jacket,heavy duty hoddie,thermal gloves and thermal ski hat I was out the door by 4.17pm and frankly that was always going to be the hardest part,once I'd gotten out the door the rest was frankly gravy....ah warm gravy....!!!!!!
I was pleasently surprised to see other runners out in this,not that I thought for one second I'd be the only one demented enough to tangle w/ Mother Nature but it's always uplifting to come across "other members of your tribe" who refuse to yeild to the conditions #respect

Initially the plan was 10 miles but when I reached 3 and 3/4 miles at Kelly Dr and Spring Garden bridge I got a face full of arctic wind,you know those mimes you see doing that "walk against the wind" shit that's what I felt like trying to run northbound on Kelly Dr......another mile and a quarter of this.....fuck off!!!
A quick recalibration of my 4 day 35 mile tally from 10 10 7.5 7.5  and I came up w/ 9 9 9 8...I could still front load the week and taper down to Sundays race,just my luck  to have two days of below freezing temps when I didn't have the "wiggle room" to  move my schedule around.

Remarkably after making the turnaround at 4.5 miles just b4 Columbia bridge the wind had died down.....either that or my face was too frozen to notice the difference!!!! 4.5 down,4.5 to go and don't spare the horses!!!
Even w/ thermal gloves on my finger tips were starting to go numb w/ about two miles left......how cold was it out there????? well let's just say trusty Peco Tower which normally gives time and temprature after 5pm wasn't on display,I had visions of "It's whore's heart cold" in large letters on the electronic display as I braced myself for the final mile and  three quarters upon reaching South Street bridge!!!!

A hot shower and a hot mug of Apple Cider helped take the edge off post run,according to #10 News it was now 28 degrees at 6.05pm to quote the old Lipton Iced Tea commercials "that's brisk baby"....
let's see what tonite brings....



Back To Back 50 Mile Weeks

Looks like hospital admin is blocking my attempts to post new pictures so here another cute host of Bein Sports "Express Xtra" Terri Leigh....nothing to do w/ running other than the fact I'd gladly run 50 miles for her......

All that stood between yours truly and a second 5 day/50mpw was a first Sunday long run over 14 miles in 13 weeks,having taken care of my first track repeats in 10 weeks on Saturday it seemed like the weekend for ending long streaks....
I set off at 11.41am armed w/ hat,gloves,half zip and running bottoms....oh yes the cooler temps had set in and running along the river wasn't going to be that forgiving so I felt it prudent to be dressed to combat that,last thing I wanted was to bail on the run cos it was cold.

My calves were a little tender following yesterdays 6x1 mile repeats but I tried to put that out of my mind as I made my way onto West River Drive for the first time since August 17th.....things sure were a lot warmer back then!!!
There were a few other hardy souls out there getting their Sunday run in mostly going in the opposite direction of me but I was more concerened w/ my own running than anyones.

Having to really dig deep last Saturday over the closing mile of my 12 miler and not having ran a 14 miler in 13 weeks there were some question marks in my mind about my ability to "go the distance today".
Given I have races the next two weekends I could've sidestepped the 14 miler by going 10,10,10 during the week and making today another 12 miler but I figured come Dec 7th I'll be thrust back into the realm of Sunday long runs over 14 miles so why not "bite the bullet" today and get it over w/ and hopefully make Dec 7th run that much easier on myself???

To aid and abet that I opted to turn around at  mile 7 at Falls Bridge as oppossed to going across and making it the whole loop....???? why you may ask,to be honest it felt psychological if I'd had the legs to go 7 miles out I should in theory have the legs to make the reverse journey,as time evolves I'll hopefully conduct the more traditional whole loop on my Sunday long run but today I had "nail my colours to the mast" moving forward ergo the turnaround at mile 7

W/ little in the way of knee lift and or leg turnover to offer I made my way southbound back down West River Drive picking off three runners who I passed going northbound  towards Falls Bridge,so maybe I wasn't as "deadlegged" as I thought or felt I was.
W/ each quarter mile I ate into the 4 miles along W.River Dr I told myself I could do this,mile 5 would be along the Schuylkill Bank and when I reached 2 miles to go along the recently opened footpath connecting Schuylkill Banks to South St bridge I could hopefully find the physical and mental strength to see it through.

Unlike last week when the 12th and final mile proved to be a grind today I was able to shuffle along w/out the stop/start routine that blighted last Saturdays 12 mile,granted w/ just over half a mile to go my lack of kneelift and leg turnover resulted in tripping on a uneven paving stone but thanks to my catlike reflexes I stayed upright and then w/ just two blocks to go I managed to avoid being tripped over by somone raking leaves infront of his house who neither saw or heard me doing the "soft shoe shuffle" along the sidewalk....not sure if "leaping over his rake" means I've gotten married in some weird custom or other but frankly I was too bleedin' knackered to care!!!!

Home in one piece in an unofficial 2.06,I'd left at 11.41am and returned by 1.47pm which equates to 9 minute mile pace....I'll take it along w/ my second 5 day/50mpw

Money I'm Telling You It's The Shoes!!!

I had hoped to post a picture of my brand new Saucony Shay XC 4 running flats that I broke in on Saturday over my 6x1 mile repeats but for some reason admin is not allowing me to save pictures so you'll have to do w/ a picture of Kay Murray one of the hosts of "Express Xtra" on Bein Sports who let's face it is WAY hotter than any picture of running shoes......and trust me I'm saving my sultry picture of Ms Murray for another day.......it'll be worth the wait....Scout's honour!!!!

So after a 10 week hiatus from the track it was back to my old friend armed w/ said new flats and my new Under Armour Spurs half zip  shirt I braved the considerably cooler temps at 1.30pm,I'd deliberetely pushed back my start time to try and have warmer conditions to work out in warmer conditions,in a week that had seen me run at 5.30pm when it was in the low 60s temps had now plundered some 20 degrees I think the high for Saturday was gonna be between 40 and 42,maybe 44 degs.......welcome to Fall.
Following a mile mile warm up on what should come as no major surprise was a next to deserted track at Geasey Field on the Temple campus it was have at it time,6x1 mile repeats,why 6? w/ a  15k and 10k xc race on my schedule in the upcoming weeks I felt 6x1 mile repeats was the way to go,fer not come December 15th and the start of track season it will be back to the tried and tested 4x1 mile repeats.
The goal,albeit a modest one was to keep all 6 repeats under 6 mins since that's the goal at Pete McCardle 15k and Club Nationals 10k......

#1 mile
1.17-1.25-1.25-1.21=5.28.4
Not too shabby obvously I only needed to keep things under 1.30 per lap which is a modest target but at times 6 plus being my first repeats in  10 weeks I wasn't sure what to expect of myself

#2 mile
1.23-1.27-1.27-1.22=5.39.0
An 11  second drop but still "playing w/ house money" and a 21 second cushion

#3 mile
1.24-1.28-1.28-1.24=5.44.9
That old chestnut of laps 2&3 being the slow laps was in full effect but I have weeks/months to work on that

#4 mile
1.25-1.29-1.29-1.25=5.48.2
Venturing into the unknown now above a 4th mile but still keeping my head above water so to speak

#5mile
1.25-1.29-1.30-1.27=5.51.2
Creeping closer to the edge,did I have the legs for one last repeat at sub 6????

#6 mile
1.26-1.26-1.31-1.23=5.46.7
A little bummed to see that 1.31 creep in but pleased w/ the response.

All in all not too shabby,I have races the next two weeks so it'll be Dec 6th b4 I tackle 6x1 mile repeats again,let's see if I can improve on these splits.

Goodbye 50.....And Maybe 60's???

Easy 8 miler as I bid a fond farewell to running as a 50 year old,by the time I next "lace em up" on Saturday either on the track doing 6x1 mile repeats or another easy 8 I'll have turned 51
In terms of running turning 50 worked out well for me a new age group gave me the running version of a "mulligan" if you like and also helped me refocus and rededicate myself to my running,as for life.....ah same old same ole I'm sorry to say,any thoughts,hopes,dreams I had that" things would be different" in my 50s didn't materialize yet.....still another nine years I guess he said trying to look at the glass half full....

At 61 degrees I also think I'm saying goodbye to the warmer temps.....it's probably a good thing I recently ordered an Under Armour half zip running jacket cos I got a feeling come the weekend I'm gonna need it!!!

Thank You

Another 10 miler in the books,come December 15th the 10 miler will be replaced by 6 or 8 milers as I reduce my weekly milage back to 40mpw so I'm making the most of these treks out and back along Kelly Drive to just b4  St Joe's boathouse.
Another remarkably mild evening,according to trusty old Peco Tower 68 degrees at one point b4 dipping to 65,even at 65 degs in almost mid November you can't be too unhappy.....but I treat these days as each one might just be the last because sooner or later they will be.....and judging from the 7 day forecast those days are about to become sooner not later!!!!

Friday,Saturday,Sunday and Monday  right now are only predicted to reach 44 and 46 degrees....that could change between now and then....in either direction......let's just say Saturdays scheduled 6x1 mile repeats and Sundays scheduled 14 mile run will probably both get done mid morning/lunchtime and NOT first thing!!!

It would be remiss of me not to acknowlege yesterday being Veteran's Day here in American and Armistice Day when we honour those who fought and died in World War, growing up as a kid I can still remember the War Memorial statue opposite Lewisham Hospital about quarter of a mile up the road from where I grew up and the wreaths of Poppies that were laid there every Memorial Day.

On Sting's debut album "Dream Of The Blue Turtles" in 1985 we wrote a song called "Children's Crusade" which I always loved,I later discovered it was Sting's tribute to those brave men who fought and died to protect our freedom in that war.......

Young men,soilder,Nineteen Fourteen marching through countries they'd never seen
Virgins w/ rifles,a game of charades all for a Children's Crusade
Pawns in the game are not victimss of chance,strewn on the fields of Belgium and France
Poppies for young men,death's bitter trade,all of those young lives betrayed
The children of England would never be slaves,they're trapped on the wire and dying in waves
The flower of England face down in the mud and stained in the blood of a whole generation

10 10 Till We Do It Again John

Having done what I needed to do last week it was time to do it all over again this week,hence the CB Radio reference.....I threw John in since CB Radio was very much an American thing when I first discovered it way back when,the obligatory John gave it a subtle Englishness.......

Another delightfully mild evening,64 degrees,I,m gonna ride this train as long as Mother Nature allows it.
I must've gotten a slightly earlier start than usual as there was still a last vestige of daylight over South West Philly as I made my way towards the South St bridge along the footpath.
After Saturdays "grind em till you find em" closing 4 miles I was happy to encounter smoother sailing this evening,running 10 milers doesn't hold much of a threat.....which is just as well since my next scheduled race on Nov 23rd is a XC 15K  in NYC at the Pete McCardle race at VCP.

The Little Engine That Could

I'm not gonna front,the last mile was as ugly as fuck but I nailed my 12 miler to at LONG last say I compleated a 5 day 50 mile week.......now to do it all over again this coming week!!!!
I've always said if Websters ever make a Picture Dictionary next to the word Unconventional you'll see my photo! this week was no exception to that.
IF this  week goes to plan{and lets face it that's a bleedin' big IF where muggins here is involved!!!} it would look like so:
Mon-10 miles
Tue-10 miles
Wed-8 miles
Sat -6x1 mile repeats{w/ mile warm up and cool down foa total of 8 miles}
Sun-14 miles
5 day 50 mile week a Conventional week.....
Last Week went as follows:
Mon-10 miles
Tue-10 miles
Wed-10 miles
Fri-8 miles
Sat-12 miles
5 day 50 mile week Unconventional week........
By hook or by crook yeah?

It's been a while Since I've ran on a Saturday for one reason or another but as I aim to "fall in line" w/ conventional training now it was good practice for what's about to come.
I wasn't phased by the 51 degrees temps,unlike Fridays 8 miler at 4.40pm I would at least have daylight on my side setting off at 12.20pm,in fact I was able to don my shades as the "current bun" was out in full force,in fact unlike Friday when I kept the sleeves of my long sleeved shirt down all run by mile 2 I was frantically rolling them up!!!

Given last weekend was the New York Marathon and I believe the Phily Marathon is coming up in another two weeks I figured there'd be other likeminded souls out there Saturday afternoon "getting their run on"....not that I was too concerned w/ other runners as this was all about me vs me.
Not only have I not compleated a 5 day week in several weeks I couldn't tell you when I last logged a 50 mile week or when I last ran above 10 miles so the only runner I needed to worry about was me and being able to "take care of business"
Reaching the turnaround b4 Falls Bridge I felt in good shape I reeled in one runner who'd gone by me in the opposite direction towards Lloyd Hall b4 I made the turn w/in half a mile and slowly set my sights the other who was some considerable distance ahead of me mindful of the mantra "not to get into any pissing contests" as I still  had 5 and 1/2 miles to go.
I did pass the runner ahead of me b4 I hit the 8 mile mark but now felt my knee lift and leg turnover "go south" on me,so much so that he over took me w/in quarter of a mile,I knew now I had to "hunker down" and dig deep both mentally and physically.

I felt the last 2 miles were going to be the test as I haven't been over 10 miles since pre 5th Avenue Mile training in early September,the uphill along the ramp to South St bridge was my first challenge which I passed but when I couldn't muster the chops to beat the light at the corner of the on/off ramp from I 76 and was forced to wait as the lights went through their sequences I dreaded to think what that stop had cost me....thankfully I was able to get going again as the light turned to my favour.
Over the next mile and and half I had to "mentally barter" w/ myself mile and a half,mile,10 blocks 9 blocks etc as reached my front door,knackered but victotious.
W/ that Monkey off my back,which after going 0 for 6 was feeling like bleedin' King Kong...I now have to do it again this week...and the week after.....but w/ one on the plus side I hope if not physically but mentally I've goten over that hurdle

Running On The Sabbath Bloody {Pagan} Sabbath

Anyone who's seen "Chariots Of Fire" knows the story that Eric  Liddell w/drew from the 100m at the Olympics as either a heat or a semi final was on a Sunday and as a devout christian he refused to "run on the Lord's day".....
I as devout born again black hearted Celtic Pagan have tried whenever possible NOT to run on Fridays as it has tongue in cheek become my "Pagan Sabbath".......however when needs must......

If my desire to finally complete a 5 day 50mile week had been in question the fact I "laced em up" on a Friday and took care of business over 8 miles hopefully silenced the doubters.
Was it odd to be out running on a Friday?????hell yeah!!! but I was SO close to a 50 mile week I could taste it so that trumped the "I will not run on the Pagan Sabbath" mindset as I set off into the dark at 4.40pm.
After 66 degrees on Tuesday and 61 degrees on Wednesday the dip to 51 degrees was noticeable,not to mention setting off 20 mins later than usual which meant less sunlight to warm me...hey ho welcome to training in November!

After back to back to back 10 milers a drop down to 8 felt welcome,I could have gone w/ back to back 10s Friday and Saturday but there was a method to my madness,by throwing in a 12 miler Saturday it would hopefully prep me for next Sundays return to the realm of the Sunday long run over 14 miles,38 down,12 to go.....

Me Thinks The Lad Quite Serious About This Running Lark......

Back to back to back 10 milers........I'd have to consult the Oracle....aka my running log to see when that last happened,it's been a while that much I do know.
Pleasent running conditions again between 4.20pm and 5.50pm 61 degrees but just as sure as rain is wet and falls downwards the colder weather is coming and the evenings of shorts and shortsleeves will become a memory......although one could hope it won't be a distant memory.

A couple of weeks back,three to be exact I was on the verge of a 5 day/50mpw untill my knee gave out on me so I'm not getting too carried away having notched 30 of my required 50 miles this week.
Chance are tonites scheduled 8  miler could get rained out and if that happens it may not be the worst thing in the world as 4 days in a row might be me over extending myself,lest we forget I'm 8 days away from my 51st b'day I'm not the spry young spring chicken I once was!!!

IF I have to run my 8 miler tomorrow,sobeit an easy 8 miler followed by a 12 miler on Saturday would give me my now near mythical 5day/50mpw and underline the fact I'm serious about kicking training up a notch,walk the walk,talk the talk run the training runs I say!!!

Remembering The 5th Of November W/ Indoor Fireworks Of My Own

Back to back 10 milers......steady on Jeeves!!!! I swear were it not for the race for Governor of Pennsylvaina yesterday the local news crews would've been camped out on my doorstep upon my return from the run.......
All jokes aside I'm not about to brake my hand patting myself on the back for doing what comes as naturally as drawing breath I'm just happy to have logged back to back runs.

After Mondays run w/ the clocks gone back I wasn't as......"in the dark" as to how conditions would be,sunset is at 4.54pm so I'm used to things being dark by the time I hit Lloyd Hall at mile 7 of the run,at 66 degrees it was a comfortable evening for running.
W/ another 5 weeks of 10 milers to contend w/ I can at least look forward to a reduction in miles come December 15th when I return to the realm of 40mpw w/ 6 and 8 miles in the evening as the emphasis will be more on speed work as I look to resume the midweek track workouts as well as Saturdays b4 the traditional Sunday long run of 14 miles.

It may seem odd in early November to be planning my indoor season but what can I say ever the Boy Scout I like to "Be Prepared" as Roy Keane once famously said"failure to prepare,prepare for failure"
Last week The Armory announced it's Indoor schedule from December thro March which allowed yours truly to sellect a least the meets I want to run even if the actual schedules have yet to be released.
Illness,injury and weather permitting my build up to Indoor Nationals in Winston Salem on March 20th-22nd looks like this:

Jan 15th Thursday Nite @ The Races #1
Jan 24th Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile
Jan 29th Thursday Nite @ The Races #2

Feb 19th Thursday Nite @  The Races #3

Mar 5th Thursday Nite @ The Races #4
Mar 8th USATFNYC C'ships
Mar 21st Indoor Nationals Mile
Mar 22nd Indoor Nationals 800m

Obviously not knowing the schedules make picking my races a guessing game for now,in an ideal world 3x 1 mile and 3x 800m would be nice but I won't be too bent out of shape if one of the miles is a 1,500m and one of the 800m is a 1,000m as long as I get a decent seed time for the mile and 800m b4 he dealine for entries for Indoor Nationals........#gameon

Darkness On The Edge Of Town

It's become somewhat of a non running joke over the first six weeks of my off season training that I've failed miserably to get remotely close to my desired five day/50 mpw total,rather than reel off a laundry list of reasons/excuses and boo hoo it I'm reminded of something my former coach would tell me back in the day"you can't chase after lost miles"
W/ that in mind and taking a "quality over quanity" mindset I aim to make the last six weeksof off season count beginning w/ {hopefully!!!} the first five day/fifty mile week his week.....even if I have to be unconventional in doing so........which ought to suit yours truly as the poster child of all things unconventional!!!!

Kicking off the week was the first of three scheduled 10 milers,right now the weather forecast for Thursday calls for rain but that could change between now and then....if it dosen't then I'll have to forgo the "Pagan Sabbath" and run 8 miles on Friday b4 going long on Saturday over 12 miles to make 50 miles as I have a non running commitment in NYC on Sunday that takes a run out of the equation.
There's little to no"margin for error" but I keep telling myself if I can get that first week of 50miles under my belt I can build some momentum going forward,I thought I had it two weeks ago till my knee  became an issue,the status on my knee so far is the investment of a Copper Fit knee sleeve and daily icing has improved it.....the sixty four billion dollar question is will it hold up to a whole week of training......watch this space....

W/ the clocks going back on Sunday last nite was my first taste of having to run in the dark,at least for now the later half of the run,as the weeks go by it'll get darker earlier {obviously!!!} but come December 15th I'll transition back to 40mpw w/ weekday runs over 6 to 8 miles but even so between now and mid to late Febuary I'm looking at running part,some and eventuall all of my runs in the dark.........should've listen to my mother when I was younger and eaten my Carrots I guess!!!
I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of sundown and where I'd be on the out and back 10 miler,setting off at 4.20pm and averaging roughly 9 minute mile pace I probably reached the turnaround b4 St Joe's boathouse around 5.05pm,at this stage there was still day light and the lights along Kelly Dr were unlit on the way out.......
Remarkably in the 18 minutes it took after the turnaround to reach mile 7 and Boathouse  Row it was now dark and thankfully the lights were now on,the last vestige of daylight was long gone by the time I reached mile 8 along the new path on the Schuylkill towards South St bridge.

Roughly a 90 min run which is fine and dandy w/ me,I will say this for all the training runs I've missed/blown/ over the past 6 weeks I'm pleasently surprised at my level of conditioning,granted it could be better and fingers crossed between now and December 13th it will be.....one run at a time