Saturday, July 24, 2010

Saturday Long(ish) Run through Groton

I haven't run since Tuesday. Wednesday was a gym day and I did my normal 60 minute workout with a mixture of free and circuit weights. I try and get a full body workout each time, instead of focusing on just upper or lower body. Thursday, as I mentioned in my last post, I wasn't able to get a morning run in as Chris took the train to Boston. Thursday night (even though we were all tired from a busy week) we ended up going to the Fruitlands band concert and met up with a bunch of friends. I'm so glad we did even if it meant I wasn't going to get a run in. We enjoyed a bottle of Toasted Head Chardonnay and the kids ran around and had fun. By the time we got home, the bats were out and the kids were asleep by 9:15 -- so unbelievably late! Chris and I settled in for some reading (my latest book is Case Histories by Kate Atkinson), and then off to bed ourselves. No run on Friday morning -- we all slept in.


So here we are on Saturday morning after taking three days off and I need a long run. My plan (however unscientific it is) is to bring my overall mileage up to 25 miles/week and my long run up to 10 miles by the time I return from vacation on the 7th. That meant another run through Groton because there are no shortcuts -- making sure I get the mileage in.


I ran down Oakridge to Groton Harvard and turned right. Two smallish hills in the first mile and then downhill past Washington St (part of the HS loop) and then back uphill towards the hospital on Old Ayer Road. Two miles in and I cross the border to Groton,farmland, and the most wonderful blackberries I've ever tasted. I ran down the hill and turned left onto Smith, taking me through a nice residential neighborhood and past the rail trail over to Route 111/Farmer's Row. I ran up to the Groton School and it was here where I debated where to go next. My choice was to keep going straight to Higley or turn onto Peabody. I knew Higley would ensure that I got to nine miles, but I didn't bring any water and so opted for what I hoped to be an eight mile loop, and turned right onto Peabody. I crossed back over the rail trail and then back onto Old Ayer Road, past the defunct orchard/meadow, Regal Horse farm, and the "woolies" (Scottish Highland cattle). At this point I completed my loop at Smith (about five and a half miles) and started the climb back up toward the hospital (and those delicious blackberries!), toward home. Had I brought water/energy beans, I might have been inclined to go the long way around Flanagan Pond for an extra two miles, but I had enough. Back down Oakridge and ended at the house with 7.81 miles in eight seconds less than 1:15. Not too bad. I kept a pretty consistent pace throughout the run, with mile seven being the slowest.


The plan this week: 3-5 miles tomorrow (Sunday) and then run Tuesday-Friday, while the kids are at  ACS Summer Camp (Under the Sea!) from 9-12. That should help push those miles back up and perhaps get to 10 on my long run next weekend.


Here's a link to my run...
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/41619558

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