Easy start

Monday and Tuesday are easy. Yesterday like today I ran only one easy morning jog. Today I included 10xsteep hills in order to wake up these legs. At work I'm fighting with Heckman correction. It's pretty boring. Running isn't. Not after when I read about Nate Jenkins's Festival of Hammers!!!

Total mileage for June was 240. That isn't much.

Damien's

Today offered me Damien's 5k with low expectations. I just wanted to run a 5k, and I sort of did. Etiophians ran fast, faster of them ran a new course record 14.32. I was fourth with 16.47 two seconds behind female winner. I paced her almost for two miles, and that kind of helped me, too. So I'm pretty happy even with this slow time.

In the evening we rode an easy bike ride, 70 mins. In all, week was 62 miles.

Bagel Run

Due to yesterday and tomorrow I ran shortened Bagel run today, 9+ miles. Pace was easy, but that was fine after this weeks efforts. Next up.... Virgin Mobile Festivals tickets...

XC Tempo

HCS organizes this summer a new series of XC Friday runs. Today we had an opportunity to try our luck on 5k course. I ran a little late so I had less suitable warm up for this tempo, but after all I made it to the start before the gun. Instead of using full steam I took it as moderate tempo run. But how you do moderate tempo run on a XC course??? I finished second about 30 seconds behind Carlos (18.20), and after all, it turned out to be fun in a really weird way. I was 2.5 minutes slower than the course record, but that forthcoming Runner is running for Stanford during the next years. I'm not.

Centennial XC course (map: Greg Schuler)

Tired Thursday

AM: Only 4 easy miles. Legs are tired, and so am I. But the Nationals start today on Flotrack....

In the evening we did 20 miles bike ride.

Just a Wednesday

Morning jog was around 4 miles. Left achilles was pretty sore after yesterday's clown show. I think that it will get better on trails this evening.

Evening's trail run was pretty tough. 11 miles with no mercy even if we passed Mt. Nasty and Mt. Slayer. We had couple of young guns around, and they did not slow us down.

Tuesday "workout"

I didn't run track today. I was just too tired for that. But I ran to Centennial Fun Run and ran that mile (5.04) and then added some sort of fartlek (1 min. on / 2 min. off) on my way back home. In all this playing was 10 miles (@ 6.37 pace).

It's getting warm

This Monday started abnormally without running. Instead I continued to finalize the second version of one manuscript. I sneaked out for a 6 mile run (@ 6.35 pace + strides) at 3 PM in quite warm circumstances. I should already realize that it's pretty warm around that time. Maybe I'll learn that some day, maybe I don't - It doesn't matter.

New friends and fast triathletes

We spend this morning in DC by following the Dextro Energy Triathlon. Men's and women's elite fields were full of fast runners. Best men ran 10k in 30.26 and women 34.24. They were flying after some swimming and some more biking.

After returning home I started to hesitate that should I or should I not to run at all due to yesterday's downward spiral. But after watching those trimmed athletes flying by, it wasn't so difficult hit the trails. Seth came along to run at Greenbelt Park. We did an easy 6.2 miler. I got new friends, four ticks that is. However, even if our friendship was really close, it was relatively short. In all this week was 61 miles.

Pain in Bmore

Baltimore was again tough for me. I was even slower than last year, but somebody mentioned that the course was too long (1/4 of a mile) this year. Still, I was slow and I was hurting. I barely managed to beat 60 minutes. However, I did it and as of now I feel that today's walking tour was after all a decent workout. Not good, but decent. Lots and lots of work to do...

Friday - easy one

Morning run was around 8 miles (@ 7.40 pace) after which I had an appointment with PT. After returning home I realized that I haven't done any special preparations for tomorrow. But I think that tomorrow's 10 miler is going to be a nice workout. After all it's the first longer tempo run after April. Hopefully it won't be too warm/humid.

Back in Finland people are celebrating Midsummer. Some of them use the extra vacation for running. Miika, who has been at the docks (not able to run) since early May, ran today 10k in 33 minutes. That's an awesome comeback.

Tomorrow's race is getting closer and closer. Just because of that I'm eating. Eating a lot with friends. We had a nice, but short game of ultimate at the Centennial park - with fireflies.

Run in rain

Seriously. How much it can rain in a short moment? I'm not sure if I met the maximum today. Roads and trails were barely visible and running gear felt like it was melting on your skin. Freshing yes, but slow and heavy.

Wednesday's morning jog

Because of rescheduled Wednesday evening I ran 13 miles this morning. Just for fun. Yesterday's workout didn't hurt my legs even if I assumed that they would be totally beaten.

Back to routines

Tuesday morning 6.15 AM, 65F with 90% humidity. Black track under racing flats, pace 5.10-5.15 per mile, 6 repeats followed by 4x200m. This is it. A joy, just a minor pain, but in all a feeling that is known only among runners. This one goes out to Moguli in Finland!

BUT 1.5 hours later after this nice moment I found that Janne Holmén (European Champion in marathon, a 2.10 runner, double olympian etc.) has decided to end his successful career as a competitive runner. It's a clear loss for Finnish distance running, but on the other hand a respectful decision. Thank you Janne!

Rather normal Monday

Last week was 61 miles (in 6 days). Yesterday I didn't run since we had something else. This week brings the Baltimore 10 Miler. It will be the first longer tempo after awhile. And probably rather slow. But I now gotta start to train for September. What is better way to do that than crawl up the road to Druid Hill Park...?

This morning was again an easy 4 miler. Afternoon's easy run was 6.2 miler (6.32/mile) + short hills and strides. Not bad.

Bagel run

Warm and humid Bagel run didn't include any bagels nor drinks other than water. We ran a nice 13.1 miler with Stephen, Carlos and Tim. All together today's run was 14.5 miles. Back at home I enjoyed enormous amount of cold Pepsi Max.

Tempo run

With 92% relative humidity and temperature of 70s already in the morning one should not expect wonders. So I didn't. I just ran 8k tempo (29.15) with ~4 mile warm up/cool down. I took HRM with me in order to keep the effort at the moderate level, since I'm still acclimatizating.

Considering all the excuses mentioned above, I felt fine today.

Wet and humid

This morning our jog felt like running through water. Sweetie almost tripped on a turtle which has crawling on the road.

Humidity is now 91%, and with 70s temperature the weather is ... different. But this is way better than icy roads.

Wednesday

Morning jog of 4 miles. In the afternoon it's time for some mud!

Due to enough smart guys gathered to run trails today, we (others are smart, not me) didn't run on too muddy trails. Instead we rolled up and down along the Patapsco River. Thus, I'm back home in one piece. Altogether today's mileage was around 13 miles. In general I think that I'm soon somehow adapted to this climate after our stay in Finland. Soon I should start to do some workouts instead of just running.

Thunder, lightning and easy jog

Morning jog and today's only run was an easy ~9 miles (6.58/mile). There was rain, thunder, lightning, 78F, and me. This evening is dedicated to music: NINJA 2009 takes a turn at Merriweather!

Next season

Today I'll start a new training season for Philly's Distance Run and Army 10 Miler. The first steps of this training cycle will be rather careful and slow (like 800s between 2.35-2.40 and 2k repeats @ 6.45-7.00), but I have to be realistic with my current shape. Anyway I'm really looking forward to this last summer in the US. It will offer me some hot and humid miles. And some serious grinding.

Morning jog was an easy 4 miler. In the afternoon I'll step on track.

And the beginning of the next season wasn't that bright. I dropped out after third 800m. Just because. Due to this temperature, of which I or my body has not yet any clue, running felt like stepping on a mat of warm clue. If I remember correctly, this the fourth time when I have quitted my workout during the 20 years of running. Maybe it isn't the last time.

Woodchips here and there

Due to late night yesterday, I missed alarm this morning. Fortunately, today's schedule differed from yesterday so I didn't miss anything. BUT during the run I felt extremely tired. Therefore, I ran only 4 miles, most of which on WOODCHIP trails. Dude!

Not bored, but busy

Yesterday evening, just before conference dinner, I sneaked out for a short jog. I did accelerating 3 miles due to tight schedule. This morning I have more time and I had an opportunity to enjoy to green and silent trails in Wellesley. It's better than run again on the Boston marathon course...

Btw. Entrepreneurship research does not suck...

Travelling

I'm feeling bad for missing the National Running Day while spending 28 hrs in travelling from Finland via Sweden, Denmark, DC, Baltimore and Boston just to get in Wellesley, MA.

At the airport

Here I am sitting again at the Stockholm Airport (Sweden) waiting for the flight to Copenhagen (Denmark). Then I'm ready to wait the flight to the US. Dude, this is boring. Maybe I should start to practise my presentation... instead of whining. Not, I'll get bored.

Back to USA

Today is the last day of my vacation. And the last one in Finland for awhile. I can feel that weather changes from sunny to rainy, so it's decent time to leave the country. Hmmm... poor sweetie. Tomorrow and maybe on Thursday (when I'm in Wellesley, MA) I won't run at all. I'll be too tired for that due all the travelling and just for being a researcher.

This morning I ran 15km (6.52/mile) on my usual (during 1989-1997) route. No familiar faces were noticed. Things change, but not me...?

Vacation, vacation, vacation

This is great. To do almost nothing. On the other hand our daily schedule has been quite busy. At the moment I'm sitting outside, sun is shining, temp is around 80s, birds are singing and daily job - what comes to running - is done. Life is good! We are now in Somerniemi, a small village close to small city called Somero (they haven't updated their pages lately, sorry for that...). Yesterday morning we fartleked 14 km with Jukka in Sauvo. It was such a joy. Last month was only 200 miles.