I’m getting behind on blogging again, but not as badly as during the NYC training when I did four weeks in one post, so I’ll keep them separate for now – this was posted 9/4 and backdated, so “only” 2 weeks behind and still fairly vivid in my memory. The main event from this week was the Frozen Yogurt 5K. Alas, I just realized that I didn’t post my results in time to be on RaceWire, which is very annoying. I did order a shirt so I hope I’ll still get all the swag. This is the fourth time for this race, the second time by myself. I run the actual course and really do my best to treat it like a race, and the conditions were good, so to be 50 seconds slower than last year is a little sobering. Oh well – comparison chart below. I treated myself to real GoBerry because it’s so so so much better than the Yasso coupon I may get (if my delay doesn’t screw it up).
| Frozen Yogurt 5K | 2017 (8/27) | 2019 (8/25) – in person | 2020 (8/16) – virtual | 2021 (8/17) – virtual |
| Time | 30:42 | 31:19 | 32:08 | 33:18 |
| Weight | 113 | 113.6 | 115.6 | 116.2 |
| Temp | 62°F/65% | 65°F/52% | 67°F/79% | 64°F/95% |
Other highlight of the week included running 7 miles in the leftovers of Tropical Storm Fred – looks like 2 inches of rain fell while I was out. It’s fun to run in a downpour once in a while. I had been out on the Connecticut River the day before, enjoying the water patterns made by the kayak paddle and thinking I should take that opportunity more; I got it in spades! For the second short run Jonathan walked very fast while I ran slowly for the first three miles; he can walk up to a 13.5 minute mile without looking like he’s race-walking, which is quite amazing.
The long run was my first 16-miler, the morning that Tropical Storm Henri was coming through. The plan to get out early worked perfectly; it rained a bit off and on but the real storm held off until I got home. I moved to 4th place in Easthampton at 58.38%! I continue to tweak hydration, settling on 5 gulps of water per mile plus a salt cap every 5 miles (at 4 I feel too salted-up).
Pictures that weren’t interesting enough to post: whale and dog weathervanes; over-the-top year-round Halloween yard with creepy dolls in an office chair, and a gnome with a T-rex head growing out of its red cap
Ordinary mailbox engulfed in flowers (white clematis?) 
Giant rooster mailbox 
Weathered wood and vine mailbox 
Tangle of morning glories 
Looks like a Pallas cat! 
“Ikea House” 
Storm Henri approaching over Mt Tom 
Peaceful Valley
| Date (temp/humidity) | Distance | Avg pace/fastest split | Time | HR (avg/highest) | Notes |
| Tue 8/17 (64°F/95%) | ~4.15 | 10:46/10:01 (5K) | 33:18 (5K) + ~12 | 154/181 | Frozen Yogurt 5K plus a mile |
| Thu 8/19 (71°F/100%) | 7.04 | 13:09/12:25 | 1:32:37 | 139/172 | rain! |
| Fri 8/20 (72°F/96%) | 4.14 | 15:02/13:45 | 1:02:10 | 121/167 | J walk/I run for 3 miles |
| Sun 8/22 (72°F/89%) | 16.17 | 13:23/12:14 | 3:36:28 | 149/169 | |
| Totals | 31.5 miles | | 6.9 hours | | Weight avg 115.2, resting heart 55 |