June 28 - 4.5 Miles Ran

I made it out a little before 7pm for a nice easy jog before tomorrow's 20 miler.  I tried to run at an 8:30/mi pace to get used to easing back for the long run.  I ran the Day Pond course with 3 laps around the pond and completed miles 720-723, sponsored by Len Gutman.  Thanks for sponsoring these miles Len.  I will cover a bunch more than you've sponsored if all goes as planned tomorrow.

I will be joining a handful of other runners in Bridgeport tomorrow to run 2 legs of the One Run for Boston relay http://www.onerunforboston.org).  Interestingly, at 11:30 pm as I type this, the runners are outside of Port Murray, NJ and appear to be about 2 hours behind schedule.  This will turn my 5:30pm-8:20pm run into a 7:30-10:20 run.  This is fine, but if there are further delays I could be looking at a true midnight run!

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/28

F

6:50p

4.5

39:26:00

8:45:47

70f

5

723.6

June 27 - 6.7 Miles Ran - Running for Boston this Saturday

I had a good 6.7 mile run this morning.  It was pretty humid but not oppressive at 7am.  I ran the Day Pond and Pinebrook loops.  I tried to run alternating 7 and 8 minute miles after warming up a but hills interfered with the plan.  My laps went as follows:

1 - 9:36/mi (warm up)
2 - 6:49
3 - 8:04
4 - 6:53 (big down hill)
5 - 7:39
6 - 7:21 (medium up hill)
6.7 - 9:32 (cool down)

I completed miles 713-719, sponsored by Matt Colegrove (713-715) and Len Gutman (716-719).  Thanks Matt and Len!

Kris Onofrio, the assistant race director of the Fairfield Road Races, informed me about the One Run for Boston relay race coming through CT this weekend.  Hundreds of runners have carried a GPS enabled baton from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania on the way to Boston as a showing of support for Boston in the aftermath of the marathon bombings.  I have signed up to run the Bridgeport to Milford (8 miles) and the Milford to New Haven (9.5 miles) legs on Saturday.  I hope to put in 20 total miles so I'll have to find another 2.5 somewhere along the way.  Check out the One Run site at:

http://www.onerunforboston.org

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/27

Th

7:05a

6.7

53:01:00

7:54:47

75f

8

719.1

June 24 and 25 - Rest Days; June 26 - 4.5 Miles Ran

Mon and Tue were rest days after the tough half marathon on Sun.  I really wanted to get out for 3 or 4 miles on Tue to loosen up, but I was tad sluggish after downing pub fare the night before with my old high school hoop buddies and coach (see pic below).  I was also in full chauffer mode with Shea on her first full day out of school which left no time for running.

I had a great run this morning, however.  Though some soreness remained, I warmed up quickly in the heat in humidity and ran the last 3.5 miles of the 4.5 mile run at about a 7:15/mi clip.  I ran the Day Pond route with 3 loops and completed miles 708-712 which are sponsored by Matt Colegrove.  Thanks again Matt, 3 more of your 20 to go!

Today's Post

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/26

W

7:25a

4.5

34:15:00

7:36:40

75f

8

712.4

A full day with my high school hoop buddies--good for laughs, not for running!

June 23 - Fairfield Half Marathon - 16 Miles Sponsored

I'm under a bit of a time crunch so I will have to keep this post brief and update it later, but I had another incredible day of racing for Chase on Sunday at the Fairfield Half Marathon.  In addition to logging 13.1 more miles on the way to 1,000 (plus an extra 0.4 in the warm up :) ), Len Gutman stepped up again and sponsored 16 additional miles, 3 in recognition of the 5K on Sat and 13 for the half on Sunday.

The half was HOTTTTT!  I ran fairly hard for 5 miles but then dialed back a bit and essentially just ran to where ever there was water on the course (to drink or cool off under sprinklers).  My Garmin watch indicated that I ran close to 13.3 miles, which means that I zigzagged 2/10ths of a mile on my watcher witching journeys.

I completed miles 695-707, which were sponsored by Matt Colegrove (695-700 and 702-707) and Kevin Farkas (701).  Matt and Kevin are part of the Masuk Class of 1983 that has shown so much support for the Kowalski's.  Thanks guys!

More later...

Today's (Sun's) Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/23	Su	8:15a	0.4	3:44:00	9:20:00	75f	2	694.8
6/23	Su	8:30a	13.1	1:43:36	7:54:30	85f	8	707.9

Recruited new Race 4 Chase members on the shuttle ride to the race

Finishing the race w/ Chase

13.1 more miles in the bank!

June 21 - Rest Day; June 22 - Fairfield 5K w/ Race 4 Chase Team!

I took Friday off from running (and work) purportedly to rest up for the weekend's races, the Fairfield 5K on Sat and half marathon on Sun.  Of course, these days a free day at home doesn't lend itself to much rest!  I spent half of Fri cleaning the inside of the house followed by several hours of yard work.  As a result, by the time I left for Monroe (around 5:30pm) I was pretty worn out.  However, Fri night was a great night, as I joined my buddy Greg Ruel at the Kowalski's for a pre race dinner.  It was nice relaxing with Greg, Becky and Steve (although Becky did less relaxing as she did all the cooking!)

The 5K this morning was a huge success.  I got to MC the pre-race activities and introduce some special Race4Chase teammates, namely Charlie Clayton and Mickey Simmons who came all the way from Florida for the 5K, and Michael Compare, a police officer and triathlete who completed a triathlon in Chase's honor and gave a moving speech about his connection with Chase and commitment to the Race4Chase cause.

The weather was nice with a steady breeze coming off the Sound, and the course was flat and featured lots of supporters, bagpipers, bands and a very welcome sprinkler spraying cold water onto the course at mile 2.  Including warm up and post race jogs, I completed 4.7 miles.  After I finished the race I ran back on to the course and accompanied my sister Beth and then Becky K over the last quarter mile of the race.  Neither are regular runners and I am pretty amazed that they can just crank out a 5K on demand.

I am tempted to list the Race4Chasers that I saw finish or chatted with before and after the race, but I don't want to leave anyone out, so I just again express my gratitude to the entire team.

I completed miles 690-694 (unsponsored).  Matt Colegrove, who sponsored miles 181-190 back in early February, sponsored another 20 miles at the race.  Matt, thanks for your incredible generosity--I will assign you miles 695-700 and 702-705 (Kevin Farkas has mile 701).  I will be great to run today's half marathon covering these miles.  Matt's donation increased the sponsored mile total to 465.

Lastly, to renew and strengthen my commitment to the Race4Chase cause, I announced the following goals at the yesterday's race:

1) If the sponsored mile total reaches 500 (35 to go), I will commit to running 26 miles with Jason Lester on his way from New York to Sandy Hook.  This means I will join him 26 miles out from Sandy Hook and run to the finish with him;

2) If the total reaches 750, I will run the Boston Marathon, either by qualifying (as long as it takes) or by gaining entry as a fundraiser;

3) If the total reaches 1,000, I will continue my running beyond 1,000 miles and go on to match Jason Lester's total (3,100).  I will target 12/31/14 as my completion date, meaning I will cover the distance in two years.  Please note that this is NOT a commitment to run across the country a la Jason or Forrest Gump.  I am not a professional ultra-marathon runner or shrimp boat entrepreneur so I need to hang on to my job!  So if I'm running in Nebraska or Iowa, it will be because I'm on business there, not on a cross country trek!

It's now up to you as sponsors to determine how much running I need to do--have fun with it and let's keep working on making Chase's Place a reality.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/22	Sa	8:20a	0.7	6:30:00	9:17:09	72f	5	690.4
6/22	Sa	8:30a	3.1	20:14:00	6:31:37	72f	10	693.5
6/22	Sa	9:00a	0.9	11:30:00	12:46:40	72f	2	694.4

The Runnin' Bresnahan's after the 5K

June 19 - Rest Day; June 20 - 4.7 Miles Ran

With the effects of the 18 miler last Saturday still lingering, I took a day off on Wed.  Old-man-itis continued Thu; I was able to get out for 4.7 miles but I had no energy and really just slogged through the run.  I was okay with the easy pace though, given the upcoming back to back races this weekend.  I would like to run both pretty hard--we'll have to see what's in the tank on Sat and Sun.  Right now I would be happy with 6:30/mi for the 5K (20:11) and 7:30/mi for the half (1:38:13), though I don't know how much a hard 5K will impact the half marathon time.  

I ran the Pinebrook loop on a beautiful late spring evening.  The weather was perfect for a slow jog--mid to high 60's with light winds.  I completed miles 686-689 (unsponsored).  

I'm looking forward to the Race4Chase team turning out for the Stratton Faxon races this weekend.  It should be a great event.

Today's (Fri's) Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/20

Th

6:00p

4.7

39:05:00

8:18:56

68f

5

689.7

June 18 - 4 Miles Ran

One vote for the UB Kids on the Block--that may be enough for the upset victory!

I got out at lunch and ran 4 miles through Glastonbury Center yesterday (Tue).  It was pretty muggy and surprisingly I was still pretty sore from the long run on Sat.  I started off very tight, but loosened up after about 1.5 miles and put in a very fast final mile (6:34/mi).

I completed miles 682-685, with mile 683 sponsored by Robin Wildman.  Thanks Robin!

Today's (Tue's) Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/18

Tu

1:15p

4.0

29:38:00

7:24:30

78f

7

685.0

June 16 - Rest Day; June 17 - You Asked for It (Or Maybe Not)

First, the running.  I had to wait until after 8pm for the skies to clear but with the long days near the summer solstice I was able to get in 4.5 miles before sunset.  I ran the Day Pond route with 3 loops, covering miles 677-681.  The miles were unsponsored but Robin Wildman's mile 683 is just at short jog away.
...................................
Today's (Mon's) Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/17

M

8:20p

4.5

39:05:00

8:41:07

65f

5

681.0

...................................

OK, now for the results of the 48 and 18 or 18 and 48 poll. (see June 15 post).  Drum roll, please.....

<nervously opening envelope...seal broken...eyes on card...looking up even more nervously...and>

Er, no one voted.

I may have confirmed that I am Forrest Gump before the followers joined him.  This raises a philosophical question (which I hope does not become a practical question): "if a Brez falls on a jog and no one is around to hear him, does he make a sound?"

Despite the radio silence, I remain undaunted, both in my running and blogging.  I'm even going to up the ante on the polling questions:

Favorite 80's Boy Band:

New Kids on the Block

versus

UB Kids on the Block

(me and my UB housemates, circa 1985)

June 15 - Blog Poll Question: 18 and 48 or 48 and 18?

I turned 48 today and celebrated with an 18 mile run.  To goad the masses of blog followers out of their recent silence, I ask the following philosophical question: would you rather be 18 years old with 48 miles to run, or 48 years old with 18 to run?  There aren't many Jason Lester's out there (see
www.r-u-n.us) so 48 miles would be a daunting task but after your done, man your 18 again!  I know I'm not giving you many ground rules so there will undoubtedly be unanswered questions (mine would be, do I have wear my cheesy 18 y/o mustache the entire time?  See pic below for an unfortunate reference point) but just wing it and let's see what responses we get.

Back to running....I'm ecstatic that I got the 18 miles in but it was a difficult run, especially the last 3 miles.  I planned to run a warm up mile, then 8 miles at 8:30/mi, then the next 8 at 8/mi and a cool down mile.  I felt okay through 15 miles, running right around an 8:15 pace overall.  However, when I reached the big hill on Levita Rd. at 14.3 miles, I started to hit the wall.  I recovered a bit to close out mile 15 but for 16-18 I was in my classic wall posture: blank stare, head tilted a bit a la Rain Man, and choppy old man steps.  After 15 miles at an 8:15 pace, the last three were at 9:35 or so.  Better to hit the wall in a training run than in a race, I suppose.

Fortunately I am recovering quickly and should be able to allow my loving family to lavish me with birthday surprises.  Or at least blow out some birthday candles.

I completed miles 659-676, passing the 2/3 mark.  I hit mile 665 which was sponsored by Robin Wildman back on March 11.  Thanks Robin!

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/15

Sa

10:50a

18.0

2:32:58

8:29:53

72f

8

676.5

The archive shows that the 'stashe survived at least to my junior year at UB-yikes!

June 14 - 4 Miles Ran

Got 4 miles in at lunchtime today.  After a rainy morning, the weather was perfect early this afternoon.  I really tried to take it easy with an 18 miler coming up this weekend, but even dialing back the pace was pretty quick.  This will come back to bite me in the 14-16 mile range tomorrow.  Oh well, carpe diem, I guess.

I ran the Griswold-Prospect-side street run for 4 miles, completing miles 655-658 (unsponsored).

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/14

F

1:15p

4.0

30:46:00

7:41:30

70f

6

658.5

June 13 - 8 Miles Ran, 2 Miles Sponsored

Thank you Tom Jones!  Tom broke the streak of unsponsored miles by sponsoring 2 on Wed.  This the fifth time Tom has sponsored miles (1/29, 2/1, 2/15, 4/12 and 6/12).  I really appreciate this donation, because is evidences Tom's commitment to support the Kowalski's over the long term.  One of the main reasons I chose a long-term goal was to make sure that my offer of support was not a flash in the pan.  Chase's sweetness and zest for life need to be remembered for the long haul--I truly believe the best way to honor him is to capture some of his pureness of spirit and carry it forward each day.  So, again, thank you Tom for your generosity and commitment.

I assigned Tom miles 647 and 648 which I completed as part of my 8 mile run yesterday (Th).  This run was my best training run of the year.  I ran the hilly Rt. 149, Cato Corner, Rt. 16 route and felt strong all the way, even on the huge hill on Rt. 16 at the 6.5 mile mark.  My overall pace of 7:25/mi is pretty close to the pace I was running this distance in last spring when I was in great shape leading up to the Cox Marathon in Providence.

I completed miles 647-654 on Th's run.

It's raining this Fri morning as I type so I will have to get today's run in at lunchtime.  I am going to take it easy as I have an 18 miler planned for Sat (which is my birthday-nice present to myself, huh?)

I can't wait for next weekend's races in Fairfield.  The Daily Voice ran a brief article (http://fairfield.dailyvoice.com/sports/runners-fairfield-races-can-help-foundation-sandy-hook-student)
about the Race4Chase team's participation and the race organizer's offer to donate $1 for every mile ran by a Race4Chase team member.  If your interested in joining in the weekend's events (5K on Sat. 6/22; half marathon on Sun. 6/23) check out the Race4Chase event page on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/events/462968913782262/

Today's (Th's) Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/13

Th

6:45a

8.0

59:23:00

7:25:22

58f

8

654.5

June 10 and 11 - Rest Days; June 12 - 4.5 Miles Ran

Too much rain = too much rest!  I needed a day off on Monday after back to back 10 milers, but I wanted to get back out there yesterday.  With the rain and a busy day including preparations for Ellie's birthday, it turned out to be another rest day.

Today, however, I'm back on track.  I just finished an awesome 4.5 mile run.  With temps in the low 60's, the sun out and a nice steady breeze, it was a beautiful morning to run.  I hope to get back into a regular routine from here on in.  I should be able to get the mileage back on pace as I have an 18 mile run planned for this weekend.  Maybe I'll do it on Sat, which is my birthday.  Probably a desperate attempt to feel more like 28 than 48!

I completed miles 643-46 (unsponsored) this morning.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/12

W

6:45a

4.5

34:23:00

7:38:27

60f

7

646.5

June 9 - 10 Miles Ran in Southie

I had a great run in South Boston this morning.  I didn't feel very strong after 10 miles on Sat and overeating a bit at niece Hannah's graduation party, but with great weather and scenery around Boston Harbor, it was a fun day on the road.  I ran from the Seaport Hotel near the fish pier down Summer St. to Southie, around Castle Island, down Columbus by the lagoon beaches and back for 10 miles.  I felt really sluggish but with the flat terrain my pace was similar to Sat's hard run in hilly Colchester.

I completed miles 633-642 (unsponsored), and increased my mileage per day since Jan. 1 to a shade over 4.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/9

Su

9:30a

10.0

1:17:11

7:43:06

70f

7

642.0

Starting out at the Seaport Hotel

Cruiseliner off of the Summer St. Bridge at the 1 mile mark

Great burgers and fries at Sully's (but not during a run!)

Statue at Castle Island, 3 mile mark

Castle Island - Old Harbor panorama 

Looking back across Pleasure Bay at Boston

Pleasure Bay 

Beach off of Columbus Rd. at 4 mile mark

June 6 and 7 - Rest Days; June 8 - 10 Miles Ran

Unfortunately I got out of my routine this week and had my first consecutive days off from running since March 7-8.  I didn't mind taking Th off after 4 pretty hard days of running, but I was not pleased about Fri.  It would have been a ridiculous run in the pouring rain, but I worry about getting too comfortable taking days off.  I don't know if this applies to most runners, but when I fall out of the running routine, I tend to eat worse, sleep less and be generally less productive.  So Th was Chinese food and the NBA Finals, and Fri was pizza and the Bruins game.  Fortunately, today was a 3 cups of water, a piece of toast and a 10 mile run.  A good run up in Boston tomorrow (niece's HS graduation party) and I'll be right back on track.  In fact, if I can put in 8 miles, I will increase my average miles per day to the greatest amount for the year (an even 4.0).  We'll see if the party atmosphere up in Boston derails my plans.  (When the Bruins won it a couple years ago my brother-in-law from Southie made a fake life-sized Stanley Cup and took it bar-hopping until the B's were knocked out of the playoffs the next year).

I ran one loop around Day Pond (2.6 miles) and the Rt. 149-Cato Corner-Rt. 16 course (7.4 miles) for a total of 10.  The weather was beautiful--mid 60's with a nice breeze.  Despite bad fuel in the tank, I felt strong and ran at a decent pace.  I completed miles 623-632 (unsponsored).  The next sponsored mile is number 665 by Robin Wildman.  I can't wait to get there--it's always better to run with or for someone!

Lastly, my friend Lindsay Knauf was featured on the SportzEdge program on Ch. 8 WTNH at 11pm last night.  As many blog followers here know, Lindsay is running 26 races this year, one for each person lost at Sandy Hook Elementary.  I will try to find a link to the piece--it was well done.  Part of the interview was done at the Sprint for Monroe race.  I met up with Lindsay after the race and she said she was trying to find me to talk to the WTHN reporter about 10004chase.  So she's a runner, a philanthropist and now a publicist!  Thanks Lindsay! You can follow her blog at 26in2013forSandyHook.blogspot.com.

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/8

Sa

10:00a

10.0

1:16:23

7:38:18

65f

8

632.0

June 5 - 5.5 Miles on the Track

I had to drop Shea off early at school for a class trip to Boston so I went down the road to the high school for a track workout.  It was another day of running that started off slow but improved after I warmed up.  The workout consisted of the following:

1600m x 1
1) 6:29 (6:23/mi)

800m x 2
1) 3:05 (5:59/mi)
2) 2:54 (5:41/mi)

400m x 4
1) 1:24 (5:31/mi)
2) 1:24 (5:32/mi)
3) 1:23 (5:25/mi)
4) 1:17 (4:58/mi)

The last quarter mile felt great!  It was a cool morning, which made it comfortable later in the workout.  I felt strong and pushed it down the stretch.

The hard running covered 3 miles, with a 1.25 mile warm up, 0.75 miles total between the hard running and a 0.5 mile cool down for a total of 5.5 miles.  The workout took me through miles 617-622 (unsponsored).  I'd be happy to go back an edit any of these "(unsponsored)" parenthetical references if anyone is so inclined...just sayin'...

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/5

W

6:50a

5.5

n/a

n/a

55f

8

622.0

Bacon Academy (Colchester) track 

Lanes are open if anyone wants to run w/me!

June 4 - 5.4 Miles Ran

Got out a little after 7am for a 5.4 mile run.  Crazy weather!  Probably in the high 50's and windy.  Very nice running weather.  I ran the Pinebrook loop but added a little piece of Cato Corner (gotta get that hill in!).  Time to jet off to work...more later.

OK, back from work--not too much more to say about today's run, other than to reiterate that it was a beautiful morning to run.  I completed miles 612-616 (unsponsored).

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/4

Tu

7:05a

5.4

42:32:00

7:52:36

58f

6

616.5

June 3 - 4 Miles Ran

I put in 4 miles at lunchtime yesterday (Mon).  I ran from the Anytime Fitness site on Main St. in Glastonbury, up Griswold, Prospect/Forbes St., and two loops on side streets.  I felt a little sluggish after running hard (or at least trying to) at the 5K on Sunday.  I was also lugging around burgers and dogs from the cookout after the race.  But overall I felt pretty good and race a decent pace over the last three miles.

I completed miles 608-611 (unsponsored).

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/3 M 1:30p 4.0 28:32:00 7:08:00 78f 8 611.1

June 1 - Day Off; June 2 - Race 4 Chase in Monroe!

I took Saturday off after the 16 miler on Friday and to get a little rest before the Sprint for Monroe 5K on Sunday.  Prerace prep went a little awry, however, as I ended up chowing down on lobsters with my Dad, sister and brother in law at 10pm Sat night.  Lobster, butter and beer went down well on Sat but weren't the best fuel on Sunday.

The race on Sunday was fantastic.  The kids run was hilarious; when they heard the word "go" in the pre-race instructions, well, they went!  Mass confusion was quickly replaced with gritty determination to catch up to the early starters.

I got to see many friendly faces as the Race4Chase team turned out in force.  Even my late-rising Dad made it out for the kids run at 8:30am.  Steve and Becky Kowalski were there to welcome the team; my nephew Kevin (5) ran the kids race; my sister Beth ran the 5K, as did Keith Sullivan and his family, Steve's brother Bob, Lindsay Knauf (26in2013forsandyhook.blogspot.com) and many others.  Michelle Aube's mom introduced herself and said she was going to get people to sponsor miles--nice!  Kevin Grimes and Bob Orzo were there as always to organize things.  Great job by the whole crew.

I ran a half mile to warm up and then the 3.1 mile 5K.  I didn't feel my best (lobster fatigue?) but ended up finishing in 20:54, only 1:37 behind 9-year-old Azaan Dawson--incredible run Azaan!  Check out all the results at:

http://thelastmileracing.com/results/results2013/13monroe.html

I completed miles 604-607 (unsponsored).

Today's Line:

Date

DoW

ToD

Distance

Time

Min/Mile

Notes

Effort

Total Miles

6/2	Su	8:45a	0.5	0:00:00	0:00:00	70f	5	604.0
6/2	Su	9:00a	3.1	20:54:00	6:44:31	80f	9	607.1

Race4Chase Run Start 

Nephew Kevin in the zone before the start

Off they go!

Kevin motors along with his Dad

I think this is Azaan--definitely a future star runner

Butterfly pays Becky a visit after the race