Sweet Recovery

Webb: Recovery week! After our last 3 weeks of solid training, with massive amounts of pool time and an event-packed weekend, it was time to scale back the hours and intensity. This week saw us diverge from doing workouts together. For example, one night Elle went for a solo run and another I played basketball with some friends and New Balance guys. (By the way, I was a little worried I wouldn't get out of the gym without an ankle or knee injury. It was worth the risk though. While we are still in the base phase of training, cross-training with something like basketball could prove to be better for injury-prevention and if I did stumble, I should have time to recover.)

Elle: We did one workout together, the weekly SEAC workout, which is back at the track, after the winter months of hill training. Since SEAC was busy opening up their sister store, Heartbreak Hill Running Company, Dan, our fearless leader, was unable to attend. But he had a workout planned for us, so Mike (aka Keebler, Keebs, etc.) read us the damage and we all headed out to the track. We did the workout and a long set of walking lunges. That's all the workout called for, but since Dan usually has us do 2 laps before heading back, SOMEONE suggested that we tack on the extra laps. Okay, it was me. But we all did, and are better runners/people for it!

Good times @ SEAC, post-run w/ Jessi and Mike (Keebler)

SEAC Track Workout
w/u - 1.5 jog
main - 200m, 400m, 400m, 200m (w/ 200m recoveries)
drills - 3x lunges (10 each leg)
shake out - 800m as 100m strides, 100m jog
c/d - 1.5 jog

Elle: A lot of us saw each other again on Saturday night when Mike Slowik, a long-time SEAC run club member hosted a fundraiser at the Harpoon Brewery to raise $$$ for his Boston Marathon run (for The Red Cross). There is still time to donate. The party moved on to The Atlantic Beer Garden, and eventually on to the South Street Diner. Which was an interesting scene...

Webb: I just came across this interview with our speed leader Dan. For you non-Bostonians, there are some shots of my favorite New England landmark, the Charles River. Unfortunately, the video was shot in winter so you don't get to see the river in its full-verdant state. Maybe I'll post some shots this spring and summer. You also get a glimpse of the Saturday SEAC crew, including Elle. (This may have been the day we bit off more than we could chew.)

On Saturday, I rode with the guys from the Evil Racing Cult and was allowed inside the World-wide Headquarters. It was a great day for a ride, even if it began more than a bit too chilly for my taste. Our small pack met up with a Masters group and then the 12 or so us of headed out for about 45 miles. I was definitely the weak member of the bunch. Thankfully it was a friendly ride, otherwise the couple of times I was tapped on the hills, I would have been dropped. Who am I kidding? I would have been dropped before the hills. Anyway, they are great guys which reinforced my decision to buy their race wheels. Also, you can't beat it when you have a chance to hang out and talk to people who do your hobby as a profession.

We ended the week watching Paris-Roubaix, or what is now to be called "The Tom Boonen Show." Wow. What a dominating performance. I hear there is even talk in Belgium of replacing the Easter Bunny with a dust-covered figure on a bicycle called "Tommeke." The kids will have to race over cobblestones in their search for eggs. Good luck kinderen / Bonne chance les enfants / Viel Gluck Kinder

Next Week: Begin Base Phase 3