Pratt Corner Speed Play

Time: 81:00
Distance: 12.5 mi.
Map (approximate)

Target: 8 x 3:00 sub-5:00 effort, 1:00 rest
Workout: hit it pretty well, but rest after 4 was much longer as I had to hit the woods

I started at Puffer's and got in 25 minutes of warmup on Market Hill and Cushman to Pratt Corner. The first half of the farlek was almost completely uphill and I was working pretty hard. Due to an ill-timed snack this afternoon I started getting a side stitch and had to stop to hit the woods after four intervals before I turned back down the hill. Running down wasn't quite as aerobically taxing, even though I was running hard, but I think my legs got a pretty good workout.

I had some mild workout stomach afterwards. I should really stop putting runs off to the afternoon when I have nothing to do all day.

Pratt Corner Loop

Time: 126:15
Distance: 19.5 mi.
Map

"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat." - Bill Squires

Back up to the two hour mark with a long run through Amherst, Pelham, Shutesbury, Leverett on the roads the run the periphery of Amethyst Brook. The first half of this run is almost relentlessly uphill--never super steep but almost no steps down and coming back down on Pratt Corner was a bit dicey in sections as the dirt sections still had a lot of snow on them so despite a pretty good effort the whole way it wasn't too fast. The pounding coming down wasn't terrible, but my legs started to get pretty tired at 90 minutes. I hit 2 hours exactly at the one mile mark from home on Old Farm Road and ran the last mile in 6:15.


Elevation of the first 8 miles of the run