Hill training sucks less on Block Island

After doing it to train for my previous five marathons, I still do not enjoy hill training. At all.

But I know that it is beneficial, so I continue to do it every third week, running up and down a 1/3- to 1/2-mile hill - two uphill sprints followed by one downhill sprint and repeating to total anywhere from three to seven sprints. It is crushing work.

Running up and down High Street on Block Island, though, made it a little better. In fact, the Hal Higdon Advanced training program called for six sprints (four up, two down) and I actually decided to do one extra up.

That is the power of vacation running. You will probably not see me doing that at home.

Getting lost on Block Island

For my nine-mile Monday run, I plotted out a course that sent me to the western edges of Block Island, beyond the roads and onto the dirt paths that lead to private residences and that side's beaches.

Google Maps showed dirt paths that connected some of these secluded homes, but when I got to that area via Dorry's Cove Road, I could not tell what was a path and what was a driveway. Each looked like the other, some looked like neither, most were actually both. I ran around, back and forth and in circles before giving up.

Backtracking east to the road, I ran north, but was determined to find if and how those backwoods dirt paths were connected, so I ran west again at the spot I was supposed to come out (Grace's Cove Road) and tried heading south. Finding the connectors this time, I ended up back on Dorry's Cove Road again, feeling triumphant that I found it but realizing I probably ran an extra three miles.

Having done so, did I take the most direct path back to the cottage? Hell, no! I am on vacation and I have all the time in the world to run. I hoofed it up the hills of Beacon Hill Road, Center Road and Mohegan Trail before cruising back to the cottage.

Without the specter of having to go to work afterward, midweek runs are truly a delight, even if you get lost.

Or rather, especially if you get lost.

Block Island long run

Saturday was the first day of a week-long vacation to my favorite vacation spot.

Block Island is lovely quaint isle that sits 12 miles of the coast of the Rhode Island mainland and the south fork of Long Island. It is actually a Rhode Island town (the smallest one) but, I believe, nautically closer to Montauk, L.I. Only accesible via boat (there are four ferry locations on the mainland) or small airplane, it is the essence of a "getaway".

It is tiny - a total of 10 square miles of land. So, how do you do a 17-mile run on 10-miles of land?

This description is for those who know and love this lovely island - the rest of you may need a map. Or just come visit sometime.

Starting on High Street near the town's one school (K-12!), I headed down the hill and into town near Old Harbor, then it was up along the skinny side of the island along Corn Neck Road, all the way to the end, near the North Light house where I turned around and came back down. A right turn along Beach Avenue and then toward New Harbor brought me to West Drive and West Side Road, all the way to the west side of the island. I hooked around Cooneymus Road to Old Town Road which brought me back to town and to my starting point. Bam, 17 miles.

Because Karen and I took the 3 p.m. ferry from Point Judith, we did not get settled into our rented cottage until 5, and it was after 6 when I started running.

Maybe it was the cool evening's ocean air; maybe it was my delight to be back on the island after more than a year; maybe I was happy to be on vacation; heck, maybe I just miscalculated, but I hit the stopwatch at the end and saw 1:59:02!

What? Could I have really done that long run, hills and all, at faster than marathon pace? Maybe so, maybe not. But I sure felt amazing afterward. That old runner's high was back. And it was only the beginning of vacation.

How NOT to train for a marathon

I seem to be stuck in 10K mode.

Even though I am following the Advanced marathon training program on HalHigdon.com, I have been uncontrollably approaching my runs as if I am still working on a 10K, blasting off with crazy speed in my weekday runs, leaving me with nothing left in the tank for the runs that really matter - the weekend long runs.  

For instance, last week's schedule called for two short, easy runs - a three-miler and a four-miler.  Instead of taking them easy - as a recovery from the previous day's hard runs and as "rest" in preparation for the next day's - I was plowing through them at near half-marathon pace for no other reason than that it felt good.

My mid-week eight miler was also supposed to be easygoing because the late-week eight-miler was to be at race pace. But I did both at faster than race pace.

I do not like hill training day, so my favorite way of tackling it is to face it head on with brute force.  I did my five sprints, pushing up and down that hill with all my might, and then did an extra one, just to test my own mettle.

It is no wonder that when I did my 16-miler on the weekend, it was a misery.  I was shuffling along at an 8:02 pace and could not get into a groove.  It was awful.  

I tried some restraint this week, and though I was able to hold back a little, it was not enough.  I may pay for that when I do 17 this weekend.

Going long again

Marathon training is underway. I was not yet sure what race to aim for, but I jumped into a training program anyway because after knocking out a 5K and 10K PR over the course of a few weeks, it was time to ditch the short game and start going long again.

My first choice was the Running With the Bears marathon, a tiny race in the mountains of northern California, n Aug. 17. Intimate vibe, gorgeous setting. Last year, only 38 people did the marathon, though 165 more did the accompanying 10K and half-marathon.

After the Boston tragedy, the idea of doing a larger marathon has become less appealing. Last month's New Jersey Marathon (understandably) added so many new security precautions it seemed to suck the fun right out. Pre-race time causes enough jitters as it is. Who needs the extra hassle?

But I dragged my feet and "Running with the Bears", capped at 300, sold out.

After a look through www.marathonguide.com, I found that the Park City Marathon in Utah is that same day. I am keeping that one on the schedule. Hopefully I will be able to get the guts to register and book a flight before that one gets sold out, too.