Wednesday, 11:10 a.m., 40's, half-and-half clouds and sun. Seneca, two Union loops, 4 1/4 miles.

Thursday, 7:44 a.m., 34 degrees. Anthony, 5k. Basketball practice at UAlbany.

Sunday, 11:34 a.m., 43 degrees, chilly, cloudy. Anthony, 5k.

Wednesday was real good, my right calf feels better after the day off, and I felt good all the way, attacking the Nott Street hill the second time around. Thursday, I wanted to sneak in something in the morning, with the UAlbany media practice simulation looming in the afternoon, and that turned out to be a good idea, because I was sore as hell for two days and still feeling it in my inner thighs on Sunday.

The UAlbany practice forced me to put a serious hurting on some muscles I haven't rustled from dormancy since the last time we played softball, which had to be two years ago. That knocked me out of the USATF Cross Country race in Saratoga. I could've still done it and had fun, but why pay an entry fee for the first jog back from the trauma of the basketball practice? I did that on Sunday to Anthony and back, and took it easy, just trying to test everything, and it went fine. Not fast, but in control all the way, which was what I was after.

Looking forward to a good week of training, with just three weeks left before the race. It's crunch time.