April Flowers, May Showers?

That's how it's seemed so far this spring anyway. Plan for the morning was a 2-2-2, wanted to hit the middle portion in 13:00. Flat out-and-back along the Delaware River. Swirling wind, cool temps and overcast. Had the wonderful company of MM for 5 minutes through Penn Treaty Park.

The middle 2 went by, with somewhat neurotic precision, in 13:00.01. Weird. As I'm not feeling entirely rested from this weekend, the run wasn't entirely comfortable per se, especially with the headwind headed back. Hopefully some more rest this week should help. 6 in 46:40.

Tried not to bike this morning, but couldn't help it as I didn't have enough time to make the train. The wind tunnels downtown made for fast spinning in easy gears.

Coasting

And resting up. Finished off the day with some light yoga.

Monday Recap

4/21 - rest
4/22 - 5 mi/43:29, stretch/core
4/23 - 8.25 mi (10x30s strides)/1:02:29
4/24- 4 mi/35:30, PM yoga
4/25 - 8.5 mi (3x1600)/1:04:19
4/26 - 7 mi/59:59
4/27 - 10 mi/1:26

43 miles in 5:52, 8:11 average pace. The week of 4/14 was really tough towards the end and as a result I didn't have a whole lot to put into last week. The intervals on Friday were a bonus, and the trails on Sunday were spectacular. For now it feels good to take it easy not because I have to, but because it seems like the right thing to do. Cruising on towards the weekend, looking forward to Broad St.

Bricklaying

Hopped on my trusty steed around a quarter past 9, sneakers and some rations in a single pannier. Chilly morning, a little damp, I had goosebumps on the way down Kelly Dr. Got to experience the annoyance that is trying to maneuver around all those bipeds today, they should really learn to get some wheels. This time I let it slide with a half-smile though since after all, soon I'd be one of them.

Passed Dierdre wondering if she was headed to the same place I was. When I got there, Steve strolled up to my surprise and we chatted until John and Dierdre (I assumed she wasn't headed here - turned out to be wrong) arrived. Tied up the pony and stashed my saddlebag beneath a stone ledge.

I couldn't believe how luscious and green everything seemed along the trails. It's like the rain overnight spurred the forest back to life, the flora finally gaining its confidence after the early spring tease. I've only briefly been on these trails before, and I think I'm definitely going back. We kind of fartleked around for a while, maybe 4 or so miles, before catching Forbidden Dr and taking that back to where we started. Trails varied from dirt to rock to stream crossing, some steep parts, the rest gently rolling. The pace increased gradually as the run progressed. Mine ended after 1:26, including some stops. Distance unknown, calling it 10.

After some water and a banana I saddled back up and rolled along Kelly Drive to Fairmount. Here I met a friend for a brief coffee and much needed bagel. I completed the refueling with a quiche from a bar in my neighborhood that serves brunch on Sundays.

It seems like trails can be gentle and dangerous at the same time. The soft surface is easy on the legs and the varied terrain helps to prevent stiffness from the same repetitive motions over and over. On the other hand, my left ankle rolled on me twice, the first time with a subsequent four-letter announcement. Second time it didn't bother me too much. Now I know that the ankle's fine, but I'll have to be careful in the future.

Chocolate Sprinkles

That's what I had on my ice cream cone last night.  Last time I was at a baseball game (if I'm not confusing it with a hockey game) I must have been three years old.  The Brewers?  Sounds right...

Last night it was the Riversharks.  Yes, I had to go to Jersey to see them play.  But it wasn't that bad, and I made it out in good enough shape to run a flat and unswerving 7 miles along the Delaware this morning.  59:59.

Relief

Won't list all the reasons I thought today's workout wouldn't happen. School is central to most of them. 3x1600 at the Temple track this morning. Plan was not to kill myself. Splits as follows:

6:05
6:05
6:04

Not much else to say except that I'm relieved.

Relieved that it's the end of this week, that the weather is nice, but mostly that I trusted myself today amidst some self-doubt and the outcome was surprising. When all was said and done, 8.5 miles in 1:05:something.

Relaxing

4 miles in 35:30.  Almost cashed these easy miles in for rest but I feel better afterwards.

Hump Day

8.25 miles in 1:02:29. Threw in 10x30s strides. First time since last month that I ran before dawn. These days it hasn't been necessary but today was an exception as I had somewhere to be by 8. Took a nap in the sun.

Slow Run, Fast Bike

5 recovery miles this morning in 43:29. I really can't get enough of these mornings. Cool temps, blue skies. My legs are feeling surprisingly good. Made it to West Philly in under 15 minutes this morning.

[3 x 25 pushups, 3 x 25 situps, 3 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 3 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 3 x 15 piriformis lifts, 3 x 10 single-leg squats, various stretches]

Monday Recap (late again)

4/14 - 6.5 mi/50:00 +10x30s strides
4/15 - 9 mi/1:05:08 +5 tempo
4/16 - 6 mi/46:08, stretch/core
4/17 - 4.5 mi/39:07, PM yoga
4/18 - 5.5 mi/44:38 +5x30s strides, stretch/core
4/19 - 4 mi +5k race
4/20 - 15.4 mi/1:55:25

7 days running, everything as planned until the Sunday long "tempo" run. In retrospect I'm crazy for thinking I could do 8.5 miles at 6:30 pace when Tuesday's 5 in 32 was challenging enough. I'm glad I stuck with the plan though. I got what I think I wanted from that run. There's not much I can do between now and May 4 that will have much effect, so I'm focusing on maintaining and recovering. 51 miles last week in around 6:30, about 7:39 average pace. Feeling pretty good, here's hoping I can hang onto it.

Unpaid Labor

Well, hopefully it's just an IOU. That said, today's run was work. That's all there was to it really. Ever since I wrote it into my schedule I'd been afraid of it. The simple plan was to jog down to the PMA, complete the 8.5 mile "loop" at tempo effort, and jog home. It would be somewhere between 14-15 miles, long enough for me to classify it as a long run, fast enough for me to fear it. I wanted it to be a race pace workout for Broad St, a 10-mile race scheduled for May 4. On a good day I'm confident I could do the loop in 56:00. I quickly realized that today wasn't a "good" day to try to run that pace.

Yesterday's race didn't leave me sore really, mostly just pleasant tiredness. But afterwards I biked all over the damn county in pursuit of various social obligations and inevitably got to bed later than desirable. So, sleepy and feeling kind of generally zapped I set out around 8 this morning. Realized when I got to the PMA that there were a few races happening - a 10k, 5k, and 3k - and I feared the drives would be clogged a bit. Once I picked it up to tempo pace I saw that I'd caught the tail end of the race, so the roads were pretty clear. I was already feeling warm.

I found that it was a challenge to maintain even sub-7 pace out there today. This is the tail end of a pretty tough week so this isn't surprising. At points I was going faster, at points I thought I was only to learn that I wasn't. Never really found a rhythm. With 2 miles to go until the PMA I remembered I had a gel and immediately downed it. Not sure if this did much. Gave me a cramp anyway. The loop went by in 58:11, barely a tempo pace, but it felt like it, and I think that's what matters for today.

Back in front of the PMA I doubled back to Lloyd Hall for some water, and it was only when I stopped that I noticed how hot and dehydrated I was. It wasn't even that warm out today. I remembered that I had to be in West Philly at 11, and the stop for water put me behind schedule, so I pushed back home for a total of 15.4 miles in 1:55:25. Not 20 min after dragging my sorry ass up my front steps I was bike sprinting cross town again. Pretty uncomfortable, and certainly not ideal post run conditions. Not a bad run, not a good run though. I'm glad this week is over.

Bad News is Good News (Run For Clean Air 5k)

I'll start out with the bad news. Apparently chemicals in the bottle I drink water from put me at risk for cancer. I'm downing fluids from that very bottle as I type, and if you know me at all you'd know that this doesn't worry me too much. Interstate 95 runs through my backyard and I'm sure there are plenty more cancer causing agents in the air I breath while I sleep. You know there are more bacterial cells in our body than there are total human cells? I have faith that one of these microbugs will ward off the carcinogens I ingest daily.

This bad news essentially qualifies as good news in the sense that it's the worst thing about this day so far. I can't complain.

Last night around midnight I was finishing up a game of spades and a box of wine (yes, that's right, it was box wine, and no, I didn't drink it alone) and if you'd asked me about what my goals were for this morning's Run for Clean Air I would have shrugged and maybe mentioned something about running under 20 minutes. When I ran into John at the starting line I expressed the same sort of attitude. Put simply, my only real goal was to enjoy the weather. After all, soon the skies will turn grey and and we'll be slogging through 90 degree 99% humidity days, reminiscing about the good ol' days back in April. I knew from a workout I did a couple weeks back that I had a chance to run in the low 19's, but I chose not to focus on this today.

The announcer jumped the gun so to speak on the start, and it caught me off guard. I stuck behind John for as long as I thought reasonable, and then tucked in with some folks closer to my abilities. This course is flat, slightly downhill at the start, and comes to an abrupt turn around at the halfway point. Mile one, 5:48. I knew I was speeding a little bit but I wanted to test the waters. Lost a little bit of momentum at the turn around. Around the two mile mark (6:14) the lamb kebabs from last night started yelling at me. Made me slightly uncomfortable, but it passed (no, not literally). During the last mile I passed a few guys who seemed to be struggling, and I still had no idea about a finish time. Didn't feel like thinking about it. I picked it up a bit when the finish came into sight. I caught a glimpse of the ticker and it read 18:4x:xx and I knew I had a chance to finish under 19. I let it rip. The last stretch was hard, and I crossed the line in 18:56.

I'm trying not to read too much from this. I have to say though that I feel really good about this time, and I'm really relieved that the work I've been doing over the last few months is showing results. And it's ironic that this happened in a race that I didn't really think too much about. After the race I stuck around long enough to watch John pick up an age group award. Congrats to him, as he came pretty close to PRing. The few times I caught a glance at him during the race it looked like he was out for a jog in the park. The rest of the morning was spent lazing in the grass, cooling off on a very nice walk with MM, and ingesting my race's worth of ice cream. Bike rides there and back were lovely. By the way, I've returned to riding my city beater, which is a fixed gear. Going well so far. I warmed up a bit beforehand and for the day I'll conservatively call it 4 miles in some time.

Crowley

That's what read across the side of a gargantuan freight barge passing me as I trotted along the Delaware this morning. This thing was enormous, the letters themselves were about 30 feet tall. I counted 4 stacks deep of freight containers - must have been over 100 of them total on the barge. 5.5 miles in 44:38 plus 5x30s strides.

[2 x 25 pushups, 2 x 25 situps, 2 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 2 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 2 x 15 piriformis lifts, 2 x 10 single-leg squats, various stretches]

Storytime

I was 15 years old. I had some shin splints or achy knees or some sort of "growing pain" probably as the result of walking, playing kickball on asphalt, jumping down concrete staircases on a skateboard, or whatever else I was up to that might have caused my legs to "hurt." I thought I shouldn't have this pain, that it meant something was wrong. That's what we're taught after all. I went to the doctor, who happened to refer me to a foot and ankle specialist. He assured me that my feet weren't right and gave me these blue things that I put in my shoes and haven't taken out for almost ten years. I didn't ask any questions.

These blue things, commonly called orthotics, have become decrepit. But I never think twice before plopping them into my shoes. Now I'm wondering what the hell am I doing with these things and whether or not I need to continue to use them. They are pretty expensive to replace and I don't intend to drop the cash for something I don't need.

So this morning I didn't put them in my shoes before heading out. I don't know what I feared would happen, but the run was uneventful. Peaceful actually. Delaware River was tranquil like a layer of crystallized sugar. I ran real slow for 4.5 miles in 39:07. Perhaps I'll try this again sometime.

Good Morning Ben

Absolutely gorgeous morning. Just the right temperature (mid 40s) and unlimited sunshine. Wanted to get in one more quality run before this weekend, so I pulled the BFB out of my bag of local routes, which is the closest thing to hills within spitting distance. I had no plan other than to just run faster than slow. Turned into kind of a progression run that seemed to unfold without thinking about it, and featured a sprint finish. A little over 6 miles in 46:08.

[3 x 25 pushups, 3 x 25 situps, 3 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 3 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 3 x 15 piriformis lifts, 3 x 10 single-leg squats, various stretches]

Reward for a Late Night

I have some catching up to do with this thing.

Very busy weekend, mostly school related. Missed a Sunday run for the first time in quite some time. If there was any week to miss it, last week was it, as it was a planned easy week. I'll be honest though, it wasn't easy to make a conscious decision not to run.

Yesterday was supposed to be an easier run after a longer Sunday run. Turned into a steady trip 'round Eakin's Oval with 10x30s strides. Felt strange during this run, like I'd lost a bit of momentum or something from previous weeks. 6.5 miles in 50:00.

This morning at 3:00 I finished my schoolwork for the night. With 9:30 class I didn't think I'd be running at all, let alone putting in a tempo workout. Somehow I pulled myself out of bed at 7 and returned to a tempo route I've run a couple times in the past weeks. Things went well to my surprise. Plan was to extend the tempo portion to 5 miles by running the cooldown mile at pace. This would bring me back past my block where I'd continue north for a revised cooldown.

Uphill first mile 6:26. A little brisk but I felt good so I went with it. I've commented in previous posts on the unmarked mile splits along this route. I noted the splits today, but I'll refrain from analyzing them too much. They were consistent enough. I felt strong for most of the run, pushing steadily to just beyond my comfort zone.

Five mile tempo split was 32:o1. Same pace as the first time I did this workout with an additional mile tacked on. Around 4.5 miles I started to notice the extra mile, especially with the slight headwind. 2 mile cooldown up into Port Richmond. Total 9 miles in 1:05:08.

Monday Recap (belated)

4/7 - rest
4/8 - 5 mi/42:50
4/9 - 10 mi + 4x1600/1:15:13, stretch/core
4/10 - PM yoga
4/11 - 4.5 mi/37:00, stretch/core
4/12 - 6 mi/50:44, AM yoga
4/13 - rest

Total of 25.5 miles, so the lightest week since my February sick week. Moving on.

6+, 50:44

Not much else to say.  Unexpectedly off for some reason.  Breezes on the BFB were nice, sun beaming down.  Hopefully it's not the warm temperatures that made me sweat so much, because it'll be quite a bit warmer come July...

Orange Blossom Special

Yesterday was a planned day off.  This morning, 4.5 easy miles in 37 minutes.  Slow to start, but once I got moving, I didn't want to stop.  Kind of like a freight train.

[3 x 25 pushups, 3 x 25 situps, 3 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 3 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 3 x 15 piriformis lifts, 3 x 10 single-leg squats, various stretches]

Footsteps in the Fog

Ran out the front door into a cool mist this morning, headed to the Temple track. Easy run up the Cecil B. Moore hill, and I felt really great for some reason. I'd been looking forward to trying this workout for a while. Plan was 3-4 x 1600m repeats at around 5k pace, which I'd guessed to be between 6:10 and 6:15/mile for me. So I'd be happy to clock 93's or 94's for each 400. 4th repeat would be conditional, based on how I felt at that point. I intended to work hard, but not all out.

Stretched for a few minutes once I got on the track, and this really seemed to pay dividends later on, if only mentally. As usually happens when I shoot for target times, the first lap goes by quicker than the rest. Don't remember all the 400 splits but first one was 90.

First 1600, 6:12. Right on.

I allowed myself 400 m recoveries, and these passed in about 2:15 or so. Next repeat feels easier, 6:10. Breathing in sync with my stride seems to help a lot. This and my footsteps are all I can hear as there's not much activity on campus this early. 6:10 for number three, and by the end I'm pretty tired, but I decide to try a fourth. I notice during this final repeat that my legs are leading in my stride, almost like I'm leaning back above my hips. Although I'm working hard now, number four doesn't seem as hard as I'd imagined it would, and it goes by in 6:11. I take a final jogging lap and head home for a total of 10 miles in 1:15:13. HR 167. The 2.5 miles back from Temple are slow and heavy. Looking down Girard Ave I can see the base of the skyline beneath the fog.

In retrospect I think the best part about this workout is how I felt during the repeats. At no point (perhaps with the exception of the final lap of the 3rd and 4th intervals) did I feel like I was pushing that hard. Certainly not effortless, but I had a sensation that I didn't need to think about hitting my goal times, that instead my legs would take me there. I kind of lost myself in focus for most of the time. This made the workout go by quicker and seemingly easier.

[3 x 25 pushups, 3 x 25 situps, 3 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 3 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 3 x 15 piriformis lifts, 3 x 10 single-leg squats, various stretches]

Tuesdays with Columbus

More Penn's Landing. Uneventful easy run. Sea-faring vessels continue to fascinate me. I love watching them drift by in the Delaware. 5 in 42:50.

Still...

...making the adjustment to full time classes.  No activity today, not even a bike commute.  This is good for me.

Monday Recap

3/31 - AM yoga

4/1 - 4 mi/35:00, stretch/core

4/2 - 9 mi + hills/1:14

4/3 - 6 mi/50, PM yoga

4/4 - 4 mi/34:30, stretch/core

4/5 - 8 mi + Tyler 10k race/1:00

4/6 - 13.5 mi/1:49

Total of 44+ miles in 6:00.  Lots of hills: Wednesday's dedicated 6x60s on Belmont Plateau and plenty more during Tyler 10k trail race.  Good thing Saturday and Sunday were both off the pavement or else I'd be hurting more right now.  Actually, I feel quite good.  I seem to be recovering quicker from harder efforts, a good sign.  This week (4/7) is a planned easy week with a mileage cut and only one workout.  All the rest easyish miles.

I should reflect a little more on Saturday's race.  Well, I've done the reflecting, but I should get some thoughts out for the record.  As crazy as it sounds I thought I would finish faster than my previous 10k (41:30).  The fact that this seemed reasonable shows my naiveté when it comes to trail races.  Half the reason I stopped running halfway through mile 2 was because I knew I wouldn't be PRing, and I was pissed.  I doubt I would've finished much faster if I'd paced myself a bit more in the first mile.  The fact is that I'd never experienced such race conditions before: abrupt and steep climbs; twisting, narrow trails; wet feet adding pounds to my stride.  And I know, Tyler 10k is quite tame compared to a lot of other trail races.  

So, two days later, I've accepted the results.  I'm satisfied and eager to learn more about myself.  Last week was a whirlwind, but I'm coming out of it with a clear head.

Solo

Nothing particularly special about today's out-and-back along Forbidden Dr. Typical negative splits (return is downhill). Due to miscommunication I missed out on some company from Dierdre and John. Overall enjoyable easier run after yesterday's crazy race (had some lingering stomach issues today). 13.5 miles in 1:49. HR 160.

The (Rain-free) Tyler Arboretum 10k

I told my dentist on Friday about my plans to run this race. She told me it was supposed to rain. I believed her, and every weather forecast that I could find forecast showers.

To my surprise this morning the rising sun lit up the city beneath a blue sky. I arrived in Media at the Tyler Arboretum and it was already warming up, close to 55. Perfect. I had some time to kill before the race started so I warmed up on the paved trails through the arboretum and ventured onto the unpaved ones a little too. Apparently still feeling the effects of Wednesday's hill workout, my slightly heavy legs made me apprehensive about the race to come. This would be my first trail race and I didn't really know what to expect. I knew there would be 4 stream crossings, but this was the extent of my knowledge of the course.

I stretched for a good amount of time before lining up with roughly 150 other runners. The announcer explained that the course consisted of numerous loops and out-and-back segments that turned upon themselves, and that the mile markers were approximate. No guns, flags, or cannons. Just a barely audible ready, set, go.

I'm at the tail end of a line of 20 or so runners moving at a pretty good clip. I'm feeling really good, and so far the terrain is manageable. Some mud and tree roots are the only major impediments. Here comes a hill. I bound up, passing a few runners. Wow, that's steep. I catch my breath at the top and realize I've slowed a bit. A runner I passed a moment ago now chugs by me, probably well aware when I passed that he'd see me again. I continue to push, now downhill, I'm flying and mile one passes in 6:08. This is a jackrabbit start, and I'm about to meet the bloodhounds.

Just past the one mile marker the line of runners has thinned to a group of 3 or 4, with 10 yards or so between us. Here comes a stream, SPLASH! Not really thinking about it I step in with my right foot instead of trying to leap over it. Now I've got a 2-pound ankle weight on. This feels weird, my shoe is all squishy.

The stream is in a valley, now it's time to climb the other side. I'm huffing and puffing, and this hill is long. Man, why is this so hard? I feel like I did a few days ago during my hill workout. Halfway up this one I'm forced to slow down even more. Just keep moving, you'll catch your breath. No, don't stop, don't stop!

I'm walking, and cursing myself and this hill. Damn!

It takes me 30 seconds or so to snap out of it, and in that time a few more runners I'd passed are ahead of me again, working steady. A whole lot is going on in my head at this point, and I even wonder if I'll DNF. Evil thoughts about going out too fast, worrying about injury, STOP! Shake it out! I get moving again, crest this damn hill, and it now has sunk in that it's gonna take a different strategy to get me through the next 4 miles. I try to focus on saving my surges for the crests and flats. This works. One of the guys that passed me is within view, I slowly creep up behind him. I hear a course marshal yell his name, Chris, and he's evidently the first runner from the Wissahickon Wanderer's club to pass this point. I stay close behind him, and we work through the next 2 miles or so. Now the lead female is within sight. I stay behind Chris, he's working hard too, keeps looking over his shoulder. We've been through 2 more streams at this point, both my shoes are soaked, but at the third crossing I'm smart enough to leap across on some stones. Still surging on the flats. Almost lose my footing a few times on downhills, which are blistering. Careful, I don't want any broken bones today.

With 2 miles to go, Chris slows on an uphill, and this time I know I've gotta keep moving. I pass him, work slowly closer to the lead female. Once I catch her, I keep a safe distance, working up and down the terrain. She sets the pace, I follow. At a certain point I'm thinking I want this to be over, and soon. The uphills are extremely slow, but it's really all I can give, legs burning.

The trail dips suddenly downward, and I almost lose my balance, damn it's hard to be conservative on these drops. I'm glad it's dirt and not pavement. The final uphill is long. The runner ahead of me slows, I skirt around her. We're in mile 6, so I push a little more. Trying to maintain this push once I crest the hill must look pretty funny to some photographers along the side. Arms flailing, mud flinging off my shoes, I'm actually not even going that fast, but it feels like it, and I'm fighting for air. Loop back to the starting stretch and the final .2 miles is through the soggy grass yard behind a barn. I enter the chute in 45:30. Half a mile more and I'd be puking. I grab some drink, cool off with a slow jog. For the day, I'll call it 8 miles in 60 minutes.

Brief

Finished Tyler Arboretum 10k in 45:30. Tough race, details to come later.

Intro to Environmental Engineering

I'm in class. Not much to say except that I'm feeling much better than yesterday. Every step of the 4 recovery miles I did around lunchtime felt refreshingly pleasant. 34 minutes, HR 152.

Stop and Go

Not feeling so hot today, foot again bothering me. Trying not to dwell on it. 6 in 50. HR 145.

Serrated and Aerated

I finally got to do my hill workout. Tried not to push too much on my ride to West Philly, but it's tough not to fight back when the wind wants you to go backwards. By the time I was on my feet I knew it would be a challenging 70 minutes.

I didn't really find my rhythm until I got up to the Concourse, and even there I was still headed west, into the wind. I wanted to stay relaxed so I could focus on the repeats, but I was working most of the way to Belmont Plateau. Voices started telling me that it wasn't going to happen today but I managed to stuff them back where they came from.

Six times I charged up the hill south of Belmont Mansion. I chose this spot because it's grass and therefore much more forgiving than concrete. It's not extremely steep, but steep enough. I tried to run hard and steady and under control, but not sprinting. So this is what lactic acid feels like. Occasionally the recovery jog back down (between 1:00 and 1:30 or so) began as a recovery "walk." On the way down after #6 my grimace turned into a smile and I was glad to be done. Gave it my all, I can now add it to my resumé. Looped around to MLK and made my way back to campus with the wind to my back. Oh, the title refers to the route. Have a look at the elevation profile. Just like a bread knife, no? I'll call it 9 miles in 1:14. HR 170.

I should note for the record that with about a block left I noticed a tightness in the inside bottom of my right foot. Nothing serious, just something to be aware of.

Waylaid

Maybe someday I'll try doing hill repeats when my calves are this sore. 4 recovery miles instead of planned 7 with 6x60s hills. 34 minutes. We'll see what happens tomorrow.


[3 x 25 pushups, 3 x 25 situps, 3 x 15 lateral leg lifts, 3 x 15 “donkey kicks,” 3 x 15 piriformis lifts, 3 x 10 single-leg squats, various stretches]