Sunday, 3/3/2013: 9.3 miles, 1:26:27, 9:18 miles, 21F, overcast, calm, light snow, no stops.
Garmin Connect Activity for 15K around the snowy streets of Irondequoit
I got up and out fairly early. There was just a light snow falling. So I took it out really nice and easy on the snowy streets of my usual route. I added Chapel Hill Drive and then out and past Thomas Ave before heading back. I enjoyed making new tracks on the familiar streets that I run so much. All in all, another great running weekend of greater than 20 miles. My right Achilles seems to liking my increased mileage. I stretch it out before I start and take it easy on the first mile. I also definitely take a warmup run before races.
Speaking (or typing) about races ... I have pulled the trigger on: Johnny's Runnin' of the Green on 3/16, Spring Forward 15K on 3/10, the Dirt Cheap Trail Race Series, Muddy Sneaker 20K on 4/20, the Flower City Half on 4/28 and the Boilermaker 15K on 7/14.
On deck are: the Medved Madness 15 mile Trail Run on 5/5, the Lilac 10K on 5/19, the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon on 5/25 and the Mendon Mauler on 6/1.
After my morning run my lovely wife, Christine, and I enjoyed a very relaxing day. We went old school on the DVR again: The Shoes of the Fisherman and The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
Monday: 3/4/2013: Rest day.
A well deserved rest day ensued ... also my brother's 62nd birthday! He is counting the days until retirement!
Tuesday, 3/5/2013: 5.05 miles, 42:21, 8:23 pace, 28F, night, calm, no stops.
Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill run, 2 Y's
It was Brooks Racing Team night down at Fleet Feet Brighton so I headed down for the Cobbs Hill run at 6PM. I got there in plenty of time before when I got out of the car I realized that I forgot my Brooks running jacket! I didn't have enough extra clothes to cobble together enough to keep warm so I went back and got it. By the time I got back it was 6:20PM. So I didn't stretch and headed straight up to Cobbs Hill at a nice and easy pace. It had been a long time since I had done a Cobbs Hill run ... but I remembered what to do! When I got up on the left Y I could see the headlamps of the Sehgahunda Training and Trailz 101 runners doing their trail workout on their trail Y. Soon I might join them ... I really have to start doing trail once the ground thaws a bit. The Muddy Sneaker 20K is less than 6 weeks away! The Brooks Racing Team meeting was at 7:30PM. There will be a lot of new faces ... maybe we should wear name tags to all the meetings and races!
When I got home my darling Christine had a special surprise ... she had made BLTs!! Scrumptious!!
Wednesday, 3/6/2013: 6.2 miles, 50:55, 8:13 pace, 37F, night, calm, no stops.
Garmin Connect Activity for Usual 10K around the streets of Irondequoit
I just had to get out there. I struck out slow, then sped up a bit. So ... a negative split, 25:45 and 25:10. Just your usual 10K run.
Thursday, 3/7/2013 & Friday, 3/8/2013: Rest days
Both were rest nights in preparation for the annual Run Around the Bay on Saturday morning at 7AM. I did get in a lot of walking at work.
The Friday highlight was taking Christine to New Nails for her bi-weekly nail appointment. This time she needed a fill. Soon she rocked OPI's Big Apple Red as her new nail color! Later we went old school on the DVR with Doctor Zhivago.
Saturday, 3/9/2013: 2 runs of 1.4 and 15.0 miles
I woke up at 5:45AM and got ready quickly. I checked the temperature, 26F, and a 3 mph wind so I knew what to wear. I got out to the west end of the Irondequoit Bay Swing Bridge around 6:40AM. It was clear and the sun wasn't even up yet. A clear, crisp morning ... great weather for winter runners!
Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before the Run Around the Bay 2013
1.4 miles, 12:43, 9:04 pace, 26F, sunny, calm, no stops.
I had time to go out for a 1.4 mile warmup run. I set out at the usual really nice and easy pace. I ran by the site where two West Webster firefighters were killed on Christmas Eve morning, link here. So sad ... just the shells where seven houses burnt to the ground close to the two lane Lake Rd and right across from the berm where the shooter, William Spengler, laid in wait after setting the fire early on 12/24 around 5AM. Four volunteers from the West Webster Fire Department were at the start with a bucket for donations.
The group was estimated at 150 strong. We started off at 7AM. Some runners went up Sea Breeze Drive and the rest of us went up Culver Rd. I settled in for the long haul at around 8:30 pace for my fourth Run around the Bay. I choose to take the hilly route of 15 miles. I raced down the two steep hills on the west side of Irondequoit Bay and power walked back up. The rest stop at mile 6.7 just before Empire Blvd was most welcome. I had 2 Gels and some water. Then it was down and back up Empire Blvd into Webster. My right Achilles bothered me a bit but I knew it was just a nagging ache so I continued onward. I played leap frog with some runners ... I would pass them and they would pass me later. I knew I was near the end when I turned left onto Lake Rd. I ran across the Outlet Bridge at mile 14.71 and then added a bit more to get to 15.0 miles in 2:10:02 at 8:41 pace.
I was home by 10AM and had my first mug of coffee and had buttered my bagel by 10:15AM. One of the benefits of an early run was getting done early. Sweet!
