Sunday, 5/8/2016 to Saturday, 5/14/2016 - Mind the Ducks

I ran 3 times this week for 43.61 miles.

Sunday, 5/8/2016: 9.35 miles, 1:17:57, 8:20 pace, 45F, 66% RH, 12 mph NW wind, wind chill 39F, sunny

Garmin Connect Activity for A nice and easy 15K

I started my taper for Mind the Ducks. Yesterday, 11 miles ... today, 9.35 miles. I wore my new Brooks Adrenaline GTS15s and they did feel better on my feet. It was a bit colder than yesterday so I wore 2 tech shirts: 1 long sleeve and 1 short sleeve along with shorts, a hat and calf sleeves. I took a bit nice and easy with splits: 37, 27, 16, 17, 18, 00, 13, 28, 24 and 23 over the last 0.35 miles.

Monday, 5/9/2016: Rest day ... necessary but not a fan.

Tuesday, 5/10/2016: 8 miles, 1:08:42, 8:35 pace, 61F, 31% RH, 11 mph NNE wind, partly cloudy.

Garmin Connect Activity for 8 loops of Cobbs Hill

I had my running gear in the Equinox. I almost blew off this run. I thought about it but I resolved that it would get done. Eight miles was what I wanted to run. So I changed in my office (handy with its locked door). Now where to run? I could go home and run on the usual route on Edgemere. But I wanted to run Cobbs Hill so I drove there. The traffic didn't bother me. The hill would still be there when I got there. I geared up and settled into a nice and easy pace ... that might of gotten a bit faster as I warmed up. My splits were: 9:14, 8:33, 8:39, 8:32, 8:21, 8:21, 8:31 and 8:39. Done. My darling wife, Christine, had some scrumptious pork chops ready when I got home ... sweet!

The Mind the Ducks forecast is looking good ... cool, cloudy with a chance of rain. Excellent running weather for running 12 hours in a circle!

Wednesday, 5/11/2016 to Friday, 5/13/2016: All rest days before Mind the Ducks.

Saturday, 5/14/2016: 26.21 miles, 5:42:08, 13:03 pace, 55F, 72% RH, 5 mph SSW wind, partly cloudy with a period of light rain

Today was my first attempt at Mind the Ducks, a 12 hour endurance run around a 1.012013 mile paved loop at North Ponds Park in Webster. I had signed Christine up for this race also. I set my alarm for 4:40AM. I had packed most of my gear the night before: shorts, calf sleeves, 2 long sleeve techs, 2 short sleeve techs, hat, sunglass, Garmin Forerunner 310XT with its lengthy battery life, some sunscreen, BodyGlide, Endurolytes. Looking back ... I woefully underpacked for the conditions. I wanted to leave at 5:45AM and get there around 6AM. But ... we left around 6AM. Christine looked like she was packing for an overnight trip with two bags ... but she did have some surprises in store.

We got to the venue at 6:20AM. We got our bibs, pinned them on and went back to Equinox to get our gear. I shouldered two chairs and my small running bag. Christine brought her bags.

We set up next Tom Butler's tent and said "Hi" to him, his wife, Amy, and his daughter, Christina. I said "Hi" to other runners that I knew: Prem Kumar, John Muoio, Mike Meynadasy, Dave Cornell, Jason "Jmac" McElwain, Kathy Reardon, Wendy Abbott. My hands were cold. Magically, Christine pulled out a pair of running gloves out of one of her bags.


I didn't warm up ... I should have I think ... I kissed Christine before the start and settled in for the start. I didn't really hear a "Go" ... all of a sudden we started to go. I got bottlenecked a bit but soon found a clean spot to go at my pace before the first "hill". This hill about 0.3 mile in seemed to grow every time I passed it.

Dave Cornell, myself and Sean Storie (left to right) crossing the line at loop 2 ... photo courtesy of Laura 

So ... around and around this mile loop I ran. I must say I never found a groove. I had to use the potta-potty to pee every 2 or 3 loops for a while. I seemed to have no energy so I tried to eat something every couple of loops. I gravitated toward a quarter of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and 3 Pringles along with a swig of water.

Early on ... photo courtesy of Chris Patterson

I changed out of my long sleeve tech into a short sleeve tech when I warmed a bit after 7 or 8 loops. I remember that I finished 13.1 miles in 2:09:20, 9:52 pace. The weather had changed into a light rain so I put on my long sleeve tech over my short sleeve tech.

A very appropriate shirt and umbrella ... photo courtesy of Vickey Beaver of GRTC

Some goslings that crossed the course ... photo courtesy of Tracy Hardes

Then ... the bottom fell out around loop 15. I just didn't feel like running. So I walked and walked and walked some more. The light rain had stopped.

Loop 18 ... photo courtesy of Vickey Beaver

People kept on running by me and offered me encouragement. I just kept on walking with my head down. I tried to run on the backstretch of loop 20. I lasted for about 0.2 mile before my left ankle hurt and convinced me to stop. It felt like I was running with no cushioning on my feet. But my Brooks Adrenaline GTS15 running shoes had only 100 miles on them!! So I walked and walked and walked. I told Christine that I was going to walk until I got to a marathon ... so I did. Meanwhile Christine had walked 10 loops herself. She did quite well. I stopped and got some food. Pizza had arrived ... delicious!

Both sides of the aid station ... photos courtesy of Vickey Beaver of GRTC

We had moved our chairs and gear under Tom Butler's tent when it had started to rain. I was cold and huddled there along with Christine. I found a towel from one of Christine's bags to put over my bare legs. My fingertips were white with my Raynaud's syndrome. People I knew encouraged me to rest up and come back out. There were about 6 more hours left. But I was done. I got up and walked around. I was stiff and cold.

The finish line ... photo courtesy of Vickey Beaver of GRTC

So I told the race directory, Egils Robs, and we went to pick up our goodie bags. I got a sticker for my marathon effort. I drove slower than usual home. I was tired. Soon my feet were up and I drank my usual post race mugs of coffee.

The goodie bags, hoorag and mug ... photos courtesy of Vickey Beaver of GRTC

So ... what can I bring away from Mind the Ducks 2016? It was my first timed endurance event and I totally underestimated it. I had run 10 loops there about a month ago but at a fast half marathon pace of 8:30ish. My body let me down. I have never ever had to walk so far during a race. Maybe I tweaked my left foot on one of the ruts in the paved loop? I don't remember doing it but I could have I guess. Were my shoes to blame? Let's just say that I have a bad taste in my mouth just what I perceive as a failed attempt at a race. But then, all my other 372 races have been for a certain distance that I could set a pace for, run that pace (or something close), get to that distance and then stop. Twelve hours is 10 hours more than I have run in any race since I ran the Mendon Ponds 50K trail race back in November 2013. So I was totally unprepared for the 12 hour length.

I was very proud that my darling wife, Christine, walked 10 miles. That is her distance PR. Maybe next we can both do better.

Here are the official stats. My pace: 9:12, 9:00, 8:59, 8:59, 8:57, 10:32, 9:06, 9:28, 10:57, 9:39, 13:24, 10:41, 9:30, 11:46, 11:49, 9:55, 12:44, 14:31, 15:41, 15:16, 19:46, 21:30, 19:26, 18:16, 19:19, 19:30 and 10:14 over the last 0.21 mile. The results are here. I did tell Gil that I only completed 26 loops instead of 27 but I don't know when the final results will be posted.