I biked once this week: 20 miles.
I ran/walked 75,765 steps during the week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.
Sunday, 8/6/2017: 10054 steps during the day, a Du of 5K, 20 miles, 5K, 2:27:28, 66F, 73% RH, 6 mph WSW wind (it felt a lot stronger), mostly sunny.
I didn't want to run long so I settled for a longer Du than last time: 5K, 20 miles and 5K. I set up like before by chaining my bicycle to the tree outside the townhouse. I filled my 20 ounce water bottle and half filled a flask with Hammer Gel. The 5K was accomplished by running on the LOSP trail out to Dewey and back. I struck up a nice and easy pace. I was dripping by the time I got back. I toweled off as best and as quickly as I could as I unlocked my bicycle, put on my gloves and helmet and set forth. I headed out the LOSP trail again and then onto Island Cottage and Janes twice before I headed back. I saw Wilt Alston running the second time I was on Janes. He saw me first ... then I recognized him (he was out on a 8.11 mile run according to www.dailymile.com). I found that I was lagging and hungry as I fought the wind while on Janes the second time so I stopped for a couple gulps of Hammer Gel and some water. It was pretty painful to get off the bike after so long but I managed to lock my bike back up, take off my helmet and gloves and set back out for the second run. Ouch!!! I felt like I was running in molasses the whole way ... I even took a couple of walking breaks. I was more than happy to stop when I got done. The stats for my second Du: the first 5K was 25:27 at 8:13 pace, T1 was 2:26, the bike was 1:30:55 with an average speed of 13.2 mph, T2 was 2:23 and the second 5K was 25:48 at 8:20 pace. I thought the second 5K was a LOT slower!
It was already past noon since my Du took almost 2.5 hours. I got my obligatory mug of coffee and plopped my butt down in front of the TV. It was Sharknado Sunday! I watched most of Sharknado (it had already started at noon), and then all of Sharknado 2: The Second One, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! and Sharknado 4. The Fourth Awakens. Yes ... my darling wife, Christine, and I are Sharknado fans. Somehow we got up long enough to make a pizza so we had enough energy to watch the world primerie of Sharknado 5: Global Swarming! It didn't disappoint ... the one-liners ("London Bridge is falling down", "I swear something was inside" by Geraldo Rivera, "Oh, the humanity!", "The hills are alive", "Tell me about it, stud!", "Forgive me Father for I am Fin"), the D-List cameos (Bret Michaels, Fabio, Charo, Geraldo Rivera, Olivia Newton John,Gilbert Gottfried), the Shark Sisterhood in tight black leather, semper paratus ("Always Prepared"), the "Back to the Future" tie-in, the implausibilities, the ridiculousness of sharks in tornadoes! Here are some links, here, here and here. Long live Fin, April, Nova and Gemini!
Monday, 8/7/2017: 3544 steps during the day, rest day.
Yes, a full rest day. I took a look at the calendar. It is definitely time to schedule some hill and long runs for the month of August and September! Time to build my mileage up past 40 miles per week. Time to look for sales on running shoes!
Tuesday, 8/8/2017: 15184 steps during the day, 11.75 miles, 1:40:05, 8:31 pace, 75F, 36% RH, 9 mph WNW wind, sunny.
Tonight's run was brought to you by the need to start preparation for the upcoming Rochester Half on 9/17. There is nothing like running the course! So ... I took a hour of vacation, dressed after work and then drove out to the Maplewood Rose Garden. I carried a 20 ounce water bottle and a flask filled with Hammer Gel. I had done a bit of due diligence and had found that a Mapmyrun had put my route at 11.82 miles ... hence the flask of Hammer Gel. I set out at a nice and easy pace. My left ankle protested for a bit but I ignored it as I headed south. I thought about how crowded this race route would be for the first miles or so until everyone spread out. I suffered through the Thomas Ave hill and took a swallow of Hammer Gel at the top. The long stretch on St Paul seemed quite long. I encountered a dirt bike on the pedestrian bridge across the Genesee River. Then I had to wait for 3(!) dirt bikes before I could cross under the 104 bridge on Bridge View Drive. Then I suffered through the climb on the path back to the Maplewood Rose Garden. I was a bit tired and thirsty when I got done. My splits were: 8:09, 8:18, 8:07, 7:56, 8:18, 8:35, 9:19 (Hammer Gel), 8:35, 8:34, 8:38, 9:37 (waiting for the 3 dirt bikes) and 8:22 over the last 0.75 mile. Boom ... done. I think I will make this a regular Tuesday run for the next month. It's good for both half and full marathon training.
Oh ... don't wash your heart rate monitor accidentally and expect it to work the next time you put it on. Luckily I have some extra CR2032 batteries lying around. Now ... I just have to find a itty-bitty screwdriver to take it apart so I can get to the battery and remember to actually do it (and not just type it). Also ... my Pebble 2 HR smart watch step count was probably low since it was off when I got done with my run. It did say that I had one more day remaining ... I guess I am hard on it!
Wednesday, 8/9/2017: 6451 steps during the day, rest day.
No, I didn't run the Pound the Ground 10K which was a Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) race. 92 people did run the Pound the Ground 10K, link here.
I just didn't have the money to spare to race it. I am already over my self imposed budget for 2017 races. I signed up for the Empire State Marathon in October so I can't race as much. The chopping block was littered with the Pound the Ground 10K ($25-$35) tonight, the Dam Good Trail Race ($36) this weekend, A Mid-Summer's Trail Race ($30 initially - $40 now) on the last weekend of August and the Oak Tree Half ($50 - hate the course anyway) on Labor Day weekend. I have to start doing 20 mile runs for the ESM ... which should keep me out of trouble. I still have races that I would love to sign up for ... the Dirt Cheap Stage Race and either just the Grocery Run 5K, the Grocery Run 5k (a RROY race)/Mendon Trail Run 30K combo (8:15 AM and 9:30 AM start times) or just the Mondon Trail Run 50K at 8 AM (all on Saturday morning, 10/4).
Thursday, 8/10/2017: 12200 steps during the day, 6.55 miles, 53:27, 8:10 pace, 75F, 61% RH, 7 mph SW wind, mostly sunny.
It was hot, hazy and humid but I run on Thursdays. I wanted to do a pre-lunch run because I wanted to get home relatively on time since my darling wife, Christine, wasn't feeling well. I regretted not having my cooling towel within 100 steps but I wasn't going to turn around and not run. I struck up a somewhat not so nice and easy pace and held it until after mile 6 when I got a bit overheated. My splits were: 8:09, 8:04, 8:01, 8:17, 8:12, 8:24 and 7:52 over the last 0.55 mile. I was absolutely dripping when I got done. I took a cold shower but still was a bit overheated when I tried to dress afterwards.
Friday, 8/11/2017: 3647 steps during the day, rest day.
Saturday, 8/12/2017: 24685 steps during the day, 16.75 miles, 2:32:27, 9:06, 70F, 78% RH, 8 mph SW wind, sunny
I woke up during the night around 4 AM, who knew that I should have gone out then? I went back to sleep and got up at 6: 30AM. I had my usual pre-run bowl of cereal and banana, got dressed and got out a bit after 7:30 AM. I had on my hydration pack with 1.76 liters of water and a flask of Hammer Gel in the pocket of my shorts. I had wanted to do my first run of 20 miles. It was just too humid. The weight of the hydration pack on my back slowed me down to between 8:30 and 9:00 pace at the start. I just didn't have it. I let fear, pain and self-doubt creep into my head. The heat and humidity just got to me. I like to think that miles 8 and 9 were OK but my pace says otherwise. My splits were: 8:41, 8:30, 8:29, 8:34, 8:54, 8:44, 8:44, 9:50, 8:55, 8:49, 9:16, 9:38, 9:49, 8:53, 9:35, 10:18, and 9:04 over the last 0.65 mile. I was absolutely dripping and beat down when I got down. Three things ... I definitely started too late. I definitely don't like wearing my hydration pack and I need new running shoes. My Asics GT-1000s have a bit over 500 miles on them. I think it's time to start scoping out running shoes deals on shoekicker.com, roadrunnersports.com and 6pm.com. Plus I need another 26 ounce bottle of Hammer Gel from hammernutrition.com.
I could barely walk all day. Luckily, Syfy.com was playing all the Sharknado movies in order. I got in around the mid point of Sharknado 2 and watched them again. Ahh ... Fin, April, Nova, and Gemini!
