Sunday, September 6th to Saturday, September 12th

Sunday, September 6th to Saturday, September 12th

I ran 3 times this week, 11.5 miles

A road trip to Cleveland over the Labor Day weekend after Saturday's Summerfest 12K. Personally, my life is looking up!

Sun: 3.6 mile walk in Mill Creek Park in Cleveland OH, link here.

Mon: 3.7 miles, estimated 32:00, 8:26 pace, Garfield Park Reservation in Cleveland OH, link here, 75F, cloudy then a light mist, humid, numberous stops, no pain. A run with a beginning walker/runner who is just beginning their journey into a larger world.

Thu: 3.7 miles, 31:00, 8:22 pace, Fleet Feet Social run, 65F, sunny, calm, traffic stops, no pain. I ran with the leader, TJ. Very nice weather for a run! Everyone was talking around the Rochester Marathon ... I wish I was running it!

Fri: 4.1 miles, 31:51, 7:46 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 62F, cloudy, calm, 1 tiny walk in Cobbs Hill, no pain. I ended up 50 yards behind the lead runner. A sweet run, perfect weather!

Rant: It seems to me that the people who most need to take the stairs up or down are the ones who seem to take the elevator the most! Meanwhile, people who most need to walk more seem to all hunt for a close parking spot at the grocery store. Life is full of exercise opportunities if you just look for them. /rant

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 30th to Saturday, September 5th

Sunday, August 30th to Saturday, September 5th

I ran 5 times this week, 31.5 miles
Month of August: 117 miles, 18 days out of 31, 6.5 miles/run
2009 to date: 868.2 miles, 138 days out of 243, 6.3 miles/run

Sun: A busy day. I drove out to Newark to help cart my daughter and his stuff down to Houghton College. A long drive to and from. Made easier by good conversation on the way back.

Mon: 5.3 miles, 42:42, 8:04 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul up to Carter and back, 63F, sunny, calm as a bell, no stops, no pain. I escaped the couch tentacles that tried to snare me for a sweet run! Perfect temp & little humidity!

Tue: 4.7 miles, Fleet Feet speed workout, 65F, sunny, calm, low humidity, no stops, no pain. The workout was 8 repeats of 400m hard, 200m easy. I did number 6 pretty much with the hammer down since that was supposed to be the last one but I added two more on just for fun. I did two 600m laps of warmup and cooldown. A hard but sweet run, perfect temp and humidity!

Thu: 7.1 miles, 63:05, 8:53 pace, Seneca-Collingwood-left side Zoo trail and back, 72F, sunny, calm, little humidity, real easy, no pain. I fought off taking a nap and got out for my running fix! Laps were: 8:18, 8:18, 8:32, 10:05, 9:17, 9:14, 8:32.

Fri: 7 miles in 2 3.5 mile chunks, easy, 72F first time with 5 stops, 66F second time with 2 stops, no pain. I have a new auto mechanic that replaced my left wheel bearing after work. So I ran home after I dropped it off, he did the work, then I ran back to pick up the car after it was done. I can actually hear the radio now! Well ... I could before but the car does run a lot quieter. Now I need an exhaust pipe replaced ... but that will have to wait.

Sat: 12K, 62:52, 8:26 pace, Summerfest 12K, 70F, sunny, calm, numerous stops, no pain.

I just didn't have it today. I treated it like a trail race ... ran the flats and downhills, walked some of the uphills. It's all good ... lots of runners, your basic good Fleet Feet good time! I finished 66th out of 212, results here. I finished 5th out of 14 in my male 50-54 age group, link here.

At the start!

After a quick shower, I headed onward to Cleveland to visit a long lost, never forgotten and newly found friend, CJ, from college. Lots of great vibes! Never underestimate the power of Facebook to bring people together! Life is full of second chances!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 23rd to Saturday, August 29th

Sunday, August 23rd to Saturday, August 29th

I ran 4 times this week, 23.6 miles

Sun: Long drive to help cart my oldest son's stuff down to Ithaca College where he is finishing up his bachelor's in music theory and performance. Weird weather on the way back ... sun, clouds, sprinkles, rain, then repeat.

Tue: 3.65 miles, 28:36, 7:50 pace, Fleet Feet Speed workout, 76F, sunny, calm, dry, no stops, no pain. The workout this week was 5 repeats of 800m hard, 400m easy. My time is total so I was kind of quick on the hard I reckon. I did 3 laps for warmup, 1 lap for cool down for 5 total miles. A very sweet workout!

Wed: Gave blood for the 69th time. Pulse: 64, Blood pressure: 100/64. I really would liked to run tonight because the weather was excellent but I decided to err on the side of caution and rest.

Thu: 8.5 miles, 71:04, 8:22 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo Trail-Collingwood-Seneca run, 65F, sunny, calm, 3 tiny stops. Crap! I ran in my really old sneakers which hurt my feet! They look almost the same ... I noticed after about a half mile but I trudged on. Needed time to get those endorphins and to think.

Fri: 4.1 miles, 32:27, 7:55 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 65F, cloudy, calm, 2 walking stops, no pain. I ran a little hard but don't like to stop. I was really tired because I was up late the night before then couldn't get to sleep. No complaints though. I operated all day on 3.5 hours of sleep, 2 cups of coffee and a Diet Coke. I had to keep moving or fall asleep. Afterward I had to go down to a pet store at Marketplace Mall to get some water conditioner for my daughter's fish. She loves all animals but she draws the line at insects.

Sat: 6 miles, 51:24, 8:34, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-Pond-St Paul-Ridge run, 67F, light rain, calm, numerous stops, no pain. I started out in a light mist which developed in a steady light rain. I took out my shirt so I didn't get nip burn. I was drenched when I got back but happy that I went out ... as always. I just took what my body gave me and ran with it. I may not be the fastest or slowest ... but I am out there. Anyone who is out there is OK in my book. Exercise helps keep me young ... though sometimes my body disagrees.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 16th to Saturday, August 22th

Sunday, August 16th to Saturday, August 22th

I ran 5 times this week, 32.4 miles

Sun: 8.5 miles, unknown time or pace, 82F, sunny, hot, hazy and humid, multiple stops, no pain. I ran with BD today for the first time. We ran on the Zoo trail up to the Rourke Bridge then crossed to the other side, ran down the River Trail, crossed back at the pedestrian bridge. I ran pretty well until Lake Ave but after that, I was pooped! The humidity was oppressive!

Mon: Still hot ... 91F, hot, hazy and humid! Rest day ... watched World's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed! It's kind of interesting how the masked magician does it!

Tue: 4.5 miles, 35:26, 7:52 pace, Fleet Feet speed run, sunny, a bit humid, no pain. The workout was 8 laps of the 600m loop, 400m hard with 200m recovery. I did 3 laps before and 1 lap afterward.

Wed: 6 miles, 55:12, pace, Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap #5, 75F, sunny, calm, not so humid, nice and easy, walked some hills, no pain, no worries.

This Dirt Cheap edition was in Webster Park. I ran easy, allowed people to pass when they were breathing down my neck. I got some cuts from all the pricker branches that covered the trail. I finished 96th out of 187, link here; 7th out of 10 in my age group, link here.

Just before the finish!
Fri: 4.1 miles, 32:40, 7:58 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 76F, sunny, calm, very humid, 3 walking stops, no pain. Everyone was dripping wet when they finished. A passing rain shower provided some relief after the run. The resulting rainbow was nice.

Sat: 9.3 miles, 85:42, 9:13 pace, Zoo Trail up to Thomas Ave and back, 75F, sunny, humid, numerous stops, no pain. I got my butt out at 9:30AM. I have to admit that I do NOT like to run when it is humid ... I just wilt. Oh, I am OK for 3 miles or so but after that ... not so good. Well, at least I am out there running ... more than most people can say. I think I would be a good ultra runner ... as long as it wasn't too humid.

Seen on the road:
NY plate ... RUNNING26
VA plate of the Air & Space Museum with a SR-71 ... BK IN BLK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sr-71
Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 9th to Saturday, August 15th

Sunday, August 9th to Saturday, August 15th

I ran 4 times this week, 29.5 miles

Sun: 13.6 miles, 143:42, 10:33 pace, Medved 'Dam' Good 22K Trail Run, 70F, cloudy, very humid, walked some hills, no pain. I finished in 2:23:42, 51st out of 102. I was 7th out of 12 in my 50-59 age group.

Just starting out
Somewhere in the middle
Gritting my teeth for the finish line!
The inaugural 'Dam' Good 22K Trail Run was nice, held on a twisty, technical trail with lots of roots, some mud and stream crossings down in Letchworth Park. Basically it was 7 miles out, 7 miles back, actually 22K, 13.6 or so miles by Garmin. On the way out there was a bit of fog in the woods! On the way back, the sun came out a bit and make it quite steamy. Luckily any rain held off until the run was over. I held my own, sucked it up after a couple of gels and fell in behind a guy for most of the way back. I ran through the mud on the way back ... just git 'er done! The course took a lot out of me but I had a good time. There was a lot of good homemade food (large cookies, bread, cupcakes) along with the usual pizza at the end to refuel on afterward. I won a door prize ... I chose a winter hat. All in all, a nice inaugural event and a nice way to spend a Sunday morning.

Tue: 6.2 miles, 53:27, 8:37 pace, Fleet Feet speed workout course - 16 loops, 76F, sunny, calm, humid, real easy, no pain. Almost everyone else did the Cobbs Hill run. Another guy and I did the speed loop. I don't think I could have handled the hills.

I ran well for 2 miles, then developed a stitch in my right side after I stopped for a water break. I couldn't get going again for a bit. Then I ran straight like a clock until I stopped: 8:18, 8:15, 10:36, 8:18, 8:21, 8:06 pace. I tried out a pair of Spenco PolySorb Cross Trainer Replacement Insoles in my running shoes. Cushion ... what a concept! I think I will buy a pair for my trail shoes!

Thu: 5.5 miles, 45:03, 8:11 pace, Fleet Feet Social run, 80F, sunny, calm, humid, a bit hard, 2 stops, no pain. There was a new route. I ran with a guy who pushed me a bit faster than I wanted to go. We got a bit lost in Corn Hill but made it back. I was social at the Social afterward. Quite an interesting supper: skinny chicken wings, cucumber and celery washed down with 2 Coronas. Then 3 cookies along with chocolate marshmallow ice cream and chocolate syrup. A balanced diet? Perhaps not!


Fri: 4.2 miles, 35:22, 8:25 pace, FF Happy Hour run, 82F, sunny, calm, humid, nice and easy, 2 walking stops, no pain. It was quite humid so I took it easy, no pressure.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 2nd to Saturday, August 8th

Sunday, August 2nd to Saturday, August 8th

I ran 4 times this week, 25.8 miles

Mon: 6 miles, 49:42, 8:17 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-pond-St Paul-Ridge run, 78F, sunny, a bit windy, not so humid, 2 water stops, no pain. Just your average run out to the zoo and around the pond. A busy night ... signed up for the 'Dam' Good Trail run, www.traillesstravelled.com, in Letchworth on Sunday, paid my rent, got a haircut.

Tue: 6.4 miles, 57:27, 8:59 pace, Fleet Feet Speed workout, 82F, sunny, humid, a bit windy, multiple stops, no pain. We went up to Cobb's Hill for this workout. I did 3 Y's. It was hot and humid ... the wind was very welcome! A very sweaty, slow workout!

Wed: Rest day. Didn't sleep well, kind of grouchy.

Thu: 9.3 miles, 79:17 total, 8:31 pace, Seneca-Collingwood-Zoo Trail (RR with some trail out to Rourke Bridge back on RR)-Collingwood-Seneca. Out: 4.6 in 38:10, 8:18 pace, 2:30 water break, Back: 4.7 miles in 41:07, 8:45 pace with 2 water stops. 72F, sunny, calm, a little humid, no pain though my IT Band wraps did slip down onto my knees. I escaped the couch and got out for a run! Sweet!

Fri: 4.1 miles, 31:54, 7:48 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 72F, sunny, calm, a little hard, 1 big stop for traffic, no pain. I found a couple of guys who almost run my pace, who can push me if I slack. A beautiful night for a run!

Sat: Rest day before the 'Dam' Good Trail run, www.traillesstravelled.com on Sunday. I picked up my goodie bag from MedVed. It had a cotton T-shirt, a small water bottle, my tag, the current issue of Trail Runner, a coupon for RoadID and a flyer for the Oak Tree Half Marathon on Labor Day weekend.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 26th to Saturday, August 1st

Sunday, July 26th to Saturday, August 1st

I ran 4 times this week, 23 miles
Month of July: 110.5 miles, 19 out of 31 days, 5.8 miles/run
2009 to the end of July: 751.2 miles, 120 out of 212 days, 6.3 miles/run

Mon: 6.9 miles, 60:14, , Seneca-Collingwood-Zoo Trail run, 75F, sunny, a little windy and humid, 3 stops, no pain. A tale of two run like usual. 3.4 miles out in 28:40, 8:26 pace, 2 min walking water stop, 3.5 miles back in 29:34, 8:27 pace.

Tue: 5.6 miles, 49:24, 8:49 pace, Fleet Feet Speed workout, 82F, sunny, humid, lots of stops, no pain. The speed workout was 2 loops of 400/200, 800/400, 1200/600 (m hard/m easy) with 3 loops of 600m warmup. I think I did the warmup too fast because I had a stitch in my side whenever I tried to run more than 200m until the 600m of the 1st loop. Or it could have getting been getting used to the heat and humidity. I ran the 2nd loop of the entire set much faster than the first. A Chocolate Lover's Sundae at Abbott's afterward was well earned!

Thu: 6.4 miles, 60:06, 9:23 pace, Medved Seneca Park run up to the Rourke Bridge, 75F, sunny, humid, multiple stops, no pain. A group run with stops every mile or so. Went off with 2 other guys to the Rourke Bridge. On the way back some bee get stuck up in my sock and shoe. It bit me ... it hurt like the devil! It didn't swell up though.

Fri: 4.1 miles, 32:26, 7:55 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 75F, sunny, a bit humid, easy, 3 stops, no pain. A bit too humid for my taste. When I took off my right shoe I found that I had a bloody sock ... kind of gross! I guess I should have trimmed my toenails this morning!

Sat: I thought about running the Phelps 20K but ... been there, done that, twice. I know about the hills at miles 5 and 6, the mostly no shade route. I am thinking about the Letchworth trail half marathon next weekend, www.traillesstravelled.com.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 19th to Saturday, July 25th

Sunday, July 19th to Saturday, July 25th

I ran 4 times this week, 23.3 miles

Sun & Mon: Rest days. The passion of real life sometimes gets in the way of running.

Tue: Two runs out at the called off Fleet Feet speed workout.
2.7 miles (7 laps of 600m), 21:13, 7:52 pace, 65F, mist to heavy rain with lightning, easy, no stops, no pain. I went back to FleetFeet when I was drenched. My trail shoes were like boats!
3.7 miles (9 laps of 600m), 30:00, 8:06 pace, 65F, after the storm, real easy to a little hard, no stops, no pain. I changed into another shirt and shoes and went back out. After I warmed up, I ran harder. The last full mile was 7:41 pace.

Wed: 6 miles, 49:32, 8:15 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul up to Carter-Ridge, 68F, cloudy, humid, real easy, no stops, no pain. I fought off the couch and got out for a run.

Fri: 4.1 miles, 31:52, 7:46 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 68F, cloudy, humid, easy to a bit hard, no stops at all, no pain. I started out a bit slow, then kept the hammer down about half way the whole way.

Sat: 6.8 miles, 62:01 min, 9:07 pace, Seneca-Collinwood-Zoo Trail-Collinwood-Seneca run, 72F, sunny, humid, some stops, no pain. Really a tale of two runs. First was down the Zoo trail on the railroad tracks, 3.3 miles in 28:38, 8:41 pace. I took a 2 minute water break, then headed back taking the trail instead of the railroad tracks, 33:23, 9:32 pace. I took 3 walking water stops. I was dripping wet when I got back. A nice run with some nice mud.

The weather was the story later in the day. Two tornados hit in the afternoon. One in Corfu near Darien Lake. The other in Hilton. My youngest son was at Darien Lake and took a cell phone picture of the tornado.

Links from 13Wham.com here, whec.com here, rochesterhomepage.net here and here.

Update: There were 2 more tornados on Sunday in Cattaraugus County in the Southern Tier according to rnews.com, link here.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 12th to Saturday, July 18th

Sunday, July 12th to Saturday, July 18th

I ran 4 times this week, 24.1 miles

Sun: 9.4 miles, 77:54, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-the lake-St Paul-Ridge run, 72F, sunny, a bit windy, some stops, no pain. I ran easy all the way to just before the lake, 4.4 miles, 35:28, 8:04 pace. I took a long walking break to take a Gu and look out onto Lake Ontario. I ran real easy 5 miles back, 42:46, 8:28 pace. I thought about all the partiers ... err, runners who ran the Boilermaker in Utica. Maybe next year.

Tue: 6 miles, 48:05, 8:01 pace, Fleet Feet Speed workout, 70F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain. 3 600m warmup loops, 10 loops of 400m hard and 200m easy, then 3 600m cooldown loops. Sweet!

Wed: 4.5 miles, 40:12, 8:56 pace, Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap #4, 72F, cloudy, calm, some walking on the hills, no pain. Dirt Cheap #4 was out at Mendon Ponds. We ran out of the Devil's Bathtub in time trail fashion going down the steps first this time. The creek was mostly mud but still deep in spots ... trust me, I did find some mud! I finished 113th out of 211, results here. I finished 8th out of 11 in my age group, results here. The usual great race put on by Fleet Feet.

Thu: Rest day. My car is having issues ... the worst one is that the transmission is shifting really bad between gears. I have talked with my brother, Don. He said to add transmission seal conditioner. He told me what to do, where to look and how to do it over the phone. I waited 3 hours until the engine was cool and added 16 oz plus I changed my oil while I was at it. When I took the used oil back to Pep Boys I noticed a vast improvement in the shifting. Don said the real test will be tomorrow morning when it is cold. A big thank you to Don ... who has all the car skills in the family! I change my own oil every 3000 miles ... that's about it!

Fri: 4.2 miles, 32:36, 7:46 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 67F, cloudy, calm, a little humid, 1 long traffic stop, 1 walking stop, no pain. I ran a fast 7:06 1st mile, then had to wait at least 30 seconds to cross Highland, 8:34 2nd mile, 8:08 4rd mile, 7:49 4th mile. A nice, fast, sweet run!

I saw a great bumper sticker ... Run Easy is an Oxymoron. I want one!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 6th to Saturday, July 11th

Sunday, July 5th to Saturday, July 11th

I ran 4 times this week, 23.9 miles

Sun: 8.6 miles, 79:00, 9:11 pace, Seneca-Collinwood-Zoo Trail-St Paul-Ridge run, 70F, sunny, calm, not humid, multiple stops, no pain. I felt very sluggish, no energy. It was the third running day in a row.

Mon: Rest day. Watched Star Wars III - Revenge of the Sith on DVD.

Tue: 5.2 miles, Fleet Feet Speed Workout, 65F, sunny, calm, no pain. I ran 1200m warmup, then 3 loops of 1200m hard, 600m easy ... plus 3 more 600m easy. A lot harder than it sounds. My first speed workout.

Wed: Rest day. Vacuumed out my car ... which is a production when you live in an apartment involving parking close, an extension cord and lugging the vacuum, etc. Been on a bit of a Star Wars kick lately. Watched Star Wars IV, A New Hope on VHS. Let's show some love for good old VHS tapes!

Thu: 6 miles, 8:00 pace, Fleet Feet Social Run, 75F, sunny, calm, no stops (except for traffic), no pain. No one was with my pace but I was social afterward. Had some fun.

Fri: 4.1 miles, 8:15-ish pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 80F, sunny, calm, a bit humid, multiple walking water stops, no pain. A night of firsts ... a pedicure and ice cream at Abbott's. Watched Star Wars V - The Empire Strikes Back on VHS.

Sat: Rest day. Went down to Marion to surprise my Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Bud with a visit from the DeWeaver clan (my brother and sister too). Then off to put an urn on my mother's grave, see my kids and see my father at the nursing home. Watched Star Wars VI - The Rise of the Jedi on VHS ... though I did watch some of it with my eyes closed.

Congratulations to Fleet Feet for their 5th anniversary!

Keeping active, Doug