Sunday, 5/15/11 to Saturday, 5/21/11

I ran 3 times this week, 18.4 miles.

Sun, 5/15/11: Rest day.

A totally cool, damp and dreary day. A light mist fell practically the whole day. I went out to get the Sunday paper and a couple apple cinnamon donuts from Dunkin Donuts. Will it ever dry out for the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon in 2 weeks? Every time I got up during the day it was ... raining a light mist! When I thought it stopped ... it had changed to a real fine light mist!

I got some stuff done ... I put down a blue liner in the kitchen utensil drawer, some general organizing and took out the trash. I also signed up for the upcoming Appleblossom 10K and Lilac Festival 10K next week and Newark's Running for the Red 5K in June before settling in to watch the NBA playoffs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies by 15 in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Western Conference Finals to meet the well rested Dallas Mavericks, link here. The Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls by 21 to win Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, link here. Chicago was ahead by 1 with about 7 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

Mon, 5/16/11: Another rest day.

I think this is warranted. I looked ahead and realized that I have the usual Tuesday night Cobbs Hill run, Dirt Cheap #3 out in Webster on Wednesday, the Williamson 10K on Friday and the Lilac 10K on Sunday. So I will get my miles in.

I ordered some stuff from Roadrunnersports.com: an olive Runningfunky running gaiter, a 2nd Surge Ultra Energy Gel 8 pk in Chocolate, a Roctane 6pk in Vanilla Orange and and First Endurance EFS Orange Splash Drink Mix for Sehgahunda. I plan on doing one of each gel at check point. Also I plan on drinking 2 10 oz bottles of the EFS before check point #3, then refilling each bottle there with a big bottle stashed in the drop bag. That should give me enough fuel to get me through. I have to remember to make myself take time to keep my body fueled. I will be consuming at least 26 x 125 or 3250 calories during the race.




Tue, 5/17/11: 6.7 miles, 52: 57, 7:54 pace, 48F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to the Zoo, 3 times around the pond

It actually stopped misting for a hour or so today. I did see a bit of dry parking lot when I was at work. It started misting again in the late afternoon. I absolutely needed to get in a run but I didn't really want to head down to Fleet Feet. So I headed out to the old standby, the Seneca Park Zoo. I was surprised that it actually was not raining! I ran nice and steady and did the usual 3 loops. It started misting again on the way back ... of course! But it was a great run regardless!

The wet weather is affecting a lot of things ... the Lilac Festival has been canceled the past three days, the first time ever. Tomorrow's Dirt Cheap #2 out in Webster should be especially muddy!

I missed most of Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Final between Dallas and Oklahoma City, link here. So I missed most of Dirk's out of body shooting, 12-15 FG, 24-24 FT, for 48 points. Anyway, Dallas won Game 1, 121-112.

Wed, 5/19/11: 5.5 miles, 49:53, 9:04 pace, 66F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

 before ...

CJ's ankle wasn't up to it so I headed solo over to Webster for Dirt Cheap #2. The course had lots of water, the 100 yard creek run in ankle deep (or more) water and lots of mud. I ran nice and steady, didn't walk any hills, a light mist even fell during the last part of the race. I ran well, 51st out of 252, results here. I finished 4th out of 21 in my age group.

after ...

I didn't watch any of Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Final between Miami and Chicago. Miami evened the series at 1-1, 85-75, link here. I went to bed early instead.

Thu, 5/20/11: Rest day.

A partly cloudy day, warmer than the past couple days, with ... wait for it ... a couple of showers during the day!

I didn't watch Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals between Oklahoma City - Dallas but I did take a look at NBA.com occasionally. Oklahoma City evened the series at 1-1, link here.

Fri, 5/20/11: 6.2 miles, 43:48, 7:05 pace, 70F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain, PR!



One good thing ... the weather broke! The sun actually came out in the afternoon and it will be a nice weekend! Yay!

The Appleblossom 5K and 10K start

CJ and I headed out to Williamson for the Appleblossom 10K. I really like this course ... flat (except for an occasional minor rise) and fast! I headed out fast like usual, 1st mile in 6:42 pace. I tried to concentrate on my form as much as I could ... stretching out, rolling through each stride, pumping my arms. I could tell that I was on a PR pace so I decided to just run as hard as I could. My pace was 7:09, 7:01, 7:08, 7:08 over miles 2, 3, 4 and 5. I held mile 6 at 7:11 and sprinted to the line at 6:30 pace. I came in under 44 minutes ... a lifetime PR by 16 seconds, baby! My 50-59 age group is tough! The winner was 50. I was 7th overall out of 56 but was 3rd in my age group in the next 6 runners. I did get a jar of jam though.

Chris W and I after the start

 Somewhere along Ridge Road

 The finish line

 7th overall, 3rd in my 50-59 age group

The bling ... finisher's medal and a jar of jam!

Sat: Rest day.

Just your basic run around day. I got my car inspected after a bit of work by my mechanic ... front pads, a bit of front end work, a rear spring, a rear strut and getting my emergency brake to work. My 99 Grand Am has 250K on it and does have warm up issues with its transmission and rust ... but at least it has working AC. Then CJ and I went to Medved to pick up my race packet for the Lilac 10k tomorrow and Fleet Feet to buy 3 tops for CJ. We carbo-loaded with some spaghetti and vegged out.

I didn't watch any of Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals between Dallas and Oklahoma City.Dallas hung on to win 93-87 after being up 35-12 early in the 2nd, link here.

Sunday, 5/8/11 to Saturday, 5/14/11

I ran 3 times this week, 24.65 miles.

Sun, 5/8/11: Rest day.

I wished my lovely girlfriend, CJ, a Happy Mother's Day with a hug and kiss along with coffee and a Dunkin Donuts apple cimmanon donut. Happy Mother's Day to all the other mothers who might read this blog!

Later, I watched Game 4 of the Lakers - Mavericks 2nd round series. What a waste of time ... it was like watching a train wreck! The games was tied in the 1st quarter, 19 all. Then the Mavs just pulled away as they hit 3 after 3. It was like the basket was a mile wide for the Mavs and the size of a pea for the Lakers. The Dallas bench practically outscored the entire Laker team, 81-86! The Mavs hit 20 3's (a NBA final record BTW) for heaven's sake! The Lakers lost 86-122, link here and here. Now the NBA playoff team in a 0-3 hole is 0-99 in a 7 game series. It was completely predictable that the Lakers would be swept in a blowout ... it is in their nature. The 4th quarter cheap shots by Odum and especially Bynum were just their excuse to get tossed and avoid being around for the finale.

What a way for Phil Jackson to go out, 11 NBA titles in 20 years as a head coach, 5 Lakers titles in 7 trips to the NBA Finals, 1155 regular season victories ... his first time being swept in a 7 game series, opinion links here, here and here. I almost feel relief. I will not feel obligied to watch them when they play home games in a series ... well, because they're done. Stick a fork in them ... that team will be redone in the off-season with a new coach. I love the Lakers but they did have their faults that the Mavs exploited and laid bare for the world to see.

I put on my chef hat and made supper with CJ's help from the couch. I made pork chops, baked potatoes and green beans. They turned out pretty well!

CJ and I watched a Netflix movie that had been gathering moss in our Inbox. We took the time to watch Pride and Prejudice with Matthew Macfadyen and Keira Knightley. A very well done chick flick.

Later around midnight, I found that there is a very good reason that you do NOT pick up a plastic coffee jug by its cover ... the predictable happened especially since the coffee was on top of the refrigerator. A really big mess ensued that my darling CJ cleaned up ... bless her heart. I really should get to bed earlier.

Mon, 5/9/11: Another rest day.

I was kind of tired so I just puttered around with my laptops and converted a couple of albums to MP3: Deep Purple's Machine Head and The Cars Shake It Up. As usual, CJ and I did not make it to bed early.

Oh, the NBA playoffs continue. Miami beat Boston in OT to go up 3-1, link here. Later, Oklahoma City beat Memphis in 3OT to go 2-2, link here.

Tue, 5/10/11: 8.7 miles, 1:11:29, 8:14 pace, 60F, cloudy, calm, no stops, hip pain after loop 4.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, long way to & from, 4 loops.

I oddly procrastinated before heading down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I decided to take the long way to and from along with 4 loops. I felt pain in my right hip so I dialed back my effort and headed back. As I did so, the pain got worse and spread to my left hip. It got pretty intense before I got to my car. I think it's because I have not been wearing my IT bands that I have worn until recently ... at least I hope so.

Wed, 5/11/11: Rest day.

The NBA playoffs continued. Miami closed out Boston, 4-1, by the score 98-87, link here. Boston was up 6 with 4:28 to go, Miami scored the last 16 with the final 10 by Lebron. Oklahoma City walloped Memphis, 99-72, to go up 3-2.

Thu, 5/12/11: 9.7 miles, 1:19:03, 8:09 pace, 70F, cloudy, calm, 1 stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to the lake and back

I needed to run farther than just a 5 mile Remington's Run so I headed to the lake to dip my toes. I ran 4.82 miles up at 7:53 pace and 4.88 miles back at 8:25 pace.

The NBA playoffs continued. Chicago closed out Atlanta, 4-2, by the score 93-73, link here. The Eastern Conference Finals are set, Miami against Chicago.

Blogger was down for about a day ... so I may have forgotten some stuff.

Fri, 5/13/11: Rest day.

I wanted to run but got home late. I went out to the local Wal-Mart and got 2 shower rods. I put the first up after reading the instructions with a bit of a ... struggle. The second one went up easily. We use them in the entrance hallway and bathroom/bedroom hallway to hang clothes ... OK, mostly running clothes.

The NBA playoffs continued. Memphis pushed Oklahoma City to a Game 7 by the score 95-83, link here.

Sat, 5/14/11: 6.25 miles, 66F, Houghton College, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Houghton College, 2 x 1 mile repeat, 4 x 0.5 mile hill repeat
Garmin Connect Activity for Houghton College, 2 x 1 mile repeat

I took my daughter down to Houghton College so she could watch their graduation, to say good bye to some friends and to pick up the rest of her stuff from her townhouse. We walked up to the campus in a light rain which stopped very shortly. She went off to where she could watch the graduation, I went off to their track to get in a run. I changed underneath the bleachers and then made up a workout on the fly. I did a 2 x 1 mile repeat at 8:38 and 7:55 pace, then a 4 x hill repeat of about 0.5 mile each, then ended with another 2 x 1 mile repeat of 8:30 and 8:18 pace. I was dripping wet when I got done since it was so humid. I got back up to the college just as the graduation got finished. We hung around a bit, caught a bit of brunch and headed back. A nice, long drive with my daughter ... we caught up on stuff.

Monday, 5/2/11 to Saturday, 5/7/11

I ran 3 times during this 6 days, 25.2 miles.

Mon, 5/2/11: Rest day.

A totally deserved rest day ensued after yesterday's Flower City Half. I went to work ... my thigh muscles hurt when I went down stairs for some reason. But it felt good!

I stayed up late to watch Game 1 of the second round series between the Lakers and the Mavericks. There were two major streaks in the game, a 20-2 streak by the Lakers followed by a 20-6 streak by the Mavericks. After that, it was a battle in the 4th quarter. I felt that Jackson stayed with his 2nd unit too long in the 4th followed by some late questionable calls. But Kobe's 3 at the end looked good ... too long. The Lakers lost 94-96, link here, to fall 0-1.

Tue, 5/3/11: 5.2 miles, 42:31, 8:11 pace, 46F, light rain, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 loop CW

Yes, I was tired. Yes, it was raining. But we do stuff. So CJ and I headed down to our home away from home, Fleet Feet, for our usual Cobbs Hill run. I took it real nice and easy up to Cobbs Hill, then around the reservoir 3 times clockwise, then a bit fast back. I did loosen up after a loop or two. CJ walked up to the corner of Monroe and Highland, 2.9 miles. Yes, we were both dripping when we were done. Yes, others might consider running or walking in the rain not too bright. And yes, so did I years ago before I took up running. But it did feel good to be out and alive!

Afterward, I satisfied my craving for pizza and potato chips! Yummy!

Wed, 5/4/11: 10 miles, 1:37:13, 9:43 pace, 46F, light sprinkle, some walks, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Ponds Park, Green Trail x 2

My new Salamon XT Wings 2 trail shoes needed to be broken in ... Mendon Ponds Park was the perfect place. Of course, when I drove down there ... wait for it ... it started to sprinkle. Perfect! I ran the Green Trail clockwise, 4.55 miles. I then tried to run counterclockwise ... but somehow got turned around after a couple miles and ended coming back the same way to where I started. Oh, well, it ended to be 10 miles so it's all good! It was starting to get dark and the deer were coming out when I left.

I stayed up late to watch Game 2 of the second round series between the Lakers and the Mavericks ... what a total downer of a game if you root for the Lakers! They couldn't hit a 3 until it didn't matter, going 2-20. They couldn't hit a FT, going 11-20. They couldn't play defense in the 4th quarter. They lost 81-93, link here, to fall behind 0-2.

Thu, 5/5/11: A totally deserved rest day.

I have run a lot lately plus not enough sleep.

Fri, 5/6/11: Another rest day.

I thought about going for a walk but didn't. I tried to stay up to watch Game 3 of the Lakers - Mavericks series. I almost glad I fell asleep ... according to the link here, the Lakers blew a 7 point lead with 5:05 left in the 4th to lose 92-98 and fall into a 0-3 hole that no NBA team had ever climbed out of in a 7 game series, 0-98.

Sat, 5/7/11: 10 miles, 2:06:06, 60F, sunny at times, no pain.


CJ and I headed down to one of our homes away from home, Letchworth State Park. We slept in a bit so we didn't get down there until around 11:30AM. I started up at Check Point (CP) #3. My plan was to run down to the Parade Grounds. The terrain was quite muddy in spots along with lots of roots and rocks right from CP #3 all the way until about 3 miles from the end. Other Fleet Feet runners were down in the area running from CP #6 to the Parade Grounds. In fact, when I was heading from CP #5 to CP #6 I collected up a fellow who got lost and got him back up to CP #6. He didn't know that blue blazes signify CP paths. He had been running on the trail for 3 hours before I found him.

While I was making my way down to the Parade Ground, CJ was walking 3.1 miles. I passed her on my way to the end. Then I ran back to her and walked back to the car with her.

I have run the entire Sehgahunda Trail Marathon course now. I can honestly say that the only section that you can ease up a bit on is the final 3 miles. Other than that you totally have to keep up your concentration on the trail.

We drove over to the Upper Falls and wanted to walk down to see them but didn't get far. CJ's left ankle gave way without warning about 100 feet from the car. She fell in a heap. She fainted once or twice before I got her into the car. We drove back up to Rochester. We stopped by an Urgent Care center in Pittsford where she got a speedy X-Ray. She has a sprained left ankle. According to CJ, this is 3rd time in 10 years that she has sprained her left ankle. Luckily she already has crutches and a walking boot. All she ready needed was some ice, an Ace bandage and the walking boot.

Since CJ was injured and sent to the couch with her foot up, I resorted to getting supper the Wegmans way ... rotissorie chicken, potato salad and mozzarella sticks. Pretty tasty!

Flower City Half - Sunday, 5/1/11

Sun, 5/1/11: 13.1 miles, 1:40:18, 7:39 pace, 50F, cloudy, calm, ran hard as I could, some walks, no pain.

CJ and I made it down to the Blue Cross Arena around 6:40AM ... plenty of time. I had contemplated wearing my Camelbak so I could have lots of water but I decided against it after lugging it there. I did put on my arm warmers, black ss tech shirt, racing singlet, light gloves and compression shorts. I definitely made sure that I put on BodyGlide ... enough said!

The Fleet Feet Racing team ... smiling before the race!

I went back to the car to ditch the Camelbak, could have done the same with the arm warmers.

Bill, Sean and I shoot the breeze before the race.

Flower City Half Marathon Start video from YouTube. I'm at 6:20.

I just stretched a bit and had a Gu before the start. The start was fast, first mile was 7:05, second mile was 7:00. I ran hard yet easy and the early miles passed; mile 3 in 7:15, mile 4 in 7:06, mile 5 in 7:19. I had another Gu at mile 5.5; mile 6 in 7:46. Then I started the climb up to Highland Park; mile 7 in 7:55. This is where I started to have trouble. My tank of energy was definitely below 1/4. I was still running under 8 min miles but I struggled. The hills in Highland Park and the early part of the Mt Hope Cemetery were not runner friendly for sure; mile 8 in 7:57. The two miles before I emerged from the cemetery were long; mile 9 in 7:32. Seeing the Mile 10 marker (in 7:59) just as I exited was a welcome sight ... only 3.1 more to go! I had my last Gu around mile 11 (in 7:39). I started to slow in Genesee Valley Park ... runners started to pass me. The 1:40 pace group passed me just before mile 12 (in 8:21), then the Ford St bridge. The gentle curve up to the bridge was much steeper because I was exhausted. I knew I only had a mile to go and that I was on a PR pace. I got back to running on the bridge and simply gutted it out to the finish. It was a l_o_n_g mile, mile 13 in 7:57, I could see the finish line! I didn't have anything left to sprint to the line ... I just grimaced and ran as fast as I could, last 0.1 mile in 6:50. CJ was in the finish chute taking pictures and put my finisher medal over my head.

Heather finishing in 1:37:06, a PR!

 I am almost to the finish line ...

 Nipped at the line! 1:40:18! A 6:25 PR!

Katie finishing in 1:40:29.

Robie finishing in 1:40:52

Hydrating post race.

My lovely CJ did the 5K that started 20 minutes after I started off and set a PR of her own! She walked with a few runs and finished in 52:19, 16:53 pace, 844th out of 895, link here. She finished 54th out of 61 in her age group, link here. Way to go!

After a bit of walking and downing some water, CJ and I headed into the Blue Cross Arena for some well deserved chow. The usual fare was there ... bagels, banannas, apples, cookies, pretzels, peanut butter, water and MVP energy drink from Wegmans. A welcome addition was some tasty pizza from Naked Pizza. CJ and I each had several pieces besides taking their snazzy free water bottles. I saw some other racing buddies and enjoyed catching up on their racing stories. A runner said that perhaps I should try negative split running where you start slower and finish faster. That would be very tough for me because adrenaline usually rockets me out with the faster runners. Maybe I could make it work with some effort but I would definitely have to practice on runs and races.

All in all, I did pretty well. I ran the race I set out to run except for the struggles in the latter stages. Perhaps I could have ran better but I did set a 6:25 minute PR. I finished 193rd out of 1839, link here. I finished 11th out of 97 in my age group, link here.

Here are some DemocratandChronicle.com articles about the Flower City Challenge: Flower City Challenge exceeding expectations, Rochester: Get into the running,
Flower City supports runners in Sunday's race and Flower City Half Marathon victory special for Andrews.

The swag!

Later, CJ and I lazed around ... not wanting to move. We watched the NBA playoffs, second round, both were game 1. Memphis surprised Oklahoma and Miami beat Boston. CJ made up some ribs and salad for supper ... yummy! CJ also uploaded the 280 pics that she took during the day ... which took the rest of the day. We went to bed early and didn't have any trouble falling asleep!

Sunday, 4/24/11 to Saturday, 4/30/11

I ran 3 times this week, 15.4 miles.
Month of April: 97.15 miles, 15 runs out of 30 days, 6.5 miles/run.

Sun, 4/24/11: Rest day.

CJ and I had a nice, relaxing breakfast and then headed out to Ravenna OH in a light mist. We had a nice Easter dinner with her father and her family. Then we headed back to Rochester.

We got back just in time so I could watch Game 4 of the Lakers - Hornets first round series. The Lakers lost 85-88, link here, to fall to 2-2.

Mon, 4/25/11: Another rest day.

I felt a bit of twinge in my right hamstring so I decided to rest. Plus it was raining ... like it has been for most of the month of April.

So I found enough of my tools to put up a spice rack for CJ ... like I had promised her several weeks ago.

Tue, 4/26/11: 6.7 miles, 50:12, 7:30 pace, 66F, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 5 loops

CJ is battling a sinus infection so I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I mixed it up a bit by doing 1 loop counterclockwise and then 4 loops clockwise. Going up clockwise is easier because it's a shorter but steeper grade. Then I picked up my packet for the Flower City Half and CJ's packet for the Flower City 5K. CJ had a nice pasta supper ready when I got home ... thank you, honey!

I saw an interesting Grand Am on the way ... purple with a Knighthawks.net logo, LAXCRAZY license plates and a Eat, Sleep, Breathe Lacrosse license plate holder. Nice!

I stayed up late (except for a micronap around 11PM) to watch Game 5 of the Lakers - Hornets first round series. The dunks by Kobe in quarters 2 and 3 were worth staying up for, link here and here. The Lakers won 106-90 to go up 3-2. Perhaps this is what the Lakers need to wake and take charge of their playoff run. The closeout game 6 is on Thursday night. I think I may be tired on Friday morning.

Wed, 4/27/11: Rest day.

It was a very warm day ... around 80F. Around supper time, a line of thunderstorms moved in with high winds and heavy rain. Just enough to push Rochester into the rainiest April on record with 5.81 inches of rain.

Later, I watched a bit of the NBA games. Miami and Oklahoma advanced past Philadelphia and Denver, respectively, joining Boston. Meanwhile, San Antonio needed a 3 at the buzzer to get into OT and then beat Memphis, link here. San Antonio is still down 2-3 and going back to Memphis for Game 6.

Thu, 4/28/11: Another rest day.

I tried to taper for the Flower City Half. Over 2000 are signed up for the Half and over 800 for the 5K. CJ and I headed out to Value City Furniture to look at reclining couches. We found a nice leather one we liked but still need to comparison shop. The various warranties, delivery and tax really pump up the price plus we need to get the old couch out before anyone delivers.

Lots went on in the NBA ... Atlanta, Dallas and the LA Lakers advanced to the second round. LA Lakers finished off the New Orleans Hornet in dominant fashion, 98-80, link here. The Lakers will face the Dallas Mavericks in the second round with Game 1 in LA on Monday night.

Fri, 4/29/11: 6.6 miles, 50:20, 7:38 pace, 44F, cloudy, a bit windy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Backward Happy Hour run, 3 loops

I needed a final tune up run before the Flower City Half so I headed down to Fleet Feet. I wanted to buy the FF Racing arm warmers. I had the idea of runing while I was wearing everything that I would wear on Sunday. So I put on my Brooks hat, black ss tech shirt, arm wears, FF Racing singlet, Brooks compression shorts along with my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10s. Yes ... almost everything I run in was purchased at Fleet Feet. Anyway, I went out and ran. I felt pretty good ... I tried to run soft on my feet, stretch out and pump my arms. I don't know how to run slow but I did run easy. I anticipate good things on Sunday!

Oh, West #8 seed, Memphis, closed out the West #1 seed, San Antonio, in 6 games. So the second round of the NBA playoffs are set.

Double Oh, I do order most of my running stuff from Fleet Feet. But I couldn't pass up a deal from Endless.com. I scored a pair of Salamon XT Wings 2 in black/bright red for $50 off. I got them the Fedex next day for free. I felt bad but ... I needed new trail shoes for the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon on May 28th. Now to break them in.

Triple Oh, I fixed my old electric razor ... a Remington MX2 370. One of the foil heads had a hole which definitely wanted to nick me. They no longer stock the heads at Walmart but I was able to find them at Amazon.com. There were in bulk packaging with no instructions but I was able to figure out that all you needed to do was to push them out from the bottom and push them gently in from the top. So ... that saved buying a new electric razor.

Sat, 4/30/11: 2.1 miles, sunny, calm, nice and easy, some walks, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Newark HS Track

After a nice restful morning I headed out to Newark to get my father's mail and out to the Wayne County Nursing Home to see my father. He was happy to see me. He is really hard to understand. I told me about my running exploits and what has been going on lately. Then I went out to my ex's apartment to see my daughter and my youngest son. My youngest son and I headed out to the Newark high school track for our first run together. It was his first run for several months. We did one fast lap, a slower lap, a walking lap and then another lap. What happened next was probably due to the fact that he hadn't eaten anything all day ... enough said.

After I got back to Rochester, CJ cooked up an excellent and scrumptious roaster chicken with green beans and salad. The roaster chicken, which only takes 2 hours to cook, is such a great deal at Wegmans, just 88 cents a pound. The rotisserie chicken is conveniently priced at $4.99 but with 2 pounds, 2 ounces is not such a good $2.35 a pound ... convenience has its price.

CJ and I laid out our clothing and gear for tomorrow's Flower City Half. I do anticipate good things ... I have been running really well. CJ is a bit nervous ... she has not been walking too much lately due to some health issues.

Sunday, 4/17/11 to Saturday, 4/23/11

I ran 4 times this week, 21.6 miles.

Sun, 4/17/11: Rest day.

CJ and I rested and listened to the wind howl. Later, we saw flakes of wet snow during Game 1 of the Lakers - Hornets game. Someone should tell the Pau Gasol of the Lakers that the NBA Playoffs have started ... the Lakers lost 100-109, link here. Then I watched most of Game 1 of the Celtics - Knicks game. The Celtics escaped 87-85, link here. I also finished my 2007 amended tax return ... joy, joy.

Mon, 4/18/11: Rest day.

I really should have run but I will be running Cobbs Hill on Tuesday and Dirt Cheap #1 on Wednesday.

I set up my cell to text me the Boston Marathon results of three area runners; Heather (3:22:31), Katie (3:27:12) and Darlene (3:22:10). It was kind of cool ... maybe one of these days I will qualify to run Boston. Which reminds me ... I should really sign up for the Rochester Marathon in September. I think it's high time that I find out if I can go sub 4 hours.

I attempted to believe that it was actually spring ... kind of tough when there was a light wet snow falling most of the day! It left a sugar coating on the ground that was gone in the morning.

CJ and I watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I via Time Warner On-Demand. A dark and twisty movie to be sure!

Tue: 6.6 miles, 52:53, 8:01 pace, 44F, cloudy, calm, 1 traffic stop, a bit of lower ab pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 5 loops

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I ran easy at first, then a bit harder. I felt a bit of lower ab tightness after loop 4 so I dialed it back and just ran easy. CJ walked up to Cobbs Hill and walked 1/2 Y. CJ made a nice Gatorade recovery drink and then a nice pasta dinner for supper, sweet!

Wed, 4/20/11: 4.6 miles, 42:02, 9:08 pace, 42F, cloudy, windy, walked just a few hills, no pain.

CJ and I headed down to the Devil's Bathtub area of our home away from home, Mendon Ponds Park, for the first Dirt Cheap. The weather was a bit spring-like earlier in the early afternoon ... not so really by 6:30PM! The race started out kind of dry ... just your usual up and down. After a bit, we started to find a lot of deep mud. The mud was just as deep as Muddy Sneaker. I just kept on slogging and then finished up the infamous stairs back up to Devil's Bathtub.

I did pretty well. I finished 58th out of 243, link here. I was 3rd out of 22 in my age group, link here.

The Lakers won Game 2 of their first round series against the Hornets, 87-78, to pull even, link here.

Thu, 4/21/11: Rest day.

A non-running day ... lots of laundry got done.

Fri, 4/22/11: 4.1 miles, 29:45, 7:15 pace, 44F, cloudy, a bit windy on Monroe Ave, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run. I started out a bit slow but quickly picked up the pace. I was following Steve and Sarah. I caught them on Cobbs Hill Drive, then kept on pushing. My laps were 7:07, 7:26, 7:21 and 7:08. So I guess I just don't take it easy ... always pushing.

The Lakers won game 3 of their first round series against the Hornets, 100-86, to pull ahead 2-1, link here.

Sat: 6.3 miles, 47:19, 7:31 pace, 70F, cloudy, a bit windy in spots, 1 long stop for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Towpath Trail in Independence OH

CJ and I headed out to Cleveland for Easter after a nice lazy morning. The drive was a bit hot, noisy and stressful since the AC in CJ's car does not work. We got to the Crowne Plaza South in Independence OH around 5PM.

I immediately went out for a run. I drove over the nearby Canal Rd entrance to the Towpath Trail of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, link here. I headed out 3.1 miles in 23:42, 7:39 pace. I took a couple minute break for water. Then I headed back 3.2 miles in 23:37, 7:23 pace. I just kept bringing it ... running a bit hard, keeping an edge to the run.

After I took a quick shower, we had a nice late supper at Dimitri's Restaurant in nearby Parma. CJ gave this place a well deserved high recommendation. Excellent steak and baked potato!

Sunday, 4/10/11 to Saturday, 4/16/11

I ran 4 times this week, 35.65 miles.

Sun, 4/10/11: 11.75 miles, 2:18:25, 11:38 pace, 50F, cloudy, a bit windy up on the road, no pain.

The informal start ...

CJ and I headed down to one of our "home away from homes", Letchworth State Park, for Sehgahunda Practice Run #2. This run was from Check Point (CP) #1 to CP #3. I was a bit nervous about this run ... this is where I fell last year. I ran carefully ... there was a lot of rocks, roots, mud, slippery creek crossings to look out for. I had to remind myself to look up to check out the yellow blazes to figure out where the trail was going next. I remembered to take my Gu's and hydrate. I slipped awkwardly on a downhill once ... my right knee didn't like how I bent it when I slipped on some mud. I got to CP #3, 8.39 miles in 1:39. I had a choice ... either run back the way I came or run back on River Rd to CP #1 where our car was and call it a day. I chose to run back on River Rd. I figured that I was running the Muddy Sneaker 20K next Saturday ... no need to push it.

Afterward ... chilling, eating, waiting for CJ ...

When I got back to the car at CP #1, CJ wasn't there. I figured out from a couple pics on my cell that she had gone down the trail. I changed my clothes and had something to eat. She came back about 40 minutes later, happy that she had gotten muddy. She went all the way down to the yellow trail and then left for about 4 creek crossings before she headed back ... perhaps 2 miles of muddy fun!

We did a bit of grocery shopping at Aldi's in Henrietta on the way back, then settled down to watch the wild finish at the Masters, link here; while reading the Sunday paper.

Mon, 4/11/11: Rest day.

I definitely needed a rest day. My stomach was unsettled after supper ... I definitely did not feel my best. The weather was different for April ... it got up to 80F but was very windy, a 66 mph peak gust in Rochester.

Tue, 4/12/11: 6.5 miles, 51:30, 7:55 pace, 45F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hills run, 1 Y, 3 loops

The weather was really different when I woke up ... 42F. After work, CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I went out nice and easy. I decided to mix up a bit with 1 Y and 3 loops. CJ didn't have on her Nike+ but she went up to Highland Ave and back, about 2 miles.

Wed, 4/13/11: Rest day.

Just your average rest day. After an enjoyable pre-supper stretch, CJ made an excellent supper of roast chicken, green beans with a sweet potato ... scrumptious!

Thu, 4/14/11: 5 miles, 37:18, 7:28 pace, 50F, sunny, calm, a couple stops for traffic, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Remington's Run #1

CJ and I headed down to Remington's for the Thursday night Remington's Run. A big crowd turned out since Urban Fitness met there too. I found Steve J to run with who also ran my pace. The miles were covered quickly and easily, I was astonished at the pace when we got done ... sweet! CJ walked the 3 mile route and was sweating when she got done.

Fri, 4/15/11: Rest day.

A definite rest night since I was running Muddy Sneaker on Saturday.

Sat, 4/16/11: 12.4 miles, 2:15:01, 10:53 pace, 45F, cloudy, rainy, windy, no pain.

CJ and I woke up and made out way down to the High Tor Wilderness Area south of Canandaigua Lake (about a 70 minute drive) ... then up as we climbed up to the start area of the Muddy Sneaker 20K. It was a raw morning ... 45F (or less), cloudy, light mist to light rain and windy. I told CJ that trail runners are certifiably crazy ... she definitely agreed. 

The start ... note the muddy road ...

Before the start I was cold and wet. The start came at 9AM ... soon I was somewhat warmer, still wet and soon my feet were much wetter and muddier. After a start on the road, we soon made it to a couple miles of ankle deep (if not deeper) mud and streams along with roots and rocks. Then we went to miles of up and down double track ... easier but still challenging. Then a whole lot more slippery mud, roots and rocks ... scary going downhill or uphill when I was so tired. I reminded myself to make good decisions about my footing and not to take chances. More uphill and more downhill ensued ... a big stream crossing, then a long uphill climb along with a scenic waterfall sighting to the finish. I must say that Muddy Sneaker was the most challenging trail race that I have ever had the opportunity to run.

I grabbed some pizza and cookies along with a free tangerine sample of Vital Energy at the finish. I was wet, cold, exhausted and crabby by the time I got back to the car. CJ didn't make it out of the car after the start ... she was chilled to the bone. She did take some pics before and after the finish. I found some nice gifts in the goodie bag; a long sleeve Muddy Sneaker T-shirt and a pair of SmartWool trail socks that I immediately put on ... nice! Everyone got a Muddy Sneaker mason jar at the finish too.

I must say that I was utterly exhausted after the race ... an hour later I was still dragging. CJ says I need to Gu more. She is correct. I had only one along 2 cups of water and 6 cups of Gatorade during the race.

CJ drove home. We stopped by ... where else ... Fleet Feet so I could sign up for the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon and the Dirt Cheap Trail Series. This is probably TMI ... but my wet tech shirt left me with sore nipples, particularly the left. I really should put on BodyGlide before every race. I just didn't think of it when it was wet and rainy! I felt better after a nice, hot bath along with a nice lunch of salmon, rice and peas. The lovely CJ takes good care of me.

CJ says I looked even worse before I changed.

My Salamons and trail socks were totally drenched.

All in all ... Muddy Sneaker ... certainly lived up to its name! I finished 61st out of 136, link here. I was put in the wrong age group, but I did finish 13th out of 34 in the 50-59 age group, link here.

Sunday, 4/3/11 to Saturday, 4/9/11

I ran 3 times this week, 20.4 miles.

Sun, 4/3/11: 9.3 miles, 1:10:20, 7:34 pace, 45F, sunny, a bit of a chilly wind, 2 walks for water, some hamstring pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Spring Forward 15K (forgot to turn on for 0.8 miles)

CJ and I headed down to Mendon Ponds Park for the Spring Forward 15K and 2.5 mile fun run. We didn't get there as early as I would have liked but 22 minutes early is better than being late! I started out pretty hot. I could have sworn that I turned on my Garmin at the start but when I checked at 0.8 miles it was not. But I can see from the data that I was doing some pretty quick miles; 7:20, 7:04,  7:15, 7:11, 7:39, 7:51 ... the rolling hills of Mendon did take a toll plus my right hamstring felt a bit tight by mile 6; 8:26, 7:52. I took water and walked for 100 feet. I dialed back my pace and took water again at mile 7.5. We got back to the park at mile 8. I gutted it into the finish and tried to finish strong, 7:48.

Even with the hamstring pain I still PR'ed by 1:01 ... sweet! I finished 101st out of 514, link here. I was 11th out of 39 in my age group, link here.

CJ walked the 2.5 mile fun run in 42:59:59, link here. She is a trooper! She wasn't feeling her best but put one foot in front of the other!

Later, I headed out to my ex's apartment in Newark to upgrade their Trendnet G Wireless Router to a D-Link DIR-615 N Wireless Router. My kids were complaining about their download speeds of 1 Mbps. It didn't make any difference. I scratched my head and found that their cable modem was ancient ... it had a 10-BaseT connection! They will be calling Time Warner.

Afterward, I watched the Denver Nuggets end the LA Lakers 9 game winning streak, 90-95 , link here.

Mon, 4/4/11: Rest day.

I did my oldest son's and my taxes using TaxAct. Loads of fun (not so much) but still pretty cut and dried. I am getting a refund ... I needed to wait for a 1099. My refund has been accepted already. CJ and I will be getting a new leather reclining couch or loveseat soon!

Tue, 4/5/11: Another rest day.

I didn't sleep well last night ... so rather that going out and running 6 miles with a headache and what probably would be bad form I went to bed early. Eight hours of solid sleep is my goal! Tomorrow will be another running day!

Time Warner did get to my ex's apartment and replaced their ancient 10-BaseT cable modem ... their download speeds went from 1.4 to around 20 Mbps! They are quite pleased. Maybe I should try the same thing! My download speed is around 8 Mbps ... maybe a similar upgrade would help.

Wed, 4/6/11: 7 miles, 56:45, 8:07 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to Cooper Rd

I really needed to get out for a run. I finally got out around 7PM. I tried to strike mid-foot and went out nice and easy. The last time I ran I had some hamstring tightness but I didn't have any problems. All in all, a sweet run!

Oh, my Endurance Ultra bag from Endurancebags.com came. It's a nice bag with lots of pockets. It's nice to have my running stuff somewhat more organized.

Thu, 4/7/11: Rest day.

Fri, 4/8/11: 4.1 miles, 31:01, 7:34 pace, 48F, cloudy, calm, 2 stops for traffic, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for our usual Friday night Happy Hour run ... after all, what else would we do at 6PM on Friday night? The usual small crowd showed up. I headed out nice and easy ... then picked it up, 7:34 first mile. I slowed a bit to 7:41 on Cobbs Hill Drive, then 7:35 and finished with a 7:26 down Monroe Ave. I tried not to heel strike, reaching out with my stride ... it seems to working. CJ walked 2.36 miles. She said she had worked up a sweat by the time I saw her at N Winton and Monroe.

Sat, 4/9/11: Rest day.

After a nice, slow morning, I did get out and got some stuff done. I changed the oil in both cars, my 1999 Grand Am and CJ's 2000 Cavalier. I practically had to crawl under the Cavalier to find and change the oil filter but was successful. Then I found a hardware store that had the O ring that I needed to fix our Black and Decker blender ... I accidentally chopped up the original O ring when I put it back together incorrectly.

CJ cooked a nice pasta dinner in preparation for the Sehgahunda Practice Run #2 tomorrow morning at 9AM.

Sunday, 3/27/11 to Saturday, 4/2/11

I ran 4 times this week, 24.3 miles.
I ran 101.95 miles, 15 days out of 31 days, 6.8 miles/run in March.

Sun, 2/27/11: 5.6 miles, 1:17:34, 20F, sunny, calm in the woods, a bit of walking, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Sehgahunda Trail Marathon Practice Run #1 - I forgot to turn off my Garmin when I got done until I was almost back to the start.

CJ and I headed down to the Mount Morris Dam Visitor's Lodge for the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon Practice Run #1. Yes, it was cold ... but what better way to spend a Sunday morning? About 30 or so trail runners showed up. The conditions were about 3 to 6 inches of crunchy to soft snow on the trail which made the running very strenuous. The stream crossings were icy. Twice I had to practically kiss the ground to get underneath a tree that had fallen down across the trail. The climb out to Check Point #1 was long. By the time I got there, 5.6 miles later, I was spent. I gladly took advantage of a ride back to the Dam. Meanwhile, CJ had walked 1.8 miles on the trail so she knew full well of the conditions. Kudos to the runners who ran back to the Dam ... wow! I really need to figure out a strategy for hydration and nutrition. I really tend to not do either as much as I need to on longer races ... like marathons.

After a short rest, CJ and I headed out to Newark to see my daughter and help her celebrate her 23rd birthday. CJ made a chocolate chip cookie cake with chocolate frosting that tasted yummy! Meanwhile, CJ had put a pork roast in the crockpot so we had a yummy supper with a sweet potato!

Mon, 3/28/11: Rest day.

Just your average day of work. I finally got my laptop back up and running the way I like it. It is amazing how much work it takes ... a full day to load XP, Office 2003, all the security updates plus all the other stuff that I usually use (Firefox, Chrome, PowerDVD, Foxit Reader, PopPeeper, Quicktime, RealPlayer, AVG, CCleaner, Spywareblaster, Malwarebytes, Zonealarm).

Tue, 3/29/11: 6.1 miles, 46:11, 7:34 pace, 40F, sunny, calm, 1 traffic stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 Y's

It was beautiful day, CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I headed out slow up, picked it up a bit for the 3 Y's, then a bit faster back down. I was a bit thirsty, I could have used some water instead of trying to swallow spit I didn't have. When we got back, CJ made the usual yummy pasta dinner.

Wed, 3/30/11: Rest day.

Just your normal rest day. I took CJ out to get her nails done at New Nails then we had a nice supper at Keenan's Restaurant. I had the Philly cheese steak sandwich with sweet potato fries and CJ had the Keenan's burger with regular fries. Mmmm!

Thu, 3/31/11: 8.5 miles, 1:06:12, 7:47 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, 1 water stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Connect Activity for Out to Colebrook Drive

I really wanted to get to 100 miles this month ... so I really had to get out. I started out easy ... then I concentrated on reaching out with my stride, still easy but fast. I just kept it going. I turned around at Colebrook Drive with a stop for water. Then I gutted it back ... trying to keep my form and reaching out with each stride. I just can't seem to run slow on the road.

Running 100 miles in a month is kind of a goal for me. I don't meet it every month but it is a nice round number that has a certain pull on me.

Later, I tried to stay up to watch the LA Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in LA. I fell asleep on the couch and missed the 4th quarter where 5 players were ejected. LA won 110-82, link here.

Fri, 4/1/11: 4.1 miles, 30:18, 7:24 pace, 42F, cloudy, calm, 1 traffic stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run. I really did start out easy but ... as usual that didn't last. I always push myself when I run ... it's just how I'm wired. CJ walked 2.12 miles according to her map on Nike+ but her Nike+ itself said only 1.64 mile. Her Nike+ definitely needs to be recalibrated for sure.

CJ went to bed but I found the LA Lakers against the Utah Jazz in Utah on ESPN. This time I saw the whole game from midway in the 2nd quarter to the end. The Lakers were down 16 but closed with a 10-0 run to close to 42-48 the half. Then the Lakers outscored the Jazz 29-14 in the 3rd quarter. The Lakers went on to win 96-85, link here. The Lakers are now 17-1 since the All-Star break and only trail the San Antonio Spurs by 1 in the loss column for the best record with 7 games to go.

Sat, 4/2/11: Rest day.

I really wanted to get some organizing done ... but today was no different. I really need to organize but can't seem to get started. Anyway ... after a nice long sleep (which I probably really needed), CJ and I got up on all the DVR'ed episodes of Fringe and Grey's Anatomy that we were behind. CJ made a nice rib, baked potato and peas supper.

Tomorrow, will be a long day. In the morning, I will running the Spring Forward 15K, CJ will be walking the 2.5 mile fun run. Then in the afternoon, we will headed down to Newark so I can install a D-Link DIR-615 N Wireless Router for my children. Hopefully it will speed up their old Trendnet G Wireless Router that is poking along at 1 Mbs according to Speedtest.net.

Sunday, 3/20/11 to Saturday, 3/26/11

I ran 3 times this week, 20 miles.

Sun, 3/20/11: Rest day.

My exercise today amounted to a short walk to get the Sunday paper. That's about all the energy I had due to my cold. Oh well, I had to do some work for my M-F job anyway. After I got that done, I watched the Syracuse play Maquette in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. Alas, SU didn't take good care of the basketball and lost 66-62, link here.

Mon, 3/21/11: Rest day.

I went to work ... regardless of how I felt ... Day-Quil helped. I actually felt better as the day progressed.

Tue, 3/22/11: 6.1 miles, 48:04, 7:52 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 Y's

I felt better during the work day and my cold is on the way out so ... instead of staying home, CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I headed out easy on the way up. I ran steady on the 3 Y's. Then I put the hammer down on the way back, running around 7:00 pace. CJ walked 1.8 miles. After a short supply run to Wegmans, CJ warmed up an excellent pasta dinner, yummy!

Wed, 3/23/11: Rest day.

Winter returned to upstate NY during the day ... about 4 inches of wet snow fell during the day. I stayed inside where it was safe after I got home from work. Driving was hazardous enough without adding my body out there too.

Thu, 3/24/11: 9.8 miles, 1:19:47, 8:02 pace, 30F, sunny, calm, 1 stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to the lake to dip my toes

I started work early so I got home early. It was a bit cold but the sky was sunny so I headed down for a long run to the lake. I ran easy but quick, 4.9 miles in 39:29, 8:03 pace. I stopped to take 2 pics and dunked my toes in the lake more than I wanted, brrr!. After a few minutes, I started back up. I was surprised to find out that I ran a 8:01 pace ... I had never run faster on the way back.

Fri, 3/25/11: 4.1 miles, 30:05, 7:20 pace, 28F, a bit hard, 2 traffic stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Backward Happy Hour run

As usual on a Friday, CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Happy Hour run. Since it was the last Friday of the month, we ran it backward. I started out a bit slow but picked up the pace as I passed Elmwood. I just kept it steady all the way. CJ walked 1.6 miles. After a lengthy trip to Wegmans, we settled in for a late pizza.

Sat, 3/26/11: Rest day.

Just a taking care of business day. I tried to get CJ's car inspected at a Instant Oil Change place at Dewey and Latta. It failed because of a blown fuse which controlled the computer connector. I got a new fuse but couldn't get the car back before they closed. I have 3 days to get it back so they can reinspect it for free. I also have working on rebuilding a laptop that died. Hopefully the data on the old hard drive is still intact.

Tomorrow, CJ and I are headed down to the Mount Morris Dam so I can try out 6.1 miles of the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon. The Fleet Feet Endurance team is hosting a free "out and pick up" of 6.1 miles or "out and back" run of 12.2 miles so we can try out the first leg of the course. I have already run this part of the course numerous times. CJ says she wants to walk a bit of the trail for a couple hours while I am gone.