Sunday, 12/4/2016 to Saturday, 12/10/2016 - WTF

I ran 5 times this week, 44.69 miles.

Sunday, 12/4/2016: 13.25 miles, 1:50:22, 8:20 pace, 30F, 93% RH, calm, sunny



I toyed with the idea of running either my Greenleaf Half or 20 route. Yes, it was cold but it was Sunday and I try to run long on Sunday. So ... I got dressed for the weather with my usual Brook CW-X tights, yellow Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, yellow Brooks beanie and heavy gloves. Yes, I do tend to wear the same clothing for my winter runs. Anyway ... I had my 20 ounce water bottle and my Hammer Gel in case I needed water or nutrition. I struck up a nice and easy pace .. then kept it up. I knew I had the 3 loops of the WTF next weekend so I settled on running the Greenleaf Half. It was a bit cold so I just hydrated at 6, 8, 10 (a few more gulps of water) and 12 miles. My splits were: 8:29, 8:26, 8:19, 8:17, 8:17, 8:08, 8:20, 8:18, 8:28, 8:07, 8:30, 8:19, 8:25 and 7:36 over the last 0.25 mile. Boom ... done. I hydrated with the usual mugs of coffee and had a bagel for fuel.

Later ... my darling wife, Christine, gave me a haircut. She had some difficultly. She mentioned that "I had hair of steel". My new haircut is a buzz cut with just 1/4" of hair remaining. It took her a while. A shower afterward helped show all the hair that she missed so she could get 99.9% of the rest. Then I took her out to the Distillery so we could have our fourth wedding anniversary dinner thanks to a coupon that she had received from them.

We watched a lot of the second half of the Bills - Raiders game while we ate ... and were disappointed. The Bills led at halftime 10-9. They were up 24-9 with 9:01 in the third quarter ... and then collasped. They were outscored 29-0 the rest of the game to lose 24-38, link here.

Monday, 12/5/2016: Rest day ... moving on ...

Tuesday, 12/6/2016: 7.05 miles, 56:25, 8:00 pace, 39F, 75% RH, 9 mph ESE wind, wind chill 33F, mostly cloudy.


Today I got ALL my running gear (including my running shoes) to work so I could go out for a run before lunch. The wind was a bit brisk out of the east so I had to run a bit hard to warm up and stay warm. My splits were: 8:15, 7:55, 7:54, 8:03, 8;00, 8:03 and 7:55. Not a bad run. It's a lot better to run in the daylight. The only bad part is crossing Lexington Ave twice.

Wednesday, 12/7/2016: Rest day.

Today was the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor ... cue the trumpet playing "Taps". A Wiki link is here. There are all kinds of books on the subject.

Thursday, 12/8/2016: 7 miles, 58:05, 8:17 pace, 36F, 51% RH, 12 mph W wind, wind chill 27F, partly cloudy


I had the day off so I took the Equinox to Brother's Collision to get its right front tire fixed. I was told that it had a nail in it. I must have a magnet or something in this car because I just had a screw in the right rear not even a month ago. That visit was also for an oil change and tire rotation. Anyway ... they charged a hour of labor plus the plug so the damage was $60. I tried to give the local "little guy" some business and ended up getting screwed. Who knows whether going to Bob Johnson Chevrolet for all of this over the past month would have been cheaper or not?

I went out for a nice and easy run instead of waiting around for the tire to be fixed. I had to take to the grass (there was no shoulder) twice on this run on the same stretch of road. Once was on the curvy downhill on Van Voorhis Ave when a car came around a blind corner. The other was on Seneca Park Ave when two cars in opposite directions passed me at the same time. The wind really bit into me so I was glad that I had put on my newly acquired GRTC muffler around my neck. My nice and easy splits were: 8:33, 8:19, 8:35, 8:07, 7:48, 8:21 and 8:20.

Friday, 12/9/2016: Rest day ... the usual with a race the next morning.

Saturday, 12/10/2016: WTF (no ... Winter Trail Festival

Today's race was produced by TrailsROC and officially called 0 Degree WTF. It was also FREE to help celebrate the 4th anniversary of TrailsROC. It was held down in Powder Mills Park. This was my third year (2014 in 3:37:00 and 2015 in 3:21:21) so I knew that it was a 5 mile loop course that you could run once, twice or three times. Andy Ciaio said it best before the race: "Why run just 5 miles when there is a 15 mile option?" This course is interesting because of its hills. There is a ski hill at mile 3 to run ... err, walk up. There is steeper hill at mile 4 that has a rope that you can use to help pull yourself up.

Just an inch of snow ... photo courtesy of trailsROC Facebook page

The race started at three different times. The 15 mile started at 10 AM, the 10 mile started at 10:30 AM and the 5 mile started at 11 AM. I was slated for the 15 mile. "Go big or go home" I had replied to Andy before the race. Prem was also running the 15 mile race. I was in my usual racing garb: my old CW-X tights, yellow Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, yellow Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. It was a bit cold and windy so I added a blue short sleeve TrailsROC tech shirt underneath and my new GRTC blue neck fleece. I also had my 20 ounce water bottle and 5 ounce Hammer Gel flask filled with Apple Cinnamon Hammer Gel.

I got out for a 1.1 mile warm up run before the race at 10.49 pace, link here. I got done with just 5 minutes to spare so I quickly got a gulp of water from the Cruze. My fingers were cold and I tried to change to my ski mittens but couldn't hold my water bottle with them on so I changed back to my heavy running gloves and hurried up to the start with a minute to spare. The weather was: 25F, 86% RH, 6 mph WSW wind, wind chill 18F, mostly cloudy with patches of sun or light snow. The trails conditions were pretty good with just a bit of snow but lots of unfrozen leaves. I wore my blue Salamon Speedcross 3 trail shoes.

The start was a bit farther back this year to allow for some thinning out before we hit single track. And ... we were off! I settled into a slow trail pace and settled in. Each loop had its story.


Loop 1 was a bit quick at 57 minutes. Ups, flats and downs. There was a brief marshy area just before the ski hill. Heather Ostrander (HBO) and her husband were heckling ... err, encouraging at the top of the ski hill. I caught up to Andy for a brief second at the bottom of the "rope" hill at mile 4. I could see the 5 mile runners getting ready as I came through the start/finish line. I had as much Hammer Gel as I could squeeze out of my flask before I started Loop 2 ... it was a bit cold and didn't flow too well for some reason.

Just before crossing Woolston Rd on the way to the ski hill and mile 3 ... photo courtesy of Sheila Eagan?

Andy Ciaio using the rope on the rope hill ... photo courtesy of  the trailsROC Facebook page

Loop 2 was a bit slower at 65 minutes. Prem caught up to me midway during this loop. I ran with him for a couple hundred yards and then he went ahead. I was warm for a bit and pusjed my sleeves up for a couple of miles. I got my feet kind of wet walking through the marshy area. HBO and hubby were still encouraging me up the ski hill. I asked someone if I could quit ... but no one said yes. I took the top off of my flask and gulped a few good mouthfuls of Hammer Gel before I started Loop 3.

Loop 3 was slower at 72 minutes. I walked more. My right fingers were cold so I tried to warm them by pulling my fingertips out of the mitten and balling them up. Then ... I couldn't get my index finger fully back into the mitten. I got my feet kind of wet again in the marshy area. HBO told me that I had not looked very good each time up the hill and asked if I wanted to climb it again. I told her "No". I followed a group of three runners down from the ski hill. They were running so I did too. The rope hill was coming up so I jammed my fingertips back in the mitten as best as I could. The rope hill was just as steep as ever. I didn't use the rope like all the other times and just climbed up as best as I could by grabbing roots and pulling myself up. Only a mile to go. I willed myself to walk the ups and then run the flats and downs. Up the last hill ... down, down ... run the flats to the finish ... done with 15.29 miles in 3:12:30 at 12:36 pace according to my Garmin.

I ambled into the lodge. There was no much that I liked to eat. I am not a soup or broth person so I settled for 6 cookies. I revived myself long enough to get out to the Cruze so I could change into some dry clothes, put my parka, eat an energy bar and down some coffee that I had brought in my running bag. I headed home where I went straight (OK, I stripped first) into a hot shower and bath to warm my fingertips and toes. I had my usual mugs of coffee and a bagel while I caught up on Facebook. I did have the usual aches and pain also. I am a creature of habit and so is my body post race.

Oh ... officially, I ran a 3:12:13, I was 33rd out of 50 and was 6th out of 10 in my M 50-59 age group, link here. So I ran a course PR. Today's conditions were a lot better than the six inches of snow in 2014 but worse than 2015's 43F. I had left knee and right heel pain last year so I walked in from mile 12. So I guess I did run pretty well this year. There were 73 finishers in the 10 mile race, link here. There were 59 finishers in the 5 mile race, link here. One of the 5 mile race finishers was 83 year old, Charlie Sabatine. Charlie is a Rochester running legend and all around nice guy. He ran 100 milers before they were cool, ran Boston before I knew what Boston meant, probably made a lot of the trails in Mendon Ponds Park, runs his own race called Charlie's Old Goat Run and was inducted into the GRTC Hall of Fame in 2006, link here.

Charlie Sabatine climbing a WTF hill ... photo courtesy of TrailsROC Facebook page

There were several people who ran the WTF 5 mile race who were also running It's A Wonderful Run 5K out in Seneca Falls at 4:40 PM. A "twofer", awesome!

Sunday, 11/27/2016 to Saturday, 12/3/2016 - Freezeroo #1

I ran 3 times this week for 20.65 miles.

Sunday, 11/27/2016: 6.25 miles, 50:20, 8:03 pace, 36F, 100% RH, calm, overcast


I decided to give my old Brooks Adrenaline GTS15 running shoes with 650 miles on them a ride. I could definitely feel the difference. I tried to take it nice and easy but I think I ran faster just to get them off my feet. My splits were: 8:15, 8:01, 8:07, 8:09, 7:55, 7:59 and 7:27 over the last 0.25 miles.

Monday, 11/28/2016: Rest day ... moving on ...

Tuesday, 11/29/2016: 7.05 miles, 56:15, 7:58 pace, 55F, 72% RH, 14 mph S wind, overcast.


It was forecast to get up to 60F during late November so I got out for a before lunch run. I could have used my light running gloves but made due. I got up to speed quickly and pushed it once I did. My splits were: 8:18, 8:02, 7:54, 7:57, 7:59, 7:58 and 7:46. Boom!

Wednesday, 11/30/2016: Rest day.

Running stats for November and so far in 2016:
I ran 20 times (3 were warm ups) in 30 days during November for 139.5 miles, 7 miles/run
I ran 5 races during November (Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K, Dirt Cheap Stage Race #1, #2, #3 and Race with Grace 10K)
I have run 188 times so far in 2016 for 1407.6 miles, 7.5 miles/run
I have run 35 races so far in 2016.

Thursday, 12/1/2016: 7,05 miles, 57:19, 8:08 pace, 39F, 81% RH, 13 mph WSW wind, wind chill 31F, partly cloudy


I brought all my running gear to work this morning ... except my running shoes! Oops! What to do? Well ... go run when I got home, of course! So I got ready, grabbed my headlamp and go out there. My splits were: 8:09, 8:04, 7:58, 8:15, 7:56, 7:52 and 8:13.

Friday, 12/2/2016: Rest day ... like usual with a race the next morning.

Saturday, 12/3/2016: Freezeroo #1

Today's race with Freezeroo #1, the first race of the 2016-2017 Greater Rochester Track Club Freezeroo 6 race series. Today's venue was Northstar Christian Academy. The course was a familiar one that I have run numerous times between running 2 Freezeroo #1s and 2 NCA 5Ks. It's a twisty out and back.

I got up around 6AM, puttered around a while, had my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana, gave Christine a chance to come along (which she declined), kissed her goodbye and headed out. I had on my usual running gear for running with temperatures around freezing: my old CW-X tights, Darn Tough crew socks, yellow Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, yellow Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I brought along my yellow Brooks jacket for pre-race warm up warmth.

I got to the race venue around 8:45 AM ... a bit earlier than usual. I got my bib and the GRTC series gift of a GRTC neck fleece. I met up with Andy Ciaio and Prem Kumar. We talked about running ... like usual. I got out for a longer than usual pre-race run of 2 miles at 8:47 pace, link here. It was a bit windy so I put my GRTC series gift to good use. The weather was: 37F, 87% RH, 8 mph NW wind, wind chill 31F, overcast.


I lined up for the race in my usual spot: a bit close to the start line and off to the right. And ... we were off!

The start of Freezeroo #1 ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

I got up to speed quickly. I stayed with Andy and Prem for about 1/4 mile. I was behind Wilt Alston for a bit before I felt boxed in and broke ahead of him around mile 1/2. Pete called out 7:08 at mile 1. I made the turn around and headed back. Some runners who knew me called out encouragement ... which is the nice thing about out and backs.

Heading back with about 1/2 mile to go  ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

Heading back with less than 1/2 mile to ... photo from http://grtconline.org/club-events/freezeroo-series

I passed a few runners on the way back. I ran around the last building and tried to put it into a sprint ... time just above 22 ... a bit disappointed ... done with 3.12 miles in 22:09, 7:05 pace, according to my Garmin. Andy had caught Prem in the last 0.05 mile and finished in 20:57 with Prem two seconds behind. Nice!

I went inside for some post race grub ... a donut, a half raisin sandwich with peanut butter (yum!) and chocolate milk. GRTC was selling old merchandise at 3 for $10 so I picked up a laundry bag, GRTC socks and GRTC gloves ... nice!

The weather for previous Don Curran Memorial 5Ks

I found a poster board that showed the weather for previous Don Curran Memorial 5Ks. It has been held since 2005. It was held as Freezeroo #3 at Camp Eastman from 2005 until 2012 and then moved to Freezeroo #1 at Northstar Christian Academy. I ran the Camp Eastman course in 2007 and 2011 so I remember those two races. The course was a bit greasy in 2011.

My official results were 22:06, 30th out of 146, link here. I was 5th out of 20 in my M 55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 6:58, 7:12, 7:13 and 6:12 over the last 0.12 mile.

Soon ... I was home in my recliner with my feet up drinking a couple mugs of coffee, eating a bagel and catching up on Facebook. Ahhh!

Regular readers of this blog will note that this post is a bit brief. I had recreate it from scratch after I accidentally deleted it about 99.9% complete. Blogger has a extremely short Auto Save cycle which you CAN"T TURN OFF!! Well ... there is a way around it. You can publish the post which turns off the Auto Save. Then you can add to it.

Sunday, 11/20/2016 to Saturday, 11/26/2016 - Race with Grace 10K

I ran 5 times this week, 28.84 miles

Sunday, 11/20/2016: Rest day

Yes ... a rest day. I decided that I needed one after running three days in a row. I could have squeaked one by running in the morning but I didn't. The wind kicked up, the temperatures dropped. it rained by mid-afternoon and it snowed by evening ... and it snowed and blew some more.

Christine and I watched the Bills - Bengals game. The Bills squeaked out a victory, 16-12, link here. The Bengals kicker doinked two PATs off the right upright. Thus the Bengals needed a TD to win at the end ... which they didn't get. So the Bills have climbed back to a 5-5 record.

I went to bed early since I figured that I would need to leave early due to the snow. The forecast was for high winds and 8-12 inches of snow south and west of Rochester with limit accumulation up near Lake Ontario.

Monday, 11/21/2016: Rest day

I didn't sleep well due to the howling wind which rattled the window screens all night. I left 15 minutes early for work. I was met with clear roads and little traffic so ... yay! I saw on Facebook that Pittsford got 15" of snow. My son, Michael, texted me that Newark got 18" of snow. We had 2" of snow up 1/2 mile from the lake on Greenleaf Rd.

Tuesday, 11/22/2016: 5.5 miles, 44:33, 8:06 pace, 34F, 59% RH, 16 mph NW wind, wind chill 24F, overcast.


I swear I would forget my head if it wasn't attached. I left my wallet home when I went to work. What to do? Well ... I dressed for a pre-lunch run, drove up to where the LOSP trail hits Island Cottage, ran from there and stopped for my wallet on my way back to work. I chose Island Cottage and Janes Rd because they had wide shoulders that were "runner friendly". The wind was still there and it wasn't a warm wind either ... but I got the run done. Hey ... it was Tuesday and I run on Tuesdays. I didn't want to run in the dark and I needed to grocery shop for Thanksgiving in the evening too. Anyway ... my splits were: 8:09, 8:10, 8:16, 8:05, 8:02 and 7:43 over the last 0.5 mile.

I looked at my running spreadsheet and noticed that I was over 100 miles for November (11th straight month) and was at 1371 miles for 2016 (the most ever!) with 39 days to go.

Wednesday, 11/23/2016: Rest day ... like usual.

Thursday, 11/24/2016: Race with Grace 10K

Today's race was the Race with Grace 10K. The night before I looked at my running spreadsheet and found that this is my 12th running of a Thanksgiving race. I ran the Newark Turkey Day 5 mile Race for 6 years from 2005 (my very first race) to 2010, the Webster Turkey Trot in 2011 and now my fifth Race with Grace 10K from 2012. My times are: 2012 in 46:04, 2013 in 45:07, 2014 in 44:29 and 2015 in 45:58. Today was my 396th race ... how time flies!

I slept in until 6 AM. I heard Christine's alarm go off at 5:45 AM. Mine was set for 6 AM. I puttered around for a hour before I started to get ready at 7 AM. The weather was just above freezing with a light sprinkle so I chose to wear my old CW-X tights, Darn Tough socks, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve tech along with my Brooks jacket for pre-race warmth. My Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves were in my running bag  I left a bit early and got to the First Bible Baptist Church (FBBC) a bit earlier than usual. I was 1 hour 15 minutes early for the 9 AM start.

I hung around for a bit and talked with Andy Ciaio. He told me that one of his first races in college was the Newark Turkey Day Race. He also told me that a new group was running it this year and made it into a 5K instead of a 5 mile race. Sacrilege! The info that I found is here and here. It was rather pricey at $30 pre-race and $35 day of race, The course looks that the old Run for the Red 5K course that I ran back on 6/11/2011.

I got out for a little 1 mile warmup run at 8:52 pace, link here. I stopped at the Cruze to take off my Brooks jacket. I thought twice about it since it was cold but I knew I would warm up during the race. I walked up to the race start and waited. The weather was: 36F, 80% RH, 4 mph ESE wind, overcast with real light sprinkles of rain.

The start ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

I lined up at my usual spot ... a bit to the right and about 10 feet from the start line. And .. we were off! I got to speed pretty quickly. I saw Andy up ahead around the 1/4 mile mark and then Steve Levitsky passed me around the 1/2 mile mark.

Funny story ... Tim Matthews took the start pictures and then came sprinting by me. He said something like "I'm the rabbit". Then he stopped in the middle of the road and took pictures as runners ran by him.

Just after the start ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

I hit 1 mile at 7:15 and just kept going. I knew I could run the race ... I just hoped I could at the pace I was running since I usually run a 8:10 pace. I hit 5K at 23:00. Halfway done. I saw Tom Butler cheering just before mile 4. I found out later that it was his birthday. I passed up the mile 2 and mile 4 aid stations. Then the turn back onto Manitou Rd with a bit more than 1 mile to go. I could see the police lights at the turn back to the FBBC in the distance. I was running hard but the turn didn't seem to get any closer.

Just before the finish ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

But ... it did ... very slowly ... a bit farther ... the 6 mile mark was at the turn into the parking lot of the FBBC ... only 0.2 miles to go ... push it up ... the turn into the chute ... sprint ... past 2 runners ... done with 6.24 miles in 46:30.

I was parched and downed 3 small cups of water. Then I wandered into the FBBC. I had a bagel, a cup of yogurt and a couple of chocolate milks. I looked at the results and saw that I was 97th and 7th in my M 55-59 age group. I went home. Later, I found my results on Score-This. Officially, I finished in 46:26, 97th out of 798 and 7th out of 48 in my M 55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 7:15, 27, 27, 41, 29, 29 and 6:58 over the last 0.24 mile. I sprinted into the chute at 4:59 pace.

Soon I was home with a mug of coffee. I tried to find out if my youngest son, David, was going to come over for Thanksgiving dinner on either Saturday or Sunday. His mother wanted to know if he was coming to her place in Newark for Thanksgiving. But neither of us could reach him. Finally, Christine started to cook our dinner around 3 PM so that we could eat at a reasonable hour. She cooked a small turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and cranberries. We ate around 6 PM. Mmm ... it was tasty! I had seconds ... and then we couldn't move. Christine started to put everything away and then had to quit from exhaustion. I took over and cleaned everything up. We are a team. She cooks well and I clean up well. Though I think I will have to run the next three days to try to maintain my weight of 165 pounds since she cooks so well. We didn't even touch the cherry pie that she baked.

Friday, 11/25/2016: 8.05 miles, 1:07:18, 8:22 pace, 43F, 100% RH, 6 mph WSW wind, wind chill 39F, overcast.


I didn't get out too early but I did get out. I overdressed a bit with a short sleeve tech over a long sleeve tech. I tried out a new route but it's not a keeper. I ran really nice and easy without pushing the pace once I warmed up. My splits were: 8:27, 8:21, 8:26, 8:14, 8:15, 8:30, 8:22 and 8:17. I got out later to check out the Black Friday shoe sales at Fleet Feet Ridgeway and Armory but didn't see anything I liked.

I stopped by the Red Box at Wegmans Hudson Ave and picked up "Independence Day: Resurgence" and "The Legend of Tarzan". They were quite good. A bit of action sci-fi for me and a bit of romance (and man candy) for Christine.

The Greater Rochester Track Club (GRTC) sent out a link for $5 off for 4 items so I used it on three of them. I signed up for the Freezeroo series and the 2017 individual membership. I also signed up my darling wife, Christine, and I for the 2017 Mind the Ducks in May. This time Christine and I plan on running or running/walking or walking until the end. Boom.

I tried to reach my youngest son, David, via text to find out where he was on Thanksgiving. I explained that we had leftovers and asked him to tell us whether he would be over on Saturday or Sunday. Simple, right? His cryptic three word response: "Why did you" ... no punctuation either. Still ... it was three words. It's a bit better than the answer earlier in the week of "weekend" as to when he was going over. I think he expected that Christine and I were going to wait to cook our turkey until he came over. Hey ... we were hungry plus the turkey and all the fixing were stuffing (pun intended) our refrigerator.

Saturday, 11/26/2016: 8.05 miles, 1:07:22, 8:22 pace, 39F, 87% RH, 7 mph W wind, wind chill 34F, overcast.


I was out again in my effort to keep from gaining weight over the Thanksgiving holiday. I was on my usual 15K route at a nice and easy pace when I decided to detour to the left onto a paved trail that had a barrier across it. Well ... the paved trail degraded to a double track trail about 200 yards in ... and then got worse. I had to cross a stream and got my shoes wet. I did get over to Dewey and then decided to take the LOSP trail back to Greenleaf Rd. I just had 7 miles so I decided to go up and down Greenleaf Rd a bit to get to 8 miles. This route will NOT be a keeper. My splits were: 8:11, 8:10, 8:13, 8:18, 8:23, 9:20, 8:20 and 8:03.

My darling wife, Christine, and I relaxed for a while before I took her out to New Nails to get her nails touched up. She hadn't been in a month so they did need it, :-). We delved into the leftovers from Thanksgiving for our supper. Still ... mmm!

Monday, 11/14/2016 to Saturday, 11/19/2016

I ran 4 times during these 6 days, 28.6 miles.

Monday, 11/14/2016: Rest day ... well deserved.

I got some sad news from my cousin, Lea Ann Sawyer. Her father, Elmer VerPlank, had died. He had suffered from Alzheimer's. He was 84. He was my mother's brother and was the last VerPlank of his generation. His parents, William and Edith (DeCracker) VerPlank were my grandparents and had Arthur who died at age 6, Doris (my mother) who died in 2004 at age 79, Eleanor who died in 2011 at age 84, Shirley (who died in the 70s) and Elmer. Elmer had three kids; Paul, Heidi and LouAnn by his first marriage to Ann and Lean Ann with Pat. There was a bit of confusion about the days but it ended up with the following at the Bob Yost Funeral Home, link here: calling hours were 5-8 PM on Wednesday, the funeral at 11 AM on Thursday and burial at the East Palmyra Cemetery. The obituaries are here and here.

Uncle Elmer VerPlank - 10/21/1932 to 11/13/2016, may he rest in peace

Tuesday, 11/15/2016: 7.05 miles, 57:32, 8:09 pace, 52F, 43% RH, 4 mph WSW wind, mostly sunny


I got out from Harris B601 on Lee Rd for a pre-lunch run. I took it out at a nice and easy pace. I didn't push the pace after I warmed up. I was running the canal path between Long Pond Rd and Elmgrove Rd when I passed by a blue heron, link here, that was standing just off the path. One thing ... this blue heron looked mostly gray.

A blue heron ... grabbed off a "blue heron" Google search

I ran by within 10 feet the first time and within 15 feet on the way back. The bird just looked at me. I didn't stop to take a picture but just ran on by. I ran a nice and easy pace. My splits were: 8:18, 8:20, 8:15, 8:11, 8:01, 8:13 and 7:51 on my old, old Brook Adrenaline GTS15 (black) running shoes with 652 miles.

Rant begin: One thing that pisses me off is looking for stuff that I have misplaced. Somehow ... between running the Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K on Saturday, 11/5/2016, I have misplaced two pairs of shorts (my Brooks shorts and my CW-X shorts) and my Brooks running gloves. I looked everywhere I could think of in the townhouse ... nada. I looked in the Cruze and Equinox ... nada. I looked in my Harris B601 office (I do change in there) ... nada. Aaarrrgggghhhh!! Rant off ...

Update: I found them in the bedroom ... they had been put in a box that had fallen over. I really need to organize the townhouse. I will try not to upset my darling wife, Christine, when I have to move her stuff but I absolutely have to organize the living room and both bedrooms. The basement is also on the "must do" list but it's a task best left for a vacation week ... that's how bad it is.

Wednesday, 11/16/2016: Rest day.

Christine and I headed out to Bob Yost Funeral Home for my Uncle Elmer's calling hours. We met up with my brother, Don. We saw lots of my relatives that we don't normally see. We hugged and expressed our condolences to LeaAnn and her mother Pat (2nd wife) and also his son Paul, daughter Heidi and LouAnn (from his 1st wife, Ann).

A picture of Pat and Elmer near the casket

Thursday, 11/17/2016: 6.25 miles, 50:14, 8:02 pace, 39F, 93% RH, 6 mph W wind, wind chill 35F, sunny.

I took today off as a bereavement day so I could attend the funeral at 11AM and be a pallbearer for the burial at the East Palmyra Cemetery where my parents, Doris in 2004 and Bernard in 2014, are buried.


I got up early so I could go for a morning run. I put on my virgin Pearl Izumi M3 running shoes. I just took it nice and easy. My splits were: 8:10, 7:49, 7:54, 8:07, 8:01, 7:55 and 7:39. The M3s felt a bit different and a bit more cushy.

My darling wife, Christine, had a doctor's appointment at 1:15 PM so she stayed home. I arrived at the Bob Yost Funeral Home about 30 minutes and met up with my brother, Don, who was also a pallbearer. The funeral was like most funerals. Lea Ann gave a eulogy and some people came up to talk about Elmer. I guess he cheated at Uno with other people too. My mother always watched like a hawk when they played Uno. They had a hoot of a time when they played back in the day. Them were the days ...

Taking the casket out to the hearse ... photo courtesy of Jennifer Verplank

I'm the middle left and my brother, Don, is front right ... photo courtesy of Barry Dingman

Uncle Elmer was buried with military honors ... photo courtesy of Paul VerPlank

This was my first time being a pallbearer. I found out that a casket was heavy but the six of us carried it without incident. I drove my cousin, Sandy Bastian (Shirley's daughter), out to the burial since her husband, Bill, had to go back to work. Elmer served in the US Army in Korea and was buried with military honors. I took small comfort in that Uncle Elmer and my Mom and Dad are buried within 30 feet of each other at the East Palmyra Cemetery. We talked for a while afterward and then went over to the American Legion in Palmyra for a scrumptious lunch. I had seconds and then dessert, mmm! I took Sandy home also. I took a paper plate of desserts home. Everyone made jokes that I will have to run the dessert off.

Here are some "blast from the past" pictures that were on the poster boards at the funeral home captured from Facebook and my Droid.

The VerPlank kids in the early 1950s (I think). Aunt Shirley, Doris (Mom), Uncle Elmer and Aunt Eleanor (left to right) ... photo courtesy of Barry Dingman

Aunt Eleanor with Terry on the left and Mom (Doris) with Don n the right, Terry is 2 months older than Don. I wasn't born until 1957.

A bowling picture from 1985. Uncle Elmer is on the left and Dad (Bernie) is next to him ... photo courtesy of Barry Dingman

Elmer, Lea Ann and Pat ... photo courtesy of Lea Ann Sawyer

It seems a shame that the only time I see the relations on my Mom's and Dad's side is at weddings (not any in the future that I know of) and funerals. I don't see my brother, Don, much since he lives in Syracuse. I see my sister, Diane, even less since she lives in Kentucky.

Friday, 11/18/2016: 7.05 miles, 55:55, 7:56 pace, 63F, 55% RH, 9 mph SSW wind, mostly sunny.


I don't normally run on Friday but ... the weather forecast was for at least 70F on November 18th. So ... I ran. I felt good so I pushed the pace a bit once I warmed up. My splits were: 8:10, 7:49, 7:54, 8:07, 8:01, 7:55 and 7:39. I was drenched with sweat when I got done. I must have looked a bit when I came back into work to go to the shower.

Saturday, 11/19/2016: 8.25 miles, 1:07:06, 8:08 pace, 63F, 48% RH, 8 mph SSW wind, mostly cloudy.


I enjoyed not having my alarm set and slept until 8 AM. I didn't get out early but I did get out. I knew that the weather was doing to turn colder and wetter in the afternoon so I went out for my fourth run in 5 days. I am trying to break in my M3s so I just went a mile farther than yesterday. My splits were: 8:06, 8:10, 8:13, 8:14, 8:23, 8:00, 8:02 and 8:04. My thighs were a bit tight when I stopped. I think I will take a rest day tomorrow.

Friday, 11/11/2016 to Sunday, 11/13/2016 - Dirt Cheap Stage Race

I ran for my eighth Dirt Cheap Stage Race hoodie. I don't know where all my hoodies are but I know I earned all of them.

Friday, 11/11/2016: DCSR #1

Dirt Cheap Stage Race #1 was a 3 mile trail race out on Pond Rd in Mendon Ponds Park. It was held in time trial fashion with runner going out in 5 second intervals starting at 6;30 PM. So ... yes, this was held at night and headlamps were required. The bibs were given out in "first come, first given" fashion at Fleet Feet Armory. I picked up my bib on Thursday night so I had number 144. I had signed up for the series so I had the same bib all weekend.

I filled my running bag with the gear I would need plus a bit more just in case. I dressed after work and drove straight out. I wore my CW-X tights, an orange long sleeve tech, a short sleeve tech (2015 Rochester Marathon), Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I pinned my race bib through both tech shirts since I knew I would be wearing for three days. I got down to the parking lot at the intersection of Douglas Rd and Pond Rd around 5:30 PM. I put on my yellow Brooks 1/4 zip pullover and Brooks jacket on to keep warm until the race and brought a small race bag to keep everything in during the race. I wore this race gear the whole weekend since the race temps would be between 40F and 55F.

I walked up the 1/4 mile to the race venue and waited. I met up with Prem Kumar (#39) and Andy Ciaio (#211). Prem wasn't feeling well. He said he was "running for the hoodie" ... one foot in front of the other. The weather was a bit chilly: 41F, 45% RH, 10 mph NW wind, wind chill 35F, partly cloudy.

A picture of the race venue ... photo courtesy of Ellen Brenner of Fleet Feet Sports

I got in line with the other and saw that there was still a 10 minute wait so I went out for a short 0.47 mile at 8:36 pace at to warm up, link here.


I just had about 3 or 4 minutes to psych myself up .... and I was off! I have run this course numerous times during other DCSRs but this was the second time in the dark on a Friday night. I caught up to lot of runners and offered them encouragement as much as I could. I was also trying to avoid any roots and roots that my headlamp picked up but also just hoping to just avoid them by just sheer luck. This course seemed a lot longer when you run it in the dark. And ... I was done! The clock said around 40 minutes. I was confused for a bit and then I realized that I had started when it was 11:10.

A picture of the finish ... photo courtesy of Ellen Brenner of Fleet Feet Sports

After DCSR #1

I had a quick couple of hot dogs along with a few cookies before I put the clothes in my running bag on over my wet tech shirts. I ran with Andy Ciaio back to our cars since it was a bit too chilly to walk. Andy told me that he had been stuck behind long groups of slower runners for a bit during the race ... he still ran a 30:13 ... beast!

Officially, I ran well. I ran the 3.11 miles in 30:55, 58th out of 221, link here. My splits were: 9:37, 10:59, 9:40 and 6:49 over the last 0.11 mile. It didn't feel that fast over the last 0.11 though.

Saturday, 11/12/2016: DCSR #2

Dirt Cheap Stage Race #2 was a 5 mile trail race held out at Devil's Bathtub at Mendon Ponds Park. I have run this course numerous times (8 DCSRs and at least 8 DCTRs) and knew it well.

I arrived around 9:10 AM and was rewarded with a pretty good parking spot about 1/2 way up the hill. I backed the Cruze in a bit too far and scraped the bottom of the grille into the ground. Some people did remark about it. I was early for the 10 AM start and met up with Prem Kumar, Andy Ciaio and Mike Meynadasy before the race. I got out for a 0.9 mile warmup run at 8;28 pace, link here. I got back with 5 minutes to spare so I had to rush a bit to get to the Cruze to shed my top 2 layers, take a swig of water, pick up my 10 ounce water bottle, lock up the Cruze and get back up near the start before the race started. The weather at the start was: 41F, 56% RH, 8 mph W wind, wind chill 36F, mostly sunny.

You can see my glove and yellow long sleeve tech to the left ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports 

And ... we were off! I liked how Yellow Jacket Racing swept off the leaves from the roots and rocks near the start. It's just part of the all encompassing care that YJR takes when they put on a race! I got up a nice and easy but fast trail race pace quickly. I passed Prem early and saw Andy and Mike up ahead. The race progressed.

Early in the race ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

Later in the race ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

I walked the hills I had to keep my heart rate under control and then ran the flats and downs. Non-runners think runners ran all time on trail races. We, for the most part, don't. I power walk up the long and steep hills to catch my breath.

I passed Mike in a long flat stretch before we got back to the infamous stair climb finish. Yes ... we climb the stairs at Devil's Bathtub to the finish. Why? Well ... because Boots believes that hills build character, lol! I could hear the finish line announcer so I knew the finish was near. I held a bit back to have something in the tank for the finish ... up, up ... stairs ... up, up ... more stairs ... 50 feet to go ... more stairs ... done!

The infamous stair climb to the finish ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

My time was just over 43 minutes. I took a swig of water and bumped fists with Andy who had finished in 42:09. I had a bagel half and some donut holes for my post race food. They hit the spot.

After DCSR #2

Officially, I ran the 4.57 miles in 43:17 gun time, 43:12 chip time. I was 54th out of 243, link here. My splits were: 8:17, 9:58, 10:26, 8:11 and 6:28 (wow!) over the last 0.57 mile.

Mike mentioned how I "glided" past him on the flat when I passed him with about 1/2 mile to go. Maybe I do "glide" on the flat but I struggle on the ups and tend to be conservative on the downs and particularly so on the steep downs. I know what happens when I fall ... I tend to break stuff. I have had enough ambulance rides after races and don't want any more ... knock on wood.

My darling wife, Christine, had company in town so we met up with her daughter, Beth, and Beth's mother-in-law, Linda, for dinner at Rohrbach Brewing Company on Buffalo at 5 PM. This was a test for me since I hadn't had an alcoholic drink since my 59th birthday back in September. I ordered a orange creme soda with my dinner and everyone else,  including Christine BTW, had beer. But ... I held to the promise I had made to myself ... 57 days sober and counting.

It was an early bedtime for Christine and I. We made the best of it ... ;-)

Sunday, 11/13/2016: DCSR #3

Dirt Cheap Stage Race #3 is the "running for the hoodie" race if and only if you have run and finished the previous 2 races. I had #1 and #2 under my belt so ... I was "running for the hoodie"!

I was up at 6:16 AM and quietly got ready. This time I filled up my Hammer Gel flask with Hammer Gel and filled my 20 ounce water bottle. I kissed my darling wife, Christine, good-bye like I had the previous two mornings. She told me "Have a good race" like she always does before she either drifts back to sleep or wakes up and checks out my eCrumb that I leave before I start a race. She uses the eCrumb to virtually stalk me.

I decided to take a different route down to Mendon Ponds Park on this morning. I went east on the LOSP to get to I-590S instead of west to I-390S, I-490E and I-590S. This brought me to the intersection of the LOSP and Lake Ave. There was a lot of sun glare but I was able to make out the red light. The pickup truck beside me didn't and was almost hit by two cars. The driver of the pickup truck stopped for about 20 seconds before proceeded onward ... probably counting their lucky starts (among other things I'll bet).

Anyway, the race start was at Stewart Lodge. I got there around 8:15 AM and just hung out at the lodge. I congratulated Ellen Brenner, the race director, on how she was able to get good weather for every DCSR. She said "Shh" and knocked on wood, lol! I was a bit hungry so I had some donut holes. Barry Cherney was across the table from me and cracked open a can of Genny Cream Ale beer. He said that he doesn't have leg cramps if he has a beer before a race and that the one time he didn't he had a leg cramp.

I didn't warm-up before this race. I just stretched a bit. I met up with Prem Kumar and Andy Ciaio. Andy kidded me about not going out too fast ... since I always do. Ellen went through her usual pre-race announcements: "Don't litter, follow the pink flags, don't follow the runner in front of you and if you get lost it's your own fault". She reminded us that the early start runners had started at 7:45 AM and to be courteous if we came upon them. Oh, I have followed the runner in front of me during a race ... so I have gotten lost more than once.

Before the start ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sport

A pic of Andy, Mike and I just after the start ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

The line of runners on the beach .. photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sports

Climbing a hill about 1 mile in ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sports

And ... we were off! I got up to my usual nice and easy but fast trail race pace quickly and held it until the climb up to the water tower about 1.5 miles in. I started my hydration at mile 2 and took a swig every 1 or 2 miles. I stopped to take some Hammer Gel at mile 5 and around 7. I have run this race enough to kind of know it well. I knew about the road crossing at mile 5 where there was a water table. I forced myself to stop, dig out my Hammer Gel flask and suck about an ounce of it. I did lose about 100 yards to the couple of runners that I was with. But I had to remember to take care of myself and run my own race.

Just running in the woods ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sports

I was almost out of water at mile 7 so I stopped to refill my 20 ounce water bottle. The race was getting long and I was slowing down a bit. I was walking the hills I had to walk and running the flats and downs. It was tough to not walk the flats and downs too but I managed. Boots and Sean gave encouragement on  one steep hill around mile 8. Then it was down the infamous stairs at Devil's Bathtub ... mile 9 ... down to the Hundred Acre Pond ... skirting it on the path between it and Deep Pond ... turn left toward Steward Lodge ... past the boat launch ... mile 10 ... a momentary course mix up ... back into the woods near Stewart Lodge ... one more hill ... dig, dig ... done!

The standard grimace was evident as I climbed the last hill before the finish  ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sport

My time was just over 1:44. I had looked at my previous times for the last 7 years and I was pretty sure that this was a course PR. I bumped fist with Andy Ciaio who had finished a minute ahead of me and then went into Stewart Lodge. Ellen presented me with another DCSR hoodie to add to my collection. Cobalt blue is the newest color!

The hoodie!

I was pretty sweaty and tired. So I had a banana and some pretzels as I cooled down. Then I took off my wet and sweaty top layers and put on the hoodie. It felt good on my skin ... aaahhh!

Enjoying the hoodie as someone finishes before me.

Yes, I did have a couple mugs of coffee while I reclined on the couch. Officially, I ran a 1:44:07, link here. I was 43rd out of 214. I was 6th out of 22 in my series M 50-59 age group, link here.

I checked my running spreadsheet. Yes, I did run a DCSR #3 PR. My previous DCSR #3 (2009 - 2:05:41, 2010 - 1:52:54, 2011 - 1:45;51, 2012 - 2:10:54, 2013 - 1:47:18, 2014 - 1:50:28 and 2015: 1:48:16) So .. I ran 1:44 faster than 5 years ago in 2011. I must have ran fast early but I don't think I ran fast later in the race! I also ran the night version of DSCR #1 1:39 faster than in 2015 when it switched from Saturday morning to Friday night. These 59 year old legs can still surprise me!

The DCSR bling

So .. 5 runs in 3 days. Friday was 0.47 and 3.11 miles; Saturday was 0.9 and 4.57 miles and Sunday was 10.32 miles for a grand total of 19.37 miles. Not a whole lot of miles when it's spread over three days. But earning the 2016 Dirt Cheap Stage Race hoodie ... priceless!

Sunday, 11/6/2016 to Thursday, 11/10/2016 - Politics

1 ran once during these 5 days for 7.05 miles.

Sunday, 11/6/2016: Rest day ...

I was more than a bit sore than yesterday, Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K. I watched a bit of the New York City Marathon coverage. I also virtually stalked the two people that I knew: Jim Ciecierega who ran a 4:44:18 and Chuck Traub who ran a 5:24:42, link here. Barry Cherney went down and volunteered at the finish line. I read a story about a 96 year old runner, named Johathan Mendes, who was the last unofficial finisher of the New York Marathon, link here. He has 11 official finishes and 5 unofficial finishes.

Monday, 11/7/2016: Another rest day ...

Tuesday, 11/8/2016: Voted, ran and then despair ...

Today dawned with such great hope. I woke up at 5:30 AM before my alarm. I started the coffee and then woke up my darling wife, Christine. We had this crazy idea of voting early. So ... we did. There was a Trump supporter with a Trump/Pence sign in dark clothing in front. It was dark still ... Christine saw him but I didn't. We were at the Lakeshore Fire Dept on Ling Rd around 6:20 AM. It was a bustling place. There were 2 electronic voting machines. I was 22nd on mine.


We went back home. I went to work. I needed to run so I went on a before lunch run. The weather was ... . It was a good run. I really ran well: 7:05, 55:26, 7:52 pace, 61F, 45% RH, 5 mph SW wind, partly cloudy.


I called the run: A lucky 7 ... full of hope for the future of America. My splits were: 7:57, 7:49, 7:57, 7:55, 7:57, 7:55 and 7:37. It really was a fast and excellent run.

I did a bit of grocery shopping at Wegmans for a rotisserie chicken. Then ... we settled in for some election news. Soon ... the news didn't look good. Trump was in the early lead. So we switched to some shows on the DVR. Then back to election news ... it still didn't look good. Trump was leading in FL, OH, NH, MI, PA. The Electorate College paths looked bad for Hillary and good for Trump. I stayed up until 12:30 AM before I feel asleep. I don't know when my darling wife, Christine, fell asleep since she sleeps in the second bedroom. I am a light sleeper and she snores. I feel bad about this but I need to get up in the morning.

Wednesday, 11/9/2016: A rest day and despair ...

I woke up at 5:30 AM and turned on the TV. Trump had won ... OMFG! Christine was already awake because she had only slept a hour or so. I guess she had been checking her phone during the night for election results.

Let me digress from my mostly running blog for a moment. Where to begin ... first, I identify as a liberal. You name it and I most likely hold the liberal view. Hillary was not a perfect candidate and I thought Bernie was better. But ... Trump? He was and still is a bigot, tax avoiding businessman (where are his tax returns?), can be baited with a tweet, without a plan, failure of a Republican that I thought had not a chance in hell of winning the election. Lots of digital ink has been spilled that have chosen lots of better words and reasoning than I can possibly type. Please check out Dan Rather on Facebook for his reasoned words. But ... Trump won. He is not my president and won't ever be. Here is I predict will happen ... the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer, the ACA will be ripped away and millions will lose their healthcare, the Supreme Court will be stacked with conservative judges and some laws will be changed and rights will be stripped away, his followers in the alt-right will feel emboldened to continue with their hate ... my words fail me. Let us not forget the Republican House and Congress getting a head of steam and passing their favorite legislation potentially getting rid of all sorts of stuff! Lot of nightmare scenarios go through my head. I wonder if I will recognize America in 2018 and 2020. Will we be able to vote for another president in 2020? Trump and the Republican party control the White House, the House, the Senate and soon the Supreme Court. He will be able to nominate conservative judges in the federal courts. Words fail me again about what can happen in the next 4 years. I posted a single post on Facebook this morning that largely outlined the same views.

Thursday, 11/10/2016: Rest day ... the usual before a race weekend.

Sunday, 10/30/2016 to Saturday, 11/5/2016 - Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K

I ran 3 times this week, 41.34 miles.
I biked once this week, 11.05 miles.

Sunday, 10/30/2016: 11.05 bike miles, 52:25, 12.6 mph average, 17.8 mph maximum

MapMyRide workout for Only ride in October

I wanted to do something but didn't want to run. What to do? So I biked instead. I puttered around longer than I should have but gathered the proper gear and got out there. It was a bit cool and windy. I wished I had something over my ears and a pair of heavier gloves. It also started a real light mist. I cut the ride a bit short but I survived.

I read on Facebook about the Marine Corps Marathon down in DC. Chris Patterson, the "pacemaster", paced a guy who ran around a 4:45. I would love to run that marathon one day!

My darling wife, Christine, and I spent another lazy Sunday together. We did have a bit of a downer watching the Patriots - Bills game. The Bills were taken apart by Brady and lost 25-41, link here. Their record is now 4-4. Another year looking in from the outside of the playoffs is staring them and their fans right in the face.

Monday, 10/31/2016: Rest day ...

Stats time:
I ran 17 times (2 were warmup runs of 2 and 1.5 miles) during the 31 days of October for 147.66 miles, 8.69 miles/run.
I ran two races in October; the Finish Strong 15K and the Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K
I have run 168 times so far in 2016 for 1268.13 miles, 7.55 miles/run.
I have run 30 races so far in 2016 which is a lot less than the 50 I had run thus far in 2015. I have cut back on my race schedule in 2016 and will do so in 2017 also.
I have signed up for the following races in November: Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K on 11/5, Dirt Cheap Stage Race on 11/11, 11/12, 11/13 and Race with Grace 10K on 11/24.

Tuesday, 11/1/2016: 7.3 miles, 1:00:36, 8:18, 64F, 64% RH, 7 mph SSE wind, partly cloudy



Back to the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday schedule. I had all running gear (including my shorts this time) in the Cruze and changed after work. But ... where to go? I decided that I needed hills since the Mendon Ponds Trail Race 50K is staring me in the face. So I went over to Cobbs Hill. I parked in Fleet Feet Armory parking lot, geared up with a 20 ounce water bottle, put on my reflective vest (but forgot my headlamp ... stupid) and headed out. I put up a nice and easy pace at first. I did 3 Ys and then 3 loops. I sped up on the loops and enjoyed the speed. I knew some runners on the hill but not many. It was kind of dark when I was heading back ... I should have worn my headlamp. My splits were: 8:53, 8:29, 8:21, 8:27, 8:07, 8:06, 7:49 and 7:58 over the last 0.3 mile.

Wednesday, 11/3/2016: Rest day ... moving along!

Thursday, 11/3/2016: 5.05 miles, 40;28, 8:01 pace, 54F, 71% RH, 6 mph WNW wind, partly cloudy

I brought all my running gear in the Cruze and fully intended to run at Ontario Beach Park but ... I had forgotten my heartrate strap and SpiBelt so I changed at work to save time (and my darling wife's possible distractions) and then went home to get them. I settled on just a nice and easy out and back 5 on the LOSP. I wore my Brooks shorts, a short sleeve tech and light Brooks gloves. I didn't carry water but did have my headlamp since sunset was only 15 minutes away when I started.


Well ... a nice and easy pace is not one that I do for long. I sped up and ended up negatively splitting each mile. My splits were: 8:16, 8:10, 8:03, 7:58 and 7:39. I was a bit sweaty when I stopped ... it felt good!

Friday, 11/4/2016: Rest day ... pasta for supper and tried to go to sleep early!

Saturday, 11/5/2016: 29.99 miles, 5:56:37, 11:53 pace, 48F at start ... maybe 55F at finish, 76% RH, 10 mph WSW wind, overcast to partly cloudy

I set my alarm for 5:15 AM ... it was dark'o'clock for sure. Today was my third attempt at the Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K (2010 - DNF and 2013 in 6:34:37). I have run the 20K (2006 in 2:12:55, 2011 in 1:55:25, 2012 in 2:17:45 and 2015 in 2:27:40) and the 30K in 3:27:34. I ran the Grocery Run 5K at 8:15 AM before the MPTR in 2014 and 2015. So .. today I was "just" running the MPTR 50K.

I geared up for whatever Mendon Ponds Park could throw at me. I donned my Brooks shorts, calf sleeves, a yellow long sleeve tech. I had my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana. I filled my Hammer Gel flask with Hammer Gel, stuffed another sleeve tech, filled my water bottles, kissed Christine good-bye and headed out at 6:37 AM. Oh, I put on my yellow Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve tech and Brooks jacket on before I left. The Cruze purred while I drove down to MPP. I arrived at the Beach parking lot at 7:05 AM. It was still dark as I walked up to Stewart Lodge ... I should have put on my headlamp because I almost tripped on some roots once or twice. I pinned on my bib and mentally got ready. Soon enough it was light out.

I met up with Chris Washburn (who lives out in Newark where I grew up) and Andy Ciaio before the race. This race is pretty low key so just a couple of announcements and no start line ... just a "Go"!

The 50K start ... photo courtesy of Rochester Orienteering Club Facebook page

The 50K start ... photo courtesy of Rochester Orienteering Club Facebook page

And ... we were off! I settled into a nice and easy but fast trail race pace. There wasn't much talking and I slowly got away from the two guys who were talking. I settled in behind a blonde ponytail for miles 2 through 8. I kept pace with her, passed her on some ups and she passed me on some downs. I remember passing through loop 1 at 57:26. I thought to myself ... "maybe I can hold this pace" but I also "this is insanely fast". I was on my hydration schedule of every 2 miles and taking Hammer Gel every 4 miles so I passed up the aid station at mile 3.5 on the first two loops. Loop 2 passed at 1:58 and change so I had slowed to a 1:01 loop. Then ... I slowed more. Loops 3 and 4 mostly sucked. I walked more of the hills but ran the flats and downs slower. I started to stop at the aid stations at the finish and at mile 3.5. I favored fig newtons, PB&J squares and pretzels. I also started to drink TailWind in my 20 ounce water bottle. Oh, someone told me that I had a nipple bleed when I came in the mile 3.5 aid station on loop 3.

Loop 3 wearing my yellow lnng sleeve tech ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

So ... I changed to an orange long sleeve tech when I finished loop 3. I tried to convince myself to run more on loop 4 ... I don't think it helped much. But ... I gathered my strength after loop 4. I saw the time at 4:35.

Loop 4 wearing my orange long sleeve tech ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

I think this is Loop 5 ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthew of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

I walked up the hill to Douglas Rd and started loop 5. I knew that I had a chance to finish under 6 hours. So I tried to run more. Mike Meynasdasy told me as much when I sat down for a few seconds at the mile 3.5 aid station. So ... I ran as much as I could during the last loop. I knew I wasn't running as fast ... but I was running. I knew the course ... I knew I was getting closer ... last hill ... down the hill ... across Douglas Rd ... down to the hill towards Stewart Lodge ... lots of 5s on the clock ... and done under 6 ... nice!

I glanced at my Garmin ... 5:56:37, nice! I was handed a finisher's glass just after the finish. I walked into Stewart Lodge and sat down ... done! I had a couple of bananas and an apple for my post race grub. I am not much of a bagel or soup person after a race. I knew I would be a bit cold when I went back outside to get my running bag from the outdoor pavilion ... I was right. It hurt a bit to get my legs into the Cruze. Then I drove home. It hurt to get out of the Cruze, walk to the door ... but it was a good hurt. Soon I had some coffee and my feet were up ... done!

I uploaded my Garmin and relaxed. I accomplished my unspoken goal of breaking 6 hours. My splits were: 1 - 9:30, 2 - 9:42, 3 - 10:02, 4- 9:04, 5 - 10:08, 6 - 10:17, 7 - 9:43, 8 - 9:56, 9 - 10:52, 10 - 10:26, 11 - 9:48, 12 - 12:20, 13 - 11:40, 14 - 11:07, 15 - 11:16, 16 - 12:44, 17 - 11:03, 18 - 15:36, 19 - 15:13, 20 - 13:26, 21 - 13:49, 22 - 14:08, 23 - 12:06, 24 - 16:29, 25 - 15:30, 26 - 11:36, 27 - 13:35, 28 - 13:40, 29 - 10:52 and 11:00 over the last 0.99 mile. My official time was 5:56:35, link here. Some stats:

The MPTR 50K finisher's glass

I just lazed around the rest of day. I managed to limp around when and if I had to. All in all ... a great day!