Happy New Year, 2010!

New Year's Eve Reflection Run!

Stats for December: 22.2 miles, 5 runs, 4.4 miles/run
Stats for 2009: 1140.1 miles, 186 runs, 6.1 miles/run
I ran in 26 races in 11 months, 17 trail and 9 road.

A list of my races:

1/1/09 Freezeroo #2 Resolution Run - 7.5 miles 62:33 8:20
107th out of 287, 12th out 33 in age group

1/7/09 Snow Cheap #2 Trail Race - 2.7 miles 31:55 11:49

1/21/09 Snow Cheap #3 Trail Race – 2.5 miles 44:34
(got lost)

2/4/09 Snow Cheap #4 Trail Race – 2.5 miles 31.34 12:37

2/18/09 Snow Cheap #5 Trail Race – 2.5 miles 30:51 11:20

3/4/09 Snow Cheap #6 Trail Race – 3.3 miles 34:15 10:23

4/5/09 Spring Forward 15K 72:49 7:49
141st out of 378, 15th out of 26 in age group

4/11/09 Cat’s Half Marathon 1:51:49 8:32
38th out of 89, 3rd in Age Group

4/15/09 Dirt Cheap #1 – 4.5 miles 38:40 8:36
89th out of 198, 6th out of 13 in age group

5/3/09 Medved Madness 15 mile Trail Run 2:30:09 10:01
52nd out of 69

5/15/09 Williamson Appleblossom 10K 45:44 7:23
14th out of 68, 1st in Age Group

5/20/09 Dirt Cheap #2 – 6 miles 53:24 8:54
88th out of 184, 6th out of 10 in age group

6/6/09 Power Bar 9 Mile Trail Run 85:05 9:27
61st out of 92, 6th out of 7 in age group

6/13/09 Newark Run for the Red 5K 22:04 7:07
3rd in Age Group

6/17/09 Dirt Cheap #3 – 4 miles 54:23 13:36
Epic mudfest!
149th out of 210, 9th out of 10 in age group

7/4/09 Fairport Firecracker 5.1 Mile Race 40:12 7:53
172nd out of 588, 12th out of 44 in age group

7/15/09 Dirt Cheap #4 – 4.5 miles 40:12 8:54
113th out of 211, 8th out of 11 in age group

8/9/09 ‘Dam’ Good Trail Run – 13.6 miles 2:23:42 10:34
51st out of 104, 7th out of 14 in age group

8/19/09 Dirt Cheap #5 – 6 miles 55:13 9:12
95th out of 187, 7th out of 10 in age group

9/5/09 Summerfest 12K 62:42 8:26
66th out of 212, 5th out of 14 in age group

9/16/09 Dirt Cheap #6 – 4 miles 38:01 9:30
Happy Birthday!
77th out of 161, 5th out of 10 in age group

10/11/09 Towpath 10K 48:35 7:50
45th out of 418, 5th out of 16 in age group

11/14/09 Dirt Cheap Stage Race 1 – 3 miles DQed
Missed a turn

11/14/09 Dirt Cheap Stage Race 2 – 5.5 miles 45:04 8:12
45th out of 82, 11th out of 15 in age group

11/15/09 Dirt Cheap Stage Race 3 – 11 miles 2:05:52 11:26
49th out of 74, 9th out of 12 in age group

11/26/09 Newark Turkey Day 5 Mile Race 38:50 7:46
45th out of 144, 5th in Age Group

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Thu: 6.5 miles, 1:01:19, 9:25 pace, Seneca-Titus-Winona-St Paul-Norton-Seneca run, 32F, night, fine mist, 1 stop, some mild ab pain.

I just had to get out for the last run of the year. I had to run carefully, I didn't want to slip on any snow on the sidewalk or road. The run was sweet, just really easy, trying to see if I have healed enough to run harder. No, I have not is the short answer. But I am optimistic that I will fully heal ... just not as fast I would like. Perhaps I push too much ... but isn't that the nature of runners? My goal in 2010 is to run a sub 4 marathon.

I wish everyone who reads this blog a Happy New Year filled with everything that they wish for. 2009 was a great year which ended very well!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, December 20th to Saturday, December 26th

Sunday, December 20th to Saturday, December 26th

I ran 2 times, 10.1 miles

Sun: 5 miles, 42:53, 8:35 pace, easy, Seneca-Titus-Winona-St Paul-Ridge run, 27F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

I had to get out there. So after I got back from wishing my oldest son a happy 24th birthday, I headed out in the night for a sweet, easy run around the neighborhood.

Tue: 5.1 miles, 44:09, 8:39 pace, easy, FF Cobb's Hill run, 18F, night, a bit windy, 2 stops, some ab pain.

I went to my postop appointment with my surgeon and got the OK to go back to work with no restrictions on Wednesday. I went back up to FF to run Cobb's Hill with fellow Winter Warriors. I was a bit underdressed since I forgot my windjacket so I compensenated with 1 ss and 2 ls tech tops. I was OK except for my face. I only did 2 Y's since I was having some pain. I did have some ab pain plus some upper thigh pain. But I was glad to get out there.

Wed: Went back to work. A long day of catching up, some ab pain in the evening.

Thu: The typical day before the holidays. My boss took me out to lunch at Kennan's on Ridge Road West. Afterward, I packed and headed east to give my kids their Christmas giftcards and then headed west to spend Christmas in Cleveland with CJ.

Trying to keep active, Doug

Sunday, December 13th to Saturday, December 19th

Sunday, December 13th to Saturday, December 19th

I ran 2 times, 4.5 miles

Baby steps on my road back from my hernia surgery. I feel pretty good most of the time.

Mon: 1 mile, Washington Golf Course Park in Cleveland OH, 46F, really easy, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

I am still in Cleveland with CJ. I took a really, really easy 1 mile {I guess} run while CJ walked her dog. Nothing too strenuous.

Tue: CJ took me back to Rochester. Long drive. My side hurt a bit when we arrived.

Wed: Before CJ went back to Cleveland, she was kind enough to drop my car off at my auto mechanic's so I could get the heater fan and auto transmission shifting fixed.

Thu: 3.5 miles, 31:45, 9:04 pace, out to Russell's house, 12F, really easy, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

I dressed perfectly for the weather ... after I found all my cold weather gear. Just a nice run out to pick up my car. My auto mechanic replaced my heater fan and put some type of Lucas sealant conditioner in my transmission. I now have heat and the transmission shifts a lot better. However, the proof will be when it shifts after the transmission has sat all night.

Trying to keep active, Doug

Sunday, December 6th to Saturday, December 12th

Sunday, December 6th to Saturday, December 12th

Note: I am on the mend from hernia surgery on Thursday, December 3rd. So I am on short term disability for the time being until my doctor OKs my return to work.

Sun: A quarter mile hobble, 30F, dusk, calm, no stops, a stretchy pain on my left side.

I took my bandage off and took a much needed shower. I got outside around 4:30PM with CJ just in case. I hobbled off to the mailbox to mail some letters, then to the corner of Ridge and Seneca and back. Man, walking kind of hurts!

Tue: Drove out during the night to Cleveland to spend time with CJ while she went through the stuff in her apartment. Exhausted, crashed when we got there. I didn't find out until the next day that the only thing I had brought with me was the clothes on my back, my computer, my briefcase, and my pillow! Luckily I did bring a parka! Everything else that I wanted to bring ... like underwear, sock, shirts, sweatshirt and toiletries are back in Rochester. Well ... I have been told that you always leave something behind when you travel!

Thu: Man, has it gotten colder here in Cleveland! It went from 52F yesterday to 18F with wind chills near 0F! Sometimes I am feeling pretty good, sometimes I feel pretty tired. I did manage a bit of a run for about 1/10 of a mile at a very slow pace ... just trying to see if everything still works!

Sat: It has warmed up in Cleveland today! Perfectly sunny, above freezing! We are trying to find someone to take care of CJ's dog so CJ can take me back to Rochester. I really need a shave! Each day post surgery is different. Most of the time I feel pretty good and then all of a sudden I get tired. CJ says that I push myself too hard and am not resting like I should.

Trying to keep active, Doug

Sunday, November 29nd to Saturday, December 5th

Sunday, November 29nd to Saturday, December 5th

I ran once this week: 6.2 miles
Month of November, I ran 15 days of 30 (actually 18 times), 90.9 miles, 6.1 miles/run
2009 to end of November, I have run 182 days out of 334, 6.2 miles/run

Sun: A rest day for CJ and I after three days of exercise. We headed down to Geneva to see the Nutcracker performed by the Ithaca Ballet and the Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra. We enjoyed the ballet very much, it was very well done.

Tue: 6.2 miles, 51:59, 8:23 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 40F, easy, night, calm, no stops, no pain.


CJ and I made it down to Fleet Feet for the Cobbs's Hill run, also the first night of Winter Warrior ... a lot of people showed up! The weather was excellent! I love running when it's around 40F and calm!

Thu: I have had a left inguinal hernia for a couple of months. It has not really affected my running but I wanted to get it taken care of before it did.

So today I had it repaired at the Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic. My surgeon could not do a laprascopic (too skinny I was told!) but did a straight cut. I was out of surgery by 11:15AM and on my way home by 2:30PM or so. Everything went well, I have nothing by good things to say about the whole experience. I was calm before I went in for surgery ... my BP was 115/70 and my pulse was 43. I was in a bit of pain whenever I moved. My girlfriend, CJ, is taking good care of me. Her cinnamon toast is awesome! Hopefully I will be back to running soon! I do want to run a race this month so I can run a race in every month of 2009!

Fri and Sat: Still on the mend with CJ's help. Pain when I get up, not much pain when I stay in bed. Kind of sucks ... it seems that the cure was worse than the bite.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, November 22nd to Saturday, November 28th

Sunday, November 22nd to Saturday, November 28th

I ran 4 times, 17.2 miles

Thu: 5 miles, 38:50, 7:46 pace, Newark Turkey Day Race, 48F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.

CJ and I ran the Newark Turkey Day Race, my 5th and her 1st. I finished 45th out of 144, 5th in my age group on a great day to run a race, results here. Up in Rochester, 1424 ran the Webster 4.4 mile Turkey Trot (result here, 880 ran the Webster 2.5 mile Turkey Trot, results here and 934 ran the Race with Grace 10K out in Hilton, results here.


Afterward, we saw my father at the Wayne County Nursing Home. On the way back up to Rochester, we saw my youngest son. CJ fixed her first Thanksgiving dinner in several years with excellent results ... and lots of leftovers!

Fri: 4.2 miles, 33:48, 8:03 pace, Fleet Feet Black Friday run, 34F, easy, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.

I made it down to Fleet Feet for my third Black Friday run where we run the Friday Happy Hour route backwards. It was definitely different but sweet none the less!

Fri: 5 miles, 43:21, 8:40 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 38F, really easy, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

CJ and I made it down to Fleet Feet for the Happy Hour run. She was a bit afraid of night running but she is glad she went. Many thanks to Becky for walking with CJ.

Sat: 3 miles, treadmill at Planet Fitness, real easy at 8:34 pace with a burst to 7:30 pace.

A real lazy day. CJ and I went out to Planet Fitness for a workout. I got a guest pass in the mail and used it so CJ could try out my gym. She worked out well, easy and not too hard with no ill effects. I think she is a keeper!

Keeping active, Doug

Monday, November 16th to Saturday, November 21st

Monday, November 16th to Saturday, November 21st

I ran 2 times over 6 days, 12.9 miles

Mon - Thu: I took a break from running. I almost went out for a run on Wednesday. I almost went out to Planet Fitness on Thursday. But I rested instead.

Fri: 4.1 miles, 33:00 (I think), 8:03 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 45F, night, calm, no stops even for traffic, no pain.

Fri: 3.4 miles, 28:43, 8:27 pace, FF Happy Hour run just to Highland then to Monroe and back, 45F, night, calm, no stops even for traffic again, no pain.

Yes, I am back to running. I couldn't get my Garmin to lock in for the first run, got it up for the second run. I ran happy just with the joy of running. After about 5 minutes or so I went out for more running at an easy pace. Sweet!

Sat: 5.4 miles, 45:03, 8:21 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul to Cooper Rd-Collingwood-Seneca run, 45F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Tough getting motivated to do anything. I finally got out at 6:30PM for a perfect night time run. It felt good to just run in the dark putting the miles under my feet. Sweet! I have run 1100 miles so far this year sccording to my running spreadsheet.

My Garmin Forerunner 305 would not turn on during the afternoon. I Googled the problem and found this link that solved the problem.

I uploaded the data on my Garmin Forerunner305 to connect.garmin.com. I got my inner geek on and looked at all the Google Maps of where I have run my past several months!

A sad tech note: My Panasonic SA-HT790V DVD/VCR Home Theater Sound System died. It threw up a F09 error, then refused to power on. A Google search found that the power supply has died. I liked that DVD/VCR with its booming 5.1 speaker system. I only had 3.1 speakers hooked up but watching and listening to action movies like Iron Man, Transformers, Transporter 3 was quite the experience! I do have another DVD/VCR but it doesn't have a speaker system so the sounds comes just from the TV ... so not the same!

Keeping active, Doug

Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Stage Race

Saturday, November 14th to Sunday, November 15th

I ran 3 times on 2 days, 19.5 miles in the Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Stage Race held in Mendon Ponds Park. CJ came in from Cleveland to give me support and watch me run. She took most the pics that are posted. She was also my masseuse for pre and post run stretches.

Sat: 3 miles, FF DC Stage Race 1, 45F, easy, walking stops, no pain. I missed a turn up Cardiac Hill and was DQed. There were some injuries ... a girl broke her ankle and another girl sprained her ankle. There were 73 runners, overall results are here, age group results are here.

Finishing Stage 1
Sat: 5.5 miles, 45:04, 8:12 pace, FF DC Stage Race 2, 60F, easy, walking stops, no pain. A long run in the Devil's Bathtub area. I took a tumble going down a hill and did a somersault over my right shoulder. I shook myself off and continued onward. Later, I found some serious mud like everyone else. I finished 45th out of 82, overall results are here. I was 11th out of 15 in my age group, results are here.

Somewhere during Stage 2
Climbing up the stairs at the Devil's Bathtub as I finished Stage 2
The battle scars of Stage 2 after I took my head over heels tumble
Sun: 11 miles, 2:05:51, 11:28 pace, FF DC Stage Race 3, 45-55F, sunny to cloudy, calm, walking stops, no pain.

I survived the 11 grueling miles of Stage 3. I ran in economy mode, just putting one foot in front of the other ... watching out for roots, rocks, logs and the occasional pile of horse poop as usual when you run trail. I had two Gus, one at 5 miles and one at 7 miles. I usually ran in a loose group of other runners. An encouraging word, a warning or help with trail selection every now and then helped on the journey ... especially around mile 2 when the trail made a sharp right off the main trail that I and another runner so wanted to follow. I finished 49th out of 74, overall results are here. I finished 9th out of 12 in my age group, age group results are here. Here is a map of Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Stage Race #3 course, link Garmin Connect - Activity Details for FF Dirt Cheap Stage Race #3, 2645 feet of vertical climb, 1254 calories burned!

Full of energy before Stage 3
Somewhere during Stage 3 with my "posse" that I ran with for 5 miles or so
Digging up the hill as I finished Stage 3
I was a bit out of it for a couple of minutes after I finished
The swag ... a sweet sweatshirt and Salomon water bottle

All in all, a great way to spend a weekend! Many thanks to Fleet Feet and Yellow Jacket Racing for putting on an excellent event. Can't wait until next year!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, November 8th to Friday, November 13th

Sunday, November 8th to Friday, November 13th

I ran 4 times over 6 days, 21.5 miles

Sun: 6.8 miles, 55:51, 8:13 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul up to Carter-Zoo-St Paul-Ridge run, 55F, sunny, calm, 2 stops, no pain.

Just your average run. I carried water, took 2 little stops to hydrate. A beautiful Sunday afternoon ... ideal for a run after taking 3 days off!

Tue: 6.2 miles, 52:24, 8:27 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 46F, night, calm, 2 stops, some pain.

Just your average FF Cobb's Hill run, 3 Y's with a sharp stitch in my right side thrown in for good measure. It lasted about 1/2 Y on the first Y. It was right underneath my ribcage and hurt like hell for a bit. I slowed to a walk. I ran OK after that.

Wed: 4 miles, 8:34 pace with a burst to 7:30 pace, Planet Fitness workout.

Just your average PF workout ... 2 miles on the treadmill at 8:34 pace with a burst to 7:34, 2 sets on the machines, then ditto on the treadmill.

Thu: 4.5 miles, 39:38, 8:48 pace, FF Social run, 40F, night, calm, no stops except for traffic, no pain.

I ran social with the 4.5 mile group because I didn't want to get lost. It was a really nice run ... very scenic running back along the Genesee River with the street lights and Freddie-Sue bridge reflected in the river.

Fri: Rested up for Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Stage Race on Saturday and Sunday.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, November 1st to Saturday, November 7th

Sunday, November 1st to Saturday, November 7th

I ran 4 times this week, 19.8 miles

Sun: 3.4 miles, 27:34, 8:13 pace, Cleveland Metro Park, easy, 60F, sunny, calm, 1 stop, no pain.

Went with CJ and her dog to one of the parks. I ran out to the covered bridge at the Short Line Bridge then ran back, met up with CJ and walked back to her car. Had a bit of problem afterward because I hadn't eaten much and ran out of energy until we had a sort of late, late lunch / early supper. A nice enjoyable run, beautiful day!

Tue: 6.7 miles, 58:49, 8:17 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, easy, 40F, 4 stops, no pain.

I dressed pretty well for the weather ... no issues with being too hot. I carried water this time. I still had a problem with having to stop a couple of times. I am still getting used to the colder weather. Well ... then here I am running outside at night ... lots of people are inside and think runners are crazy!

Wed: 4 miles on the Planet Fitness treadmill. 2 miles on the treadmill at around 8:00 pace with a burst to a 7:34 pace, then a good 2 set workout on the machines, then 2 more miles on the treadmills at around 8:30 pace with a burst 8:00 and 7:34 pace. Sweet!

Thu: 5.7 miles, 47:31, 8:20 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul up to Carter-Ridge Run, easy, 38F, night, windy in spots, 1 stop at the turn, no pain.

I managed to disengage myself from the couch and surfing the web long enough to venture forth in the night for a sweet run! Lots of leaves on the sidewalk, need to put new batteries in my headlight. I am leaning towards buying rechargeables.

Fri: Took my oldest son home from his GRE test instead of doing the Fleet Feet Happy Hour run.

Sat: Took my oldest son back to Ithaca College. I left just as the football game was ending. I probably could have squeezed in a run before or after but I figured my body needed a rest. I caught up on some shows I had missed ... NCIS, Fringe and Private Practice. Watching TV shows over the internet is so nice plus you save time!

Oh, I am signed up for the Dirt Cheap Stage Race next weekend. Should be awesome!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, October 25th to Saturday, October 31th

Sunday, October 25th to Saturday, October 31th

I ran 5 times this week, 21.5 miles
Month of October: I ran 17 times out of 31 days for 93.3 miles, 5.5 miles/run

Sun: 2 miles on the treadmill at Planet Fitness.

Kicked back. Beautiful day, had to get out around 2 PM, to Pepboy's for some oil, Walgreen's for a 50 pack of DVD-Rs, then to Planet Fitness for a sweet workout ... 1 mile on the 'mill, the upper body circuit, 1 mile on the 'mill, 1 mile on the elliptical, home to watch the Bill wins over Tampa Bay, 20-9. Then watched the macho fest, Transformer, Revenge of the Fallen. Feel the testosterone!

Tue: 6.1 miles, 51:29, 8:29 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 52F, dusk, calm, 6 stops, no pain.

I did not hydrate enough before the run. My mouth was so dry I could not even spit ... not that I do. I did not have any stamina ... I was very thirsty. But lesson learned.

Wed: 3 miles on the treadmill at Planet Fitness.

Disengaged from the couch to go to Planet Fitness for a sweet workout. 1.5 miles on the 'mill, then a weight workout, then another 1.5 miles on the 'mill. Feels good to sweat on a misty, rainy, damp and dreary Wednesday!

Thu: 7 miles, 57:07, 8:10 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-2xPond-St Paul-Ridge run, 47F, dusk to dark, cloudy, calm, steady, no stops except to turn on my headlight, no pain.

I got out there into the scenic, damp and slightly dreary outside world for a sweet 7 mile run.

Sat: 3.4 miles, 29:29, 8:40 pace, Harvard Grove cemetery in Cleveland, real easy, 45F, cloudy, windy, 1 stop, no pain.

Went out to Cleveland to see CJ. We celebrated Halloween by running in the Harvard Grove cemetery at the corner of Harvard and Lansing. Yes, it was during the daylight. Yes, the cemetery was old and somewhat rundown. A first time for me ... old hat for CJ. Later we went out to De Nobile's for some good old-fashioned pizza, beer and rock-n-roll. Afterward, we watched Knowing.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, October 18th to Saturday, October 24th

Sunday, October 18th to Saturday, October 24th

I ran 3 times this week, 20.1 miles

Sun through Thursay: CJ was visiting from Cleveland while the furnace in her apartment was replaced. It turned out that her furnace was not replaced as of Sunday, 10/25.

Sun: The Bills won against the Jets in OT, 16-13. The Browns lost to Pittsburgh by 13 as expected. We took my daughter back to Houghton College.

Monday: 1.4 mile walk with CJ around the neighborhood. We tried to calibrate her Nike+ Sportsband.

Tue: 6.1 miles, 48:27, 7:57 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 55F, dusk, calm, 1 stop, no pain (didn't wear my IT bands). I ran a bit hard with a few traffic stops. CJ went up to Cobb's Hill and back for a 2.6 mile walk. We watched New in Town. Renee Zellweger did a fine job ... she eventually warmed up to Minnesota!

Wed: I gave blood for the 70th time. My vitals: pulse was 50, BP was 110/74. CJ and I went out to Lyons to see my father in the Wayne County Nursing Home. We stopped at the Newark High School and walked 1 mile around the track to try to calibrate her Nike+ Sportsband ... no joy. It uploads fine but the distance is off. We watched Eastwick.

Thu: CJ left to go back to Cleveland. I puttered around the apartment after work, washed the dishes, ate leftovers, tried to catch up on my email, balanced my checkbook, watched FlashForward and Grey's ... mundane stuff. She left stuff for me to remember her by.

Fri: 8.2 miles, 66:04, 8:04 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run x 2, 42F, night, calm, misty rain, no stops, no pain.

We definitely light up the night!
For the first time, I ran the Cobb's Hill run twice. I ran the first loop a little hard in 32:20, 7:53 pace. I cooled down for a bit, chatted a bit. Then I decided on the spur of the moment to head out again for another lap ... 4.1 miles was just too short! I ran easy in 33:44, 8:14 pace. I used my headlight on the second lap. It was dark, misty, damp ... and sweet times two! Hulu.com is great for catching on the shows ... like NCIS, NCIS LA, Fringe, and Castle that I have missed plus it saves time with a lot fewer commercials!

Sat: 5.8 miles, 46:32, 8:03 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul up to Carter back to Ridge run, 52F, dusk, a little windy, 2 tiny stops, no pain.

I just had to get out! I felt like a slug just watching Boston College play Notre Dame and surfing the web just mindlessly. I could have gone to Planet Fitness but I pounded the pavement instead. I felt a bit sluggish but I really wasn't I guess. My total running mileage for the year is now 1004.5 miles! I looked at my running spreadsheet and saw that I broke 1000 running miles at the same time last year.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, October 11th to Saturday, October 17th

Sunday, October 11th to Saturday, October 17th

I ran 4 times this week, 22.2 miles

Sun: 6.2 miles, 48:35, 7:50 pace, Towpath 10K, 45F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

I ran the Towpath 10K in Cleveland OH along with the lovely CJ. CJ was nervous at the start since it was her first race. It was cold at the start. Luckily, it was not windy! I went out hard and kept it up the whole race ... though I did slow down a bit towards the end. I was 45th out of 418, results here. I finished 5th out of 16 in my male 50-54 age group, results here. CJ was so happy to finish her first race. I think she is hooked!

Mon: Occasionally, you have to do mundane things like laundry.

Tue: Long day of driving back and forth between building for work, then drove down with my youngest son to Ithaca College to see my oldest son in his first Wind Ensemble concert.

Wed: 6.5 miles, 51:53, 7:59 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Ridge run x 2, 38F, dark, calm, no stops, no pain.

I ran a little hard in the gathering gloom and darkness of upstate NY. I got back in just before 8PM. My body tried every argument to be a slug but I escaped for a sweet run with splits of 7:54, 7:56, 8:10, 7:56, 7:55, 8:00, 7:56. I think I will need to find my headlight next time!

Thu: 3 miles, treadmill. 2 miles as a warmup, 1 mile as a cooldown after working the circuit.

I have joined Planet Fitness as a basic member at the Dewey and Latta location in Greece. My first impression is good ... lot of cardio machines, need to schedule my visits to avoid lots of people for the weight machines.

Fri: 6.2 miles, 49:39, 8:00 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-pond-St Paul-Ridge run, easy and steady, 40F, no stops, no pain.

Just your normal just before dusk run. I needed to get out there. CJ is coming to Rochester tonight! The furnace in her apartment is broke ... hopefully I can warm her up!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, October 4th to Saturday, October 10th

Sunday, October 4th to Saturday, October 10th

I ran 3 times this week, 17.3 miles

Mon: 6.2 miles, 49:50, 8:02 pace, Seneca - Collingwood - Zoo Trail and back run, 55F, sunny, a bit windy, no stops, no pain.

I got out for a nice and easy Zoo trail run out to the second fence and back. I clocked miles of 8:09, 7:47, 7:43, 8:23, 8:20, 7:58 and 7:34. I have found that if I just run my natural speed running is fun. Sometimes those runs are fast too! The only thing is that I got something in my eye around mile 5. It bugged the rest of the night. CJ told me to put a hot compress on it, which really helped!

Tue: 6.1 miles, 49:05, 8:03 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 56F, no stops, no pain.

I ran steady, just a trifle hard with splits of 8:07, 8:14, 8:20, 8:08, 7:45, 7:46 and 7:27 the last tenth. It was the perfect temp, wore shorts and a t-shirt. Sweet! Afterward, I bought 2 pair of running shorts ... 2 for 1!

Thu: 5 miles, Fleet Feet Social run, 58F, no stops, no pain.

I ran easy and steady. The Social run this month was backwards of a previous one. I still got lost in the Cornhill area. But still a nice run with some nice appetizers from The Social afterward.

Fri & Sat: Went to Cleveland to surprise the lovely CJ. She was definitely surprised and pleased. She will be walking her very first 10K on Sunday. I will be there to run it and provide support to her when I am done.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, September 27th to Saturday, October 3rd

Sunday, September 27th to Saturday, October 3rd

I ran 2 times this week, 11.5 miles
Month of September: I ran 11 days out of 30, 65.5 miles, 6.0 miles/run
2009 to the end of September: 929.6 miles, 150 days out of 273, 6.2 miles/run

Sun through Wed: CJ was in from Cleveland. We both came down with allergies due to a change in weather and spent a lot of time indoors recuperating. We did make it out on Sunday so I could show her around where I live and go to Applebees for supper and to watch the Bills lose to the Saints, 7-27. Next time, we will go to a locally owned dining establishment.

Tue: 2 mile walk, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 50F, cloudy, windy, mild discomfort. CJ bought a new pair of Brook Adrenaline GTS9's from Fleet Feet. Then I walked most of the way up to Cobb's Hill with her. I was still recovering from allergies so I did not run.

Fri: 4.1 miles, 35:09, 8:32 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, aka Hawaiian night, 50F, misty, calm, real easy, no stops, no pain, 8:32 pace.


I wore 2 leis from Karl as my Hawaiian garb. I ran a social 9:00 or so pace for 3 miles, then put the hammer down for the last mile. I ran 8:48, 9:00, 8:34, 7:38, 7:26. Just a bit of some good wine (a Twisted Head merlot and some wine from Argentina) plus conversation afterward about a variety of subjects.

Sat: 7.4 miles, 60:14, 8:08, Seneca - Collingwood - Zoo - 4 x Pond - Collingwood - Seneca run, steady and easy, 62F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

I escaped the couch around 5:30PM ... I so wanted not to be a slug. I set my running gait into a nice, steady, easy pace and cranked out 8:03, 7:46, 8:12, 8:05, 8:17, 8:30, 8:13 and 7:51 laps. It would be nice if I could keep that pace up for about 19 more miles to knock down a 3:33 marathon (which would qualify for Boston, BTW). But I would be happy with a sub 4 marathon.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, September 20th to Saturday, September 26th

Sunday, September 20th to Saturday, September 26th

I ran 2 times this week, 10.2 miles

Mon: 6-ish miles, both sides of Zoo trail, 78F, cloudy, humid, numerous stops, no pain. My runs of late have sucked ... to put it bluntly. I have no stamina.

Fri: 4.2 miles, 32:13, 7:40 pace, FF Happy Hour run, 54F, sunny, a bit windy, no stops, no pain. I bought a pair of Brooks Adrenaline 9s before the run and tested them out. New shoes plus cool temps made for fast splits: 7:13, 8:00, 7:51, 7:42 and 7:12. I missed running for 4 days so I put the hammer down. I felt some tightness in my thighs initially but it passed. A hard and sweet run! I retired my old Brooks Adrenaline 8s with 767.6 miles.

A bit underdressed hatwise but I enjoyed the run!
Sat: I waited for my my girlfriend, Christine (henceforth known as CJ) to come out from Cleveland. Yes ... I have a girlfriend. CJ and I went out for about a year when I was 19 and going to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She "friended" me on Facebook last month. Behold the power of Facebook ... nine days later I visited her in Cleveland ... the spark is still there! Since then I have been to Cleveland again to help her move to a new apartment. Wow is all I have to say!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, September 13th to Saturday, September 19th

Sunday, September 13th to Saturday, September 19th

I ran 2 times this week, 17.5 miles

Sun: 13.5 miles, 121:45, 9:01 pace, up to the Ontario Beach Park, 65F, cloudy, calm with a mild breeze, numerous walks, no pain.

My long runs start out with such promise. I was running 7:50, 7:39, 7:52, 7:58 ... then the bottom drops out with around 9:30 miles the rest of the way. I had two GUs midway. I did go out with just an energy bar ... was I just without fuel? Questions but not an answer.

Wed: 4 miles, 38:01, 9:30 pace, Dirt Cheap #6 in Ellison Park Wetlands, 62F, sunny, technical trail, a few walks, no pain.

Doing the dirt on my 52nd birthday ... smiling before the bee stings!
I celebrated my 52nd birthday with a fitting finale to the Dirt Cheap series! I got stung three times by the cloud of ground bees around mile 3! Ouch! It slowed me down for a bit while I made sure that I didn't have any more bees on me. But it's all good! I finished 77th out of 161, results here. I finished 5th out of 10 in my age group, results here.

The rest of the week: A road trip to Cleveland presented a pleasant break from running, link here.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, September 6th to Saturday, September 12th

Sunday, September 6th to Saturday, September 12th

I ran 3 times this week, 11.5 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 30th to Saturday, September 5th

Sunday, August 30th to Saturday, September 5th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At the start!

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

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 23rd to Saturday, August 29th

Sunday, August 23rd to Saturday, August 29th

I ran 4 times this week, 23.6 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 16th to Saturday, August 22th

Sunday, August 16th to Saturday, August 22th

I ran 5 times this week, 32.4 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, August 9th to Saturday, August 15th

Sunday, August 9th to Saturday, August 15th

I ran 4 times this week, 29.5 miles

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

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

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

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

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


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

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 2nd to Saturday, August 8th

Sunday, August 2nd to Saturday, August 8th

I ran 4 times this week, 25.8 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 26th to Saturday, August 1st

Sunday, July 26th to Saturday, August 1st

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 19th to Saturday, July 25th

Sunday, July 19th to Saturday, July 25th

I ran 4 times this week, 23.3 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 12th to Saturday, July 18th

Sunday, July 12th to Saturday, July 18th

I ran 4 times this week, 24.1 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 6th to Saturday, July 11th

Sunday, July 5th to Saturday, July 11th

I ran 4 times this week, 23.9 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congratulations to Fleet Feet for their 5th anniversary!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, June 28th to Saturday, July 4th

Sunday, June 28th to Saturday, July 4th
Month of June: 93.1 miles, 14 out of 30 days, 6.7 miles/run
So far in 2009: 640.7 miles, 101 out of 181 days, 6.3 miles/run

I ran 4 times this week, 24.8 miles

Sun & Mon: My left IT Band ached so I tried to rest it. Which isn't easy since my job involves a lot of walking.

Tue: 8.6 miles, first 4.2 in 37:00 (mostly railroad bed), last 4.4 in 42:00 (more trail), Seneca-Collingwood-Zoo Trail, 60F, rain, 1 long walking water stop, no pain. I absolutely had to get out and run ... it was 6:30PM when I started, no rain shower was going to stop me. Yes, I did get wet and muddy ... especially when I took mostly trail back. But it's all good! It was a warm rain and mud wipes off!

Wed: 7 miles, 60:24, 8:37 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-2 x Pond-St Paul-Ridge run, 72F, sunny, calm, humid, 4 walking water stops, no pain. Just your average humid run. I was dripping wet with sweat when I got done. Gonna have to get used to the humidity.

Fri: 4.1 miles, 31:55, 7:47 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 65F, easy, sunny, a bit windy, no stops, no pain. I managed to disengage myself from the couch long enough to head down to Fleet Feet for the Friday Happy Hour run. I ran my usual fast pace. I run for enjoyment not speed ... but my natural pace is kind of fast. OK, fast compared to some people, slow compared to others.

Sat: 5 miles, Garmin for 5 miles - 39:06, 7:49 pace, Fairport Firecracker 5 mile, 62F, cloudy, a little windy, a little hard, 2 walking stops, no pain. I really have no love for the hills of Fairport! The clock at the finish said 40:11 but I don't believe it. I will have to wait for the posted results. Well, the posted results say I finished 172 out of 588 in 40:11, overall results here, 12th out of 44 in my age group, results here. I found out the race was actually 5.1 miles, so my pace was 7:53.

I'm the guy in the middle in the orange hat and dual IT Band wraps
A whole lot running was going on in the Rochester area ... besides 589 at the Fairport Firecracker 5 mile, 488 at the Brighton 5K, 218 and 252 at the Irondequoit 2 mile and 10K and 423 at the Sodus Point 5K. The ultrarunners were doing the Finger Lakes Fifties: 58 did the 25K, 69 did the 50K and 23 did the 50 mile.

I stayed in the rest of the day, listening to the sounds of fireworks all around my neighborhood. No fireworks were going on in my apartment ... I watched Star Wars II - Attack of the Clones on DVD.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, June 21st to Saturday, June 27th

Sunday, June 21st to Saturday, June 27th

I only ran 3 times this week, 19.8 miles

Sun: 7.5 miles, 62:34, 8:20 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Ridge, 74F, sunny, calm, really nice and easy, 2 water stops, no pain. I was really feeling gimpy due a night cramp in my left leg. I really needed this run to get out and DO something rather than just sit and think.

Tue: 6.3 miles, 52:44, 8:20 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 4 loops, 78F, sunny, not humid, real easy, walking water stops, no pain. I am a creature of habit, I wanted to do the Cobb's Hill run.

Wed: 6ish miles, 60:09, Green & Blue trails at Mendon Ponds, 80F, sunny, a little humid, walking water stops, no pain. I needed a trail fix so I trekked down to Mendon for a nice run.

Thu: I gave blood for the 68th time. Vital stats: BP - 120/60, Pulse - 50. I guess I am in OK health.

Fri: Still a bit wonked from giving blood plus I wanted to save my muscles for Sat.

Sat: I helped my kids (and ex) move from their rented house to a very nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment outside of Newark. We had a lot of help ... it took 2 trips and 8 hours. I wore my IT Band wraps all day which really helped.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, June 14th to Saturday, June 20th

Sunday, June 14th to Saturday, June 20th

I only ran 3 times this week, 14.4 miles

Sun: A travel day to be sure. I went over to Corning to see the Corning Museum of Glass. It was nice seeing a museum by myself ... I can look at stuff by myself at my own pace. I was there about 5 hours. Then I headed north on 414 to Watkins Glen. I walked around Main St, around the pier and looked out on Seneca Lake. I reflected on my life ... I am determined to see what I can, no more just coasting. Then I headed up 14 to Geneva, then to Newark to see my daughter ... and retrieve my trail shoes that I accidentally left at my ex's house. Then finally, back to my apartment to see Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Magic. The Lakers really took this game in the 2nd quarter and didn't look back. So ... the Lakers won their 15th NBA Championship, 4 for Kobe. I fell asleep during the game ... it was boring.

Mon: A rest day. My knees ached. Now that the NBA Finals are over and the networks are showing repeats ... I really should get some stuff done.

Tue: 6.2 miles, 52:03, 8:23 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 3 Y's, 67F, sunny, calm, walking water stops, no pain. I hydrated before the run, didn't push, took walking water stops when I needed them, and got a good workout. What more is there to life? Well ... besides that.

Wed: 4 miles, 54:23, 13:36 pace, Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap #3 in Ellison Park Wetlands, 60F, heavy rain, lots of mud, slipping and sliding and falling, no pain (yet). This race had to be the muddiest I have ever run in. We are talking rivers of mud here, wrath of God, 40 days of darkness ... (oops, a bit of Ghostbusters there). I fell down more times than I could count. The first couple of miles were tough. I had to learn how to run in the mud. Uphill you could run if you angled your feet outward. Downhill was dicey. If it wasn't too steep, you could maybe run leaning forward but if you leaned backward, you would probably fall on your butt. Sometimes, I just looked for better traction out of the mud on the side of the trail ... a slightly lower chance of falling on your butt. I started to get the hang of it and picked up the pace a bit ... you can only get so wet and so muddy! By the time I finished my shorts were all mud, and I had mud all over my legs arms and hands. Kudos to MacGregor's for putting up with 200 sweaty, muddy and hungry runners. The first thing I did when I got back to the apartment was to take a hot shower, wash my clothes (the mud came out), then drink a beer.

Looks like I am clean and dry ... actually muddy and drenched!
YouTube video here
Fri: 4.2 miles, 32:53, 7:50 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 67F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain. A sweet run to get the kinks out and swap war stories about Dirt Cheap #3! This race has already reached epic status in Rochester running lore!

Sat: Went out to Newark to see my kids ... a trifecta, I got to see all of them, two at Wal-Mart at work and one at home. I also met up with my brother and saw my father at the Wayne County Nursing Home to wish him a Happy Father's Day.

Wanted to have spaghetti and meatballs for supper ... no sauce, ate fish instead. It rained all day. I should have gone out for a run but didn't.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, June 7th to Saturday, June 13th

Sunday, June 7th to Saturday, June 13th

I ran 4 times this week, 24 miles

Sun: The Lakers won Game 2 of the NBA Finals versus the Magic by 4 in OT. The Magic had their chance to win it at the end of regulation on an alley-oop but it didn't drop.

Mon: 5.5 miles-ish, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-Pond-St Paul-Ridge run, no stops, no pain. I got hit with either a water balloon or a paintball on Seneca Ave by some young punk. It hit me in the shorts on the right hip. Whack! I did turn and give the speeding car the double bird. I had some sort of yellow dye on my left leg when I stopped. A sweet run regardless!

Tue: 6.8 miles, 58:50, 8:39 pace, FF Cobb's Hill run, 3.5 Y's, 65F, humid, a bit of wind (thank goodness), multiple stops for water, no pain. I did not hydrate enough before this run. Thus I had no endurance. I felt kind of lightheaded when I got back, had to sit down for a while. Lesson learned ... will it sink in?

The Lakers lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals by 4 versus the Magic. The Magic needed to shot the lights out (75% in the first half, 62% for the game), I don't think that will happen again. Phil Jackson will make defensive adjustments.

Thu: 8.6 miles, 72:42, 8:27 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo Trail-St Paul-Ridge, 65F, cloudy, calm, humid, 2 stops, no pain. A sweet trail run instead of doing the city streets of the Social run.

The Lakers won Game 4 of the NBA Finals by 8 in OT versus the Magic by go up 3-1. The Magic more than had their chances: up by 12 at half, down by 4 after the Lakers paste them 30-14 in the 3rd, up by 5 with 90 sec, up by 3 with 11 sec with a potential two free throws by Dwight "Superman" Howard to ice the game ... but clang, clang, then a dagger 3 by Derek Fisher to tie the game and force OT. Then another dagger 3 by Fisher to pull to a 3 point lead with 30 sec in OT. Fisher has 40 3's in the NBA Finals, 3rd in NBA history ... so he has been on the big stage before. Let's not even mention the fact that the Lakers had no free throws in the 4th or how many the Magic missed in the 4th (7 out of 17) ... yes, the Lakers drove to the basket but didn't get any calls.

Fri: Decided to go solo to the Regal Culver Ridge Cinema 16 solo after work (matinee price) to see Star Trek. It was very impressive.

Sat: 3.1 miles, 22:04, 7:10 pace, Newark Run for the Red 5K, 65F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain, kicked some butt on a tough 5K course. Saw the kids that were home and went out to Lyons to see my father at the Wayne County Nursing Home.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, May 31st to Saturday, June 6th

Sunday, May 31st to Saturday, June 6th
Month of May: 108 miles, ran 16 out of 31 days, 6.75 miles per run
Year to end of May: 547.6 miles, ran 87 out of 151 days, 6.3 miles per run

I ran 4 times this week, 32.5 miles plus a 4.7 mile walk

Sun: 6.2 miles, 50:51, 8:12 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-Pond-St Paul-Ridge run, 50F, sunny, cool wind, 2 water stops, no pain. One of those runs that you are glad you did rather than stay inside. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky, very cool wind though, wore a long sleeve shirt, almost wore gloves.

Mon: My knees ached something fierce. It hurt to get up off the couch.

Tue: 6 miles, 49:07, 8:11 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 56F, cloudy, cool, nice and easy, 2 stops, no pain worth mentioning. Took what my body gave me and put it to good use.

Wed: 7 miles, 59:17, 8:28 pace, Seneca-Collingwood-Zoo trail and back, 62F, cloudy, calm, nice and easy, felt sluggish, 3 stops, no pain. Just a nice, easy trail run up the east side of the zoo on the old RR bed up to the end of fence and back in the west side.

Thu: A 4.7 mile walk with a friend. We met up at Starbucks on Elmwood and walked around Brighton. Watched Game 1 of the NBA Finals ... the Black Mamba was coiled and struck at will! Kobe had 40 points with 8 rebounds and 8 assists as the Lakers took it to the Magic by 25!

Fri: Pizza while doing laundry ... how exciting! NOT!

Sat: 9 miles, 1:25:05, 9:27 pace, Fleet Feet Power Bar Trail Race, 70F, nice and easy, sunny, calm with a bit of wind, walked some hills, no pain. I think i did a negative split on the second loop. I finished 61st out of 92, overall results here. I finshed 6th out of 7 in my age group, results here.
Sat: 4.3 miles, 43:00, 10:55 pace, Blue & Green trails, 70F, really easy, walked hills, no pain. I went out after the race just for some more trail fun.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, May 24th to Saturday, May 30th

Sunday, May 24th to Saturday, May 30th

I ran 4 times this week, 25.3 miles

Sun: 5.3 miles, 43:43, run around Longmeadow MA, 60F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain. A nice run around a house I was visiting for the weekend. I arrived on Friday night and promptly got detoured on I-91S. Luckily I got some excellent directions over my cell and found my way to my destination ... in a roundabout way.

I visited the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield MA on Sunday afternoon. I had a blast shooting some hoops, looking at all the exhibits. I have a vertical leap(?) of 15 inches and can grab a rebound at 9' 6". The drive home was long and uneventful. For some reason, the MassPike did not collect tolls on Memorial Day weekend. The great state of NY was more than happy to take my Thruway toll money.

Tue: 6.8 miles, 53:24, 7:51 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 55F, cloudy, misty, 2 tiny stops, no pain. I ran kind of hard, needed to clear my head. The Ice Cream Social at Fleet Feet afterward was sweet! The Cavs lost and are down 1-3 to the Magic.

Wed: The Lakers won and are up 3-2 to the Nuggets.

I actually went clothes shopping. It started off by trying to order jeans from the JC Penney catalog. I thought I would order a slim fit 34-36, it will fit ... not! So I took them back and ended up buying 2 pair of Original Fit 34-36 jeans and 2 pair of 34-36 Dockers (quite rare to find them in my size). They were on sale too!

Thu: 6 miles, 48:55, 8:09 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-Pond-Collinwood-Seneca, 65F, cloudy, rainy, no stops, no pain. I ran easy, keeping an eye on the sky. Then it started raining while I was running around the zoo and once around the pond.

The MVP, LeBron, made sure the Cavs didn't lose at home. 32 straight points went through him as either a basket or an assist during the last stages of the game. An awesome performance.

Fri: I thought I was going somewhere but ended up going nowhere. The Lakers took care of business by 27 against the Nuggets and punched their ticket to the NBA Finals. I repaired one of my computers and loaded Windows 7 RC on it. The OS works pretty well even on a 2 GHz system with 1 GB RAM.

Sat: 7.2 miles, 58:11, 8:04 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-St Paul-Ridge, 65F, sunny, a bit windy, 1 big stop, no pain. I felt sluggish after 5 miles and had to walk for a bit. I didn't try to push through it. I did try a bit of interval training by speeding up a bit between some streets. A perfect example of a run that I had to do to feel better. Just sitting on the couch doesn't accomplish anything. An hour of running is good for me at least ... though my knees may disagree sometimes.

I watched Memoirs of a Geisha from NetFlix. Meanwhile, the Magic beat the Cavs to win their series 4-2 and earn the right to play the Lakers in the NBA finals. Go Lakers!

The usual mini-rants: people who smoke, people who take the elevator to go down, people who say they will call but don't, people who blow through No Turn on Red signs when you are in the crosswalk.

Oh, I signed up the Power Bar 9 mile Trail Run on June 6th. I signed up for it down at Fleet Feet and avoided the $3.25(!) Active.com fee. I last did this race in 2007.

Keeping active, Doug