Sunday, 8/29/10 to Saturday, 9/4/10

I ran 3 times this week, 19 miles
Month of August: 100.4 miles, 14 runs in 31 days, 7.2 miles/run
So far in 2010: 606.4 miles, 97 runs in 243 days, 6.2 miles/run

Sun, 8/29: 11.1 miles, 1:32:20, 8:19, sunny, calm, low humidity, 1 long stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for To the beach via St Paul, Lake Shore Blvd and back

I got out at 9:20AM for my long run. I headed down to the beach via St Paul St and Lake Shore Blvd to the Durand Eastman Beach so I could dip my Brooks in the sand. The split was 5.5 miles, 43:41, 7:57 pace. I stopped for about 5 minutes so I could hydrate and ingest 2 GUs. I was definitely slower on the way back, 5.6 miles, 8:41 pace. The weather was perfect! Sweaty and sweet!

Mon, 8/30: Rest Day.

Tue, 8/31: I moved my oldest son, Michael, out to UMass in Amherst MA. A long drive. The usual misadventures ensued. I had to jump start the UHaul to move it so we could load it easier ... curious. We loaded it quite easily ... a sweaty exercise. Then I tried to start it again ... no go ... even more curious. I tried to jump start it again ... big arc and burning smell. Well, due to the sweat in my eyes ... I connected the cables wrong. I corrected it ... with the usual volley of swear words ... and started the van. I still didn't know why so we went to the Uhaul in Victor where I found out that the dashboard dimmer can cause the back cargo light to be on continuously without the key in the ignition. Who knew? Once I found this out, the move proceeded. We got out to Amherst around 4PM. Michael got his ID and then we unloaded his stuff with the help of his roommate. I also took him to a grocery store, a Super Stop-n-Shop .. a bit expensive compared to Wegmans. I got on my way home around sunset. I realized that my car along with my A/C and badge was sitting at the ex's apartment. CJ drove out to retrieve my car and met me at a rest area. We turned in the UHaul and drove home. I got to sleep very late. Sleep ...

Wed, 9/1: I got 4.5 hours of sleep but made it to work for a full day. I had a splitting headache most of the day. I finally collapsed around 9:30PM and slept a nice 9 hours.

Thu, 9/2: 6.6 miles, 56:29, 8:33 pace, 82F, sunny, calm, humid, some stops to hydrate, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to the lake from Planet Fitness

I wanted to take a run from the apartment but CJ didn't want to walk from the apartment. It was quite hot and humid so I couldn't blame her. We compromised and went to Planet Fitness. She worked out inside on the stepper and recumbent bike. I had researched for a good route and set out for what turned to be a hot, steamy and sweaty run of 6.6 miles. I dipped my Brooks in the lake like usual. As usual, the run down to the lake was faster than the run back ... usually nice!

Fri, 9/3: 5 miles, 41:02, 8:12 pace, 72F, light rain, calm, humid, 1 stop to hydrate, 1 stop for traffic, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + a loop

CJ and I headed down to FF for the usual Friday night Happy House run. It was a light rain but being dedicated we went out anyway. I did the usual 4.1 mile route plus a loop. CJ walked her usual 3 mile route. We both were drenched at the end. The rain stopped, the sun came out and we saw a rainbow over the Irondequoit Plaza.




Sat, 9/4: 7.4 miles, 1:1:05, 8:11 pace, multiple stops, some pain.

CJ and I headed down to Mendon Ponds for the Summerfest 12K. It had turned cooler over night. The temp was 62F, sunny and windy. I wore shorts, a short sleeve tech top and arm warmers. I started out way too fast and paid for it later. I bonked a bit in the middle. I just didn't have it. I developed some mild pain in my left knee and some mild pain near the site of my hernia operation. I toughed it out and finished strong but was definitely not a happy camper. After a bite to eat, I hobbled up to the car while CJ continued volunteering by taking off timing tags. Eventually we made it home for a nap. I did OK though. I finished 70th out of 232, results here. I finished 7th out of 12 in my age group, results here.



The bling ... a plastic mug

After a nap, CJ and I headed down to Newark to pick up my father's mail, out to Lyons to see him at the Wayne County Nursing Home" and then picked up her car from the ex's apartment before heading back up to Rochester. We went out for groceries at Wegmans and then retired after eating some pizza. A very long day.

P.S. I got my Garmin a bit wet underneath the LCD during Friday's run. I had to soft reset it before I could upload to Garmin Connect and RunningAhead. Maybe I should have let it dry out a bit more.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, 8/22/10 to Saturday, 8/28/10

I ran 4 times this week, 29.8 miles

Sun, 8:22: 14 miles, 2:19:52, 9:59 pace, 65F, rainy, some stops for gel and water, no pain during the race.

CJ and I headed down to the Letchworth Dam in Mount Morris for the "Dam" Good 14 Mile Trail Race. It was raining lightly at the start. The trail was muddy and sloppy in parts, just muddy in other parts. The rain stopped for a while mid race and started raining lightly by the end. I ran pretty well ... I fell in with some good runners and just ran. I took in all 4 of my gels by mile 9, and just kept it up. The last mile was most clay and slippery. I finished 42nd out of 89, results here. I finished 8th out out 16 in my 50-59 age group, results here.

The post race feed was nice ... just like last year. I won a $15 RoadID certificate ... so I can replace the one that is playing possum in our apartment. Many thanks to CJ for her support during the day.


Gritting it out at the finish!

The bling!
On the way back we did a surgical strike at JC Penney at MarketPlace Mall for a pair of jeans and a couple of short sleeve shirts. Then onward to Wegmans for groceries. Then I just collapsed and put my feet up for the rest of the night.

Mon, 8/23: Definite rest day ... in fact I took the day off from work. CJ and I watched 2012 from NetFlix. Very good CGI effects!

Tue, 8/24: 7.7 miles, 1:02:23, 8:06 pace, 72F, cloudy, dry, 2 stops for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Speed workout; 3 loops of 1200m hard, 400m easy

I went down to Fleet Feet for the Speed workout. After running up to Cobbs Hill reservoir we did 1200m hard, 400m easy repeats. I ended up doing 4 ... 3 hard, 1 easy. I only caught the last 3 on my Garmin so I kind of added an extra 7 minutes and 1600m (1 mile) to my workout. Yes, I think I ran a 7 min mile in a 1200m hard, 400m easy ... I was running pretty hard. It was good workout, sweaty and sweet!

Wed, 8/25: Rest night.

I gave blood for the 72nd time. My vitals were: temp of 97.9, pulse of 60, blood pressure of 120/70. After supper, I watched CJ bake a loaf of banana bread ... mmmm! Next time, it's my turn!

Thu, 8/26: 3.1 miles, 24:36, 7:52 pace, 68F, sunny, windy, no stops, no pain.


CJ and I headed up to the beach for Aqua Cheap #3. It was a bit cool and windy. I started out pretty good on the path but when I hit the beach and the headwind I felt so tired and sluggish. My loop 1 split was 12:00. On loop 2 I did a bit slower on the path but a bit faster on the beach for a split of 12:36. I did mile laps of 7:02, 8:25 and 7:58.


Preparing to start our Garmins at the beginning of the race

Hopping the water hazard

Trying to find zen on the beach
After the race CJ and I went up to the Lake Shore Blvd spin bridge for a romantic walk out on the breakwater. CJ played tourist and snapped a lot of pictures.

Fri, 8/27: 5 miles on the treadmill

After work CJ and I went down to UHaul in Victor to pick up a cargo van. We drove and parked it down at the ex's apartment. I will use it to transport my oldest son and his stuff to Amherst MA on Tuesday. Afterward, CJ and I felt the need for exercise at Planet Fitness. I ran 3 miles at 8:00 pace, 1 and 1 mile at 7:30 pace. I had to take 2 walks to cool down, it was a bit hot inside and I was sweating up a storm.

Sat, 8/28: Rest day.

I helped my daughter move back to a townhouse at Houghton College. My ex provided the van, I provided the muscle. A long day but not as long as this coming Tuesday when I do the same solo for my oldest son ... who will be attending grad school at UMass Amherst. A nap ensued soon after I got back up to Rochester. I did wake up long enough to eat some pizza.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, 8/15/10 to Saturday, 8/21/10

I ran 3 times this week, 22.3 miles.

Sun, 8/15: 11 miles, 1:31:38, 8:20 pace, 72F, cloudy then light rain, humid, a light wind, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for To the Lake and Back

I got out about 9:30AM for my long run. As usual, I headed north to the lake. As usual, a tale of 2 runs. I ran to the lake, 5.1 miles, 41:17, 8:06 pace. I dipped my Brooks in the water, took in 2 gels and hydrated for about 5 minutes. I ran back 5.9 miles, 50:21, 8:32 pace. It started to sprinkle as I headed north, it turned into a light rain as I headed back, then it went back to real light sprinkle. I tried to run light on my toes and not so much on my heels ... my Brooks have 610 miles on them. I won't be replacing them until next month.Mon, 8/16: Definite rest day.

Tue, 8/17: I wanted to head down to Fleet Feet for a speed workout but was just dog tired. Sometimes you just need sleep ... slept soundly.

Wed, 8/18: Long day. I took my oldest son out to UMass - Amherst to look at a furnished room ... that he might not even get. He has to find a place to live there by September 1st ... hopefully he will. 673 miles to and from. Slept soundly.

Thu, 8/19: 6.2 miles, 48:28, 7:49 pace, 75F, cloudy, calm, humid, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for To Cooper Rd via Winona

Full of energy today. I wanted to head down to Mendon for a trail run but settled for a hard 10K around the neighborhood. I started a bit slow but kept pushing it: 7:50, 7:51, 7:53, 7:53, 7:41, 7:44, 7:50 ... OK, maybe I didn't start slow.

Afterward supper, CJ and I watched "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. A definite "chick flick". The next movie will have a bit more action!

Fri, 8/20: 5.1 miles, 39:34, 7:46 pace, 72F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Happy Hour run + loop

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. I ran the 4.1 loop with a loop around Cobbs Hill reservoir for 5 miles. I ran easy at first, then pushed it like usual ... I just can't run slow. What's the point? CJ walked the 3 mile loop. Her Nike+ said 3.72 miles ... we so need to calibrate it.

Sat, 8/21: Pre-race rest day.

I got a good 10 hours of sleep and rested all day. CJ and I watched a lot of DVR'ed STTNG and Buffy. It looks like it will be a bit muddy, mid 70s and humid tomorrow for the "Dam" Good 15 Mile Trail Race down in Letchworth.

Sat, 8/21: 10:30PM, CJ checked the Cleveland radar ... rain is on the way for tomorrow!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday,8/8/10 to Saturday, 8/14/10

I ran 3 times this week, 15.7 miles

Sun, 8/8: A definite rest day.

CJ and I made it out to the JC Penney in Greece Ridge Center where I purchased some navy dress socks and a nice pair of Nunn Bush black dress shoes with the help of 20% off and a $50 gift card from MyPoints. Then we walked the mall ... windowshopping. I immediately threw away my old black dress shoes when we got back home.Mon, 8/9: Another rest day.

My new black dress shoes did not disappoint. They feel a whole lot better!! It was pouring soon after I got home so CJ and I had a restful night. We watched "The Ramen Girl" from Netflix. A nice "chick flick".

Tue, 8/10,: 4 miles, FF - Puma Speed Trap, 80F, sunny, humid, no pain.

I went down to Fleet Feet for the Puma Speed Trap. We ran up to the rugby field below Cobbs Hill where it was set up. We ran 6 200m repeats (1 hard, 1 easy) to warm up. Then we all went through the speed trap one by one. I went through twice at 14.32 mph and 14.54 mph, which put me 16th out 59, results here. I was not even close to the top male who clocked a blistering 18.37 mph! But it felt good to let it all hang out and see how fast I could really go! I ran easy back down to Fleet Feet but cranked it up the closer I got ... I got it up to 6:14 pace just before the store! Speedy, sweaty and sweet! Oh, I was wearing CJ's fluorescent green socks ... all the other tech socks were in the wash!

Wed, 8/11: Rest day.

Thu, 8/12: 6.6 miles, 53:27, 8:07 pace, Remington's Run, 80F, sunny, humid, calm, no stops, a bit of pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Remington's Run #4

CJ and I went down to Remington's for the Remingtons Run #4. I was very stiff and went out for a painful, very slow mile run to loosen up ... man, did my thighs hurt from the Puma speed trap on Tuesday! Then, off on the 5 mile loop. Well ... I got lost and couldn't find one street so I looped back. This put me back a bit so I got to catch up and pass about 20 people which was nice. I just kept a nice 7:55 or so pace during my 5.6 mile run, my first mile was a "getting my thighs to work" 8:25 pace. CJ went out for a 2.2 mile walk. I was dripping with sweat when I got back ... luckily CJ didn't get dripped on when we had our post run water and appetizers.

After a supply run at Wegmans CJ and I watched Avatar from NetFlix finally. Wow! It must have been spectacular in 3-D!

Fri, 8/13: 5.1 miles, 42:17, 8:17 pace, 75F, sunny, a bit humid, calm, 1 stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + Loop

CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the Happy Hour run. I started out slow with pain in my thighs. I slowly stretched but still was a bit slow. I added a loop around the Cobbs Hill reservior just for fun. CJ went out for a 3 mile walk. Then afterward, we went downstairs for a bare foot running seminar ... interesting!

Sat. 8/14: A definite rest day. I thought about getting out for a long run but decided I needed 10 hours of sleep instead. CJ and I lounged around all day.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 1st to Saturday, August 7th

I ran 3 times this week, 24.6 miles

Sun, 8/1: Definite rest day, went out to Planet Fitness for a light workout. I did 7.5 miles on the recumbent bike, 275 calories. CJ did more miles, 11 miles, 200 calories.

Oh, I signed up for the Phelp 20K on 8/7 and the 'Dam' Good Trail Race down in Letchworth on 8/22. Yes ... that Letchworth. The scar on my right arm will help remind me to pick up my feet. Plus I am already signed up for the Dirt Cheap #5 on 7/18 and the Aqua Cheap #3 on 8/26.

Mon, 8/2: The heat and humidity have returned. My job gets me outside when I am driving between buildings so I really feel it ... and appreciate my Grand Am's AC! My Grand Am is still kicking at 241,621 miles!

Tue, 8/3: 5 miles, no Garmin, Fleet Feet Speed workout, 80F, sunny, hazy, humid, breezy, no pain.

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Tuesday night speed workout. I ran up to Cobbs Hill where we did 3 person relay races of 556 meters around 1/2 of the reservoir. My team ended up doing 6. It was only 556 meters each time, but it seems a lot longer in the heat plus standing around waiting to be tagged made it seem harder. I am more of a steady pace runner than a run hard, wait around runner. I took the run back to Fleet Feet easy, maybe around 8 minute pace. CJ walked 2 miles in the heat. She had some trouble with the humidity. We had our usual pasta and salad dinner afterward. Ymmm!

Thu, 8/5: 7.2 miles, 59:49, 8:18 pace, 76F, sunny, still humid, a bit windy, 1 stop for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to Seneca Park Ave via Winona Blvd

I ran up to Seneca Park Ave via Winona Blvd and back. I started out a bit under 8 min pace, then eased into 8:25-ish pace. Nothing too strenous but I really needed to get out for a run. Sweaty and sweet!

Our Bath Spacesaver arrived from Overstock.com. I put it together in 5 minutes. It's hard at work holding towels and washclothes. Maybe CJ and I can put some romantic candles on the top shelf!

Fri, 8/6: Another day at work. I picked up my race packet for the Phelps 20K tomorrow.

Sat, 8/7: 12.4 miles, 1:39:12, 8:00 pace, 60-72F, sunny, calm, a few tiny stops, no pain.


CJ and I made it down to Phelps for the 20K. The usual long distance crowd, 200+ strong, were there. The race went off well, 7:48 first mile, did a gel at mile 5, made it up the hills at mile 6 and 7 without walking, started taking 50 foot walk breaks at the water stops, held it together, finished strong. I was pretty consistent, a 49:34 first 10K, a 49:32 second 10K. All in all, a pretty sweet race! Many thanks to my love, CJ, for waiting for me at the end and her support!

The finish!

I finished 85th out of 231, results here. I finished 15th out of 27 in my age group, results here.

Afterward, CJ and I stopped to see my father at the Wayne County Nursing Home. She fed my father his lunch ... I was having a "I am tired" moment and almost fell asleep in the dining room. Then to see my kids at the ex's ... 'nuff said.

Keeping active, Doug