Sun, 8/7/11: Definite rest day.
A most needed rest day after the Phelps Sauerkraut 20k yesterday. I walked out to get the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle and the usual two donuts from Dunkin Donuts, a marble chocolate for me and a double chocolate for CJ. Mmm! Later, we got sucked into a TNT Falling Skies marathon. This summer series seemed to be set up from a slam bang ending ... but settled for a little boom, then an ET ending! Yuck!
Mon, 8/8/11: 6.2 miles, 1:00:01, 9:41 pace, 78F, sunny, calm, dry, walked a just few hills, no pain.
Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Ponds Park - Blue & Green trail
I knew I needed a trail run after work .... so I headed out to my usual trail haunt, Mendon Ponds Park. I ran the usual Blue and Green trail route. I had a pain in my left hip at the start but kept on going ... it went away. It was a bit hot but I soon got used to the heat. After a warm up on the Blue trail, I settled in an economic pace and just motored up and down the hills on the Green trail where I found my usual running zen. Sweet! CJ made the usual post run pasta dinner. Yum!
Tue, 8/9/11: 6.7 miles, 54:18, 8:06 pace, 74F, cloudy, calm, a bit humid, no pain.
Garmin Connect Activity for FF Speed workout, 5x800m repeats
CJ was feeling under the weather so I went down to Fleet Feet solo for the speed workout. The run up to Cobbs Hill Reservoir was nice and easy, around 8:00 since I didn't stretch. The workout was 5x800m at 5K pace with 325m recovery. My paces were maybe about 6:30, 6:40, 6:50, 7:00, 7:45. I ran my usual pace. The run back to Fleet Feet was nice and easy, around 8:00. My right calf muscle was a bit tight afterward though.
Wed, 8/10/11: Rest day.
Just your usual rest day. CJ and I watched our latest NetFlix DVD, Red. It was a nice flick with Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren.
Thu, 8/11/11: 2.96 miles, 22:27, 7:35 pace, 72F, sunny, calm, dry, no stops, no pain.
Garmin Connect Activity for GVH XC 5k #2
Milling around waiting for the start
CJ and I headed down to the rugby field below Cobbs Hill Reservoir for the GVH XC 5k #2. It was a bit cooler and drier than last week. The course seemed a bit easier, I ended up running 30 seconds faster than last week. I placed 25th out of 106, results here. I placed 4th out of 11 in my M50-59 age group.
I always seem to be grimacing in pain ...
The kid ended up passing me just before the finish.
Fri, 8/12/11: Rest day.I wanted to give the Bergen 5K my all so I decided to stay in. CJ cooked up a yummy roaster chicken with pasta. Later, I found a treasure drove of 5 movies on TV that I switched between ... much to CJ's dismay of my volume choice. Three that I remember were: Men In Black II, Con Air and Die Another Day. A man has got to do a man has got to do ... when he had the remote!
Sat, 8/13/11: 3.1 miles, 20:31, 6:36 pace, 65F, sunny, calm, dry, no stops, no pain.
CJ and I headed down to Bergen for the Bergen 5K, a RROY race with a fast field. It was a perfect morning for a race. I ran fast and hard, 6:13, 6:31, held on with a 7:02 and 6:01 final tenth. I was passed by a woman around the 2nd mile and hung within 30 feet of her the rest of way. The result was a 20:31, a 30 second PR! Sweet, baby! Many thanks to Fleet Feet for their Tuesday night speed workouts ... I really think they have helped me know that I run faster and hold that speed! Well ... I did tire a bit in the last mile but still a PR, baby! Is a sub 20 5K possible this season?
The gazelles get ready for the start ...
Just after the water stop ... notice the grimace!
Sprinting for the finish ... I saw that the time was under 21:00!
A PR by 30 seconds ... sweet!
The field was indeed fast, news article here. The lead male finished in 14:24, the lead female in 16:29. I finished 92nd out of 260, results here. I finished 5th out of 17 in my age group, results here. An interesting part of this link is that I ran a 17:31 age graded equivalent at 73.66%. I moved up a bit on the RROY leader board in my age group, I am now tied for 7th out of 26, results here.Later, we just hung out and lazed around. Nothing too special. We heard an awful lot of sirens during the evening ... maybe 3 separate shootings in Rochester on Saturday night explains it, link here.
