Sunday, 8/19/12 to Saturday, 8/25/12

I ran 0 times this week, 0 miles. Yes, 0 miles because of my injured right achilles.

Sunday, 8/19/12: Rest day.

Christine had trouble sleeping and stayed up all night. I woke up at 8:45AM. I thought of the 91 runners who were down running the Dam Good 14 mile Trail Run, overall results here and age group results here. I was signed up but couldn't run it.

I was eager to try out my running ... when I went to get the paper I did a slow trot from street to street and then walked to the next street. Nothing too strenuous ... but nothing hurt which was a good thing.

Christine cooked up 2 racks of spare ribs ... which took all afternoon. We managed to spend our free tire in our usual lazy way ... sweet! The spare ribs were equally delicious and sweet! Mmm!!!

Monday, 8/20/12: Rest day.

I woke up and felt like crap. So ... today was the usual "Monday from hell" with 9179 steps ... Mondays usually are. I went home after work and just laid down. I did watch "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson. I figured that since we have had this NetFlix DVD for over a month that it was time to watch it ... lol!

Tuesday, 8/21/12  - Saturday, 9/25/12: Rest day after rest day.

More days of work followed by a day off. I walk a lot during work. Sometimes my right achilles aches ... sometimes it doesn't. When will I run again? I do know I am more ornery, more grouchy and not so pleasant company.  I thought about running on Saturday but just lazed around. I thought of everyone who ran their long runs ... and was envious.

Sunday, 8/12/12 to Saturday, 8/18/12

I ran 0, yes 0 miles this week because of my injured right achilles.

Sunday, 8/12/12: Volunteer day.

I volunteered out at the Sodus Point Triathlon so I woke up at 5AM, was on the road at 6:15AM and out at Sodus Point by 7:05AM. It was a partly cloudy morning, around 65F, the water temp was 73F and some waves were coming in. It was kind of fun watching the triathletes come in and get settled. I saw Ellen and found that my job was at the Run Entrance from the Swim and Run Exit from the Bike (actually the same place). I mostly encouraged people and manned a water stop. Later I wandered out by the turn before the finish and encouraged runners on the way into the finish.

Women waiting for the gun

Men waiting for the gun

Transition Area

Handing out a cup of water

John Muoio finishing

Steve Levitsky finishing

Tammy Abbe finishing

Duane Basch just about to finish

Laura Church, Mark Monachino and Don Palmer rode 32 miles out from Rochester ... and back!

203 triathletes participated in the festivities, results here. One of these days, maybe I will try a du-athlon. First I would need a bit better bicycle. If I ever learn how to swim ... who knows?

I drove down to see my daughter, Karen, in Newark, then back up to Rochester. Sadly, the 2012 Summer Olympics ended today. I enjoyed watching all the sports ... however, I am quite sure Christine was glad to see them end. I found out that the US basketball team won the gold against Spain, 107-100, but I watched the replay of the game anyway. I have not enjoyed NBC's coverage of the Olympics ... too much talk while the events are going on, too many commercials, too much Bob Costas and Mary Carille, too much jumping around from sport to sport, etc.

Monday, 8/13/12: Rest day.

"I run, therefore I am" is my credo. If I can't run, I feel like a fish out of water. But ... laundry needed to be done so we did that. I even watched a new show hyped by the NBC Olympic telecast, "Stars Wear Stripes". It wasn't that bad. I did find out the Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, can handle himself in the field. Let us leave his political views alone.

Tuesday, 8/14/12: Dentist and shopping day.

I took off most of the afternoon so that Christine and I could go to Dr. Randy Rietz, aka "the running dentist", to have our teeth cleaned. I even saved $10 on my fluoride treatment because I "checked in" with Facebook when I got there! I was told that I really should floss my teeth ... like usual.

Then we headed over to Sears at Marketplace Mall to use up my $100 gift certificate that I earned through MyPoints. We hit up the Mens section since I needed short sleeve dress shirts. I picked out one shirt while Christine picked out five short sleeve shirts, seven polo shirts and one light coat. Soon I was trying on clothes. I ended up buying the light coat and 4 short sleeve shirts. We also bought four pillows and wiper blades for our car. The total cost was about $50 ... not bad! We each had the "Son of the Baconator" at Wendys ... I felt like I should gone out for a 5 mile run afterward! Then it was onward to BJ's for a bit of "hit and run" grocery shopping ... just buying what we needed.

Wednesday, 8/15/12: Rest day.

Christine went out for a "girls night out" with a girlfriend. I fended for myself while I watched "Modern Marvels" off of the History Channel ... exciting stuff.

Meanwhile ... 260 trail runners were out in Webster running Dirt Cheap #5, link here. How I wish I were among them! I heard that lots of mud and prickly bushes were found!

Thursday, 8/16/12: Rest day again.

Christine went to bed early. I fended for myself again (ham, rice and cole slaw) while I watched some more "Modern Marvels" about George Washington Carver. He found hundred of applications for the peanut, soybean and sweet potato ... nice!

Friday, 8/17/12: Rest day again

Christine and I caught all the remaining episodes of the new Dallas ... what a plot twist at the end of the season!

Saturday, 8/18/12: Rest day again.

Christine and I spent a lazy and relaxing day. I really think that not running is causing my body to stiffen up. Christine twisted my body at one point ... which stiffened my neck. Man, that hurt!

Man, do I miss running!!!!

Sunday, 8/19/12 to Saturday, 8/25/12:

Just day after day of not running. Sometimes when I walk my right achilles hurt, sometimes not. When I came home I watched Modern Marvels, sometime not. Days are so boring when I don't running!!

Sunday, 8/5/12 to Saturday, 8/11/12

I ran 1 times this week, 5.3 miles. My right achilles really hurt when I did try to run after resting it a week.

Sunday, 8/5/12: Yet another rest day squared.

Just another hot and humid day. I got out for a 2.5 mile walk to get the Sunday paper. A thunderstorm and 1.79 inches of rain moved through around 2PM which might have cooled us down a bit. Once Christine woke up, we watched the Olympics. Many sports came upon the screen during the morning, afternoon and night: women's indoor volleyball, women's beach volleyball (with bikinis!), women's handball, men's water polo, men's 1500m heats, men's 400m hurdles, men's 100m semis, women's vault, men's 400m semis, men's 100m finals (Bolt, 9.63!!), men's floor finals, men's pummel horse. Missy Franklin's ending segment with Bob Costas was priceless!

Monday: 8/6/12: Yet another rest day to the 3rd power.

No running since last Wednesday. Christine cooked up meat loaf with mashed potatoes and green beans ... man food! Later I just watched the Olympics ... letting each event wash over me. By now, Christine is bored of the whole thing. I saw the extra periods of the epic women's soccer game between Canada and the US. The US got two favorable calls in a row which allowed them to tie the game at 3. There will be lots of internet discussion the next day. The US goal in the last 30 seconds of stoppage time was incredible! I endured watching the women's uneven bars while I waited for anything about the women's pole vault. Jen Shur from upstate NY won the gold medal!

Tuesday, 8/7/12: Yet another rest day to the 4th power.

Just one more day. I took Christine to get her nails done. She chose a pinkish red for her color ... nice! After supper and digesting our supper, I watched more Olympics. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings for the US will play for the women's beach volleyball gold tomorrow. Women's balance beam (a US woman named Alexandra Raisman took the bronze after a protest), women's 200m semis, women's 100m hurdles (US women - Dawn Harper got silver and Kellie Wells got bronze, Lolo was fourth) men's 1500m (a US man named Leonel Manzano took silver), men's high jump (A US man named Erik Kynard got silver), woman's floor (a US woman named Alexandra Raisman took the gold).

Wednesday, 8/8/12: 5.3 miles,44:48, 8:28 pace, 80F, sunny, calm, a bit humid.

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

I just had to get out ... it had been a week since my last run. I didn't know how far to go so I took it nice and easy, about 8:00 pace. I thought I would go about 5 to 6 miles. I started to feel my right achilles ache at mile 3.75. I walked 3 times after that. I got home and told Christine that I needed a towel and a bucket of ice. F***!! I probably should have gone 3 miles like Christine suggested.

I really don't know if I will able to run the Bergen 5K on Saturday at all. For Heaven's sakes, I ran 53 races last year and 31 so far this year ... to run over a f***ing rock because I wasn't looking where I was going and mess up right achilles really irks me!!!

Christine cooked up some pizza and I settled down to watch more Olympics while I soaked my right foot. I have gotten quite good at just sticking my foot into the cold water. Here are the results: Women's platform, men's 110m hurdles (US men - Aries Merritt won gold, Jason Richardson won silver), women's beach volleyball (Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings won the gold), men's 200m semis, women's long jump (US women - Brittney Reese won gold, Janay Deloach won bronze), women's 400m hurdles (US woman named Lashinda Demus won silver), women's 200m (US women - Allyson Felix won gold, Camelita Jeter won bronze),


Thursday, 8/9/12: Rest day.

I went to work today limping. It was truly a day from hell. I had to walk ... OK, limp ... constantly all day between buildings and printers. My right achilles ached. Accordingly to my smartphone I took 6781 steps ... which doesn't count when I didn't have it on because it was charging or couldn't have it due to restrictions.

I came home and promptly put my right foot in ice water. I tried to find a channel that would show me the US women's soccer final but could only find highlights that they had won 2-1 over Japan. I settled down to watch the Olympics: men's 800m final (Kenya's Rudisha won gold in WR time), women's indoor volleyball semis ( US women advance), men's 4x400m prelims, men's triple jump (US men -  Christian Taylor won gold, Will Claye won silver), women's platform semis, men's 200m (Bolt won gold in 19.32).

Friday, 8/10/12: Another rest day.

I didn't limp today but I could feel my right achilles complaining to me all day. Kind of sucks!!

More Olympics: men's platform semis, men's 4 x 400m semis, men's pole vault (France won gold), women's 4x100m finals (US won the gold in WR time), men's 4x400m finals (Bahamas won the gold, US won silver), women's 5k final (Ethiopia won gold), women's BMX finals (Columbia won the gold), men's BMX finals (Latvia won the gold).

Saturday, 8/11/12: Yet another rest day.

The Bergen 5K was held today out in Bergen. I didn't want to go ... I couldn't run it anyway so I just slept. I woke up at 8:22AM, the race started 8 minutes later. I knew that a fast crew was out there, results here. The winner was Colin Leak in 14:33. Fleet Feet's master runner, Mark Andrews, was masters winner and 9th overall in 15:20. Tim Dwyer was 76th in 17:44 and 1st in his M50-54 age group, Becky Duberry was 138th in 20:06 and 4th in her F40-44 age group, Bill Beyerbach was 149th in 20:55 and 4th in his M55-59 age group, Jeanne Herrick was 215th in 25:03 and 2nd in her F60-64 age group

The Olympics: men's soccer final (Mexico beat Brazil 2-1 for the gold), women's mountain bike, a bit of rhythmic gymnastics, lots of women's handball, women's basketball (US won the gold), men's 5K (Mo Farah of Great Britain won the gold), men's platform (US - won gold), women's high jump (Russia won gold, US won silver), women's 4x400m finals (US won gold), men's 4x100m finals (Jamaica won gold in WR time, US won silver equaling the old WR).

Sunday, 7/29/12 to Saturday, 8/3/12

1 ran 3 times this week, 20.5 miles.
I ran 24 times in 31 days during the month of July, 144.4 miles, 6.0 miles//run, 5th month in a row of greater than 100 miles
2012: 145 runs in 212 days, 944.31 miles, 6.5 miles/run

Sunday, 7/29/12: 2 runs of 11.5 and 3.8 miles

Well, I knew I needed a long run so I folded it around what I needed to do. The trunk of our 2000 Cavalier won't close so I drove it up to our auto mechanic, Russell. Then I started out on my long run armed with my Camelbak and 3 Gels.

It was 74F, sunny, calm and humid. I set off on a nice and easy pace, probably 8:15 pace. It's probably because I paused my Garmin twice. I mapped my run on mapmyrun.com so I know it was 11.5 miles. I headed north on Lake Ave and saw Charlotte Beach then I headed back south to cross the O'Rorke Bridge. I wasn't paying attention to my footing around mile 3 when I ran over a rock at mile 3. Ouch! I stretched my right achilles. I still had miles to go so I kept going. I saw the beach north of St Paul Blvd, then headed south on St Paul Blvd. My right achilles was starting to bug me so I slowed. I was more than ready to stop when I got back to the apartment.

Garmin Connect Activity for Home to Russell's House

Russell soon called to say that he was done welding the receiver of the trunk in place so that it would stay stationary and accept the trunk lid and stay closed. So ... no matter what my right achilles was trying to say to my body I headed back out. First to the bank and then out to his house to pay and pick up our car. It took about a quarter mile to stretch out but soon I was in a really nice and easy pace. Running as transportation! So ... 15.3 miles in the books on a Sunday, nice! A nice shower and lunch did feel good!

Later, I headed out to the Wayne County Nursing Home in Lyons to meet up with my sister, Diane, from Kentucky and my brother, Don, from Syracuse to see our father. We took him outside and sat in the shade and caught up with each other. After we took him back in so he could eat supper, we headed to Parker's Grill in Newark so we could do the same. You could tell that we were siblings ... we all had the Dewey though we all did have it cooked differently and with different types of fries!

Sadly, the tri community lost Heather Boyum who was killed on her bicycle at 7:45AM this morning, link here. She was 40 and had just completed the Musselman Half IronMan. She was hit by a 22 year old man riding his motorcycle and then ran over by his 23 year old girlfriend in her car. He was out on parole for 24 days after serving time for his 3rd DWI. Both have been charged with DWI and vehicular manslaughter. A sad day. Words can not express how I hope that these two are held responsible to the greatest extent.

Monday, 7/30/12: Rest day.

I don't do rest days well. Christine called me during the day to ask what our super secret network password was. I wondered what she needed it for. Well ... it turned out that she bought herself a Kindle.

Tuesday: 7/31/12: A thunderstorm-induced rest day.

A thunderstorm rolled through Rochester around 4:30PM with heavy rain. I didn't get home until 5:30PM after waiting for the rain to get out and let up along with some "hunting and gathering" at BJ's. I could have gone out but I didn't want to risk splashing into a puddle and finding that it was a pothole. Some runners did get out running and enjoyed the rain and free light show.

Kathy and Wendy waiting for the OK to go out and run.

Wednesday, 8/1/12: 5.2 miles, 42:33, 8:11 pace, 80F, calm, 50% RH, no stops, right achilles ache

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

I dallied around a bit with Christine but finally got around 7:15PM. I started out nice and easy, then hit it harder until mile 2 when my right achilles started to hurt. I cut the road short, dialed back my effort and endured the right achilles ache the rest of the way.

Thursday, 8/2/12: Rest day.

I rested today. I walk a lot at work, I limped a bit at times. I wanted to run the GVH XC 5K #1 down at Cobbs Hill. Why? Just because.

The start!

Friday, 8/3/12: Another rest day.

Rochester became part of the tropics today. At one point during the day it was 85F, 65% RH, kind of of tropical. Christine called me during the day and told me to buy a bag of ice on the way home from work. She filled up a tub, filled it with ice and filled it with water.  Oww ... man was it cold! I put my right foot in and out as much as I could. Meanwhile I posted on Facebook that I would not run the Phelps 20K tomorrow even though I am signed up. I do not like a DNS but I will not be able to run the Phelps 20K while I want to run it ... there will be other races. But my PR in the 20K was last set at the Phelps 20K in 2008 and there is only one 20K around Rochester each year ... the Phelps 20K. Alas ... next year!

Saturday, 8/4/12: Yet another rest day, Phelps Sauerkraut 20K: DNS

I woke up around 8:20AM ... the Phelps Sauerkraut 20K was going on. I wished it was there but knew that I would have hurt myself. Still ... I yearned to run and thought of all 201 runners that ventured forth into the heat and humidity, results here.

A really hot, humid and bitchy day. A day best forgotten since all Christine and I did was miscommunicate, pick fights and argue. We just sat and watched the Olympics ... men's basketball, men's volleyball and the men's 400m heats, 100m heats, 10K finals come to mind. There were other sports during the morning and afternoon. At one point I just had to get out so I took a walk up to Titus Ave and back, 2.8 miles, when it was 90F and 51% RH out ... just a bit steamy. I wore Christine's yellow Zensah' calf sleeves. My right achilles did not bother me. We actually broke down, closed all the windows and turned on the air conditioning. It was just too hot. Later we watched more Olympics .... women's rowing, women's beach volleyball, women's 100m and women's heptathlon come to mind.

I am concerned about Christine. Her thyroid is so off ... she couldn't sleep at all 3 nights this week, then slept during the day with little energy at all.