Sunday, 9/16/2012 to Saturday, 9/22/12

I ran 3 times this week, 15.2 miles

Sunday, 9/16/12: My 55th birthday, 60F, sunny, calm, 7 miles, 1:10:28, 10:03 pace

Well, I woke up as a newbie in the M55-59 age group! I didn't race today, I just ran for fun! That could only mean that I got up, out and down to Mendon Ponds Park to run the dusty but always refreshing blue and green trail.

Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Ponds Park - Blue and Green trail

I started out around 10:10AM or so. It was perfect running weather: 60F, sunny, calm. I struck up my usual trail pace around 10:00 or so. I motored around the blue, then onto the green and did a bit more of the blue before I stopped. I was mindful of my right achilles but it didn't seem to bother me. I saw 12 horses, 2 does and numerous walkers and a couple of runners. All in all, a nice way to get some endorphins.

On the way home I picked up the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle and a couple of red raspberry glazed donuts from Dunkin Donuts. The donuts were delicious with coffee! Then Christine and I watched the Buffalo Bills play the KC Chiefs. The Bills won 35-17 to even up at 1-1, link here.

Christine warmed up her delicious spare ribs that she cooked last night ... mmmm! We ended up the evening by watching "Battleship" from OnDemand.

All in all, a great birthday!!!

Monday, 9/17/12: Rest day.

I felt like crap all day with a splitting headache and stomachache. I felt a bit better in the afternoon and evening but not much.

Tuesday, 9/18/12: Laundry day.

I could have gone for a run but towels and sheets needed to be done. So laundry trumped running for tonight.

Wednesday, 9/19/12: PT day.

I went to the physical therapist again. He soon found that standing heel raises were a bit painful to me so I got a heavier rubber band to stretch my right achilles as well as sitting heel raises to do until I can do standing heel raise later in the week. Now if I could commit to doing these exercises!

Thursday, 9/20/12: 70F, sunny, calm, 4.6 miles in Tryon Park, a bit of right achille pain towards the end

Garmin Connect Activity for Tryon Park

I needed some endorphins that only running can supply so I headed down to Tryon Park at 6PM to hook up with the Medved trail running crowd. Six of the Sehgahunda Training group were there too. All in all, about 40 to 50 people showed up. I had never been to this park before. The west edge is just a stone throw away from I590 ... which was a bit loud. It is also just across the wetlands from Lucien Morin Park (aka Ellison Wetlands). We headed out and found lots of trails, roots, rocks, up and down. I think it is more difficult than Lucien Morin Park. It was dark in the woods combined with the whole "It's September" so I really looked at my footing. I stayed with the lead runners. We stopped every mile or so to let the slower runners catch up. I tried to pause and restart my Garmin at each stop but screwed up. I should have just let it run. Someone told me we ran 4.6 miles so I went with it.

My right achilles start aching towards the end but I did get my dose of running endorphins that I needed. I met up with a guy who says he will be "dogging" me in every race that we both enter ... sounds like fun! I told him that I plan on entering the Scarecrow 5K on 10/13.

Friday, 9/21/12: Rest day.

My right achilles did ache during the day. But ... it was the price I paid for the endorphins of last night.

Saturday, 9/22/12: 60F, cloudy, a bit windy, 4.2 miles, 34:28, 8:12 pace, no stops, no pain.

Christine and I lazed around as is our norm for a weekend. Later in the afternoon, I headed out for a nice and easy run for more endorphins. My right achilles was a bit tight at first but soon loosened up. A nice run ensued.

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the block in Irondeqoit

Then we headed out to the nearby Salvatore's on East Ridge Rd. I had chicken wings with a sweet and tangy sauce while Christine had a calzonne with pepperoni and mushrooms along with a couple pitchers of Yuengling to wash it all down. Mmmm!

During the day, I was keeping up with John Muoio's exploits doing the Hunter Mountain Ironman, link here. He has a new nickname now, Iron John! Way to go!

Sunday, 9/9/12 to Saturday, 9/15/12

I ran 2 times this week, 6.96 miles. Still ... better than 0!

Sunday, 9/9/12: 3.5 miles, nice & easy, 65F, sunny, calm, no stops.

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the block in Irondequoit

I really needed a dose of endorphins after attempting to watch the Bills "play" the Jets at the Meadowlands. The Bills lost 28-48 ... it wasn't that close, link here. Anyway, I went out for a really nice and easy run around the block. Christine asked me to just keep it to 3 miles and I did ... just 3.5 miles. My right achilles really didn't bother me but I did feel it. I am going to my first physical therapy session on Tuesday at 8AM.

Monday, 9/10/12: Rest day.

We got some stuff done. I hung up a keyholder that I made back in 8th grade. Hopefully I won't keep losing my keys! Christine made rigatoni with homemade sauce for supper. Mmm! Then we did three loads of laundry ... Christine did help with the folding. Later I watched a couple of episodes of "Modern Marvels".

Tuesday, 9/11/12: PT day.

Will someone just hit me with a 2x4 when I don't go to the doctor after I injure myself?! I finally went to physical therapy at URMC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Clinton Crossings where I was schooled by a young man named Christopher about how to exercise my right achilles. I was given one stretch and two exercises to do. Plus I was given the OK to run less than 3-4 miles at a nice and easy pace ... which is what I have been doing.

Wednesday, 9/12/12: Dirt Cheap #6, 78F, sunny, calm, not humid.


I posted on Facebook about a couple of hours before Dirt Cheap #6 that "someone should hit me with a 2x4 if I ever injure myself and not go to the doctors" and "that I will race nice and easy". Well, it was like blood in the water. I had people posting that they would make sure that help run nice and easy ... with a 2x4 or kick me in the 'nads. What racing friends I have! LOL!

Christine's stomach was feeling off so I headed down to Lucien Morin Park (aka Ellison Wetlands) solo. I met up with my running friends ... some remarked about making sure I ran nice and easy.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Dirt Cheap #6

I went out for a real nice and easy warmup just to see where my right achilles was at. I soon determined that I would really have to race nice and easy, nothing stupid.



The slower runners went off at 5:50PM, the men went off at 6PM and the women went off at 6:05PM. The start for the men was a bit of a scrum but I made a lane for myself and settled into a fast "nice and easy" pace. Soon we made a hard left turn onto single track. Shortly I settled into the back of a group of five or six guys who were racing my idea of "nice and easy". Most of the slower runners that we passed were gracious and gave us the trail as we came running by. Soon the trail narrowed to about a foot wide as we came close to the wetlands. You definitely did not want to trip on part of the trail! Later I did trip for an instant and almost did a face plant into a tree but I put up my hands quickly and continued onward to the finish.

I was only "chicked" by one woman while running and by 6 overall due to our 5 minute headstart. I was definitely sweating when I got done but forgot to use the Right Guard sample that Fleet Feet gave out as we registered. I did OK ... I was 50th out of 218 (link here) and 5th out of 14 in my M50-54 age group. I was 35th out of 158 in the overall series (link here) and a distant 2nd out of 22 in my overall M50-54 age group (link here) to the younger Jim Roche.

Thursday, 9/13/12 through Saturday, 9/15/12: Rest days all.

Whatever ...  just your normal rest days. On any of these days, I could have gone out for a run didn't. I so need to get out and rip off a nice, long, slow run. Yes, I do have to be aware of my right achilles.

On Thursday, I went to a dentist appointment at Dr. Randy Raetz DDS, aka the "running dentist" who sponsored the Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap Trail Race Series. I am having two crowns put on teeth 10 and 11. It's amzing the technology that he uses ... a camera that can somehow makes a 3D model of your teeth without making a mold.

On Saturday, Christine and I got out for a bit. I took Christine to Nu Nails to get her nails and toenails done with the color, Sweet Tart. Nice! Then we went to Skip's Meat Market and got some ribs and 5 pounds of hamburger. The ribs are for my birthday dinner tomorrow. I age up to 55, a new M55-59 age group!

I picked up a DVD from Redbox in Wegmans, "Starship Troopers: Invasion". I was excited to see this but left disappointed ... it was a 3D cartoon!!! I expected a live action movie like "Starship Troopers" (OK, with green screen) but with Johnny Rico, Carmen Ibanez, Carl Jenkins, Dizzy Flores and Ace Levy. Not a fan!!! Well, they did make the females a bit like Barbie, and the "action" was sometimes R rated ... if you know what I mean!

Sunday, 9/2/12 to Saturday, 9/8/12

1 ran 3 times this week, 12.4 miles

Sunday, 9/2/12: 5.82 miles, 48:27, 10:08, 83F, sunny, calm, right Achilles ache.

Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Ponds Park - Green Trail

Christine had a massage appointment at 3:30PM at Massage Envy. She asked me if I wanted to go run down at Mendon Ponds Park. I was thinking about the same thing and jumped at the chance. She urged me to run just 3.1 miles ... so I ran 5.82 miles. I didn't know any trails that short ... that I wanted to run. Well, I suppose I could have run the Blue trail two or three times but that would have been boring so I just the Green trail backwards. I tried to run nice and easy. My right Achilles started to ache around mile 2.5 and I slowed down. It ached worse but I continued onward. Yes, it hurt to run but it's what I do.

Christine called for me to pick me up as soon as I got to the car so I headed back to Massage Envy to pick her up. Then we had a bite to eat up at Vic and Irv's up in Sea Breeze. I was limping so we didn't walk around much. We tuned to TCM and watched the 1964 Cold War classic, Fail Safe, with Henry Fonda and Larry Hagman.

Monday, 9/3/12: Labor and rest day.

Christine and I just lazed around most of the day. We did make it out to Wegmans for some supplies and to rent The Hunger Games from the Redbox. I am sure that some people like this movie but we were unimpressed. It's OK.

Tuesday, 9/4/12: 3.1 miles, 25:04, 8:04, 75F, cloudy, calm, humid, no stops, right achilles ache.

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the block in Irondequoit

I took a rare day off of work and just relaxed the whole day. I got up and out around 8:30AM for a really nice and easy run around the block. I wanted to run 5K so that I could make my right Achilles a bit sore for my doctor's appointment at 11AM. Yes, Christine finally got me to take my right Achilles to the doctor. He is a biker and a runner so he knows about athletes. He said that I had an inflamed right Achilles and referred me to the physical therapists at URMC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Clinton Crossings. Then I took Christine back to Nu Nails so she could get a new nail color that wasn't pink like she got last week ... neither of us liked that color. Her color is now ... Be Still My Heart!

Christine styling her nails over a pot of 16 bean soup!

Christine's 16 bean & ham soup was very good! She can cook ... guess that's why I want to marry her ... ;-) ?

What was left of Hurricane Isaac finally made its way to upstate NY. It poured for about three hours in the afternoon. I can't imagine what it did down in the south of the US.

Wednesday, 9/5/12: Rest day.

Well, I have a physical therapist appointment on Tuesday, 9/11/12 at 8AM. I guess I should have seen the doctor right away. Who knew that a right achilles wouldn't fix itself!

Thursday, 9/6/12: Rest day.

Not much happened. Christine and I have been on a "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" kick off of the trusty DVR.

Friday, 9/7/12: Rest day.

I did more walking than usual today, 10,214 steps. When I first start walking during work, I was stiff and my right achilles hurt. Then it loosens up and I walk OK ... but I still feel my right achilles. So ... I contemplated running the Summerfest 5K on Saturday. It that smart? Who knows?

Saturday, 9/8/12: 3.1 (actually 2.926) miles, 22:02, 7:40 pace, 72F, cloudy, humid, no stops.



I went to bed thinking that I would make a race day decision about running the Summerfest 5K. While Christine and I lay in bed in the morning it started to pour for about 5 minutes. A nice day for a race!

Well, we got up and out, out to Mendon Ponds Park ... our home away from home. We got there around 8:25AM, behind a slowpoke. I did a raceday registration and got ready. I hoped that my right achilles would hold up.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Summerfest 5K

While I went out for a bit of a warmup it started to pour and blow, I got drenched. I decided to wear my hat during the race just in case. The rain moved through just before the start of the 12K up on Douglas Road.

We lined up just ahead of the start in the muddy dirt road about a hundred yards from Stewart Lodge. Our start up the dirt road was a bit unexpected. I settled into a hard but easy pace as we got to Douglas Road and turned left. I really didn't know how my body would react but I ran onward. We crossed Canfield Road out to the horse farm and went to the turnaround by the NYS Thruway. My first mile was 7:14 As we passed the horses again, they started running like they wanted to run with us. I was running good, about 9th or so. We went into the woods to the left for about 0.5 mile or so of trail running. I slowed down due to the mud and crab apples, second mile was 7:55. We came back on Canfield Road for a bit and then turned left back onto Douglas Road. I was hurting a bit but held on and finished strong, third mile in 6:51. Christine cheered me into the finish. My Garmin had the race a bit light at 2.926 miles.

The muddy start!

Gritting my teeth for the finish ... like usual!

Getting the tag ripped off ...

I finished 10th out of 228 in 22:02. Overall results, link here. Age group results, link here. Christine and I cheered in the 5k runners and then both the 12k and 5k runners as they came streaming into the finish. We stuck around for the awards. Ellen went quickly through the 12k award and then the 5k awards. I won my M50-54 age group but also ran faster than anyone over 40. Ok ... all the other fast M50-54 runners were running the 12k. But ... I still had to run the race. I got the dose of endorphins that I so needed ... missed all during the month of August.

Somehow after the awards Christine and I lost touch with each other for a bit. I stayed in the lodge while Christine went up to the car. A rain and wind storm came in just when I was thinking of heading up to the car. Christine drove down to the lodge while I got drenched getting to her. We drove home while I tried to warm up and dry off.

The rest of the day and night was spent just lazing around after I took a warm shower, had lunch and took a nap. It was amazing how my mood improved after a race. Racing ... how I missed you!!!

Sunday, 8/26/12 to Saturday, 9/1/12

I ran 1 time this week, 4 miles, :-(
Month of August: 14.5 miles, 3 runs in 31 days, 4.8 miles/run, :-(
2012: 958.81 miles, 148 runs in 243 days, 6.5 miles/run

Sunday, 8/26/12: 4 miles, 32:14, 8:33 pace, 70F, sunny, calm, no pain!

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

I got up around 8AM, puttered around a bit, ate a bit of breakfast and finally got off my duff and out the door. I was determined to put the feet to the street and see what would happen. I was a bit stiff but just settled into a really, really nice and easy pace ... and nothing hurt!! I was just going to go 3 miles but went another mile just to try out the new El Camino trail out to Norton St. I picked up the discount Democrat and Chronicle from the guy who sells them by the local Dunkin Donuts and he noticed that I was running again!

Christine was happy that I ran without pain ... we just sat around all day. We could have gotten more stuff done but she did cook up a roaster chicken. We were going to take it down to my youngest son in Palmyra but he never called back ... so we ate half of it. We watched an "oldie but goodie" ... The Birds, directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Rod Taylor, Tippi Hendren and Jessica Tandy.

Monday, 8/27/12: Rest day.

Just your average rest day ... go to work, work, come home, eat supper, surf the web and watch tv, go to bed. Rinse and repeat, :-(

Tuesday, 8/28/12: 5.35 miles, 44:55, 8:22 pace, 72F, sunny, a bit breezy, pain in my right achilles

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

I got out a bit late. I had a bit of left abdomen discomfort at first but it went away. I just wanted to do a bit more than last time. I hiked it up a bit to around 8:00 pace then backed it down. I had some discomfort in my right achilles around mile 4 so I backed it down more. I felt a twinge of pain in my right achilles at mile 5.35 and stopped. I limped the rest of the way about 1/4 mile. If I pushed off, it hurt ... not good at all. I sent Christine out for some ice and supplies. We had a late supper around 10PM.

It kind of sucks to be a runner who can't run. I define myself by how far I run, how fast I run, being able to sometimes place in my M50-54 age group. I guess I should really go see a doctor.

Wednesday, 8/29/12: Limp day.

I woke up with a splitting headache ... and went limping off to work. I don't really take too much time off of work. I limped quite a bit in the morning but loosened up in the afternoon. By late in the afternoon, I wasn't limping too much. It was what it was.

Thursday, 8/'30/12: Rest day.

My right achilles kind of ached. When I walked I was stiff at first then I loosened up. I made do.

Our car needed really tires so I stopped by BJ's to find a deal! I found 4 Michelin XT radial closeouts for $15 off per tire plus an instant $70 rebate with $15 per tire for installation, road hazard and lifetime rotation. Sweet!

Friday, 8/31/12: Rest day.

I thought about going out for a run but didn't. Kind of makes this running blog a bit boring ... a runner who writes a running blog who doesn't run.

Saturday, 9/1/12: Rest day.

Just your average rest day. I headed out to Lyons to see my father in the Wayne County Nursing Home in Lyons. He was pretty out of it ... I couldn't think of much to say. Then I saw my daughter in Newark for a bit before heading back up home. We watched the US women's soccer team with Abby Wambach play Costa Rico from Salen Stadium in downtown Rochester on NBC. The US won 8-0, link here, with Abby heading in 2 goals.