Sunday, 12/23/12 to Saturday, 12/29/12

I ran 3 times this week, 16.0 miles.

Sunday, 12/23/12: 7.5 miles, 1:03:10, 8:26 pace, 35F, sunny, a bit windy, no stops, usual discomfort

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

Christine and I were creatures of habit and just lazed around all Sunday morning. Much later ... I did make it out for a much needed run. I just took it nice and easy. I added a trip down and back up Chapel Hill drive to my usual 10K course around the streets of Irondequoit. I could feel the usual discomfort in my right Achilles but just ran onward. The west wind when I was running west on Titus Ave was a bit nippy so I was glad to turn back onto Seneca Ave and be only 1.3 miles away from the apartment.

The Buffalo Bills were losing 3-14 to the Miami Dolphins down in Miami just before I left for my run. I caught the tail end of the game. Just your usual boneheaded play ... the Bills down 10-24 with the ball on the 1 with about 2 minutes to play. Fitz drops three steps and throws the ball to the left ... right into the hands of a Miami player who was more than glad to catch the "gift". Yet another game ending interception ... unbelievable! The usual result, link here.

Christine and I headed out to Newark to hand out the usual gift cards for her and my youngest son. I saw the Terrace at Newark assisted living center where she works. A nice looking place!

Monday, 12/24/12: Travel day.

Another shooting was playing out in West Webster where Christine and I were getting ready to travel west to Ohio. Two firefighters were killed and two more wounded while responding to a fire at 5:30AM on Lake Rd, link here. The shooter was found dead of a self-inflicted GSW later. A total of 7 houses were destroyed while SWAT was securing the scene. I have personally run by this area twice during the yearly Run around the Bay run in early March. Unbelievable!

Christine and I got on the run at 10AM which is quite good for us. The drive to the Country Inns in Cuyahoga Falls OH was uneventful. There wasn't much traffic and the roads were clear. Thank goodness for the Google Maps on my smartphone! We arrived at 3:30PM during the daylight which was nice. I was able to score a 1 bedroom suite for about $46 off the race price by using 5000 of my Club Carlson points. Christine and I settled in for a while, booted up our laptops and relaxed after a long drive. The suite was excellent except the constant humming noise that the refrigerator made ... a nitpick but still a pain!

Later we emerged to head out for a delicious Hawaiian Chicken pizza from Marco's Pizza. We were hungry so we made short work of it. After we digested our supper we headed down to the indoor swimming pool. Christine soon was swimming around ... I took a bit longer before I did the same. She floats well ... I don't at all. Then we relaxed in the hot tub ... sweet!

Tuesday, 12/25/12: Merry Christmas and 4.0 miles on a treadmill

I woke up early enough to make it down to the exercise room. I endured 4.0 miles on the dreadmill ... err, treadmill. The exercise room was hot ... so I was drenched when I got back up to the suite to wake my sleeping beauty, Christine. The breakfast at the Country Inn was excellent as always. Then we packed up and motored over to the home of Christine's brother, Bill, in Ravenna. There we met up with the rest of her relations and enjoyed Christmas dinner. We brought 3 pies (apple, cherry and lemon meringue) that Christine and Danny Wegman had slaved over ... OK, we bought the pies at Wegman's. They were very good .... yummy!

We headed back to Rochester around 3:30AM and arrived back at 8:10PM. There is a winter storm warning for tomorrow but we had no trouble. All in all, a nice overnight honeymoon ... hugs and kisses to my darling wife, Christine!

Wednesday, 12/26/12: Rest day

Just your usual day after Christmas day at work. There was a winter storm warning for Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Christine and I were cold ... so we went to bed around 8PM, snuggled and got a solid 10 hours of sleep. We woke up a couple of times to look outside to see the snow coming down ... solid in the knowledge that apartment living meant that we wouldn't have to shovel in the morning, sweet!

Thursday, 12/27/12: Rest day.

At least a foot of snow fell overnight but I made it to my meeting early out in Victor. After work I could have run and should have  run but I didn't. An argument ensued .. because I like to do things for my honey. I so need to run more.

Friday, 12/28/12: Frustration day, night run = fail, 4.5 miles, 25F, night, icy, 2 falls

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the icy Seneca Pond Zoo pond once - ouch

I took today off so I could take Christine out and about so she could change her name. We got out after much fuss. bother and frustration. We did get down to the Social Security office downtown before it closed so Christine could change her name there. Christine did get to New Nails for her bi-weekly nail appointment. She chose Ruby Pump from OKI as her nail color. We will get her DMV records changed on next Monday or Wednesday, I hope.

Christine went to bed early so I headed out for an ill advised run. I forgot one essential piece of winter running equipment ... my Yaks. I went up Seneca Ave towards Titus Ave and found that the shoulder was not cleared enough for my taste so I headed over to the Seneca Park Zoo. My bright (err ... stupid) idea was to head down to the pond and run around it several times. Well ... the road out to the Zoo was icy, the road down to the pond was even more icy and I fell on my left side bruising my left hip, left forearm and hurting my left wrist. I picked myself up and continued onward at a really nice, easy and cautious (I thought) pace. I made it 95% of the way around and fell again really hard on my left side. I acknowledged defeat and walked up the icy hill out from the pond. My left side hurt but I managed a slow run back to the apartment.  I applied ice to my left wrist and called it a night. I really should have worn my Yaks or stuck to the side streets that were just snow covered and had more traction. In retrospect, I was lucky. I could have knocked myself unconscious or broken a bone down there with the gate closed ... no one would have found me until morning. A lesson learned!

Saturday, 12/29/12: Rest day

I stayed in bed while Christine went out and got her shopping hat on. I was starting to get worried ... she arrived home around 3PM with her booty from the town of Webster. Let's see ... new flatware from Kohl's and a new Droid 4 smartphone from the Verizon Wireless. She has leapfrogged my Casio Commando smartphone ... technologically speaking.

I watched the Syracuse football team manhandle the West Virginia Mountaineers down in NYC in the Pinstripe Bowl, 38-14, link here.  Go 'Cuse!

I definitely called a rest day due to falling yesterday. I have a bruise on my left hip and left forearm plus my left wrist kind of hurt. I had trouble sleeping on my left side which is how I usually sleep.

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

I ran 2 times this week, 12.0 miles.

Sunday, 12/16/12: Rest day.

Months ago I would have run two days in a row easily. Now ... not so much. My thighs ached more and more all day. Christine and I lazed around all afternoon. We watched "The American Werewolf in London" and "Splinter" off of the Syfy channel. "Splinter" was quite scary ... at least to me, not so much to Christine.

I started to watch the Buffalo Bills play the Seattle Seahawks at home(?) in Toronto. It was 7-24 when I left for the Finger Lakes Casino and Racetrack in Farmington to meet up with my youngest son. He had invited me to his family Christmas dinner since his girlfriend couldn't make it. He has another promotion under his belt. He is now a Drop Supervisor and an Account Supervisor. He will be getting more hours so he quit his second job at Byrne Dairy. I enjoyed talking with him. His laptop was having troubles turning on so I swapped his hard drive into a similar laptop to get him back up and running. He was pleased. The Buffalo Bills ending up losing, 17-50, link here.

So ... in the span of 8 days I have seen all three of my children. It was nice to see them ... sweet!

Monday, 12/17/12: Another rest day.

I had wanted to run but Christine had made ribs and they couldn't wait! They were overdone, didn't have enough sauce and were not so good ... but still OK. We just chilled and caught up on some of our regular shows off of Primetime OnDemand ... Grey's Anatomy, Last Resort, etc.

Tuesday, 12/18/12: Almost a run day.

I planned on running after work ... but I talked myself into not running. I am getting too good at making excuses for not running ... which sucks.

Wednesday, 12/19/12: 5.8 miles, 49:04, 8:28 pace, 38F, night, no stops, mild achilles pain

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

Christine and I enjoyed some hugs after work but I still got up and out for a much needed run. I bit off a longer distance, 5.8 miles. I took it nice and easy. I could feel the discomfort in my right Achilles but I continued onward. I have made up my mind to take the month of December off from running races. So ... Snow Cheap #1 (without the snow) was going on down at Riley lodge of Cobbs Hill, results with snowshoes here and no snowshoes here.

Thursday, 12/20/12: Just your usual rest day.

Friday, 12/21/12: 6.2 miles, 50:47, 8:11 pace, 35F, night, light rain/mist, no stops, usual pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for 10K around the streets of Irondequoit

Christine and I enjoyed some hugs after work like usual but I still got up and out in the crisp night while a real light rain/sleet mix came down and reflected into my headlamp. I wore my reflective vest so the Irondequoit drivers could see me. I could feel some tightness in my thighs and right Achilles so I just kept my pace nice and easy. Still ... my pace was faster at 8:11 versus 8:28 on Wednesday with what I considered less effort. Strange but true.

Saturday, 12/22/12: Rest day.
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The day dawned cold, snowy and windy. I thought of all the hardcore runners who went out and brought it. But ... I decided to stick to my every other day running and stayed in. Really kind of boring ... but it was what it was.

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

I ran once this week, 3.5 miles.

Sunday, 12/9/12: Another rest day.

Christine and I cocooned all day. I was up early around 9AM. I let Christine sleep until noon-ish before waking her up with coffee. We were creatures of habit.

We watched the Buffalo Bills lose yet another close game full of inexplicable play calling and another game ending interception by Fitzpatrick though that his arm was hit as he released it. The final carnage was 12-15, link here. Not trying to kick a 52 yard field gold with wind when your team was nursing a 12-7 lead way early in the 4th quarter so you can play field position? Not giving your stud running back, CJ Spiller, the ball not more than 7 times out of 58 plays when he is leading the league in yards per carry?? The coach, Chan Gailey, was playing to lose not playing to win like usual. Almost everyone in western NY is crying for his head.

Monday, 12/10/12: Another rest day.

I am getting antsy to get out there for a run. I am within spitting distance of 1148 miles for the year which is the most I have ever run (back in 2009). But ... I had to do our laundry. Some blockhead left their laundry in the dryer downstairs so I headed out to our local laundromat and did it there. I only lost one Zensah compression sleeve ... which is not too good. Hopefully it will turn up ... yeah, right.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 12/11/12 - 12/14/12: Rest days.

I will run again someday ... real soon now. I can walk pretty soon with a slight nagging discomfort in my right achilles. But I still can't do a full eccentric calf drop on my right Achilles ... something I could do last month. I haven't been to physical therapy for 2 weeks. I got discouraged and just stopped going. Some days were good, some days were a bit worse.

Christine had her bi-weekly nail appointment at New Nails on Thursday. The color she choose was Red Pearl color from China Glaze ... nice!

Friday was a bit of downer day after I learned about the murder of 20 elementary children and 7 adults in Newton, CT. Why couldn't the shooter just kill himself? Forget the murder/suicide and just do the suicide!Why kill his mother ... and then why head to the Sandy Hook Elementary School? How can mentally deranged people get access to weapons? May the fallen find peace!

Saturday, 12/15/12: 3.5 miles, 28:41, 8:12 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, no stops,

Christine and I are still on our honeymoon ... so of course we spent the morning just lazing around and such ... sweet!! While we were honeymooning ... 1280 runners were out and about at the first Reindeer 5K run, results here.

Christine had a 2PM massage appointment at MassageEnvy so while she was gone I headed out for a much needed run.

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the block in Irondequoit

I set out nice and easy on my first run in 18 days. I didn't know what to expect but just headed out in hope of the best. I limped just a wee lit at first but soon I found the endorphins that I had so long has been seeking.

Christine came home and after a quick shower we headed out to Newark to see my daughter. We learned more details of her trip to NYC to see another 2 concerts of Darren Criss. She was within 10 feet in not one, but two small and intimate concerts. She didn't get much sleep during her weekend down there ... oh, youth! Then we headed out to the Wayne County Nursing Home to see my father. We told him we had gotten married. He seemed more antimated than usual.

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

I ran 0 miles this week, no running since 11/27/12.

Sunday, 12/2/12: Travel back to NY day

We are not early risers ... so after a leisurely morning at the Country Inn in Holyoke MA, we headed back to NY around noon. The weather on the way back was weird. Dense fog at noon? Soon we were back on the Mass Pike heading west. We climbed out of the fog and briefly saw the sun as we climbed a 6 mile hill into the Berkshires. Soon it was cloudy. We satisfied Christine's historical bent as we briefly stopped at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren's home. Everything was closed but we were there and have a picture to prove it.

Soon we were back on the road and were met by rain and mist. A dreary drive indeed! We finally got home around 7PM. We were at odds with each other due to the close quarters and driving in the dark ... which is all I am willing to say.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills unloaded on a team with a worse record than them, the Jacksonville Panthers. They won an untelevised home game, 34-18, link here.

Monday, 12/3/12: Another rest day

Back to work after a day off. I discovered that I could walk without a limp ... but it hurt more and more during the day. My perception of the pain increased from 2/10 to 4/10 during the day. It felt like someone was digging a nail into my right achilles while I walked. I wanted to run but knew that I couldn't. I am seriously considering just packing my running in for the winter season. Maybe if I actually do the exercises for my right achilles during the winter I will actually heal? The good thing is that Christine and I kissed and made up.

Tuesday, 12/4/12: Another rest day

The weather was warm during the day, 70F briefly during the day. But by the time I exited work, it was falling, 55F and raining. I ended up going out in a light misty rain to Little Caesar's to get a sausage pizza and wings for supper. Joy, joy! The good thing is it didn't hurt as much to walk normally. The nail that I imagined to be digging my right achilles seemed smaller.

Wednesday, 12/5/12: Another rest day.

Well ... back to winter. Just your normal December weather ... mid 30s, a stiff wind along with the occasional ice pellet. I walked better. I am on the fence about running Freezeroo #1 on Saturday. It's a 5 mile race out in Spencerport. I may just bag it and try to heal.

My darling Christine didn't feel good this morning. She had swollen glands and just spent the whole day in bed. I went to Skip's Meat Market on the way home and picked up 5 pounds of hamburg and a couple of chuck steaks. Christine whipped together a nice supper with the chuck steaks even though she didn't feel like eating. She is such a darling!

Thursday, 12/6/12: Another rest day.

I walked pretty good today. But I really think I will shut down my running in any more races this year. My darling Christine still on the mead with swollen glands cooked up spaghetti with home made sauce ... yummy!!

Friday, 12/7/12: 1 week anniversary, another rest day.

My right achilles felt worse today. The needle that seemed to be stuck in it seemed larger. Our marriage license still hasn't come in the mail. But that didn't prevent us from celebrating our one week anniversary ... something we hope to do every Friday night! Yeah, baby!!! Much later, Christine cooked up some delicious toasted tuna cheese sandwiches ... yummy!!

Saturday, 12/8/12: Another rest day.

One of Christine's brothers's named Rich and his wife, Jill, gave us a gift certificate to T.G.I. Friday's for a wedding present. So we headed out for the nearest one in Greece. We ran into lots of traffic on 104 and couldn't find it so we headed back out to the one in Brighton. We got there around 5PM ... soon the joint was jumping! I had the Jack Daniel's Sirloin & Shrimp and Christine had the Grilled Salamon with Langostino Lobster. We enjoyed our dinner ... thanks, Rich and Jill!

Meanwhile out in Spencerport, 221 people ran the Freezeroo #1, link here. Later in the afternoon, 2714(!!) people ran It's A Wonderful Run 5k out in Bedford Falls, ... err, Seneca Falls, link here.

Runners crossing the Bridge St bridge in Seneca Falls, NY

Once we got home we went to OnDemand and watched Dark Knight Rises ... an awesome movie! We watched it twice! Though I did fall asleep a bit during our second showing. We were still in honeymoon mode so we went to bed late.

Sunday, 11/25/12 to Saturday, 12/1/12

I ran 2 times this week, 11.2 miles.

During the month of November, I ran 18 times in 30 days, 88.29 miles, 4.9 miles/run.
During 2012, I have run 213 times in 334 days, 1141.75 miles, 5.4 miles/run.
My numbers of runs was up for both the past several months and year because I have been including warmup runs before races.

Sunday, 11/25/12: 6.2 miles, 53.23, 8:36 pace, 34F, night, a bit windy, a light snow, no stops, mild right achilles pain.

Christine and I cocooned a lot during the day ... romantic to be sure. We did watch the Bills lose ... yet again to fall to 4-7. This time they lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 13-20, link here. But I did break loose twice: one for a run and once to do some much needed grocery shopping.

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

I haven't run twice in two days for quite a while but I needed to get out. I struck up a nice and easy pace and enjoyed the sight of light snow pellets in my headlamp as I ran. My right achilles was just a mild discomfort that I ignored so I could get a dose of running endorphins. Sweet! Though I did spend 90 minutes after the run looking for my keys that I had laid down after I got back my run ... I found them inside an umbrella that I used about a month ago and left unbound! I can certainly lose stuff!!

Monday, 11/26/12: Rest day.

I paid for my running over the Thanksgiving holiday by limping all day at work ... joy! I bet my nickname at work is "Limp-a-long Doug"!

Tuesday, 11/27/12: Physical therapy, marriage license, Cobbs Hill run

Get 'er done! I was out early for physical therapy ... which sucked! My right achilles was sore and I couldn't do one complete right eccentric calf drop. Jeff tried to work around the tendon and ease into it but to no avail.

Christine waited in the car so afterward we headed downtown to get our marriage license. My philosopy when driving to downtown Rochester is to park where you find a spot and walk. So I parked by the Blue Cross Arena ... which is about a three block walk to the Rochester City Clerk's office at 39 W Main St. Well, we really wanted the Rochester City Hall at 30 Church St which is 2 blocks farther. Getting the marriage license was a lengthy process. Luckily they took my Newark Wayne Community Hospital birth certicate instead of what they really wanted ... my Wayne County birth certificate (I thought I knew where it was ... but its whereabouts are unknown right now). Christine was whipped by the time we had walked back to the car. I was walking ... err, limping ... slow ... probably still too fast for her.

I was tired but I had my running gear in the car so I changed at work and headed out to Fleet Feet Brighton. Before the run I finally got my Dirt Cheap Stage Race sweatshirt that I earned 2 1/2 weeks ago.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 2 Y's
5 miles, 43:13, 8:37 pace, 34F, night, calm, no stops

I ran up nice and easy to the Cobbs Hill Reservoir. Everyone seemed to be doing Y's so I fell in with the crowd and did 2 of my own. Then I ran back slightly faster. I proudly donned my DCSR sweatshirt after the run. I asked Bill Beyerback to be my best man (he accepted) at our wedding on Friday since my two youngest children can't make it.

It is really weird how I can run better than I can walk. My right achilles pain just idles into a mild discomfort and off I run ... if you can believe it. I noticed today at physical therapy too. I know Christine thinks I am crazy.

Wednesday, 11/28/12: Rest day.

Christine's wedding dress (ordered by her) and wedding night attire (ordered by me, ;-)) arrived today. Later she tried the dress on. I approved of both!

Thursday, 11/29/12: Day before the wedding

First off, work was a bitch. My right achilles ached all day. I had to go between buildings all day as fast as I was could so I limped. If I moved fast I could walk without a limp but with some pain ... so I did most of the time. It was the usual day before a vacation ... in this case, my wedding. I had thought about going out for a run ... but there was too much to do.

Christine got a bit frazzled. She received word that one of her brothers, Rich and his wife Jill, was coming up from Pennsylvania for the wedding. So our little intimate wedding was getting larger. After I got home from work we went to New Nails so she could get her nails done. They really did a nice job. She looked really sharp in her new shade ... OPI's Kennebukport ... nice!!

Though ... she did go to bed early ... alone. She said that she wanted to get a good night's rest. So .... I just watched TV ... :-(. Well, tomorrow and ... tomorrow night will be a big day!!

Friday, 11/30/12: Wedding day!!

Today dawned grey and just below freezing. Christine and I snuggled a bit before she leaped out of bed around 10AM. She said that she had to go to Macy's to get her face made up. Well, I took my shower, had breakfast and waited ... and waited. Our civil ceremony was scheduled for 1PM. I called and texted Christine around 11:45AM. Noon came, I got dressed in my navy blue suit that I bought way back in 1982 around with a white shirt and red tie. I called her daughter, Beth, and my best man, Bill. I was a bit worried. Bill swung over and was just coming in when Christine arrived at 12:15PM with a fresh head of curls from Super Cuts. I helped her strip and get ready. I knew better than to rush her and just stayed out of her way. We left for the Rochester City Hall at 12:30PM and arrived at 12:45PM in plenty of time. Who was I to get worried that we wouldn't make it on time?

We met up with everyone attending: Christine's two children: John and Beth and Beth's friend Diane; one of Christine's brothers, Rich and his wife Jill; two of three of my children, Karen and David and my running partner, Bill. We paid for the ceremony and chose to get married in the atrium. A woman named Hazel soon appeared and performed the civil ceremony. Soon everyone took lots of pictures of us and of each other. Here are the pictures that I have been able to get from the three that were taking pictures.

Rochester City Hall Atrium

Putting Christine's ring on her finger

Christine putting my ring on my finger

Christine and I

One kiss of many that day!!

My two youngest children, Karen & David

Bill Beyerbach, my best man

Christine's children, John & Beth

One of Christine's brothers, Rich and his wife Jill

Then we headed out to Keenan's Restaurant for a late lunch with those who didn't have to rush off. Soon we headed back to our love nest ... err, apartment. We changed our status on Facebook from engaged to married, Then we retired early for the evening, ;-) !!!

A bit of a backstory for those who may not know our history. Christine and I first met way back in February 1977 at a Phi Kappa Theta party at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland OH. I went to CWRU from 1975 to 1978 and was a brother of Phi Kappa Theta. I was tending bar when I saw her appear. She was going to Ursuline College, an all girls college, and had come down with a friend. I served her a tequila sunrise and asked to see her later. Well ... sparks flew and we went out until January 1978 when her mother broke us up. We were heartbroken. We both had marriages. Strangely, we both got married within a week of each other back in 1980 without knowing it. Hers lasted 11 years with 2 children. Mine lasted 28 years with 3 children. We both thought of each other from time to time over the years. She found me on Facebook in July 2009 and sent me an email in late August 2009. Nine days later I went out to see her in Cleveland after running the Summerfest 12K. We had not seen each other for 31 years and we were both nervous. I made it a point to kiss her within a minute of seeing her (with her permission, of course) ... sparks flew again over that Labor Day weekend. Christine moved in with me in Rochester on November 12th, 2009. We got engaged on September 3rd, 2011 after I ran the Summerfest 12K and she ran the Summerfest 5K. We wanted to get married with a minimum of fuss. We largely succeeded. I love my darling wife, Christine, and wish us many years of happiness.

Saturday, 12/1/12: Travel day.

Christine and I woke up on our first day of our married life ... we just hugged each other for a while before we made it out of bed to start our day ... hopefully just like we will do for the rest of our life together. We got on the road to see my oldest son, Michael, around 10:15 AM. Some people would have been on the road at 6 AM ... but not us. We just don't move fast on Saturday or Sunday mornings. We were at the Oneida rest area on the Thruway when we heard, "Hi, newlyweds!!". We thought that we had a sign on our backs ... but it was one of Christine's No-Bo coaches named Jennifer Bailey Ostrander who was on her way to see her in-laws up in the Adirondacks. It truly is a small world!

I realized that I had not printed out our hotel info so we had to stop at another rest area to download the Carlson Inns app so we could have some turn by turn instructions once we got to Holyoke MA. Ten years ago we would have up the creek ... now there is an app for that! We made it to our Country Inn around 5PM and then we at Michael's door around 6 PM. After we unloaded his stuff from our car we headed out to dinner at the Amherst Brewing Company. We had a very nice dinner. When we got back to his place, he and I put together his digital piano that we had stored for a year. He treated us to a short impromptu concert. Christine and I really enjoyed seeing him after two years.

Later back at the Country Inn, I enjoyed watching a PBS show about Johnny Carson while Christine enjoyed sawing wood ... err ... snored. Oh, the joys of marriage! I mean that very lovingly, my darling!!! Really ... I remember staying up late and watching the Johnny Carson show with my late mother back in the day when I could not sleep ... which was quite often. Good memories.