Sunday, 7/1/12: 13.1 miles, 1:56:24, 8:53 pace, 72-78F, sunny, humid.
Garmin Connect Activity for East and west side of the Genesee River
I got up around 7AM, it was 66F. It was 9AM and 72F by the time I dilly dallied around and got out to run. I wore my Camelback filled with water and ice. I also carried 2 Gels. I wanted to do around a half marathon in honor of the runners who had run 50 miles in the Finger Lakes 50s the day before. I did my usual run on Winona Blvd and Chapel Hill Drive then down to the flats and back up to Thomas Ave. I took a Gel at mile 6.7. I headed down Thomas Ave and crossed the O'Rorke Bridge and headed south on the Genesee River trail. I bonked a bit at mile 10 as I took another Gel and walked for 5 minutes. I felt better and settled into a slower, nice and easy pace. I knew I could keep that pace up for a long time and finished without stopping. The sun was relentless and I did get a bit of a sunburn. I picked up the Sunday Democrat & Chronicle and a couple cinnamon & raisin bagels on the way home.
Christine and I lazed around the rest of the day. It was kind of hot. I did make it out to Wegmans in Webster for a bit of coupon inspired grocery shopping. We have been watching the US Olympic Trials off the DVR recently. Christine cooked up a roaster chicken with brussel sprouts and baked potato with the usual delectable results
Monday, 7/2/12: Rest day.
Christine and I just lazed and caught up on the rest of the US Olympic Trails. The story, link here, about Jeneba Tarmoh conceding rather than racing in a 100m runoff with Allyson Felix, is something I was looking forward to seeing. I say runners race, they don't concede so that 'their hearts can be at peace'. What BS!
Tuesday, 7/3/12: Another rest day.
I could have ran but I had a bad headache and just felt like I needed a nap all day. Oh well!
Wednesday, 7/4/12: Irondequoit 10K, 44:09, 7:07 pace, 80F, sunny, humid, a bit windy.
Christine and I woke up early to get down to the King of Christ church on Kings Highway for the Irondequoit 10K. We got there early so we got a nice (read ... shady) parking spot. I warmed up with a nice and easy 1.1 mile run at 8:54 pace. The conditions were the 3H's: hot, hazy and humid.
The start!
Bill Beyerbach in the background
Digging for the finish!
Wilt Alston
The race started about 10 minutes late due to runners registering late. I started out really hot on the downhill curvy section of Kings Highway with a first mile of 6:15. I cut all the tangents that I could and kept running. I was on Lake Shore around the 3.1 mile mark when I passed someone who said my time was 20:18! Unbelievable, just 5 seconds off my 5K PR! But ... coming back up from the lake I paid for it. I had to walk a bit twice between mile 3 and 4. Then I settled into an OK pace, not too slow but not super speedy either. I thanked everyone who had their hoses out trying to keep us cool. Bill Beyerbach passed me somewhere around mile 4. I just hung on and finished about 10 seconds behind him. I did OK with a 44:09, which was 51st out of 327, link here. I was 6th out of 19 in my M50-54 age group, link here. I practiced the last half of this course with Bill but definitely didn't handle it well on race day. My splits were: 6:17, 6:56, 6:55, 8:00, 7:31, 7:26 and 6:24 over the last 0.2. I hung out for a while then walked back to the car where Christine was waiting. A nice, cool mug of coffee along a cinnamon and raisin bagel hit the spot when we got home.Meanwhile, other races were going on in the Rochester area. The Brigton 5K had 748 runners. The Firecracker 5 Mile had 841 runners and the Sodus Point 5K had 479 runners.
We just lazed around. It was hot .. hovering around 90F. We had ribs for a late lunch. It was so humid that even when we just sitting around we were coated with sweat. I ended up going to bed early ... I figured that I might as well sweat in bed!
Thursday, 7/5/12: 9.3 miles, 1:19:15, 8:31 pace, 80F, sunny, calm, humid.
Garmin Connect Activity for Zoo trail out to Thomas Ave
I wanted to get out for a run tonight instead of running on Friday when it was supposed to be even hotter. I also wanted to be in the shade so I chose the zoo trail. I headed for the west zoo trail for the way out ... which I had not run for about a year. I took wrong turns twice. First, I almost headed down into a gully that would have led me really quickly down to the Genesee River. Shortly afterward, I found myself on a trail that had about a 45 degree slope that I had some trouble with before I dragged myself back up to main trail. A bit of an adventure. Soon I was back on the west zoo trail that I remembered, made it where the west zoo trail hooked back up with the east zoo trail and headed out to Thomas Ave, 4.8 miles in 40:27, 8:26 pace. I stopped for a minute to hydrate. Then I headed back at a nice and easy pace and headed back and took the east zoo trail where they branched off, 4.5 miles. 38:48, 8:37 pace. I don't really like the zoo trail, it's a bit too rocky in places for my taste.
It was hot but I was glad that I went out. I had an energy drink as soon as I got in and Christine cooked up a chicken pizza shortly afterward. I was tired and went to bed early ... again! My right achilles ached while I was trying to get to sleep, ouch!
Friday, 7/6/12: Rest day
Just your usual, not and humid rest day. Maybe cheap blenders should put in their instructions that chopping ice will break them!! I was trying to make a pina colada for Christine and I when I broke the blender. It will not blend ... bummer! I just went to bed early ... again!
Saturday, 7/7/12: 6.1 miles, 1:13:12, 12:00 pace, 72F, light rain, calm, humid.
Garmin Connect Activity for Lucien Morin Park during a thunderstorm
I woke up around 7:45AM and knew I needed a trail run. Either Lucien Morin Park or Mendon Ponds Park were on my mind. It was 72F and humid, 89%. The clouds in the sky looked ominous. I headed down I590S while I flipped the proverbial coin in my head. I took the Empire Blvd exit and headed toward Lucien Morin Park. It started to sprinkle, then rain as I pulled in. I got ready and waited for the light rain to abate for a bit. I headed out on the White, then the Blue and back to the White for a bit. The leaves and brambles were wet so parts of me got wet when they brushed or clawed against me. The trail was quite close and narrow in spots. I saw a trail runner and also two girls who were walking their two dogs. The two girls were wearing black fly hats, lol! They were at the intersection of the White and Yellow trails. I headed down the Yellow, then back to the White until the end. Mileage was 3.25 miles, 38:17, 11:47 pace. I stopped a minute for some water. By this time a mild thunderstorm was rolling through along with a light rain. It was quite dark in the woods so I ran nice and easy as well as carefully. I headed back just on the White. By the time I got back out the light rain had mostly stopped and the thunderstorm was just rumbling in the distance. This run was exhilarating, a bit short but with 931 feet of elevation change, a bit on the risky side ... and sweet!
Later Christine and I headed out to two Wal-Marts to look for a new blender. First, the Wal-Mart on Hudson Ave. The aisle that had the blenders was very disorganized and had very little stock. We left in disgust. Second, the Wal-Mart in Webster in the Baytown Plaza. Here the aisle was organized and had lots of stock. We ended up buying an Oster blender. Christine has had good luck with Oster in the past. Hopefully it will last longer than the 26 month old Black and Decker blender that it replaced.
