Sunday, 10/21/12: 6.6 miles, 1:09:32, 10:32 pace, 60F, sunny, a bit breezy.
Garmin Connect Activity for Communing with nature at Mendon Ponds Park
Christine and I lazed around on Sunday morning but I did get down to Mendon Ponds Park for a really nice and easy tour of the usual blue and green trail. The woods were quite busy: I saw Joe M and several runners, numerous walkers and 9 horses. My right achilles felt OK for the most part. The down was OK but the up was harder and hurt a bit. But I did get my running endorphins!
When I got home, I watched the tail end of the Tennessee Titans - Buffalo Bills game live from the Ralph. The Bills gave their loyal fans hope but due to a porous running defense (last in the NFL) and a costly 4th quarter interception ended up losing by a single point, 34-35, link here. The Bills fell to 3-4 and will have a bye week next week followed by 2 away games. So .. a 3-6 record in three weeks time is a definite possibility. But on the plus side, Christine cooked up her luscious BLTs for supper ... yummy!
Monday, 10/22/12: Rest day
Just your usual rest day. I didn't limp during the day ... a plus!
Christine cooked up spaghetti with homemade sauce. I couldn't cook a homemade sauce if my life depended on it but Christine makes it look so easy and it tastes so good!
Tuesday, 10/23/12: Physical therapy day.
I discovered that I have a week right side during physical therapy today. Interesting! I was given some exercises that should help strengthen my hips and help me balance better. Now if I can just make myself do them!! Christine dyed her hair during the day. She is a natural blonde but she enhanced it with Loreal Excellence 80 Pure Medium Blonde. Then we went out and got her a flu shot.
Wednesday, 10/24/12: Another rest day.
I really wanted to go out and run after work. But I had a really long day at work ... about 8000 steps worth. Christine also had a reaction to dying her hair and getting a flu shot the day before. She was really itchy during the day and dosed herself with Benadryl. She was really sleepy when I got home and I really didn't want to leave her.
Thursday, 10/25/12: 6 miles, 1:26:50, 14:27 pace, 78F, sunset, a warm breeze.
Summer made a probably all too brief return to upstate New York. My phone said it was 81F at 5PM. I brought my running gear to work so I was more than ready for a trail run. First I stopped by Fleet Feet Ridgeway to pick up my Pumpkins in the Park 5K packet. Then I headed out to Lucien Morin Park by MacGregor's. As I geared up, a guy expressed amazement that I was hiking into the park even with a headlamp. I told him, "You just have to be careful". I should have told him that I was running not hiking!
I headed in solo at sunset. The white trail was leaf covered so I took it really nice and easy. The roots and the leaves were almost the same color. I soon turned on my headlamp. I didn't have any trouble for about two miles ... past the white gazebo and past the narrow section by the creek. Then ... it started to get dark and I lost the trail. I knew where I wanted to go but couldn't find the trail to get there for a bit. Finally I did and make it to the end at Old Browncroft, 40:10 minutes, 3.08 miles, 13.02 pace. I didn't dawdle and headed back in.
Nightfall came and things got worse. Luckily it was a warm night, no creatures stirred and my headlamp was at full power. I got lost numerous times going back. I spent a bit of time walking and looking around with my headlamp for the trail. Every trail looked equally good. I really think that there are more white trail marks on the trees going out than going back because I spent a lot of time looking back and saw white trail marks to keep me on the white trail and not the salamon trail. Finally I got back to an area above the white gazebo and knew where I was. I took a shortcut that I knew out to the stone road and bailed back to my car, 2.93 miles back, 46:40, 15:56 pace.
Luckily I didn't beat any of my limps up, I wasn't attacked by any wild animals and I had a mini adventure. Perhaps I should have ran down in Mendon Ponds Park where the trails were much wider. I called Christine and asked her to do a bit of grocery shopping though. I was hungry and thristy and really didn't have any more energy. I went home, warmed up leftover spaghetti and put my feet up for the night.
Friday, 10/26/12: Rest day.
I just chilled the night before the Pumpkins in the Park 5K. Christine whipped up another creation, steak over mushroom risotto. I had seconds, yum! Per usual, we stayed up too late the night before a race!
Saturday, 10/27/12: 1 mile warmup and 3.1 miles, 22:46, 7:15 pace, 51F, cloudy, real light mist, no stops, usual right achilles pain.
Saturday morning dawned cool and moist. I'm not one to wear Halloween costumes so I just wore my usual running garb: Brooks shorts, Brooks Racing Team t-shirt and arm warmers along with light Brooks gloves and my lucky orange Fleet Feet hat. We got down to the Riley Lodge at Cobbs Hill at 8:24AM with plenty of time to spare before the 9AM start of the Pumpkins in the Park 5K.
Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Pumpkins in the Park 5K
Just your usual 1 mile warmup at 8:20 pace to get my legs warm before the race.
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| The Start! |
Ellen announced that over 900 had registered for this 4th edition of this race. She also told us that the race was 2 miles up and 1 mile down. I lined up near the front as per my norm. I started out at a nice and easy race pace. The first mile was at the end of a short uphill on Cobbs Hill Drive, 7:13 pace. We continued up to the Cobbs Hill Reservoir for mile 2, 7:48 pace. My right achilles was complaining but I just noted the discomfort (or pain). I kept pace with the woman just in front of me as we came down from the reservoir and then down Culver Road. I passed her as we transitioned to the grass. I vaguely heard Christine yell as I concentrated on passing the runner in front of me ... which I did.
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| Joe M in full roar! |
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| Kid in pants! |
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| The sushi kids! |
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| Superdad, Superboy and Supermom! |
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| Sprinting for the finish! |
My right achilles ached so I limped afterward. I asked Christine to go out to our car for some ibuprofen, plus I changed out of my wet running top and arm warmers. Later, I found out that I did OK. I finished 47th out of 790, link here. I finished 1st out of 15 in my M55-59 age group, link here. Christine drove home. Then we just lazed around and took a leisurely nap. Sweet!
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| Chilling with Fleet Feet Pete after winning my M55-59 age group! |
