Sunday, 1/6/2013 to Saturday, 1/12/2013 - Freezeroo #3

I ran 4 times this week, 22.4 miles

Sunday, 1/6/13: 7.3 miles, 1:04:45, 8:52 pace, 36F, cloudy, calm.

Garmin Connect Activity for 7.3 miles around the streets of Irondequoit

I felt like a slug so I got out and ran around 11:30AM on Sunday morning. The roads were clear so I settled into a really nice and easy pace and ran my usual route with the Chapel Hill Drive addition. My right Achilles started to ache around mile 4. I endured and cut the run a bit short.

I watched football again the rest of the day. The Baltimore Ravens beat the Indy Colts, 24-9, in Baltimore, link here. Then the Seattle Seahawks beat the Washington Redskins, 24-14, in Washington, link here. I still felt like a slug but at least I was a slug that had gotten out there and ran earlier.

Monday, 1/7/13: Rest day.

Christine and I had pizza from Papa John's again. This time a large pizza with pepperoni, saugage and pineapple. The deal was spend more than $12 and get one free pizza if you order it by 1/20, a win-win! We also watched "Cinderella Man" off of the DVR. A great movie!

I received an email that I had won $100 for the Rochester Runner of the Year's Consistent Runner Award for 2012 from the Greater Rochester Track Club! The only thing is that the GRTC Annual Banquet is slated for Saturday, 1/26/2013. But ... we have a conflict. We received a free Groupon night at the Hotel Clarence in Seneca Falls from Christine's daughter for a wedding present and chose Saturday, 1/26/2013, which is Christine's birthday. Decisions, decisions.

Tuesday, 1/8/13: Another rest day, ugghh!

My right Achilles really bothered me today. I walked over 9000 steps during the day and it ached by the time I got home. I wanted to run but decided that rest and discretion was the best way to go.

I so long for the old days when I could rip off a ten mile run without a care! OK, I would ache and be stiff afterward but it was a good pain that went away! Arrrgggghhhhh!!!!!

Wednesday, 1/9/13: 7.3 miles, 1:04:39, 8:51 pace, 41F, night, cloudy, windy.

Garmin Connect Activity for 7.3 miles around the streets of Irondequoit

I didn't walk as much during the day, only 6000 or so steps. I needed to run so I did. I limped a bit at first but after a 1/2 mile I settled into a nice and easy pace. My pace is slower than it was pre injury but ...it is what it is. The rising temperature had melted a lot of snow on the road so the footing was better than it was on Sunday afternoon. My right Achilles started to ache after 4 miles or so just it did on Sunday. I take what it gives me.

The Wednesday issue of Rochester Democrat and Chronicle had an article titled "Running Alone is Asking for Trouble". I think the article went a bit over the top to describe that running alone is too risky. I run alone, in residential neighborhoods and sometimes in the dark. I know the risks. But I wear reflective clothing, believe that cars don't see or care about me, wear a headlamp at night, carry a cell phone and wear my RoadID. But I am a guy too. I do believe that people would hassle a woman runner sooner than they would hassle me. Unfortunate but true.

Later, Christine and I watched the latest Lakers game. They were down in San Antonio and lost to the Spurs, 105-108, link here. They were undermanned with 3 players out but made a game of it. They were down 16 with 7 minutes to go, got within 3 and had 4 chances to tie. But the 5 game losing skid continued and they fell to 15-20 on the young season.

Thursday, 1/10/13: Rest day

I took Christine to New Nails for her bi-weekly nail appointment while I shopped for groceries at Wegmans. She chose China Glaze's Thunderbird as her nail color ... nice!

Friday, 1/11/13: Another rest day.

Just getting stuff done day. I took down all my 2012 race bibs, medals and plaques down. The wall by my dresser is crying out for some 2013 race bibs.

We watched a bit of the first half of the LA Lakers versus the Oklahoma Thunder out in LA before heading to bed. The Lakers were down by 16 at half after playing "matador" defense. The Lakers ended up losing by 15 to extending their losing streak to 6, link here. Not a good year to be a Laker fan!

Saturday, 1/12/13: Freezeroo #3

Christine and I woke up early and got out on time at 8:15AM. Christine had an appointment with her therapist at 9AM so she dropped me off with my running gear out at Casey Park in Ontario NY at 8:35AM. The weather was warm for a Saturday in January.  I hung around for a while and then went out for a warmup run of 1.6 miles. My right Achilles felt tight so I was a bit apprehensive about the upcoming race.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Freezeroo #3
1.6 miles, 14:04, 8:47 pace, 44F, cloudy, calm, no stops



I hung around a bit more before the race. I started the race next to Wendy Abbott and Bill Beyerbach, fellow Brooks Racing Team members. Wendy and Bill had already warmed up with 10 mile runs. They both wanted to do 16 miles for the day.

At the start, Wendy said she was going to run 8:00 pace so I hung with her. She was really running 7:40 to 7:45 pace but I loosened up and stayed with her until I let her go at mile 3.5. I eased up a bit to 7:50 pace at mile 4 and 8:30 pace at mile 5. I picked my pace back up and started to pick off runners, 7:44 pace at mile 6. I kicked to a 7:31 pace during the last 0.2 mile to pick off a girl wearing a tutu at the finish line.

Wendy Abbott smiling as she comes to the finish!

I kicked to nip the woman in the green tutu.

Bill Beyerbach cruising into the finish.

My right Achilles didn't really bother me much during the race. I could feel it but it was more an ache which was nice. All in all, a nice race  I called up my darling wife, Christine, who soon joined me at the lodge where we talked to fellow runners.

All in all, I did OK. I finished in 49:06, 47 seconds behind Wendy, 105th out of 289, link here. I finished 6th out of 22 in my M55-59 age group, link here.

We headed back home with a side trip to ESL where Christine changed her last name on her bank accounts and we opened a joint saving account. We want to start saving for our major purchases. One thing that come to mind is saving to move to a two bedroom apartment or townhouse where our lease is up in May.

Meanwhile down in Walt Disney World, some runners from Rochester were running in the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. There was a half marathon on 1/12 and a full marathon on 1/13. Some runners were going to do the Goofy Challenge, which is to run both. A whole lot of running in two days!

Later we watched lots of football. The first game was the Baltimore Ravens versus the Denver Broncos out in Denver. It was a very entertaining game with 5 ties on the way to 35-35. The Raven kicked a FG early in the 2OT after a Peyton Manning interception to win 38-35, link here. Then we watched the Green Bay Packers versus the San Francisco 49ers in SF. The 49ers won 45-31, link here.


I did something a bit different while watching the first game. I saw on Facebook that the registration for the Boilermaker 15K had opened at 12:01AM. Running the Boilermaker has always been on my mind but something had always gotten in the way. I think I was injured one year, just didn't pull the trigger a couple of years or forgot about it other years. Well ... this year I pulled the trigger at 2:47PM when 4676 out of 14000 slots in the 15K were already taken. I will be a newbie but it will be a short destination race with 14000 fellow runners from all over.