Sunday, 7/7/2013 to Saturday, 7/13/2013 - Dirt Cheap #4

I ran 3 times this week, 13.29 miles. 1 was a warmup of 1.55 miles.
I didn't bike this week.

Sunday, 7/7/2013: Rest day

I would have like to get out for a bike but it didn't happen. Just a cuddles and pizza kind of day.

Monday, 7/8/2013: Too hot day.

Tuesday, 7/9/2013: "Shoulda, coulda, woulda" day. Again, a hot day. Christine had other plans so I rolled with it.

Wednesday, 7/10/2013: 2 runs of 1.55 and 4.66 miles, 82F, 70% RH, overcast, sometimes a breeze.

I packed all my gear so I headed down to the Devil's Bathtub area of Mendon Ponds Park for Dirt Cheap #4. Yes, it was hot and humid when I left work ... but I'm a runner and signed up for a race so off I went. I arrived about an hour early so I got a close parking spot about three-quarters up the hill.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Dirt Cheap #4

I got out for a nice, slow and easy warmup run, 1.55 miles at 9:11 pace. I found out that my right rib still ached and that it indeed was hot and humid. So I set my sights on just finishing the race upright and in one piece.

When I got back the race had already started ... but no worries. This race was held in time trial fashion as we started down the stairs every 5 seconds in reverse alphabetic order. My number was 261 and they were still in the 0-100 runners.

Soon enough it was my turn to head down the stairs. After the stairs I ramped up my pace to what speed I could muster. I slowly passed slower runners and faster runners whizzed me by. Such is the nature of a time trial race. There was mud on the course and soon we found LOTS of mud. I didn't lose a shoe but the mud sure tried!

Coming up Cardiac Hill

I almost twisted my right ankle on a root I didn't see at about the halfway point. I had lapsed into not looked where I was going. I concentrated more on my footing. I ran pretty much the whole course except for some of the major hills. I gave the race what my body allowed and finished the 4.54 mile course in 49:01 at 10:38 pace. Officially, I finished 118th out of 324, link here. I was 3rd out of 11 in my M55-59 age group, 2 seconds away from 2nd.

I was beat after the race. I ate my usual Dirt Cheap chow afterward ... just a couple hot dogs, a piece of watermelon and a banana. I bailed on the post race raffle and went home. I was tired and after a couple of hours and a bath I was in bed by 10:30PM. I think this heat and humidity is getting to me. Maybe I don't get enough sleep.

I saw interesting links in Rocrun, Rochester is a great place for trail running and Woman with Local Roots Places in Top 10 in Western States 100-mile Endurance Run and Why is running easy is so hard.

Thursday, 7/11/2013: Rest day. Christine and I were out of sorts and had a bit of a fight. We did kiss and make up before we went to sleep.

Friday, 7/12/2013: 7.2 miles, 59:46, 8:18 pace, 73F, 57% RH, overcast, calm, no stops.

Garmin Connect Activity for 7.3 miles around the streets of Irondequoit

I knew I needed a run. So I had my usual pre run bowl of cereal, dallied a bit and got out there. My right rib ached when I first started out and I thought about cutting it short. But soon I just got into the run. I concentrated on stretching out and running smooth. It turned into one of those runs where everything just felt good. My right rib still aches when I move sometimes but I got my running endorphins so it's all good.

Saturday, 7/13/2013: Rest day. Christine and I just lazed around. We tried to get to bed around 10PM for the Boilermaker 15K tomorrow ... no such luck.

A sad note: Michael Coyle died yesterday during the mini-Mussel in Geneva link here. He ran into the back of a stalled SUV during the bike portion. Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.