Sunday, 9/29/2013 to Saturday, 10/5/2013 - Heather Boyum 5K & Photofinish 5K

I ran 3 times this week, 10.25 miles.

Sunday, 9/29/2013: Heather Boyum 5K, 2 runs of 1 and 3.05 miles, 53F, 73% RH, sunny, calm

I got up early like usual before the alarm went out at 6:40AM. I was off at 7:45AM to head out to Center Park in Fairport for the Heather Boyum 5K where 500 were set up to run or walk the 5K organized in her honor. I had plenty of time to go out for a nice and easy warmup to see a bit of the course.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Heather Boyum 5K



It was warming up so I ditched my arm warmers and light gloves before the race. I had read my email before the race so I knew that the race was going to be in the park on grass. My Salomon trail shoes were definitely the shoes to wear today. I took off at the gun start and soon settled into a group near the front. I let a couple runners ahead when we climbed a few hills. Then I concentrated on staying where I was ... just behind a boy who ran like the wind. I could not catch him so I just stayed with him for 2 miles. The boy turned out be third(!) in his M10-14 age group! I finished in 10th at 23:02. I hung around for the awards but when I checked the Score-This results my name was not up. I had to talk to the scorers to get my name and time entered where it should have been.

Waiting around after the Heather Boyum 5K finish. What a beautiful morning!

So, I officially finished 10th out of 357, link here. I finished 1st out of 16 in my M50-59 age group, link here. The award was a jar of Organic Once Again creamy peanut butter and a $25 gift certificate to Park Ave Bike. Way to make back the entry fee ... sweet!

Christine had set up an "look see" appointment at LA Fitness on East Ridge Rd at noon. So I took a quick shower and off we went. We were impressed ... lap pool, racquetball courts, spinning, basketball court plus lots of different exercise machines! We signed up after we got a deal for no initiation fee but a higher monthly payment. Christine can bike there. I can go after work. Christine did say something about getting up early and going at 5 AM three days a week ... I don't know about that!

Later, Christine and I vegged. We watched most of the Bills - Ravens game. The Bills pulled it out out, 23-20, link here. One would have bet that the Bills would have been blown out with their defensive woes against the Ravens with their offense and defense being so much better on paper. Somehow they managed to get a 23-10 lead and hold on.

Monday, 9/30/2013: Rest day.
I ran 18 times in 30 days during September, 134.3 miles, 7.5 miles/run
YTD in 2013, I ran 168 times in 273 days, 985.45 miles, 5.9 miles/run
My darling Christine biked out to LA Fitness for her fitness assessment. She fell and scraped her knee on the way out due to uneven pavement on East Ridge Rd. Her assessment was basically just a physical trainer pitch.

I got home, put on my tights and thought about running. Which was a good thing because Christine and I ended up going out to Palmyra at 8 PM to help move my youngest son, David, out of his apartment. Christine tackled the kitchen and bathroom. I tackled everything else. We cleaned up the apartment the best we could. A little over two hours later he was out. He is not moving far ... in fact just next door but with half the rent so that's a good thing.

Today was a lucky day. I won $4 on a $1 Beginner's Luck scratch-off, found $1 on the ground and kept any coins I found on the floor of David's apartment. Cha-ching!

Oh, I also signed up for Sunday's Autumn Classic Duathlon and the Pumpkins in the Park 5K on Saturday, 10/26. I gotta sign up the Safe Journey Scarecrow 5K on Saturday, 10/12. This weekend will be busy with the Photofinish 5K (A Rochester Runner Of The Year race) on Saturday and the Du on Sunday.

Tuesday, 10/1/2013: Rest day.

I thought about going out for a short run as soon as I got home but didn't because of my appointment at LA Fitness for my fitness assessment at 7PM. I endured the physical trainer pitch but did learn that my BMI was 20.7 and my fat percentage was also 20.7. Hmm ....

Wednesday, 10/2/2013: 6.2 miles, 47:29, 7:40 pace, 77F, sunny, calm.

Garmin Connect Activity for Usual 10K around the streets of Irondequoit

I almost bailed on this run but I'm glad I didn't. I started out nice and easy on the 1st 5K of 24:10, 7:48 pace with paces of 7:57, 7:44 and 7:46. I felt good so I kept up my fast pace on the 2nd 5K of 23:19, 7:31 pace with paces of 7:38, 7:24, 7:30 and 7:26 over the last 0.2 mile. The weather felt great and I just ran free. I concentrated on my stride, pumping my arms and just took what the run gave me. Don't know what else to say. Tough to say ... but I will to have a headlamp for after work runs pretty soon, :-(

Thursday, 10/3/2013: Rest day ... moving on!

But the Buffalo Bills did play the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland in prime time. The Bills lost their QB in the third quarter and lost 24-37, link here. I listened over the radio since we don't have the NFL Network. I checked out some bars but they were all packed.

Friday, 10/4/2013: Another rest day ... a shoulda, coulda but didn't day.

Saturday, 10/5/2013: George Eastman Photofinish 5K, 3 runs of 0.5, 0.5 and 3.12 miles, 61F, 81% RH, overcast, calm.

This morning dawned overcast and a bit cool ... perfect running weather. I was up like a shot at 6:05 .. though after 1 had hit the snooze button once. I tried to wake up my darling Christine but she begged for coffee. So I washed last night's dishes while the coffee brewed. I brought in my special coffee mix to her but she was really tired and needed to sleep. I did catch on Facebook that Holly out in Singapore ran her 59K in 5:22, that Jim Herkeens was running the Oilcreek 100K and that Barry Cherney was doing the Great Lakes Triathlon. Vicki Rawlins was also there running the Great Lakes 100 mile Duathlon.

Holly showing a face of determination during the North Face 50K

So ... I dressed quietly and headed out around 6:55 AM for the short trip downtown to the George Eastman House on East Ave. This was a Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) race so I was going to be there. I parked at the nearby Rochester Museum and Science Center. I was there around 7:15 AM so I had plenty of time to run over to pick up my bib and then back for more water from the car.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before the Photofinish 5K
Garmin Connect Activity for 2nd Warmup before the Photofinish 5K

This was my first time at the George Eastman House and first Photofinish 5K. There were a lot of people mingling around like usual before any race ... my 38th of 2013. You know ... I do like to run races. I saw Wilt Alston, Tony Gingello, and Tom Dutton up near the front where I was waiting for the gun.


Soon ... we were off! I wanted to give it my all in a 5K and just see what would happen.

The start ...

After the start on University Ave

We started on the University Ave side of the George Eastman House and just looped around to South Goodman St, came back on East Ave to Oliver St and back on University Ave. I stopped out hot with a 6:20 first mile. The guy who calls out the first mile time laughed when he saw my grimace. I concentrated on keeping my pace up but did slow a bit to 6:53. I fought the urge to walk or slow. I was coming down East Ave past the 2 mile mark and heard a second mile time of 13:14. I kept up and just kept my place behind the guy in front of me. I look at my Garmin and saw 2.64 miles. I so wanted to stop but I thought to myself ... "I can run that last half mile ... no stopping for me". So I did. I ran a 6:47 for the third mile. I saw the mile 3 marker and knew there was just one more turn and then I was done. I sprinted for the line, 6:09 pace. I was spent and just staggered around ... more or less like usual after any race.

Crossing the line in 20:44, a PR for the year!

I soon revived myself was some water and a banana. I looked around a couple of exhibits at the George Eastman House  I would like to go to some of the museums down in Rochester. So much to see if you just take the time.

I checked the results board and saw that I had finished 33rd and placed 3rd in my wide M 50-59 age group so I stuck around for the awards. When they did do the awards they started from the oldest to the youngest ... a nice switch. The swag was nice ... a picture and a small MVH lunch bag.

A shot of the results

A 3rd place in my age group frame and small black bag underneath.

Officially, I was 33rd out of 1081, link here. I was 3rd out of 43 in my M 50-59 age group (1st in the unofficial M 55-59 age group), line here. The people I knew did well. Wilt finished in 21:00 for 4th in my M 50-59 age group, Tony in 21:19 and Tom in 21:33 for 2nd and 3rd in their M 60-69 age group.

Soon I was home. I woke up Christine. We shared a coffee and bagel before she headed off to her therapist appointment at 11 AM in Webster. I just spent the rest of the day catching up on Facebook. I learned that the swim was canceled out at the Great Lakes so both Barry and Vicki ran a separately scored Du. They each won their age group!

Ron Heerkens Jr at the Oilcreek 50K

Barry Cherney and Vicki Rawklins before the Great Lakes 100 mile Duathlon

Christine and I were a bit at odds with each other. I was a bit tired from the race and her knee still hurts from her bicycle spill on Monday. We split a late evening pizza. Then we went to sleep a bit late ... another race in the morning for me!