Sunday, 2/9/2014 to Saturday, 2/15/2014

I ran 4 times this week, 24.8 miles.

Sunday, 2/9/2014: 1 measly mile on the hotel treadmill

We woke up late at the Millennium Hotel in Buffalo. I trudged downstairs to do one, yes one, measly mile on the treadmill. I was strapped for time since checkout was 11AM. Yes, we didn't use the hotel pool ... again. There was no continental breakfast so we went across the street to Jim's Truck Stop to have breakfast before we headed home.

Meanwhile ... back in Rochester over 2000 people took part in the 14th annual Polar Plunge, link here. Yes, the Brooks Racing Team was there ... according to pics from Facebook.

Luen, Katie, Suzanne and Kate before ...

Luen, Suzanne, Katie and Kate after!

Later ... I thought about heading out for a Sunday long run and felt like a slug when I didn't.

Monday, 2/10/2014: Rest day ... with another 3 loads of laundry.

Tuesday, 2/11/2014: Another rest day ... the couch's pull was too strong!

Wednesday, 2/12/2014: 9.6 miles, 1:24:48, 8:50 pace, 21F, 45% RH, wind chill 13F, dark, clear.

Garmin Connect Activity for 9.6 miles out on the streets of Irondequoit

The morning was cold, -4F, cold even with a wind chill. Anyone went for a run in the morning deserved triple badasss points! I waited until after work. It had warmed up to the mid 20s during the day so ice had formed or was in the process of forming by the time I stepped foot outside at 6PM. I wore my trail shoes and set forth at a really nice and easy pace. I found that the main streets were mostly clear, the side streets were mostly snow covered and the sidewalks were mostly icy. So I was mostly careful. I slipped a bit here and here but didn't fall. My splits were: 8:10, 8:24, 8:27, 8:28, 9:51, 9:08, 8:50, 9:39, 8:46 and 8:28 over the last 0.6 mile.

My darling wife, Christine, had cooked a roaster chicken along with mixed vegetables ... yum! We promptly devoured most of the chicken while we watched the Winter Olympics.

Thursday, 2/13/2014: Rest day. I thought about heading out but didn't.

Friday, 2/14/2014: 8 miles, 1:05:42, 8:13 pace, 27F, 74% RH, wind chill 16F, twilight to dusk, clear.

Garmin Connect Activity for 8 miles out in the twilight of Irondequoit

It had warmed up a bit to 30F during the day so I hurried to get out before it got dark and the ice started to set in. So I headed out around 5:30PM into the twilight. I set up a nice and easy pace. I found the main streets were clear, the side streets were still mostly snow covered but better than Wednesday and the sidewalks were still icy on Titus. So I was careful where I needed to be. I saw the full moon rise ... it looked pretty. My splits were: 8:12, 8:09, 7:54, 7:59, 8:39, 8:39, 8:14 and 7:55.

Oh ... it was Valentine's Day. Some people don't celebrate it. They say that it's a made up holiday and that you should celebrate with your honey every day. Well ... I got my darling wife Christine a gift certificate to Massage Envy and an amber necklace. It's how I roll.

Oh ... a feel good story from the Winter Olympics tonight was the story of Noelle Pikus-Pace, link here. She was 4th by 0.1s at the 2010 Winter Olympics, retired, had a miscarriage in 2012, came back to training and racing with her family, came to Sochi, won silver in Skeleton and climbed into the stands to celebrate with her family.

Saturday, 2/15/2014: 6.2 miles, 1:11:45, 11:34 pace, 25F, 74% RH, wind chill 15F, overcast to light snow.

Garmin Connect Activity for 10K on snowshoes at Mendon Ponds Park

I woke up late around 8:45AM. I did last nights dishes and watched the US-Russia hockey game. The US won 3-2 in a 8-inning shootout ... what a game! I put stuff off ... I had to get out and get stuff done. So I got my hair cut. I walked right in, sat right down, got it done ... boom.

Then I changed and went to Medved to rent some snowshoes. Why? Well ... Medved rents them for $10/day and Fleet Feet is $15/day. Simple economics. While I was there they asked if I had signed up for the Muddy Sneaker 20K yet. I hadn't and was going to do it on my iPhone when they suggested I do it at ultrasignup.com on their salescounter computer. Sign up had opened up at 3PM. I was 147th out of 200 at 4:30PM.

A pic from the Muddy Sneaker 20K website ... hopefully it will be as snow free on April 19th!

I continued onward to Mendon Ponds Park. There were lots of people down in the park ... sledding, walking their dogs, cross country skiing and snowshoeing (just me). I geared up and headed out nice and easy on the blue and then the green trail. You can't go as fast on snow shoes but it was a good workout. It was getting dark and it had started to snow by the time I got done.

A nice pair of Dion snowshoes!

We watched "Undercover Boss" so ... I only got to watch the last 20 seconds of the NC-Syracuse mens basketball game. The game was delayed to 7PM from 3PM when NC didn't land in Syracuse until 3:07PM. What a last 20 seconds! SU was down by 1 with the ball. Ennis drove the lane and was called for an offensive foul. NC passed the ball long and SU fouled NC before the shot went in (NC disagreed). It wasn't 1-1 yet so it was side out. SU stole the inbound pass and Ennis made the layup with 6.7 seconds to go up 1. SU's D only allowed an off balance 3. SU won to go 25-0, link here. SU has danced on the edge of the knife to win at the last second the past two games.