Sunday, 10/19/2014 to Saturday, 10/25/2014 - Moore than a Race 10K and Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K

I ran 4 times this week, 22.01 miles

Sunday, 10/19/2014: 2 runs of 1.1 and 6.19 miles, 41F, 56% RH, 10 mph NW wind, partly cloudy

Today's race was the inaugural running of the Moore Than A Race 10K out in Sodus NY at 12:30PM. Which meant I could sleep in! I didn't get up until 7:30AM ... a nice and refreshing 10.5 hours of sleep more or less. I enjoyed a nice cup of coffee along with my usual bowl of pre-race cereal before I dressed and geared up for the 30 minute drive out to Sodus. This was my first race in Wayne county where I grew up since last year's Lighthouse 5K in Sodus Point. I left my darling wife, Christine, behind. She was not feeling up to being outside in the cold.

I chose to wear tights, a long and short sleeve tech shirt, heavy gloves and my lucky orange hat. It had turned colder and a brisk wind was blowing. I managed to get out for a nice 1.1 mile run at 7:45 pace, link here.



There was no one at this race that I knew so I just lined up at the front. And ...we were off! I jumped behind the leader and followed him. I heard footsteps behind me but this soon faded. The first place guy was not going to be caught by me so I just ran. Mile 1 passed in 6:51. There was a big hill just before mile 2 which I walked. I was tired, I ran onward. I concentrated on not being third. I discovered that there were hills on back roads around Sodus. We even made a slight detour through the Sodus cemetery before the final turns into the finish. And ... done in 45:33, 7:21 pace. The first place guy finished almost 4 minutes in front of me. The third place guy finished 18 seconds behind me. My splits were: 6:51, 7:51, 7:13, 7:12, 7:27, 7:40 and 6:39 over the last 0.19 mile.

I was thirsty and hungry. I took care of the thirst first and then the hunger with a banana, hamburg and hot dog. I talked with the fourth place guy, Chris Hobart, for a while. His running makes me look like a slug. He is on a 6 month running streak. He runs 3 miles around Brantling at 4:30AM M-F and then 5 miles around Newark every noon M-F. Then he runs 15 miles on Saturday and Sunday. So ... he had 9 more miles to run on Sunday as he trains for a 100K. Wow!

I did pretty well on my third day of running (6.2 on Friday, over 10 on Saturday and 7.3 today). I was 2nd out of 60, link here. I was 1st out of 4 in my M50-59 age group, link here. I received a nice plaque. 148 runners finished the 5K, link here.

The guy on the right of me won the race.

I managed a wave but no smile (like usual).

2nd into the finish line.

The male and female 50-59 age group winners.

A selfie after the Moore Than A Race 10K

The sway ... a long sleeve tech and a nice plaque

I visited my parents grave in the East Palmyra Cemetery on the way to Newark.

I visited my oldest son, Michael, and my daughter, Karen, in Newark on the way back to Rochester.

There were other races around. The MS Monster Scramble had 183 finishers of the 5K and 88 of the 10K. The Courage Run/Walk out in Hilton had 115 finishers. A lot of trail runners were either at the GVH Mudslog with 179 finishers, link here or down at the Ridgewalk (5K with 52 finishers, link here; 10K with 58 finishers, link here; or 15K with103 finishers, link here.

There was also the Empire State Marathon and Half Marathon in Syracuse with 478 and 1107 finishers. Bob Haas ran the Half in 1:35:30, Amy Lord in 2:56:59, link here. Andy Ciaio ran the Full in 3:24:34 (BQ!!), link here.

Monday, 10/20/2014 and Tuesday, 10/21/2014: A rest day and a "coulda, shoulda but didn't" day.

Wednesday, 10/22/2014: 10.2 miles, 1:21:29m, 7:59 pace, 50F, 71% RH, 7 mph N wind, overcast.

Garmin Connect Activity for A "I'm Glad I got out" run

Today was almost a "didn't" day. I had to really talk myself into getting out there and getting my run in. I overdressed as it was. I wore a long sleeve tech and a beanie. I got out and struck up a slow pace of 8:20 for the first mile. I ditched the beanie and hiked up the sleeves on my long sleeve tech. I hiked up the pace after mile 4 to under 8:00 pace. I made the turn for another 5K loop and then added a mini loop to get to 10 mile. Not a bad run. My splits were:8:20, 8:18, 8:14, 8:16, 7:54, 7:51, 7:55, 7:42, 7:45, 7:46 and 7:08 over the last 0.2 mile.

Thursday, 10/23/2014 and Friday, 20/24/2014: Rest day and "Don't run the day before a race" day.

Saturday, 10/25/2014: 2 runs of 1.5 miles and Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K, 52F, 82% RH, 5 mph SSW wind, partly cloudy.

I "slept in" a bit ... to 6:40AM. Today's race, my 47th of the year, was the Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K and timed by PCR-Timing out at the East Rochester High School ... a new race for me. It was a Rochester Runner of the Year race so lots of good runners showed up. I saw Mark Herberger, Prem Kumar, Bill Beyerbach, Beth DeCiantis and Andy Ciaio before I was there more than 10 minutes. Prem had run 3.5 miles from his home in Pittsford as a warmup. Andy has BQed at Syracuse the weekend before. Mark was warming up with his racing flats. Bill Beyerbach was a bit late like usual.

I had brought a lot of cold weather gear just in case. I wore my shorts, calf sleeves, hat, short sleeve tech, hat and arm sleeves at first.

I went out with Bill for a nice 1.5 mile warmup run at 8:34 pace, link  here. I ditched my arm sleeves and hat before the race started. I lined here at the start next to Beth and Andy. Bill was closer to the start and Mark was a bit to my right. The start was a bit tight because everyone realized that we had to cross a timing strip at the start. And ... we were off!

The start ...

The start was quite congested. I gave Beth the go ahead to get out of the box she was in and I followed her. I ran with her for 1/2 mile before she pulled ahead. I could see Bill up ahead. Andy jetted by and pulled ahead. I passed Prem but he soon re-passed me. Mile 1 passed in 6:40. During this I pulled up with Mark Herberger and ran with him a mile. Yes, I stalked him. I matched his every move. I passed him around mile 1.5. Mile 2 passed in 7:03. I don't know why mile 2 is always a slower mile during a 5K. I just tried to keep runners that I passed behind me and I set my sights on trying to pass runners in front of me. I was running flat out but I felt good. Mile 3 passed in 6:38. I don't know if I ever have run mile 3 faster than mile 1 in a 5K but I did. I could see the finish line and just finished the last 0.12 mile at 6:01 pace. And ... done in 21:08 according to my Garmin. Mark and Wilt finished right after me. Beth and Bill had already finished.

Sprinting for the finish ... grimacing like usual!

A selfie after the Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K

The post-race grub was excellent ... Dibella's subs and pizza! I hung out and shot the breeze with Andy, Mark and Prem. Officialy, I finished in 21:06, 53rd out of 866, link here. Then I waited with Bill for the awards since I was 3rd out of 17 in our 55-59 age group and Bill (20:35) was 2nd, link here. Bill told me that 3 other runners in our age group had finished with 16 seconds of me (Gary Fitzsimons in 21:12, Mark in 21:14 and Wilt in 21:22). So ... I was a marked man. Up in front, Matt Roberts tried to beat 16 and got close in 16:16, Beth ran 20:15 and Andy ran 20:28.

Awesome running by all! I usually can find fault with my running ... but today I could not. Yes, I could have run a bit faster during mile 2. But ... I did the best I could. I didn't take water and didn't even think of walking. A great way to spend a morning!!

Meanwhile ... there were other Halloween races in Rochester. Fleet Feet's Pumpkins in the Park 5K at Cobbs Hill had 621 finishers, link here and the Jack'o'Lantern Jog 5K had 238 finishers, link here.

Soon I was home. I woke up my darling wife, Christine, before I did last night's dishes and brewed up coffee. Mmm ... my feet were up with a mug of hot coffee by my side! A nice nap with my honey soon ensued along with a lazy afternoon. Sweet!