I ran 16 times during the month of February, 109.35 miles, 6.8 miles per run (2 runs were warmup runs of 1 and 2 miles)
Sunday, 2/23/2014: 13.1 miles, 1:55:12, 8:48 pace, 37F, 60% RH, 20 mph W wind, wind chill 27F, sunny.
I wanted to get in a half marathon long run to honor all the runners that were out in Syracuse running the Lake Effect Half Marathon. I read all their Facebook comments later and I'm gonna sign up next year and not get shut out. Anyway, I got up and out at 9:45AM.
My thought was to do a "both sides of the Genesse River" type run like I have done before. It all started out nice. I ran my usual 10K route until I got back to St Paul St, continued down St Paul St until almost Thomas Ave, connected up with Thomas Ave, crossed the Genesee River at the O'Rorke Bridge and headed down to the Genesee River Trail on the west side. All good: 6.1 miles at 8:03 pace. I had a couple gulps of Gel and some water.
Then ... I discovered that the Genesee River Trail was all snow covered and icy. The wood trail over the Genesee River wasn't but then the trail went back to crap. I should have sucked it up, endured it and continued straight for another mile or so until it connected back to Lake Ave. But no ... I turned right up a trail and tried to find a way back to Lake Ave. Soon I was walking through the woods kind of lost. I did know at least which direction I wanted to head. I saw a building and headed toward it. I ended up going down an 10 foot embankment to the road by the building and then followed the road out and up to Lake Ave. Ugh ... another 2.3 miles at 11:05 pace. Now that I knew where I was I just ran home and stretched the run out to 13.1 miles ... another 4.7 miles at 8:33 pace. So the run took 1:55:12 at 8:48 pace and took more energy than I wanted. My splits were: 8:03, 7:51, 7:49, 7:46, 7:51, 9:03, 9:26, 11:46, 10:48, 8:33, 8:31, 8:59 and 8:04.
What I should have done is just run my usual 10K route in Irondequoit on the east side of the Genesee River which was snow free(!) and did my mini loop twice to hit 13.1 miles. I would have been a lot happier, ran faster and gotten more fitness. Instead I beat myself up with 2.3 miles of crappy snow and ice which I did not expect. But ... a run is a run and much better than no run.
Later, I droove out to Newark to cart my daughter and a friend up to RIT so she could attend a poetry reading. More Winter Olympics watching ensued once I got back home to my darling wife, Christine.
Monday, 2/24/2014: Rest day.
A well deserved rest day after 3 days of running: 6.2, 8.2 and 13.1 miles. My Achilles tendons on both legs hurt when I started walking. I even felt twinges of pain once or twice ... joy.
Christine and I treated my daughter and her friend to dinner at Denny's in Henrietta before I took her back to her apartment in Newark. One note: the computers at the IHOP in Henrietta were down all day. So ... rather than put a sign on their door that they were taking cash only instead they locked their doors while the lucky people with cash were eating inside. How did they get in? FAIL ... to the hungry people who came to their doors wanting food like us!! A long day ... sleep ensued as soon as we got home.
Tuesday, 2/25/2014 to Friday, 2/28/2014: more "Polar Vortrex" days
I was a total wuss and stayed off the roads. It was just too cold for me. The wind chills just got lower all week. Thursday was the worst ... -16F or worse. Friday was a bit better, -10F. My darling wife, Christine, convinced me not to go out. So ... I stayed in just like the past 5 nights.
Saturday, 3/1/2014: 12.6 miles, 1:50:40, 8:47 pace, 23F, 42% RH, wind chill 16F, overcast.
Garmin Connect Activity for 12.6 miles around the streets of Irondequoit with Bill Beyerbach
I was just gearing up to go out solo when Bill Beyerbach called and asked if he could run with me. He had overslept his 5:30AM alarm to run with the Oven Door group at 6:30AM and knew that I ran later in the morning. I agreed, geared up and waited for him. We took it nice and easy on my usual 10K route with an additional loop along with taking the Chapel Hill Drive hill twice. The roads were OK: the shoulders of the main roads were clear, the side streets were mostly snow covered and the sidewalks were OK on the sides. We stopped twice for hydration. It did warm up during the run. I could tell by the change in the snow texture underfoot. Our splits were: 9:01, 8:49, 10:07, 8:29, 8:45, 8:37, 8:39, 8:47, 9:54, 8:51, 8:34, 8:30 and 8:19 over the last 0.6 mile.
We had a mug of coffee after the run before Bill left. He was going to try to make a Boot Camp course at the Penfield Racquet Club where he is a member.
The rest of the day was just a lazy one. My darling wife, Christine, made some banana bread. I devoured most of it while we watched our usual crime dramas. I did have an allergy attack that started about a hour after my run. I went through a lot of tissues before I admitted defeat and took some Dayquil. I ended up going to bed early to try to get rid of it.
Meanwhile, out in Vermont the Dion 2014 Snowshoe Championships were held. These pictures and videos are from the website or Facebook.
Women's race
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| F 60-64: Gold - Marcy Schwam (in the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame), Silver - Jeanne Herrick, Bronze - Patti Catalano (in the National Distance Hall of Fame) |
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| A picture of Jeanne Herrick in action! |
Men's race, Dave Sek placed 3rd in his M7-74 division.
Women's results are here and Men's results are here.
