Sunday, 6/29/2014 to Saturday, 7/5/2014 - Firecracker 4 Mile Race

I ran 5 times this week, 27.54 miles.

Sunday, 6/29/2014: 6.2 miles, 56:01, 9:01 pace, 77F, 61% RH, 9 mph SSW wind, HHH

Garmin Connect Activity for A hot and sweaty 10K

I should have gotten out earlier but just puttered around instead. I took it out nice and easy since it was already 77F. Really a tale of 2 runs just like some of my runs. The first 5K in 26:20, 8:30 pace. The second 5K was in 29:41, 9:34 pace, with lots of mini walk breaks for hydration. My splits were: 8:15, 8:12, 9:07, 9:13, 9:40, 9:50 and 8:27. I really don't like the heat and humidity. I even tried a small, wet bath towel around my neck.

Later, Christine and I headed out to the Waterloo Outlet Mall to see if we could pick up any bargains. My main reason was to get her another pair of sneakers. We looked at the Reebok and Nike stores before she couldn't find any that she liked. We ended up buying her a pair of sandals and earrings at G.H. Bass. I bought a couple of long sleeve dress shirts at Van Heusen. We got there around 5PM so we only got to look at or go past half the stores.

Monday, 6/30/2014: Rest day ... moving on.

Tuesday, 7/1/2014: Another rest day.

I stayed in to watch the US - Portugal World Cup game. I started watching during halftime when it was still scoreless. The keeper, Tim Howard, practically stood on his head to keep it scoreless until extra time. The game was almost all in the US end. He eventually let 2 balls by and the US lost 2-1, link here.

I ran 24 times in the 30 days of July for 105.35 miles, 4.4 miles/run. Sever were warmup runs of 1.1, 0.5, 1.1, 1.2, 0.7, 1 and 1.6 miles. I ran 6 races during July: McMullen Mile, Mendon Mauler 12, Dirt Cheap #3, Medved 5K to Cure ALS, Airport 5K and Charlie's Old Goat Trail Run.

Wednesday, 7/2/2014: 8.1 miles, 1:06:55, 8:15 pace, 84F, 45% RH, 12 mph W wind, HHH

It was hot, hazy and humid but I needed to run so I did. I wore my Brooks split shorts instead of my usual Brooks tights. I asked my darling wife, Christine, to meet me at Salvatore's at 7PM so we could eat our supper in AC instead of our hot apartment.

Garmin Connect Activity for A nice and sweaty run

I took it out nice and easy and ran pretty well for the first 4 miles. Then I saw the temperature on the St Paul Boulevard Fire Department station sign ... 90F. I gotta stop looking at that sign and just keep my mind in the run. I broke into a run/walk and mentally adjusted my route so I could be at Salvatore's by 7PM. My splits were: 8:02, 8:02, 7:59, 8:19, 8:26, 8:12, 8:56 and 8:12. Maybe I beat myself up about my run/walks too much.

A few guys outside razzed me about my running shorts when I ran up. Christine drove up a minute later. She had brought a bag with my jean shorts, a dry tech top, towel, glasses and wallet. The towel was much needed since I was drenched with sweat once I stopped running. The wallet was needed to pay for our much needed medium pizza for supper. A early bedtime ensued for me. Christine couldn't sleep again and stayed up for a while before she fell asleep. Life without AC ... our bedroom was 86F last night.

Thursday, 7/3/2014: 6.2 miles, 49:19, 7:56 pace, 70F, 83% RH, 9 mph N wind, overcast.

I was early even though I was off on vacation. I can't even sleep in on vacation? So I puttered around for a long while. My darling wife, Christine, got up around 10AM and was out the door to get her nails done at New Nails. It started to rain so I waited. When it stopped I headed out. I don't usually run the day before a race but ... I did.

Garmin Connect Activity for A cooler but still sweaty 10K

It was cooler but still humid so I took up a nice and easy pace. I didn't stretch out at all and just maintained my pace without stopping except for traffic. I didn't look at the St Paul Boulevard Fire Department sign when I went by on my usual 10K route. I didn't go any farther since I do have a race tomorrow. My splits were: 8:13, 7:55, 8:06, 7:59, 7:43, 7:44 and 7:59 over the last 0.2 mile. I was dripping wet with sweat when I stopped but it was a good sweat.

Friday, 7/4/2014: 3 runs of 1, Firecracker 4 and 2 miles, 61F, 77% RH, 10 mph NW wind

I was up at 6AM for another race. I tried to get my darling wife, Christine, awake but she just didn't have the "get up and go" in her. I left early and it was just a short 21 minute drive down in Perinton Park in Perinton. I parked near the finish not near the start since this is almost a point to point race. This race was also a Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) race, the Firecracker 4. It's usually the Firecracker 5 but was shortened due to construction. So ... it was "all the hills but none of the flats" according to Ellen of Fleet Feet Rochester.

My Iphone was in B&W mode as I captured a mother duck and eight ducklings (kind of tough to see)

I got out for a nice and easy 1 mile warmup run at 8:47 pace, link here. There were a lot of people at this race. I said "Hi" to Prem Kumar, Andy Ciaio, Bill Beyerbach, Frank Quatronne, Mark Herberger, Wilt Alston, Jim May and Jim Glinsky among others before the start. Prem and Bill will running the Finger Lakes 50s tomorrow morning in Hectory NY. Prem will be running the 50K and Bill will be running the 25K.



I turned around before the start to politely warn those behind me not to trip me. The start was uneventful. I did hear a runner fall behind and to my left at the start.

Boots and the rest of us before the start

A long line of 915 runners

I struck up a nice and fast pace as I started up Whitney Rd which had not one but two hills in the first mile. I quickly remembered why I didn't like the Firecracker 5 when I last ran it. Then a right onto Turk Hill Rd with another hill. Another right onto E Church St with a hill, across Rt 250, onto W Church St. I didn't have much fire in the legs. I was a rabbit again. I had to take 3 mini walk breaks as Prem, Bill, Frank, Wilt and then Mark passed me. I did keep Mark in sight as I ran the best I could down E Church St. At Least W Church St was level or slightly downhill. I concentrated on keeping up with everyone I was around.

Cruising into the uphill finish

Then a final right into Perinton Park for the uphill finish. I passed one or two runners as I headed to the finish. Done ... in 28:40, 7:10 pace. I was beat. I quickly downed 2 pints of water and ate a banana.

I did OK. I gave it the best I could. Lately I have not been running as well as I want. My splits were: 6:51, 7:08, 7:26 and 6:59. I was 108th out of 915, link here. I was 6th out of 40 in my M55-59 age group, link here. I saw some anomalies in the results ... Prem and Mark weren't in them. Prem did get his results posted.

At the finish line after my cooldown run

I headed out the Erie Canal path for a nice out and faster back, link here. The surface of the path was stony and uneven which doesn't bode well for the Rochester Marathon in two and a half months.

Sonn I was home after stopping at the Perinton Wegmans for donuts. I did the usual. I did the dishes, made the coffee and woke my Christine with coffee and donuts. Another beautiful day ensued. Later we watched a couple of DVDs, Men in Black 3 and Snow White and the Huntsman. Not a bad couple of movies.

Oh, lots of running was going on today. The Firecracker 4 had 915 finishers, the Brighton 5K had 629 finishers, the Greece Freedom Run 5K had xx finishers, the Irondequoit 10K had 303 finishers, the Irondequoit 2 mile had 244 finishers and the Sodus Point 5K had 526 finishers. So ... lots of running and runners!

Saturday, 7/5/2014: Rest day after 3 days of running

A beautiful day to run but I sat it out after running 21.24 miles in 3 days in a row

Meanwhile, a lot of the local ultra trail racing community were running the Finger Lakes Fifties down near Hector NY in the Finger Lakes National Forest. There were 3 variations: 25K, 50K and 50 miles. The 25K results of 78 runners are here; Bill Beyerbach in 2:50:32. The 50K results of 99 runners are here; Chris Patterson in 6:00:09, Prem Kumar in 6:23:24, Mark Monachino in 6:39:57, Andy Ciaio in 6:57:28, Wendy Abbot in 7:09:48, Steve Levitsky in 7:27:10. Brian Andrews in 7:37:36, Robbie Ganey in 7:57:57, Kathy Reardon in 8:08:08, Tammy Abbe in 8:12:16, Kim Rapp in 8:34:01 and Tom Butler in 9:37:37. The 50 mile results of 44 runners are here; John Muoio in 10:31:23, Ron Heerkens Jr in 10:33:06 (his blog post here), Stacy Maier in 11:26:27, Anne Esposito in 11:33:38, Rob Wilder in 11:33:39 and Bambi Jasmin in 12:22:18.

(l-r) Charlie Andrews, Bambi Jasmin, Anne Esposito, Robbie Ganey, Steve Levitsky, Rob Wilder, Kathy Reardon, John Muoio, Bill Beyerbach and Wendy Abbott