Sunday, 11/26/2014 to Saturday, 11/1/2014 - Grocery Run 5K & Mendon Ponds 30K

I ran 5 times this week, 41.61 miles.

Sunday, 11/26/2014: 13.1 miles, 1:44:56, 8:00 pace, 48F, 66% RH, 14 mph W wind, overcast, a real light mist at time.

Garmin Connect Activity for A nice, easy and flat half marathon

I slept in until 7:40AM ... it felt nice. I puttered around for a bit, then a longer bit while I gathered up the gumption to get on out there for a needed long run. I did the dishes from last night and ate the usual pre-run cereal. I posted on Facebook that "A long run doesn't get done but itself ...", kissed my darling wife, Christine, "good bye" and headed out.

It was a bit chilly and windy so I wore shorts, calf sleeves, a long sleeve and short sleeve tech, hat and light gloves. I carried a hand bottle along with 2 Gus. I  struck up a nice and easy pace on my usual 10K route and added enough 5K loops to add up to a half marathon. I took three mini-stops for water but didn't take my Gus. Just on and on I went. It was a bit boring actually just taking two extra 5K loops to get to 20K and then another 0.7 miles ... and done in 1:44:56. A not bad time actually. My splits were: 8:12, 8:03, 7:52, 7:52, 7:51, 7:53, 8:22, 7:54, 8:16, 8:00, 7:55, 8:18, 7:47 and 6:37 over the last 0.1 mile.

Ahh ... the joys of putting the coffee on, toasting a bagel, kissing my darling wife awake and putting my feet up after a nice run! I enjoyed watching the Bills - Jet game. The Bill went to the Jets and pounded them 43-23, link here. The defense was excellent and forced 6 turnovers (4 picks and 2 fumbles) but the offense sputtered with a lot of run, run, pass, punt or FG. Still, a win is a win.

Monday, 11/27/2014 and Tuesday, 11/28/2014: A rest day and a "watched it rain so I stayed in" day.

Some interesting links: Why we all hate your 13.1 stickers and a rebuttal Why we love your post why we all hate your 13.1 stickers and A local woman was picked up TWICE for DWI within three hours.

Wednesday, 11/29/2014: 6.2 miles, 46:16, 7:27 pace, 52F, 66% RH, 6 mph WSW wind, overcast.

Garmin Connect Activity for A fast 10K

I got home, ate a bit of pre-run cereal, got changed and got out there just before dusk. I just wanted to do a 10K on my usual 10K route. I wore shorts, calf sleeves, a short sleeve tech and light gloves. I also wore my reflective belt and headlamp. I started out nice and easy with a 7:57 first mile. Then I hiked it up. My splits were: 7:57, 7:39, 7:23, 7:13, 7:24, 7:14 and 6:55 over the last 0.2 mile. The run felt good and all was well.

Thursday, 10/30/2014 and Friday 10/31/2014: Rest day and another "day before a race" rest day.

My running stats for the month of October:
I ran 18 times in 31 days for 107.27 mile which yield 6.0 miles/run. 6 were warmup runs of 1.7, 0.75, 1.45, 1.1, 1.5 and 0.9 miles. I ran 7 races during the month of October (Scarecrow 5K, Ready Set Glow, Finish Strong 15K, Moore than a Race 10K, Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K, Grocery Run 5K and Mendon Ponds 30K). I have run 1139.24 miles and 49 races so far this year.

Saturday, 11/1/2014: 3 runs of 0.9 mile, Grocery Run 5K and Mendon Ponds 30K.

Yes, I did 2 races today, the Grocery Run 5K and the Mendon Ponds Trail Run (MPTR) 30K. I was up at 6AM to get ready for the first race, the Grocery Run 5K. My darling wife, Christine, was still up from the previous night. She has had a lot of trouble sleeping lately. She said she was going to stay home so I quietly ate my pre-race cereal, geared up and headed out. I wore my tights, a long sleeve and short sleeve tech along with my yellow hat and light gloves. The race venue was at the Third Presbyterian Church on East Ave. I had a bit trouble geting around to the Rochester Museum and Science Center due to roadblocks but I soon had my bib and race T-shirt. This was my first Grocery 5K.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before the Grocery Run 5K

I took a 0.9 mile warmup run so I could drop off my race T-shirt and grab a drink of water. The weather conditions for the warmup and the Grocery Run 5K were 41F, 88% RH, 12 mph NE wind, overcast and raw. This was a Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) race so there were a lot of fast runners up near the front. I met up with Bill Beyerbach just as we were finishing our own warmup runs. Bill told me that he woken up at 7:46AM and had jumped into his clothes to make it down to the race ... luckily he had packed his stuff the night before since he was running the Mendon Ponds 10K afterward. I also saw Mark Herberger and Bob Dyjak before the race started at 8:15AM.

The start ...

Bill and I just after the start ...

And we were off! Bill and I got off to a clean start. I matched his pace for about 0.9 mile. Mile 1 passed in 6:33 pace.

Bill and I at the mile 1 mark at 6:33

I eased off a bit for the next 2 miles but I only let Bill enjoy a 20 foot lead. It started to spit a bit of rain. Mile 2 passed in 6:57 pace and mile 3 in 6:56 pace. I had pulled even with Bill and then passed when I could see the finish. I sprinted in at 5:53 pace. Boots announced me in. He mentioned that I was running this race and then heading out to run the MPTR 30K. I guess he must read Facebook since that is what I posted before I left. So I walked through the finish chute along with Bill, grabbed a bottle of water and walked to my car.

Later, I learned that I finished 3.13 miles (according to my Garmin) in 21:14, 6:51 pace, 46th out of 786, link here. I was 3rd out of 39 in my M55-59 age group, link here. Bill Beyerbach finished in 21:19, Mark Herberger in 21:34 and Bob Dyjak finished in 26:38.

Anyway though ... I proceeded onward to Mendon Ponds Park for the MPTR 30K. There were a variety of races being held which were all based on a 10K loop based on the blue and green trails that I knew well. There was a new course this year which ran by Stewart Lodge instead of the East Lodge. The 50K (which I ran last year) had already began at 8AM. The 10K, 20K and 30K started at 9:30AM. I have run this race 5 times before at various distances (the 20K in 2006, 2011, 2012; finished 30K of the 50K in 2010 and completed the 50K in 2013).

I got there around 9:05AM which allowed me me to change my wet long sleeve and short sleeve tech shirt for a dry set . I also changed from my New Balance 880 road shoes to my Salalon SpeedCross trail shoes. I got my bib and dropped off my drop bag that I filled with a spare short sleeve tech, orange 2014 Sehgahunda hoodie  and my heavy gloves. I got ready for my next run but didn't warm up before this race. I figured to just start out nice and easy. The weather conditions at the race start were: 39F, 93% RH, 14 mph NNE wind, overcast with a real light mist.

The start of the 10K, 20K and 30K - courtesy of the Rochester Orienteering Club

Just a little after the start of the 10K, 20K and 30K - courtesy of the Rochester Orienteering Club

And we were off! I settled in for a long run. I clicked off several sub 10 minute miles. I walked some of the hills but not all of them on the 1:00:08 first loop. I remember seeing Tom Butler, Angela Kynazeva and Diana Kynazeva.

Loop 1 at the 6 mile mark - courtesy of Rochester Orienteering Club

The weather changed a bit for the worse during the second loop. The real light mist had changed to a light rain. The wind blew water off the leaves and the mud started to get mucky and slippery. I slowed to a 1:08:38 for the second loop. My hands were cold from my wet light gloves so I looped through to the pavilion where I had stashed my drop bag and changed to my heavy gloves. I wanted to change from my wet hat to a dry beanie but couldn't find it. I gave up and walked onward ... and tried to run when I can. I remembered to run the flats and downs and tried to power walk the ups. Mind over matter. One foot in front of the other and repeat. There were a lot less runners on the course so I was alone most of the time with no one near me. I was tired but onward I went. I was glad to see the last hills and the run to the finish for a third loop of 1:18:39. And ... done in 3:27:34.

I slowly walked to Stewart Lodge, cold and wet. I grabbed what food I could find. I settled on some cookies, a powder doughnut with chocolate filling and several cups of apple cider. I knew I couldn't warm up until I changed into dry clothes so I ambled over to get my dry clothes. My short sleeve and 2014 Sehgahunda hoodie felt good. I ambled over to where I had parked the Equinox. I was shivering and my fingertips were white. It took 15 minutes of blasting the heater before I felt warm and able to drive home. I had trouble lifting my left foot to work the brake but I managed.

I did OK. I finished 18.28 miles (by my Garmin) in 3:27:35, 26th out of 38 in the 30K, 6th out of 8 in my M50-59 age group, link here. My lap splits are above but the link is here. My mile splits were: 9:36, 9:38, 9:52, 10:37, 9:35, 10:09, 11:09, 10:13, 10:41, 12:24, 11:25, 11:23, 15:25, 11:49, 12:40, 11:58, 13:39, 11:51 and 10:55 over the last 0.28 mile.

Lots of people were out doing various distances. The 10K had 94 finishers. I knew Bill Beyerbach (54:52), Eric Eagan (55:43), Prem Kumar (57:47) and Amy Lord (1:30:08). The 20K had 68 finishers. I knew Chris Patterson (2nd, 1:33:51), Jason "Jmac" McElwain (3rd, 1:34:16), Sean Storie (1:49:31), Mark McArdle (2:19:01) and Diana Knyazeva (2:22:06). The 30K had 38 finishers. I knew Mark Monachino (2:58:16) and Kathy Reardon (3:53:44). The 50K had 81 finishers. I knew Ed Housel (7th, 4:39:19), Laura Rekkerth (5:24:33), Chris Washburn (6:13;48), Wilt Alston (6:19:15), Andy Ciaio (6:33:39), Tammy Abbe (6:34:55), Steve Levitsky (6:45:27), John Muoio (6:45:27), Anzhela Knyazeva (6:57:54), Sheila Eagan (6:57:55), Kim Rapp (7:38:19) and Tom Butler (7:54:24).

I struggled to get all my gear into the apartment. I just dumped it down, stripped and got into the shower for a nice, long shower and then a bath. It felt nice!

Later, I trolled the Ironman website to see how Jim McLaughlin did in his 12th Ironman in Panama City, FL. The swim was canceled due to high winds and rip tides. He finished in 10:12:23 with a 112 miles bike in 5:46:31 followed by a marathon of 4:18:49. Wow! Jim is in the M45-49 age group and is in incredible shape. Jim, on his mountain bike, was the first person to find me when I wandering down in Letchworth with a broken rib during Sehgahunda 2010.