Sunday, 7/26/2015 to Saturday, 8/1/2015 - Sauerkraut 20K

1 ran 3 times this week, 30.6 miles.
I biked once this week, 18.7 miles.

Sunday, 7/26/2015: 18.7 miles on the bike, 1:27:15, 12.9 mph average, 21.3 mph peak, 82F, 38% RH, 6 mph N wind, sunny.

I lazed most of the day and felt like a slug. I watched Facebook and the Ironman website for news about the Ironman Lake Placid (IMLP) being held. I knew three athletes: Dan Giblin, Jim McLaughlin, Danielle Feligno. I felt I had to do something physical so I geared up for a bike ride around 4PM.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out for a Sunday bike

I just headed out on some bike paths and explored the path along the Lake Ontario Parkway and also the 390 path down to Vintage Lane. It was kind of fun to get out there.

The IMLP results were Dan Giblin finished his 11th in 11:41:35, Jim McLaughlin finished his 13th in 12:57:00 and Danielle Feligno finished her first in 14:41:46.

Other people achieved awesomeness during the day. Amy Lord braved the mosquitoes when she ran the Montezuma Trail Half Marathon, course map here, results here, in 3:01:43 along with 290 other runners. 114 runner finished the 5K, link here. I thought about doing this race but I would have certainly have forgotten bug spray!

Bambi Jasmin running a flat during the Vermont 100K en route to a 15:28:42 finish

Bambi Jasmin was among 57 who finished the 100K during the Vermont 100 Endurance Run, results here. 221 runner finished the 100M, results here.

Monday, 7/27/2105: Rest day.

It was 88F when I got home ... just too hot to run. Maybe I can get up early tomorrow morning and run before sunbreak ... maybe.

Tuesday, 7/28/2015: 8.2 miles, 1:06:07, 8:03 pace, 66F, 88% RH, 6 mph SW wind, dawn.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up early to beat the heat

I did get up early! 4:45 AM to be exact! I dressed quickly along with my reflective vest, ate a banana and got out the door. I just took it nice and easy. I saw one runner, a couple of dog walkers and a bicyclist along with about 10 cars.

Sunrise on Edgemere Drive

I was rewarded with a nice sunrise too! My splits were: 8:00, 7:49, 7:47, 7:56, 8:00, 9:00, 7:5, 8:08 and 7:37 over the last 0.2 mile. I was remarkably not too sore or gimpy during the day either ... which was a surprise.

Wednesday, 7/29/2015: Rest day with temps in the low 90s. The dog days of summer have arrived.

Thursday, 7/30/2015: 10.0 miles, 1:24:36, 8:27 pace, 75F, 83% RH, 6 mph SW wind, overcast.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out before dawn

My darling wife, Christine, woke me up around 3AM with her lovely snoring. Luckily I had gone to bed early. I got up and puttered for a bit and then decided to go out early for a long run. I had my usual pre-run bowl of cereal, programmed the coffeemaker, got dressed, geared up and got out there. I brought a headlamp but didn't need it since there were streetlights along all of my route. It was pretty dark and quiet at 4:30AM but I just struck up a nice pace and "got 'er done". I slowed about mile 6 or 7. I just ran out of energy. It was quite humid but the breeze did feel good. It started to sprinkle a minute after I got done ... which I could have used about 30 minutes before! My splits were: 8:23, 8:27, 8:05, 8:16, 8:11, 8:24, 8:33, 8:38, 8:59 and 8:40. I was a bit gimpy during the rest of the day.

Friday, 7/31/2015: Rest day.

Run stats for the month of July: 18 runs for 124.16 miles, 5.9 miles/run; four were warmup runs of 2, 1.6, 1.5 and 0.4 miles; one was a cooldown run of 1.25 miles; 6 races (Irondequoit 10K, Dirt Cheap #4, Boilermaker 15K, Shoreline Half, Shoreline Du and Karknocker 5K). I biked three times (18.36, 16, 18.7 miles).

Saturday, 8/1/2015: Shoreline 20K, 12.47 miles, 1:38:14 (1:38:48 by my Garmin), 7:56 pace, 70F, 64% RH, 6 mph W wind, sunny.

My alarm was set at 5:30AM for my seventh running of the Sauerkraut 20K (1:44:56 in 2006, 1:35:48 in 2008, 1:39:12 in 2010, 1:37:08 in 2011, 1:40:51 in 2013 and 1:42:27 in 2014). I had gone to bed early and was asleep by 10PM so I was already awake by 4:45AM or so. Christine begged off again since she said that she had lamps arriving by USPS or UPS (they didn't come anyway) ... and that she didn't want to antagonize (which she does) any of my children that I was going to see after the race. I dressed quietly, changed up my pre-race meal with a bagel and banana, geared up and was out the door at 6:30AM. I should have left a bit earlier but I got down to Phelps around 7:15AM.

I had a bit of trouble finding a parking spot but I soon found a spacious one. I got my bib and 2015 yellow tech shirt. I remember to apply BodyGlide, sunscreen and down a couple of Endurolytes before the race. I took a 10 ounce water bottle and had three HammerGels on me. I said "Hi" to Prem Kumar, Alex Tong and Andy Ciaio before the race. I didn't have my running sunglasses with me. I didn't let it bother me and made do without them. I got out for a real short 0.2 mile warmup run, link here.


I lined up about 30 feet back from the start and to the left for the low key start at 8AM ... and we were off! I settled into a nice, kind of hard pace. Andy and Prem caught up to me after mile 1. Prem said he was doing a "training" run. Andy and I chuckled as he went ahead ... then Andy went ahead. I had water on the run at mile 3, then a Gel and water at mile 4. The first big hill was at mile 5.25. I crossed the 20K mark at 49:50. I shortened my stride and felt good. The second big hill was at mile 7.1. I took tiny walk breaks on each hill of maybe 100 or 200 feet. I had my second HammerGel at mile 8ish along with water. There was no more aid stations the rest of the way. I just kept running There was no traffic control at the corner of Toll and Griffith Rd or aid station around mile 10. I had to adjust my turn across the road there since a truck came whipping down Griffith Rd. I ran onward ... only 2 miles to go. I started passing 5K runners who had started at 9AM and early start 20K runner who had started at 7AM. I tried to encourage every runner. I picked up the pace ... onward ... left onto Fort Hill Rd which became S Wayne St ... into Phelps ... left onto Park St ... finish line in sight ... and done in 1:38:14! Andy had finished 31st in 1:36:10, Prem was right behind him, 32nd in 1:36:35. I finished 35th out of 120. We congratulated each other and talked shop until the results were posted. Prem won his M40-44 age group, Andy was 2nd in his M50-54 age group and I won my M55-59 age group (out of 7). Overall results, link here. Age group results, link here. My splits were: 7:35, 7:50, 7:51, 7:42, 8:12, 8:51, 7:36, 8:40, 7:40, 7:50, 7:56, 7:41 and 7:18 over the last 0.47 mile.

The post race grub was rather sparse: just bananas, energy bars, chocolate milk and an energy drink. But we all got a real small can of sauerkraut ... yahoo! Later I found that we did get a ticket for a hot dog at the Sauerkraut festival grounds elsewhere in Phelps (which I didn't use). It's really a shame about the Sauerkraut 20K. I want to like this race. I have run it sever times. It's the only 20K around. But the numbers have been falling off over the years (). I think it is because of how we are treated after the race. Years ago we had hot dogs and bagels. The winners received plants. The race had character ... now not so much. If you needed water past mile 8 today you were SOL (shit out of luck). Oh well.