9/20/2015 - Rochester Half Marathon

Today was the Rochester Half Marathon, link here. This was my 7th half of 2015 and 45th race so far in 2015. I am signed up for 13 more races right now with more to come.

I woke up at 5 AM. My alarm was set for 5:20 AM. I used the extra time to make up a bagel for myself and brew the coffee for my lovely wife, Christine. I let here sleep for a bit more. I never drink coffee on race mornings since it makes me pee too much.

I dressed in what I laid out the night before: Brooks short tights with the light green stripes (I can't find the ones with the yellow stripe) and last year's Rochester Marathon short sleeve tech. I gently woke up Christine. She had signed up for volunteer duty in the food court. She reminded me to put on BodyGlide. put on my race bib and to bring my arm warmers and calf sleeves in case I needed them. I told her where to drop me on Lake Ave. The new version of the Rochester Marathon course was a point to point course, the half is here, the full course is here. The start was at the Maplewood Tennis Courts. The end was at Frontier Field. We left a bit after 6:30 AM. As we went south on Lake Ave we could see police flashers on the east side of Lake Ave at various spots. She turned right onto Seneca Parkway to drop me off. I put on my calf sleeves, kissed her goodbye and away she went onward toward Frontier Field. I didn't carry water and had 2 HammerGels in an Amphipod on my waist. I realized that I had forgotten to take off my glasses seconds after she left ... oh well. I ran with them.

I walked across Lake Ave and down to the Maplewood tennis courts where I could see lots of runners congregating around. A lot were queued up by the potta-potties ... so I got in line too. I did my business and then hung around. I met up with a few runners: Todd Dappen Sr, Andy Ciaio, Jeff Rose, Bill Sandow and Jim McLaughlin. Jim was pacing the 1:45 half pace group so I was lined up just in front of him near the front. I thought about joining his group but didn't. I got out for a really brief and fast 0.2 mile run at 7:30 pace just minutes before the start at 7:30 AM, link here.

Heading out for my warmup run - courtesy of Gameface

The start of the 2015 of the Rochester Marathon - courtesy of Gameface

Another shot of the start - courtesy of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

And ... we were off! I felt the usual surge of adrenaline at the start and ran with it. I always run too fast at the start. Sometimes I can hold back and sometimes not. The course went out Maplewood Drive to Bridge View Drive and back to Maplewood Drive before heading north on Lake Ave.

You can see the top of my head in this pic on Bridge View Drive - photo courtesy of Jim Strowe

The firemen put up a giant US flag on Maplewood Drive just before Lake Ave for us to pass under - courtesy of Robin Towers DeZutter

We took up two lanes of Lake Ave as we ran north toward Lake Ontario. Heather Danielson and John Muoio passed me. Heather told me that the 1:45 pace group was behind me if I wanted to be with them. I told her that I didn't. I thought to myself "I wanted Jim McLaughlin to finish behind me not in front of me this time". We passed by the Holy Sepulchre and Riverview Cemeteries. I passed up water at mile 2. Then we headed onto the Genesee River Trail. The group I was running with was still a bit packed. A couple of faster runners cut in front of me which made things interesting for a split second or three. I passed the 5K timing strip at 23:18, 7:31 pace. I took a cup of water at mile 4.

A long line of runners on the Genesee Riverway Trail boardwalk - courtesy of Barb Boutillier

Then it was onto the boardwalk right above the Genesee River in Turning Bridge Park. We turned left up onto Petten St, a short and steep uphill, to get back onto Lake Ave. There was a crowd of people at the turn onto Pattonwood Dr and across the O'Rorke Bridge. I heard someone call my name but didn't see them. I learned later that it was Roger Howe. Then we turned right onto Thomas Ave. A short downhill led to a gradual and long uphill. There was a sign that read "Make this hill your bi*ch!" ... so I did. I just put my head down and powered up it.

The long stretch of Thomas Ave - courtesy of Tracy Rericha

There was a long stretch of flat on Thomas Ave before a right onto St Paul St. I took a HammerGet just before the water stop at mile 6. I passed the 10K timing strip at 47:51, 7:43 pace, a 7:55 2nd 5K. The Winona Blvd area of St Paul St was phenomenal! There was so many people there cheering us! Santa was giving high-fives. I was told later that the Easter Bunny was there ... I didn't see him or Elvis (who wasn't there, lol) though.

My new profile picture taken on St Paul St by John Brind'Amour

I was probably in a bit of pain on Titus Ave  - courtesy of John Brind'Amour

We cut through the parking lot of 4-H club on St Paul Blvd just before the Seneca Park Zoo to get to the 15K timing strip. I passed at 1:12:54, 7:50 pace, a 8:02 3rd 5K. Then it was onward to the pedestrian bridge; down the east side, across the Genesee River and back up the west side.

Crossing the pedestrian bridge - courtesy of Gameface 

Coming up the west side of the pedestrian bridge - courtesy of Jim Strowe

That led to some trails on the Genesee Riverway Trail, back onto Bridge View Drive, Maplewood Drive, past the start, back onto more trails through Maplewood Park and its rose gardens and mile 11. Only 2.1 miles to go! The full marathoners curled back for another loop while the half marathoners, like me, crossed Driving Park Ave.

Lower Falls of the Genesee River just south of Driving Park Bridge - courtesy of Rick Russotti

Then it was down, down to the Middle Falls and back across the Genesee River on a narrow bridge. A nasty uphill awaited us on Brewer St back up to St Paul Blvd.

The view looking up the Brewer St hill ... not a nice sight to see at mile 12 of the Half or mile 25 of the Full!

I walked a bit of it. I saw a 40 km sign on St Paul Blvd and knew there was only 2 km or 1.2 miles to go. There was a high school cheer team on St Paul Blvd that read my bib and offered me encouragement by name. I wondered how they knew it until I figured it out by the tenth time. Onward to the Genesee brewery, right onto the Pont de Rennes bridge ... the finish arch was in sight!

The High Falls just north of the Pont de Rennes bridge - courtesy of Jeff Scheuch

Onward onto Platt Street ... just a couple of tenths to go ... dig deep ... push it to a sprint ... finish arch in sight ... realize finish line is 100 yards farther (ugh!) ... heard Ellen call my name (so sweet) ... done with 13.26 miles in 1:43:28 according to my Garmin! The last 3.8 miles took 30:32, a 8:02 pace. I accepted and put the finisher's medal around my neck ... yes!

Past the arch and heading for the finish line - courtesy of Gameface

Sprinting for the finish with the usual grimace - courtesy of Kim Smith

I got some water and stretched out a bit before I went into the food tent for a banana, granola bar and a kiss from my lovely wife, Christine. I found out that the fourth challenge medal was being given out inside Frontier Field so I went and got it plus a holder that holds all four ... sweet!

Christine was signed up to volunteer until 2 PM so I went home around 11:30 AM. I found her car and noticed that the trunk was open. It had been open since 7 AM ... everything was still in there, nice! I noticed that 3 lanes on Lake Ave were open for traffic (2 southbound and 1 northbound) now in the marathon areas instead of 2 lanes. I did a bit of grocery shopping at Wegmans (boy, did it hurt to walk!), puttered around, changed my clothes, drank some coffee and caught up on Facebook before I went back to Frontier Field to pick her up.

Then it was back home. I remember watching the Bills - Patriots game. It started well with the Bills scoring on their opening drive ... but didn't end well with the Bill losing 32-40. Brady passed for 466 yards and 3 TDs as he shredded the Bills D, link here. I frankly don't remember what I had for supper. I was wiped. I read Facebook and was inspired again by all the stories of runners meeting and exceeding their goals. Kudos flowed in aimed at Fleet Feet, Yellow Jacket Racing, the police who kept us safe, the volunteers and the spectators.

Personally, I did pretty well. I crossed the line in a gun time of 1:43:26, 7:54 pace. This was my 7th half of the year and the fastest one on the hilliest course no less! I was 161st out of 2186 finishers, link here. I was 8th out of 74 in my M55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 7:23, 7:37, 7:24, 7:29, 7:49, 7:56, 7:50, 8:07, 7:52, 7:53, 8:16, 8:28, 7:38 and 7:01 over the last 0.2 mile.

What of the people I met up with and others in the half marathon? All times are gun time not net time. Anyway ... way up front was Bryan Morseman who won in 1:09:46 while Caitlin Gaughan edged out Karen Blodgett by 9 seconds in 1:34:15. Jason McElwain ran a 1:23:01. Kevin Clinefelter ran a 1:30:21 to win my age group. Kevin was the first finisher (enrolled in the 4 Season Challenge) in my age group in each of the 4. Bill Sandow ran a 1:36:31, 4th in our age group. John Muoio ran a 1:37:27, 9th in his M35-39 age group. Jim Roche ran a 1:39:02, 6th in our age group. Jeff Rose ran a 1:50:02, 4th in his M60-64 age group. Tom Hawkins ran a 2:15:50. Jim Norris ran a 2:26:37.

There were 444 finishers in the marathon, link here. How about people that I knew in the full marathon? Again all times are gun time not net time. Way up front was Kip Tisia who won in 2:33:21. Kenny Goodfellow was second by 18 seconds. Heather Patterson was 2nd woman overall in 3:21:45. Andy Ciaio ran a 3:47:59. Stacy Maier ran a 3:48:20. Todd Dappen Sr ran a 3:51:50. Tina Pellegrin did an unofficial 1 hour early start and ran a 6:10. Tom Butler ran a 6:03:29.

A meme from the Internet: this quote was about baseball but I think it holds true about running

Lots of posts entered social media like Facebook. I looked through hundreds of pictures that people uploaded to Facebook. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle covered the race, link here. A runner, Ben Jacobs, who works for the D&C, completed the Four Season Challenge, wrote a story, link here. Bob Lonsberry, ran the Rochester Marathon, and wrote a review here. Ellen, CFO of Fleet Feet Rochester, posted "Voiceless but not Speechless" on her blog in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, link here. She was the voice of the Rochester Marathon and might have been all talked out by its end. She tells of about this version of the Rochester Marathon came to pass. Boots, head of Yellow Jacket Racing, who laid out the course so it was within the city of Rochester limits, posted that the course had character ... which means that it had hills.

The Four Season Medals and Challenge medals altogether

What did I think? I liked the new course. We crossed the Genesee River four times and were greeted with nice views and great spectator support. Yes, it had hills. If you train for them, you can run them. I kind of train for them so I can kind of run them. The latter part of a long race is where I tend to break down. My pace got a bit slower as the race got longer (7:31 for the first 5K, 7:55 for the second 5K, 8:02 for the third 5K and 8:02 for the last 3.8 miles), . Yes, I power walked about 100 feet of the Brewer St hill but it didn't break me. I got back up to speed, gritted my teeth and got back on the horse to finish out the race. I have run 7 half marathons now in 2015 (Winter Warrior Half in 1:50:07, Lake Effect Half in 1:49:39, Syracuse Half in 1:47:53, Flower City Half in 1:46:08, Shoreline Half in 1:47:04, Oak Tree Half in 1:49:14 and now the Rochester Half in 1:43:26).

Today's half was my fastest of 2015 by far. How? Maybe it was my running by the seat of my pants training. I just get out there and run. My "go to" training distance is between 6.2 and 10 mostly flat miles. Maybe it was the perfect weather. Maybe it was familiarity with the course. I knew everything about the course except the decent into Middle Falls and the climb back up to St Paul Blvd. Maybe it was just a good day. I think it was just the knowledge of "been there, done that". I know I can run a half marathon so I just go out there and run it.

One of my goals is to run the Boston Marathon. My plan for 2016 is get out there and train for it during the summer. My goal time for a Boston qualifier raises from 3:40 (M55-59) to 3:55 (M60-64) when I turn 59 in September. Then I will find a nice Boston qualifier in October (Wineglass, Empire or Mohawk Hudson River) and to really hammer the race. I don't know if I can do it ... but that is the plan.

9/16/2015 - My 58th birthday ... why I blog

9/16/2015

Today is my 58th birthday. I thought I would step out of my blogging only about running and expand on why I blog.

Why? I have thought about that. I realize that blogging and posting on Facebook are largely "Yay me" types of activities. Many times I allude to the negative in my posts but I try to stick to the positive. Running helps me keep to the positive. I can't control the world but I can control my running.

Anyway, I blog to put down what I did, how I felt and what ran through my head when I run, how a race felt, what the course was like. I am competitive in my age group and just plain like to run a race as fast as I can. I have met some readers of this blog ... which always surprises me. Some found it when they researched a local race and read to think out what I thought of it. So that is why I make an effort to tell more about any particular race.

Why do I run? Well, I have been running for about 11 years now. I remember gasping during my first attempt at running. Someone actually stopped their car at the end of Wood Lane in Newark and asked me if I was OK. I kept at it. I remember losing weight from 195 to 170 pounds. How? I don't know ... it just happened. My runs got longer. I ran my first race, the Newark Turkey Day 5 mile Run on Thanksgiving 2005. I can't find the time on the internet but I bet it wasn't fast.  I ran some local races. Not many but enough to get the bug. I started keeping a spreadsheet of my running in September 2006 ... now it has just over 10,400 miles. Fast forward ... now I have run 349 races (186 road, 160 trail and 3 Duathlons). I have run any distance between 5K (64) and 50K (1). My yearly race schedule has expanded over the years with 57 races in 2014 and 45 races so far in 2015 with at last count 15 more scheduled. One goal I have for 2016 is to qualify for the Boston Marathon when I turn 59. So my long runs will be getting longer next year.

Stuff has happened during these years. I got divorced, was single for a while and got married on 11/30/2012 to my college sweetheart, Christine, who found me on Facebook back in August 2009. I moved from Newark up to Rochester in 2008. Christine and I just moved again to a two bedroom townhouse which is a 1/2 mile from Lake Ontario. I have helped all my kids move at least once. I have gotten injured (cracked rib during Segahunda 2010, hospitalized for overhydration after Sehgahunda 2011, tweaked my left Achilles tendon in July 2012) or had minor medical issues (hernia repair in 2009). Running has been a constant through all of this. I don't have a scientific plan ... I just get out there and run on road or on trail about 4 days a week about 25 to 30 miles a week. I run without music ... I would rather listen to my breathing and be aware of my surroundings.

If anyone sees me limp or grimace in pain after a run or race ... well that is what I do. I usually stop limping after 100 yards or so. I put it out there and sometimes my body complains about it. I would rather my muscles ache afterward than try to get through life without aches.

If this blog inspires anyone to increase their level of physical activity be it walking, running, biking, swimming or getting to the gym then my ramblings have served a purpose. One thing I really should do is cross train. I have tried to bike more this year. I really should get to the gym to work on my core and upper body strength. Well enough of this ... it's time for another run. There is another race to prep for ... see you there!

Sunday, 9/13/2015 to Saturday, 9/19/2015

I ran 3 times this week, 26.4 miles.

Sunday, 913/2015: 10 miles, 1:22:11, 8:13 pace, 55F, 88% RH, 13 mph W wind, overcast.



I thought I needed to preview most of upcoming (Sunday, 9/19) Rochester Marathon course, link here. I have already run the majority of this course many times since I did live in Rochester and ran in Irondquoit for almost 7 years before I moved to Charlotte this May. But I wanted to run it just to refresh my memory. So I drove over to Herrema's on Pattonwood Drive and parked there. This is the northernmost point of the course. My plan was to run up Thomas Ave to St Paul St, cross over on the pedistratian bridge, run up Lake Ave to the Genessee River Trail, cross the O'Rorke Bridge and been done. That is what I did a caveat: the west side of the pedistrain bridge was closed so I had to run up the stairs. Also note to self: DON'T run in the bike lane of Pattonwood Drive at the intersection of Thomas Ave ... it confuses cars and they are much bigger and faster compared to me. Anyway, my splits were: 8:42 (up the Thomas Ave hill), 7:56, 7:59, 8:06, 9:13 (up the aforementioned stairs), 8:01, 7:55, 8:01, 8:13 and 8:04. I did take my 20 ounce water bottle but only took a couple sips.

Meanwhile other runners/athletes were out being awesome. The Rochester Tri, results here, The Ossian Mountain Run down in Swain, 8 mile results here and 4 mile results here. Challenge Point 70.3 with Wendy Abbott, results here and 140.6 with Steve Levitsky and Kimberly Levitsky, results here, The Erie Marathon at Presque Isle with pacing by Chris Patterson and Prem Kumar, results here. The Ovarian Cancer 5K, results here. The Pete Glavin XC Series #1 was held in Syracuse, results here. Wow ... that was a lot of work!

Monday and Tuesday: Rest days.

Monday was the usual rest day after two days of running (5.3 and 10 miles). Tuesday was a case of my lovely wife, Christine, making pasta that was almost ready so we ate soon after I got home.

My 58th birthday, Wednesday, 9/16/2015: 8.2 miles, 1:05:58, 8:02 pace, 59F, 94% RH, 4 mph SW wind, clear.

Garmin Connect Activity for An early run on Edgemere Drive

I set my Droid for 4:30AM to make up for "missing" my run yesterday. It didn't go off(!?!) but somehow I was awake at 4:35AM anyway. I got up, got dressed along my reflective vest, had half a banana, a swig of water and got out there in the darkness. I was going to do my 15K route but switched to my 8.2 mile route on Edgemere Drive when I noticed that the one lane bridge was gone. I was happily surprised when I noticed that the road had swept also. The road still needs lane markings though. It was a beautiful and quiet pre-dawn morning with just the stars to keep me company. I saw a runner, 3 dog walkers and maybe 15 cars along the route. My splits were: 8:03, 8:04, 7:59, 7:57, 8:04, 8:01, 7:59, 8:14 and 8:02 over the last 0.2 mile. I have run 4 or 5 times this summer during the early morning before sunrise ... I am slowly starting to become a fan. It does get the run in but getting up around 4AM does still give me the pause of "What the hell am I doing up this early?" and my legs say "What are you doing to me at this ungodly hour?" ... until they get used to the idea.

Thursday, 9/17/2015: 8.2 miles, 1:06:59, 8:12 pace, 82F, 40% RH, 6 mph W wind, sunny.

Garmin Connect Activity for A nice and sweaty run

I thought I needed one more run before the Rochester Half on Sunday so out I went. My lovely wife, Christine, was dressed to go down to the fitness center in our complex but lost her gumption. Maybe next time, honey! Anyway, I thought about doing my 15K route by bailed onto Ling Rd to shorten the run to another 8.2 miles. Different route, a bit more mild hills and a bit slower. I was drenched with sweat when I got done and took a shower as soon as I got in. I am sure that Christine appreciated that, lol! My splits were: 8:14, 8:03, 8:06, 8:06, 8:23, 8:00, 8:0, 8:23 and 8:11 over that last 0.2 mile.

Friday, 9/18/2015: Rest and travel out to OH day.

I went down to Fleet Feet Armory during my lunch to pick up my Rochester Half packet and look over the Expo. I didn't see anything that I really wanted so I kept my wallet in my pocket.

My lovely wife, Christine, and I headed out to Streetsboro OH to stay at the Comfort Inn and Suites. It was an uneventful 4 hour, 8 minutes trip. We were both tired. I slept like a rock even with Christine's rhythmic snoring.

Saturday, 9/19/2015: Rest and travel back from OH day.

We went over to Ravenna OH to see Christine's father. He's 94 years old and looked a lot better than we saw him last month. He sure can tell some stories! Our trip back was uneventful. While I was driving back Christine was keeping me undated on all the Facebook posts on the Fleet Feet Rochester page. The weather had turned cooler and everyone seemed to be a tizzy about how to prepare for it.

Other runners were out being awesome. The Mighty Niagara Half Marathon was held. It's a point to point half which starts in Lewiston NY and ends at Porter on the Lake Park in Youngstown NY. The result are here. Rochester's Kip Tisia won in 1:07:43. UPDATE: Kip also won the Rochester Marathon the next day in 2:33:21! The Virgil Crest Ultras was held down in Virgil NY. The 50K results of 24 finishers and 10 DNFs are here. The 50 Mile results of 61 finishers (Michael Meynadasy in 14:42:00) and 25 DNFs are here. The 100 Mile results of 16 finishers and 29 DNFs are here.

Once we got home I got down to laying down my running stuff for tomorrow's Rochester Half, my seventh half of 2015. My feeling was short tights, last year's Rochester Half tech and calf sleeves. I thought about arm warmers and gloves so I found them just in case. Then it was to bed for what I was sure would be a short night. My alarm was set for 5:20AM. The Rochester Half and Full Marathon was set to start at 7:30AM.

Sunday, 9/6/2015 to Saturday, 9/12/2015 - Oak Tree Half and Dirt Cheap #6

I ran 6 times this week, 26.64 miles.
I biked once this week, 17.4 miles.

Sunday, 9/6/2015: 2 runs of 0.5 and Oak Tree Half of 13.16 miles, 70F, 78% RH, 5 mph SE wind, sunny

I set my alarm for 5:20AM for my second Oak Tree Half (2006 in 1:59:51). Oak Tree was my first half way back in 2006. I remember that I didn't like the dirt roads of the middle of the course. But I signed up because it was a Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) race. My lovely wife, Christine, was still recovering from her head cold so I got dressed, loaded all my gear, had my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and remembered to put on BodyGlide before I left at 6:15AM for the drive to Geneseo Central School. I got there just after 7AM in plenty of time for the 8AM start.

I purposely didn't do much of a warmup. I had raced the Summerfest 12k yesterday. I just ran 0.5 miles up to the start, link here. I met up with Prem Kumar, Heather Patterson, Wilt Alton and Andy Ciaio before the start.


And ... we were off! I settled into a fast pace alongside Heather Patterson as we ran a short out and back to come back to the start. The 5K runners were there just about ready to start at 8:15AM, two minutes later. They cheered us on as we ran by. I stayed with Heather for 1.77 miles before I let her go on ahead.

It was a left turn onto the dirt roads at mile 3. Now ... miles of dirt road, looking for smooth lanes of mostly stone free road. Always looking at the road ... looking for hazards, looking for the next place to put my feet over and over. The next mile was a long downhill. I remember seeing 37:47 at mile 5, pretty fast! But it was all mostly level or downhill up to that point. I had my first Gel at mile 5 and then my second at mile 9. I was slowing down. It was getting hotter but the breeze did help. Andy Ciaio passed me and then Wilt Alston. The hill at mile 11 was the very one I had sped down at mile 4. Yes, I walked a lot of it. No one passed me during the last part of the hill so why not? I had taken water at every water stop. Now my hips really hurt on the last 1.5 miles. I just kept running, practically closed my eyes from the pain and ran onward. The course led back up route 39 and then onto the track for a 3/4 lap. I ran around the track the best I could. And .. done in 1:49:14! I must have looked a bit ghastly because I soon had a woman escort me to where I could sit down for a couple of minutes. I revived myself and met up with Prem, Andy, Wilt, Heather and Bill Beyerbach (who I didn't see before the start). All had done well and all agreed it was hot and the course was brutal.

I stuck around for a while to have a 1/2 banana, 2 pieces of pizza and three cups of Gatorade. I felt OK. The results were posted here. I was 76th out of 304 and didn't do too well in my M55-59 age group, 9th out of 23. My splits were: 7:22, 7:28, 7:38, 7:12, 7:53, 8:26, 8:40, 7:46, 8:20, 8:29, 9:08, 10:34, 8:09 and 7:33 over the last 0.16 mile.

Other people did well: Kevin Woodruff finished 2nd in my M55-59 age group in 1:37:28 to take over 2nd in the M55-59 RROY standings (48 to 43). Prem finished in 1:42:42. Andy Ciaio finished in 1:44:07. Wilt Alston finished in 1:45:13. I wished I had stuck around for the awards. Chris Patterson in 1:26:43, won his M30-34 age group. Tim Dwyer in 1:29:16, won my M55-59 age group, Heather in 1:37:33 was 3rd woman overall and first masters woman.  Bill Beyerbach in 1:41:22, won his M60-64 age group. The official Oak Tree summary is here.

I caught up on coffee, Facebook and generally lazed around for a while before we absolutely had to do something for lunch.

A half rack of ribs, fries and beans really hit the spot!

So ... we headed out to The Original Charbroil House which is conveniently located just 2.5 miles away. Mmm!

Monday, 9/7/2015: Rest day

A truly needed day off from running. We lazed, lazed and lazed some more ...

I cooked chicken on the Weber while Christine made rice and ratatouille inside

Tuesday, 9/8/2015: A bike/run of 17.4 and 2 miles, 79F, 70% RH, 5 mph SW wind, partly sunny.

I probably should have stayed in on my day off but ... I had this crazy idea of getting out for a bike/run so I did. The bike was 17.4 miles at 13.8 mph average, 23.9 mph peak. The run was 2 miles on sluggish legs, 8:34 pace. I should have run the road instead of around the complex parking lot ... it would have been safer. I tried to use the Multisport mode on my Garmin FR310XT but messed it up so it came in as one run. I chopped up the TCX file by hand using Wordpad to get a bike and run into Strava.


 I enjoyed having 4 days off but back to work for a short 3 day work week.

Wednesday, 9/9/2015: 2 runs of 1 and Dirt Cheap #6 of 4.74 miles, 77F, 57% RH, 8 mph NNW wind, overcast.

My third race in 5 days, the Dirt Cheap #6 down at Stewart Lodge in Mendon Ponds Park. I had all the gear packed in the Equinox when I went to work so I just went there after work. A line of thunderstorms had moved through with some heavy rain during the late morning / early afternoon ...  the mud was waiting for us.

My lovely wife, Christine, wanted to meet me down there but her GPS got her lost so she went home  I was down there at 5PM in plenty of time for the 6 PM start. I got out for a nice and easy 1 mile trail run to check out the trail around Stewart Lodge, link here. There was a bit of mud and standing water so I knew that there was a lot more out there. I met up with Prem Kumar, Jeff Rose and Mike Meynadasy before the race.



The race director, Ellen Boutillier, had some words before the race about FOLLOWING the pink flags instead of the runner in front of you. The last Dirt Cheap #5 results were thrown out due to runners not following the course. And ... we were off!

Going down the hill just after the start - courtesy of Kim Smith

Going up the first hill - courtesy of Kim Smith

The first 1/4 mile was a couple of hills to get your heart racing and also to spread us out the trail went into single track. There was a brief bottleneck but I soon got up to speed and settled down. I have run a lot of Dirt Cheaps (40!) and soon saw some familiar terrain ... and mud, water, roots and rocks to boot. I was in trail running mode ... run the flats, run the downs, run the ups as much as possible, run through the mud (not around it), pass other runners as needed, say "Eh" if you know someone ... have fun! There was one spot near Devil's Bathtub where the flags led through a creek or you could have bailed out and ran across a bridge 20 feet away ... I went through the creek.

Catching some air - courtesy of Kim Smith

My Garmin FR310XT chirped after 4 miles so I knew that the race was almost over. I picked up the pace a bit ... I could see Jeff Rose 100 feet ahead. I tracked him down and passed him with 1/4 mile to go. And ... done in 46:48! Prem had finished ahead in 46:31, Jeff was behind in 46:57 and Mike behind him in 47:00. I had some water right away since I was parched. My splits were: 8:33, 11:22, 10:26, 9:54 and 8:49 over the last 0.74 mile.

I finished 48th out of 251-ish (ish because Yellow Jacket Racing never updated the list with all the runners), link here. I was 3rd out of 11 in my M55-59 age group, link here. I did OK in the series (best 3 out of 5 scored races since #5 was thrown out). I was 50th out of 155 overall, link here. I was 3rd out of 11 in my M55-59 age group overall, link here. It was pretty tight between Mike Viteresie and me with a 0.3 point separation but we were way behind the incomparable Ed Housel.

I hung around outside and was rewarded by the sunset. I snapped a few pictures like some others did.

Sunset over Hundred Acres Pond

I stuck around for pizza and the awards before heading home. Another Dirt Cheap series under my belt ... sweet!

Thursday, 9/10/2015 and Friday, 9/11/2015: Rest day.

I took a couple of days off from running because my right hip hurt a bit when I walked. So ... I rested. Boring but necessary at times.

Saturday, 9/12/2015: 5.3 miles, 42:44, 8:04 pace, 63F, 94% RH, 3 mph ENE wind, rain

Garmin Connect Activity for A rainy run

The forecast was a rainy weekend ... and it started to sprinkle and rain in the mid morning. I was up around 8AM. It was sprinkling and I could have gone out for a run but didn't. I read on Facebook of other runners being out and being awesome running the Rochester Marathon course or running various races. I dilly-dallied around and watched it rain, rain and rain some more. It seemed to stop for a while but I didn't get out. Finally I got tired of watching the DVR and watching it rain. So I got dressed and went out in a light rain anyway. The thing about a warm rain is that once you get drenched you can't get any wetter. I just got out there and ran. Yes, it rained and yes, I was drenched. But I was out there running so it was all good. My splits were: 7:57, 8:02, 8:00, 8:06 and 8:14 and 8:00 over the last 0.3 mile.

Other runners were out and about being awesome. The Old Forge Half in Old Forge NY was held, results here., The Pound the Ground 5k/10K was held out at Mendon Ponds Park, 5K results here and 10K results here. The Heart and Sole 5K was held at Camp Eastman, results here.

Sunday, 8/30/2015 to Saturday, 9/5/2015 - Summerfest 12K

I ran 3 times this week, 17.84 miles

Month of August 2015
I ran 26 times for 127.6 miles, 4.6 miles/run.
7 were warmups of 2.1, 1.8, 2.6, 1, 1, 1.5 and 1.2 miles.
4 were cooldowns of 1.9, 1.5, 1, 1.2 miles.
I ran 7 races (even with 2 weekends off): Sauerkraut 20K, Young & Wyld 5K, Bergen 5K, Innovative Edge XC Race #2, Dirt Cheap #5, James Franis / Andrea Kofahl 5K and Dam Good Trail Race.
I biked 2 times, 12.6 and 23.3 miles.

Sunday, 8/30/2015: Rest day

Other runners went big ... the 18.12 Challenge up in Watertown NY, results here and the Mendon Trail Half Marathon, results here. Me ... I stayed in and felt like a slug.

Later, I went out to see my daughter, Karen, out in Farmington to look at her laptop. I encouraged her to use Hibernate instead of Sleep to solve her BSOD problem and set up her backup routine on her external hard drive just in case. Then I did laundry (again) when I learned that my lovely wife, Christine, had spilled coffee on the bed sheets while I was gone. I could have gone out for a run at any point ... but didn't unfortunately.

Monday, 8/31/2015: Another rest day

A bit too hot and humid when I got home. Plus, my lovely wife, Christine, was itching to cook hamburgers on the grill for supper. I am getting good at making up the buns and condiments while she grills. Well ... maybe I can wake up early and get out before sunrise tomorrow.

Tuesday, 9/1/2015: Yet another rest day.

I had wanted to get up early to run before the heat of the evening but didn't. I thought about running in the heat of the evening but didn't. So ... I went to bed early so I could try again.

The used Garmin FR310XT that I bought off of Ebay came in today. I was amazed. I purchased it on Saturday from a woman in Oregon and it arrived in 3 days! It looked like new. I charged it up so it will be ready to go for a run tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, 9/2/2015: 9.4 miles, 1:16:47, 8:10 pace, 66F, 94% RH, 4 mph SW wind, a bit foggy.

Garmin Connect Activity for An early morning run

I woke up just after 3AM to go to the bathroom and just stayed up. My alarm was set for 4:30AM and I knew I wouldn't have been able to go back to sleep anyway. My lovely wife, Christine, was still up. She sometime can't sleep and just pulls an all nighter. I was out the door by 4:30AM. It was dark, warm and humid. I wore shorts, a short sleeve tech and my reflective vest. Yes, no headlamp. The route I ran had streetlamps and the waxing moon provided enough light on the sections of Island Cottage Rd that didn't have them. It really wasn't too dark. It was quiet and peaceful. I saw maybe 20 cars and two people walking their dogs on the entire run. My splits were: 8:08, 7:59, 7:57, 8:06, 8:28, 7:58, 8:04, 8:41 (stopped to take off my sweaty shirt), 8:13 and 8:00 over the last 0.4 mile.

Thursday, 9/3/2015: Rest day.

My right hip twinged when I walked today. It really kind of hurt. I had to stop and hope it would go away. I even walked slow ... which is highly unusual for me. Usually I walk fast and pass slower people at work all the time.

Friday, 9/4/2015: Taper day.

Yes, a taper day. I have two races this weekend. The Summerfest 12K down in Mendon Ponds Park is on Saturday, 9/5/2015 and the Oak Tree Half down in Geneseo is on Sunday, 9/6/2015. I plan to run the Summerfest 12K at a nice and easy (Ha! ... during a race?) pace so I hopefully run the Oak Treek Half a bit harder since it is a Rochester Runner of the Year race. I am in a fight for second place in the M55-59 age group with 43 points. The third place guy has 39 points and has only raced 5 races (and beat me in all 5). The points from his next race will all count. I have to place greater than sixth in my age group to improve my points since I have raced in greater than 6 races. Not that I keep score or anything, right? Not.

Saturday, 9/5/2015: 2 runs of 1 and Summerfest 12K, 73F, 78% RH, 4 mph SW wind, partly sunny.
I was up early (with 2 alarms set) at 6:30AM for my seventh running of the Summerfest (12K - 2009 in 1:02:42, 2010 in 1:01:05, 2011 in 1:00:41, 2013 in 59:23 and 2014 in 58:47; 5K - 2012 in 22:02).

Sunrise over the finish line - photo courtesy of Kim Smith

My lovely wife, Christine, still had a touch of a summer cold so she stayed home asleep. I dressed quietly, loaded my gear and hit the road around 7:40AM for the brief drive down to the Beach parking lot of Mendon Ponds Park. How many times have I been here on a race day morning I wondered. Anyway, I got there around 8:05AM to find the parking lot 95% full already. But I found a nice parking spot quickly enough and in plenty of time for the 9AM start. I met up with Prem Kumar before the start. He said he was going to run nice and easy too since he was also running the Oak Tree Half tomorrow.  I got out for a nice and easy warmup run of 1 mile at 8:01 pace, link here.

Just after the start - courtesy of Kim Smith

Somewhere in the middle of the race - courtesy of Kim Smith

And ... we were off! I tried to run nice and easy the entire race. I walked and drank water at all three water stops but didn't walk any hills. The race was hot and humid. I had forgot to put on BodyGlide so I was happy that the race was only 12K. The hills of Mendon were never ending like usual but they ended soon enough. And ... done in 59:27!

About a 1/2 mile from the end - courtesy of Barb Boutillier

I had a couple of hot dogs and some watermelon as my post race grub. Yellow Jacket Racing always puts on a great race ... lots of practice. I did pretty well. I was 24th out of 245, link here.  I was 5th out of 14 in my M55-59 age group, link here. Maybe I will race this race hard next year. My 12K PR is a relatively "soft" 58:47. Prem didn't run too nice and easy ... a 56:11.

The rest of the day was a pleasant blur of coffee, relaxing, lazing around and enjoying the day with my lovely wife, Christine. Now that I think about it ... I did get out to get my hair cut at the Sport Clips (I have gone to a super simple 3/4" on top cut). I do remember going to bed early around 10PM with an alarm set for the ungodly hour of 5:20AM due to Sunday's Oak Tree Half down in Geneseo.

Sunday, 8/23/2015 to Saturday, 8/29/2015 - Dam Good Trail Race

I ran 5 times this week, 33.86 miles.
I biked once this week, 23.3 miles.

Sunday, 8/23/2015: 2 runs of 1.5 and Dam Good Trail Race of 13.06 miles.

You know you are a runner when you wake up earlier on the weekend than you do during the week. This morning it was 5:30AM instead of 6AM. I got up, dressed a bit, made some coffee for Christine and did the dishes in the sink from the previous night that don't use the dishwasher (knives and a big pot). I woke up Christine up at 6:15AM. I geared up, got dressed, ate my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and remembered a change of course for afterward.

We left for the Mount Morris Dam at 6:47AM and arrived around 7:40AM in plenty for the 8:30AM start of my sixth Dam Good Trail Race (DGTR), (2009: 2:22:43, 2010: 2:19:52, 2011: 2:17:56, 2013: 2:15:35 and 2014: 2:21:45). I looked around and saw the usual trail runners by name and reputation: Andy Ciaio, Prem Kumar, Tom Butler, Kathy Reardon, John Muoio, Bambi Jasmin, Liz Matthews, Brian Matthews and Tina Pellegrin to name a few.

I got out for a nice 1.5 mile warmup run at 9:13, link here. It was half trail out on the Finger Lake Trail (LFT) for 0.75 mile and half back on the Park Rd. I kissed Christine for luck and got ready for the start. I carried my 20 ounce water bottle and 2 HammerGels. I remembered to apply BodyGlide and a bit of sunscreen. The course is your basic lollipop, with an out of about 6 miles with a loop turnaround.


It was low key start from the co-leaders, Doreen and Michele Fanton. And ... we were off! I kept to the right on the early part of the FLT just I did on my warmup run. We were a bit packed in and I kept up with everyone at a kind of hard trail pace.

Going out ... courtesy of Anita Cornell

Going out --- courtesy of Alex Tong

Andy Ciaio passed me around mile 1. I walked a bit when I had to on the hills but not too many of them on the out. I had my first HammerGel at mile 5. The fast runners started to come back as I got closer to the turnaround. Liz Matthews was 6th overall at that point. I met Tina, who had a hour early start, just before the turnaround. I had my second and last HammerGel at the turnaround. It was warm but I was still keeping up a nice and easy trail pace. Prem Kumar passed me. Just before I exited the lollipop I slipped a bit as I went down into a creek. John Muoio passed me, he looked strong. Now it was back the way I came for a little over 6 miles. I remember just running and running. I said "Hi" to Tina when I passed her as I walked up a hill. I ran out of energy with about 4 miles to go but I kept on running. I tripped a couple of times but didn't fall. I got to the last aid station ... 2 miles to go.

Coming back ... courtesy of Alex Tong

The roots seem a lot bigger now ... courtesy of Anita Cornell

Onward ... onward ... 3/4 mile to go. I picked up a bit of speed ... then a double trip on the right and left foot but I didn't fall ... no one ahead or behind so I just dialed it back into a really nice, easy and careful pace to the finish. And .... done with 13.06 miles in 2:21:35. I was a bit overheated and parched. Chris O'Brien was a bit concerned for a minute or two. I do push myself and can look a bit ragged when I finish.

My splits were: 9:05, 9:58, 9:47, 10:04, 11:13, 11:39, 12:07, 11:57, 12:28, 10:28, 11:22, 12:10, 9:15 and 10:52 over the last 0.06 mile. The results are up on ultrasignup.com, link here. I did OK, 55th out of 125, 6th out of 18 in my M50-59 age group.

The post race grub at the DGTR was impressive as always ... pizza, bananas and a large assortment of homemade cookies and breads. Mmm ... yummy! I sat down and was really tired. I did a complete change from my wet and sweaty running clothes ... that did feel better. I let Christine drive the Equinox back up to Rochester. Then we dragged ourselves upstairs and both took a nap. A late supper ensued along with a later bedtime.

All in all, an excellent racing weekend ... the James Francis / Andrea Kofahl Memorial 5K on Saturday, 8/22 and the Dam Good Trail Race today!

Monday, 8/24/2015: Rest day.

The normal day off after racing on Saturday (1, 2.93 and 1 miles) and Sunday (1.5 and 13.06 miles).

Tuesday, 8/25/2015: Laundry day.

Hey ... sometimes you just need to do laundry instead of run. My tech clothes were first though ... followed by two more and setting up more in the washer and dryer for the next morning. This GE washer and dryer that we bought from Charlotte Furniture work well. The washer spins the clothes so well that the dryer doesn't take long to dry the clothes.

Wednesday, 8/26/2015: 3 runs of 1.2, 7.6 and 1.2 miles.

Fleet Feet held a Fleet Feet Brooks Power Hour event at Hose 22 tonight. This restaurant is 1.2 miles away from the townhouse so I decided to run there. First ... I got a late start because I couldn't find my SpiBelt that I use to stash my Droid. I looked in the usual hiding spots but no luck. Maybe I left it down at the Mount Morris Dam Visitor's Center where I changed after the DGTR ... the answer would be no ... I called and asked the next day.

Enough time wasted ... I ran 1.2 miles over to Hose 22 and got over there just before the Power Hour started. Luckily it started a bit late so I had some time to catch my breath. The instructions from Ellen were simple: run as far as you can on the prescribed Rochester Marathon course for 30 minutes and then come back for 30 minutes.


And ... go! I started out quick and soon I was behind just Jim McLaughlin, then Kevin Clinfelte and another runner. The course out was north on the Turning Point Park boardwalk and then north on Lake Ave past the Holy Sepulchre and Riverside Cemeteries. I was at mile 3.8 just past the St. Bemard's Apts when I turned around. So back I came ... thirsty but back I came anyway. Me ... carry water? Hmm ... no. I started to pass other runners on the boardwalk and more as I got closer to Hose 22. And ... Ellen announced that the hour was up! Done with 7.6 miles in 60 minutes at 7:53 pace ... nice! Well ... not so nice when I looked down at my white tech shirt. I had forgotten to put on BodyGlide. So ... my left nipple had gotten irritated and bled.

I really need to remember to apply BodyGlibe!

I was a bit embarrassed. Yes, it was mentioned on Facebook and my lovely wife, Christine, noticed that. I showed Boots and he said "It happens, just wait until you shower." Yeah ... it was a bit painful. I had some adult beverages with Jeff Rose and his wife. Then I ran the 1.2 miles back to the townhouse in the gathering gloom of nightfall.

I tried to upload from my Garmin and had mixed results. The GPS tracks of two out of the three runs were off back and didn't start or end where I was. I didn't run across the Genesee River on the way back for instance. That's the first time that has happened in years. I can remember that it happened once before.

Thursday, 8/27/2015: Rest day ... the usual after runs totaling 10 miles the night before.

I still haven't found my SPIbelt. I reached out to the race directors of DGTR via Facebook and posted on my Facebook wall but nada. I run a lot of races (41 so far this year and over 341 lifetime) and this is the first thing that I can remember losing so I do take care of my stuff ... oh well. Though I may not be able to find a specific item for a bit or a while in the townhouse ... I do usually find it when I want it.

Friday, 8/28/2015: 9.3 miles, 1:15:55, 8:10 pace, 70F, 64% RH, 9 NNE wind, sunny.

Garmin Connect Activity for A soothing 15K

My lovely wife, Christine, had other plans when I got home but I did get out for a run later. It was more than a bit frustrating trying to make up for not having my SPIbelt. I tried to carry my Droid in a belt with a water bottle behind my back ...too bouncy. I tried to carry my iPhone in a ApiPod on my shorts with no drawstrings ... too droopy. So I changed into my short tights ... OK so out I sent. I really needed to run by now to release stress. The 15K at a nice, easy and steady pace really helped. I should have put on BodyGlide again ... the shower afterward stung my left nipple which hadn't really healed from Wednesday night.

Well ... I bought a used Garmin FR310XT off of Ebay from a woman in Oregon. It was a good price so I went for it. I was enticed by the new Garmins but I got sticker shock and decided to stay with my tried and true FR310XT. I like that fact that it can jump between running and biking. Now ... maybe I can trick it out with a foot pod for running, a quick release kit for changing between the run and the bike and a cadence/speed sensor for the bike

Saturday, 8/29/2015: 23.3 miles, 1:43:26, 13.5 mph, 59F, 88% RH, 6 mph WSW wind, sunny.




Today is a big day for a lot of runners. The ultra running crowd that I knew were either at Green Lakes Endurance Runs with 16 100K finishers and 121 50K finishers, link here; Twisted Branch 100K with 47 finishers, link here; or the last Megatransect ever with 752 finishers down in PA, link here. You know who you were!

I wanted to do something big on this beautiful Saturday morning ... what to do? So ... I went on my longest bike of the year. I lost my water bottle on a bump somewhere but it was still a nice ride!

The rest of the day was just lazing around and catching up on Facebook to see how all the ultrarunners were doing. Some day ...