Thursday, July 9, 2015

Sunday, 6/28/2015 to Saturday, 7/4/2015 - Irondequoit 10K

1 ran 5 times this week, 35 miles.

Sunday, 6/28/2015: 9.3 miles, 1:15:37, 8:08 pace, 57F, 93% RH, 7 mph E wind, overcast with a real light mist

I woke up around 8:15AM ... later than usual because I wore an eye shade. Yes, it was still drizzling ... it would drizzle the rest of the day. But I got up, dilly-dallied a bit and got out there. It was a bit cool so I wore shorts, a long sleeve tech, light gloves and a hat.

Garmin Connect Activity for A nice 15K route

I struck up a nice and easy pace and just ran. I headed up Greenleaf Rd, turned right on Beach Ave and headed toward the Ontario Beach Park boardwalk and then out onto the pier. It was quite foggy plus the waves crashed up and onto the pier ... got my shoes wet! Then it down Lake Ave, out Latta, up Dewey Ave to Beach Ave and back home on Greenleaf Rd. Not a bad route!

My splits weren't bad: 8:03, 7:57, 8:25, 8:20, 8:17, 7:57, 8:04, 7:58, 8:08 and 8:05 over the last 0.3 mile. I stopped to hydrate from my 20 ounce handbottle two or three times.

I wish I could say that the rest of Sunday was as productive ... but you would be wrong. I should have done a lot more ... but I just lazed around. I should have gone downstairs to unbox the basement but didn't. Hopefully I can get off my lazy butt over the long July 4th weekend.

Monday, 6/29/2015: Rest day.

My darling wife, Christine, and I reconnected after work. Then she made a scrumptious pasta dinner ... yum!

Tuesday, 6/30/2015: 9.3 miles, 1:14:38, 8:02 pace, 72F, 78% RH, 6 mph NW wind, sun & rain

What better way to close out the month of June but with a run in the sun ... well it was sunny when I started and when I finished. I just wore shorts, a short sleeve tech, sunglasses and brought my 20 ounce water bottle.

Garmin Connect Activity for A 15K in the sun, rain & sun

I headed on the same route that I ran on Tuesday ... a bit faster this time. It was sunny when I started but I saw dark clouds in the south. When I got to the Ontario Beach Park it started to sprinkle. The sprinkles progressed to a light rain and then a steady rain as I ran on Latta. I thought for a few seconds about turning back onto Greenleaf and cutting my run short to 5 miles but ... what fun would that have been? I was already wet and I could see clearing in the west. So I continued onward. The rain tapered to a sprinkle on Dewey. I saw a rainbow on Beach Ave. I saw steam raise from the road and felt pockets of chilly air as I ran down down Beach Ave ... kind of cool! Then it got warmer again as I climbed a small hill past the Lakeshore Country Club on Greenleaf. The sun was shining now but I was drenched ... nice! My darling wife, Christine, made me strip naked when I got home. She said that she was doing laundry ... sure, lol! She really was actually. My splits were: 8:05, 7:47, 7:34, 8:30, 7:58, 7:48, 7:58, 8:24, 8:11 and 7:54 over the last 0.3 mile.

I ran 21 times during June for 112.2 miles 5.3 miles/run. 7 of these runs were warmups before races. I ran 5 races: McMullen Mile, Webster Trail Classic, Dirt Cheap #3, Medved 5K to Cure ALS and Charlie's Old Goat Trail Run.

Wednesday, 7/1/2015: Rest day.

Gotta have them ... gotta hate them ... maybe I should cross train too ... OK, I know I should cross train.

Thursday, 7/2/2015: 8.2 miles, 1:03:31, 7:45 pace, 72Fm 35% RH, 9 mph NW wind, partly cloudy

Garmin Connect Activity for An out and back - a bit hard

It was Thursday so I ran. I dilly-dallied a wee but, had my pre-run bowl of cereal, got dressed and got out there. I decided to just do an out and back to Long Pong Rd at a not so easy, pedal down pace. My splits were: 7:50, 7:45, 7:46, 7:46, 7:39, 7:46, 7:43, 7:48 and 7:17 over the last 0.2 mile.

Friday, 7/3/2015: Rest day ... the usual before a race the next day.

Saturday, 7/4/2015: 2 runs of 2 mile2 and Irondequoit 10K, 61F, 85% RH, calm, partly sund.

I woke up at 6AM, got ready quietly, kissed Christine goodbye and headed out to my second Irondequoit 10K (a 44:09 in 2012). I got down the Christ the King Elementary School a hour before the 8:15 start time ... no worries. I saw Mark Herberger, Bob Dyjak and Roger Howe before the race. I got out for a really nice and easy warmup run of 2 miles at 8:51 pace, link here.


I lined up near Mark Herberger and positioned myself to the right about 30 feet back from the start line just like I usually do. And ... we were off! I ran next to Mark for the first mile in 6:53 down Kings Highway. This 10K course is deceptively easy for the first downhill 3 miles to Lake Ontario and then heads back uphill for the return to the Irondequoit Town Hall. Mark got ahead of me when I got caught behind some runners on a curve. He stayed there for the rest of the race but I kept him in sight. I got within 30 feet of him on the last small downhill about 1/4 mile from the finish. Mark said he sprinted up the last uphill ... I was really tired and couldn't match him. He was 100 yards ahead by the time I got up to Titus Ave. I tried sprinting after him but couldn't make up any distance. Mark finished in 45:09 and I finished in 45:14. I can't beat myself up about this race ... I didn't take any tiny walk breaks and I did the best I could. It was deceptively humid and I was soaked when I got done. My splits were: 6:53, 7:14, 7:09, 7:51, 7:39, 7:23 and 6:33 over the last 0.17 mile. There were a lot of curves on the course and I took advantage of everyone of them.

A sweaty post race selfie
I stuck around for the awards. Mark won his M60-64 age group and I was 3rd in my M55-59 age group, link here. Roger Howe won his M65-59 age group in 51:04 and Bob Dyjak finished in 55:15.

The Irondequoit 10K age group award - a nice touch
There were 6 races going on today with 2573 finishers in the greater Rochester area. The Brighton 5K had 574 finishers, link here. The Firecracker 4 had 701 finishers, link here. The Town of Greece Freedom Run 5K had 159 finishers, link here. The Sodus Lighthouse 5K with 634 finishers and the Irondequoit 2 mile / 10K.with 219 and 286 finishers, links here and here respectively. The 2 mile started at 7:45AM so I could have ran both ... maybe next year!

Meanwhile ... the trail runners who ran the 25K, 50K or 50M of the Fingerlakes Fifties down in the Finger Lakes National Forest in Hector NY contended with epic mud! 81 finished the 25K, link here. 112 finished the 50K, link here. 21 finished the 50M, link here.

I did get downstairs over Friday and Saturday to unbox some boxes in my new "Man Cave" portion in the basement. OK, maybe it could be called a "Computer Cave" right now. More work is needed but it's a good start.