Sunday, 7/17/2016 to Saturday, 7/23/2016 - Dirt Cheap #4

I ran 4 times this week, 10.36 miles.
I biked twice this week, 25.81 miles

Sunday, 7/17/2016: A RBR of 2, 12.16 and 2 miles, 1:28:48, 63F, 84% RH,  3 mph SW wind, mostly sunny



I woke up with the idea that if I couldn't do the Shoreline Du that I would do my own version and save $75. I mean no disrespect against Shoreline. I did the Shoreline Du last year and have done the Half 5 times. It's just I can't "race 'em all"

Anyway, I read the instructions (gasp!) of my Forerunner 310XT, set up a RBR with transitions and did the DeWeaver RBR. I went out and back for a mile at 7:53 pace. Then I went inside, got my bike, took a swig of water and went out to East Manitou Rd and back for 12.16 miles. My average speed was 14.1 mph. Then I put my bike away, threw down my helmet and gloves, changed my shirt, took another swig of water. Finally, I went out for another mile and back at 7:57 pace (though it felt a lot slower). Boom ... done! My transitions of 2:39 and 2:55 were slow but I did have to lock up the townhouse. I'll have to work on getting my darling wife, Christine, awake enough to help. I must say I was not impressed with the data that the Forerunner 310XT gave back on this multi sport event with no splits.

My darling wife, Christine, made me a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bagel and bacon!

Mmm!

Meanwhile, the Shoreline Du and Tri went on out on Hamlin State Park. Here are the links: 56 finishers in the Du Overall, 11 teams in the Du Team, 99 finishers in the Tri Overall and 4 in the Tri Team. Much respect to all participants.

Monday, 7/18/2016 and Tuesday, 7/19/2016: Rest days.

Wednesday, 7/20/2016: 2 runs of 1 and 5.36 miles, 79F, 42% RH, 3 mph NW wind, mostly sunny.

It was a Dirt Cheap Trail Race #4 (DCTR) Wednesday so I packed my running gear along with my much unused Salomon SpreedCross 3 trail shoes in the Equinox. I changed at work and went straight to the venue, the Parkview Lodge of the Webster Town Park. I got there around 5:40 PM and snagged a front row parking spot.

Hanging out with Bill Murphy and Ellen before his early start at 6 PM

I hung around a bit and got out for a 1 mile warmup run at 9:20 pace, link here. I saw that the trails were dry and dusty. I went straight to the Equinox to swig some water and to towel off my sweat. I carried a 10 ounce water bottle since this race is cup free. Ellen mentioned that she didn't know about whether there would be a creek run because of the dry conditions. Yes, she did mention that "if you get lost it's your fault!"

Men's start ... photo courtesy of Sue Scheuch

Coming down the hill just after the start ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester

The open field after the big hill ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester

I took up my usual starting position of about 5 yards back and off to the right. And ... we were off at 6:30 PM! The women started at 6:35 PM. I have run this course many times so I knew what to expect. There is a steep downhill just after the start, then lots of twists and turns, some up and down, lots of roots, some branches and prickers, a creek run (maybe) and it's the longest one of the DCTR series.

One thing you have to be aware of during a trail race is your footing. You have to be focused on the trail in front of you, look for flags and if there are any branches around your head. You can't think about much else. Oh sure, you can think about the person in front of you, you can think about passing or being passed, how thirsty you are or how tired you are but you can't think about much else ... unless you want to potentially trip or do something stupid.

I managed to do all that. I just kept running. I managed a sip of water at mile 2 just before the self serve water station. Kept running. Joe Ciecierega and Andy Ciaio passed me. The creek that we run in for 100 yards during the middle of the race was dry with no mud. Kept running. I thought Boots had inserted more flags than usual. I heard Ellen's voice so I knew I was close but more hills first. Then the bridge about 1/4 mile from the end. Boots was there saying "sharp right ahead" ... and right into a creek with mid shin deep water for 10 yards. Then one more hill and up Heckler's Hill and ... done in 49:04 (49:05 officially).

The impromptu creek run .... taken from Jill Nunes Madden's Facebook page 

A line of runners on Heckler's Hill ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester

I was parched and got some water right away. Then I snagged a couple of hot dogs and some yummy macaroni salad ... sweet! I did pretty well ... 75th out of 397, link here. I was 2nd in my M 55-59 age group behind Jim Roche. I did see him at the start and knew better than to try to stay with him. I talked a bit with Andy Ciaio who was going to run the inaugural Candlelight 12 on Saturday night. I didn't stick around for the raffle and went home to my darling wife, Christine.

Thursday, 7/21/2016: 13.64 mile bike, 1:04:59, 12.6 mph average, 91F, 41% RH, 13 mph W wind, mostly sunny.


It was hot and I wanted to exercise after work so I chose to bike. There was a stiff west wind but I pedaled into it anyway. It cooled me off a bit but sweat still dripped onto my legs occasionally. It seemed that I had either a head wind or side wind the entire way. Then I took a dip in the complex pool after coming home to change. I even rode my bicycle down with my towel. It was a bit like being a kid again.

Friday, 7/22/2016: Rest day.

I try to eat a healthy lunch ...

Saturday, 7/23/2016: Race day ... opps, another rest day.

I got up early and got ready to head down to Newark for the Fireman's 5K. I geared up and convinced Christine to come along. Well ... about 3/4 way there on the NYS Thruway I had the inkling of a doubt that I was coming out on the wrong day. Christine tried to use Google to figure out the day and finally hit upon www.pcr-timing.com which confirmed my error. Well, we continued onward. We got there to see no runners but did see a car show. So ... I was pissed at myself a bit but decided to make lemonade out of lemons and enjoyed the small car show. I talked with owner, Jim Beers, of a 1954 Corvette. He bought the car in 1975 and has totally rebuilt into a fine looking Corvette!

This 1954 Corvette caught my eye.

I found a car with a Christine license plate

Then we headed back up to Rochester via the scenic route of the back roads to Marion, up route 21 and then west on 104. We stopped briefly at the East Palmyra cemetery to look at my Mom and Dad's grave

Mom (12-01-1924 to 01-14-2004) and Dad's (09-21-1925 to 03-10-2014) gravestone

I took my darling wife, Christine, to get her lovely nails touched up at New Nails. Then after a brief nap, we managed to get out for a dip in the cool waters of the Greenleaf Meadows pool.

Oh, we caught a ESPN 30 for 30 piece, named "Believeland" about Cleveland's heartaches with its sports teams from the Cleveland Browns in the 1960s with Jim Brown all the way to the Cavs winning the 2016 NBA Championship, "Cleveland! This is for you!". I just happened to be flipping through the channels and found it ... sweet!

A tech Oh! Once again, oldversion.com has saved my bacon. I have been using a 2001 Deluxe version of Quicken for my finances all the way through Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP and 7. Well ... when I upgraded to Windows 10 it wouldn't install. So ... I found Quicken 2004 on oldversion.com website, installed it, uploaded my backup and all is right. It might not be totally legal but it works.

Back to exercise. I had wanted to get in a long run on either Saturday or Sunday but surely didn't on Saturday. Oh well. All in all,  don't let life and things that happen get in the way of making the best of things that do happen.

Sunday, 7/10/2016 to Saturday, 7/16/2016 - Boilermaker 15K and Shoreline Half

I ran 6 times this week: 37.8 miles.

Sunday, 7/10/2016: 2 runs of 1.15 and 9.4 miles, 64F, 100% RH, 9 mph WNW wind, mostly cloudy.

Today was my fourth running of the Boilermaker 15K in Utica NY. I will try my best to put down in words the Boilermaker experience. My alarms (yes, I set 2 alarms) went off at 3 AM. I was already slightly awake. I got about 4 hours of sleep. I woke up my darling wife, Christine, who was going along to support me as she had in the previous 3. She had a bit of trouble waking. I brewed up some coffee since I knew that she would need some caffeine. She said later that she fell asleep in the bathtub when I yelled up to her at 3:25 AM. I dressed quickly and had my usual pre-race cereal and banana. It was going to be a bit cooler in Utica with a high around 70F but humid. I chose my Reebok shorts and a 2015 Rochester Marathon white short sleeve tech shirt. I applied BodyGlide on my nipples just in case. I packed my small running bag with a jug of water, a 10 ounce water bottle, sunglasses, another pair of shorts, another short sleeve tech shirt, some small towels, some protein bars and a long sleeve tech shirt (just in case).

We took the Cruze and left at 3:52 AM. We arrived down at the Park and Ride lot next to SJFC for the 10th GRTC Boilermaker bus at 4:12 AM. Strangely there wasn't much traffic on the Ontario State Parkway, I-390 or I-490, lol. This year there was only one bus making the trip. The bus was already almost full. A woman graciously gave up her seat for us when she saw that we were a couple. Wilt Alston took attendance and passed out the 10th Boilermaker bus trip perk, a free GRTC short sleeve tech shirt. I got a Men's large and Christine also got a Men's large later.

The bus ride was uneventful. I snuggled up against Christine while we rode in the predawn darkness. Soon it got light as we rode eastward to Utica. I changed into my new shirt and ate half a bagel as we got into Utica. I decided not to carry water or wear a hat. I do tend to be a minimalist runner that doesn't carry much. I know that if I carry a water bottle during races that I tend to stop less at water stops but don't drink as much water. I also know that if I don't carry water that I do stop at some water stops to make sure that I drink all of the water in the cup. I guess it all depends on my mood and the length of the race whether I carry a hand bottle of water or not.

Christine and I in Utica on the bus

The bus dropped us off around 7 AM. I started to walk about a 1/4 mile up on Dwyer Ave to the tent where the bibs were being given out. This year I had a brown bib which entitled me to a corral about 1/10 mile from the start. Christine rode onward with the bus to the Saranac Matt Brewery. The Boilermaker is a point to point race. I saw Bill Beyerbach who was running his first Boilermaker. He was worried about how to get back to his car after the race. He later found out that there were shuttle buses for that problem. I saw some runners warming up in what looked to be a trucking company parking lot above Dwyer Ave so I joined in with a 1.15 mile warmup run at a really nice and easy 9:03 pace, link here. I really ran just to pass the time. I took care of some business in the bushes (like a lot of runners, male or female) since the line for porta-potties was quite long. With about 20 minutes to go before the race start at 8AM I started to make my way through the crowd of runners to my brown corral and made my way up to stand next to Wilt. The wheelchair racers started at 7:45 AM. I had a bit of trouble starting up my RoadId eCrumb. I couldn't get a reliable 4G or 3G signal and finally got one about 30 seconds before the start. Christine does like to track me during my races.

Before the start - looking ahead

Before the start - looking behind

The start of the Boilermaker about 1/10 mile ahead of me ... a screen capture from marathonFOTO.com

And ... we were off! I could see runners running in front of us. Soon I was walking ... trotting ... and running slowly and then running on Culver Ave. I would say that it took 30 seconds to get up to the start line. I slowly got up to speed. The house at the 0.1 mile mark had the same music and a guy announcing that we had 9.2 miles to go. It did amuse us for a couple of seconds! It was a bit of scrum for the first mile with faster runners trying to get around. I got gently elbowed about three times by runners trying to get through openings that were not wide enough. I didn't get tripped from behind so it was all good. The road ahead was a solid sea of runners. Culver Ave turned into Memorial Parkway just after mile 1. The mile 1 clock flashed 8:06 as I ran past. I noticed that Wilt made a beeline for some bushes at mile 1.75. There was a real light mist of rain at mile 2. It felt nice but didn't last. We turned left onto Valley View Rd just before mile 3 as we made our way out to the golf course. Then it was a right onto Steele Hill Rd into the the Valley View golf course. This is the "big" hill. It's a long winding hill and longer than it looks.

This pic looks to be on Valley View Rd during mile 4 ... a screen capture from MarathonFOTO.com

I could see a line of runners going up and up. So I did too. I slowed a bit as I made my way up. Soon I was at the top and was rewarded by a long downhill on Master Garden Rd at mile 4 and then back onto Memorial Parkway. I remember that the mile 5 clock flashed 34:35 so I knew I was running sub 8 pace. A jog onto Genesee St, Shepard Place, Sunset Ave and then on Burrstone Rd led to mile 6 ... still under 8 pace. A long slight uphill started and led past the 10K mark, which doubles as the 5K start and continued until a right onto Champlin Ave just before mile 7. I was slowing as I felt a hot spot on my left big toe. I was determined to not stop on this stretch but I definitely was not running as fast either. I shortened my stride to deal with this. I started to walk into some (I think about 5) water stops to make sure that I downed all the water in the cup. The crowd about both sides of the streets started to swell and get louder. I remember the guy on stilts between mile 7 and 8 giving out low fives for him but high fives for us. I was definitely ready for the race to end but kept on running as best I could. The clocks at the mile markers had continued to read that I was running sub 8 pace. A right onto Whitesboro St between mile 8 and mile 9. Then a right onto Court St just before mile 9 ... getting there. There were bells and clapping and yells from both sides ... getting there. A nice downhill ... finish line in sight .... sprint ... taking the right side of the wide chute ... finish clock just at 1:13 ... done!

Sprinting for the finish ... a screen capture from marathonFOTO.com

Catching my breath after the finish ... a screen capture from marathonFOTO.com

I was parched but kept on walking ahead with other runners. I didn't get any liquid for a while ... which would have been bad if I had needed some. The fruit cup stand that gave out fruit cups that tasted heavenly. Then I was given a free (empty) water bottle, a bottle of water, a small chocolate milk. Then I arrived at the Saranac Matts Brewery parking lot where Nick and the Nice Guys were playing and got in the food line where I picked up a banana, chips and a couple of small protein bars. En route to where I picked up my Boilermaker glass I stopped at a beer truck for a nice and cold free cup of Saranac beer. Mmm ... tasty! The parking lot was populated with runners but walking was easy. I made my way out of the parking lot and across the park on the other side of the Court St to Warren St where the buses were parked to see "Hi" to Christine.

Then I went into "people watching" mode in the park as the park and parking lot got more and more crowded with runners of all kinds and just took in the scenery. I had some more nice and cold free cups of beer from time to time. There was a lot of see. The one thing that I remembered was a woman's shirt that read: Looks like walking, feels like running. I can relate. My running during the last three miles felt like walking yet I was still going sub 8 pace. Just getting it done, man.

Boilermaker 2016 swag: GRTC short sleeve tech shirt, Boilermaker glass and pin, Honda mini water bottle

My stats were: gun time of 1:13:02, chip time of 1:12:25 (37 seconds to reach the start mat), 7:47 pace, 1280th out of 11359, link here. I was 52nd out of 499 in my M 55-59 age group. My splits were: 8:03, 7:58, 7:53, 8:29, 6:55, 7:28, 7:56, 7:44, 7:48 and 6:55 over the last 0.4 mile. It certainly didn't feel like I was going sub 8 in miles 6, 7, 8 and 9 ... it felt like I was crawling! So .. of the 4 Boilermakers that I have done this is my 2nd fastest by 24 seconds gun time and 31 seconds chip time. I know I can go faster ... maybe next year.

The bus arrived back at where we started around 3:15 PM and we were home at 3:45 PM. Christine were upstairs to sleep for "30" minutes ... which ended up to be all night. I stayed up and synced up my Garmin Forerunner 220 which took a while. I ended up having to turn it off, hook it up to my laptop and then sync it. I watched a bit of America Ninja Warrior, NBC link here and Esquire link here, before I fell asleep on the couch.

All in all, a great day!!

Monday, 7/11/2016: Rest day ... well deserved.

I got an email from MarathonFOTO.com with my Boilermaker pics at 5 PM, link of 12 proofs here. Wow ... 30 hours later! The price of $24.95 for one pic is a bit outrageous. I think I will wait a couple of months to get a deal like I did last year. I will use screen capture until then.

Tuesday, 7/12/2016: 6.2 miles, 52:16, 8:25 pace, 90F, 41% RH, 6 mph SW wind, partly cloudy

Garmin Connect Activity for 10K around the RTP

I chose to run around the Rochester Tech Park after work again. My reasons: I could change right after work, I didn't have have to drive into Rochester to Cobbs Hill, there was an ice machine in the cafeteria before and after the run and a bathroom for changing into my swim trunks afterward. It was hot but I need to get used to the heat. I got out there and set up a just above a nice and easy pace. The ice in my 20 ounce water bottle was melted by mile 2, lol. My splits were: 8:38, 8:30, 8:24, 8:18, 8:26, 8:20 and 9:00 over the last 0.2 mile. Boom ... I got it done. It's all about mind over matter. I headed straight to the Greenleaf Meadows pool after a stop to get a towel and my complex ID (needed to access the pool or gym). The pool felt refreshing but I didn't stay in long since I was hungry.

Wednesday, 7/13/2016: Rest day ... like usual.

Fleet Feet Rochester turned 12 today. Here is a blog post from Boots, link here. I have associated with them in one way, either oney way or another by buying stuff from their stores, running their races, being a Brooks Racing Team member for a few years for the past 8 years.

Thursday, 7/14/2016: 6.5 miles, 54:25, 8:22 pace, 86F, 49% RH, 16 mph WSW wind, mostly sunny.

It was a Thursday and I run on Thursdays ... nothing unusual. What was unusual was the the venue. I decided to change it up a bit and find somewhere else to run. I chose the Ontario Beach Park (OBP) because it was close to home and it was close to Lake Ontario. It was hot and windy out so I thought that it would be cooler.


I just parked in the OBP parking lot, had some water, stretch a wee bit and headed out. The tail wind going out to the lighthouse at the end of the pier was nice ... it wasn't so nice on the way back. Then I got a bit of hill run on the way out to Lake Ontario on the other side of the Genesee River via Lake Ave, Pattenwood Drive and St Paul Blvd and back. My splits were: 8:26, 8:35, 8:17, 8:21, 8:37, 8:03 and 8:14 over the last 0.5 mile. It was a good route that could be easily added to by going up the Thomas Ave hill and circling around or by heading out to Durand Eastman Beach on Lakeshore Blvd. I had my complex ID so I went straight into the Greenleaf Meadows pool afterward (well ... I did take off the tech shirt and shoes). Aaahhh!

Friday, 7/15/2016: Rest day ... nothing unusual with a race the next morning.

Saturday, 7/16/2016: 2 run of 1.35 and 13.2 miles, 66F,

I set my alarm for 5:30AM but was awake at 5:14 AM. I asked my darling wife, Christine, if she wanted to come but she wanted to "do the laundry" instead ... i.e. sleep. Hey, I know watching a half can be boring. Anyway, today was my fifth Shoreline Half: 1:56:13 in 2011, 1:36:21 in 2012, 1:45:26 in 2014 and 1:47:04 in 2015. The weather at the Shoreline Half plays a big part in my times. It can be hot and humid ... my time plummets. Today was uncharacteristically cool but just as humid. I left at 6:35 AM and arrived at the Hamlin Beach State Park around 7 AM, just a 20 mile drive around the Lake Ontario State Parkway.

I just wore my loose Reebok shorts, a previous Shoreline short sleeve tech shirt along with my usual Brooks Adrenaline GTS15 running shoes. I tucked a couple of Accerl Gels in a Amphipod on my waist and carried a 20 ounce water bottle. It was a bit cool and wind up next to Lake Ontario. I almost thought of putting on a jacket ... just kidding. Though I did see some women wearing tights and jackets. I found an empty bathroom about 1/2 mile away for a bit of business before I got in a 1.35 mile warmup run at 8:49 pace, link here.

I ambled over to the start and settled in my usual spot ... about 5 yards back and a bit to the right. Ellen was kind of funny in her pre-race remarks: "now no remarks in social media about the weather ... it's the best weather in Shoreline history".


And ... we were off! I started out a bit hot with a mile 1 of 7:32. There was a woman running next to me that heavy metal music playing out loud near me for the first two miles. So annoying ... she moved ahead for a several miles before I passed her again.

During mile 1 ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

A long line of runners ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

During mile 2 ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester

The first and last 2 miles are entirely inside the park. The rest of the Shoreline Half course is just as flat and wide open. It was overcast and cool so I just ran and ran. I ran beside or close to a guy (I learned later that his name was Justin Mull) for a long while during mile2 2 though 11. We didn't say a word to each other ... we just ran. It helped that I had someone to keep pace with. I had a Gel at mile 6. The 10K mark passed in 48:48, 7:52 pace. I walked a few steps at mile 8 to drink a cup of water.

Crossing the bridge at mile 9 ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

Ahead of me at mile 9 was a guy, Justin Mull, who I ran near for most of the race ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

I saw Barb Boutillier at mile 9 taking pictures. She said "You look great!" ... I told her "I don't feel great" and kept running. I had another Gel at mile 10 along with a few steps to down another cup of water. My hand bottle was almost empty. I picked up the pace a bit and passed Justin for the last time. I got back into the park at mile 11. I was slowing and knew it. I really felt slow on mile 13 when we were running along the lake on the way to the finish. I think I passed the 20K mark (which was unmarked) in 1:38:40, 7:57 pace. I really thought I was running close to a 1:40 half so I was a bit dismayed when I saw a 1:44 and change when I got close to the finish. Breaking 1:45 is OK too. But hearing Ellen call your name at the finish ... priceless!

I was parched and had a couple cups of water. I ambled down to the lodge for some post-race grub of pizza, a couple of cookies, half a bagel and a banana. I checked the results and found that I was 4th out of 6 (at that time) in my M 55-59 age group. I stuck around for a bit anyway. I watched runners come in near the 3 hour mark. The determination on their faces was just inspiring!

Showing off the Shoreline Half bling!

I did pretty well. My official time was 1:44:24, my second fastest Shoreline Half and second fastest half of 2016 (Flower City Half in 1:43: 35). I finished 81st out of 853, link here. I was 4th out of 26 in my M 55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 7:31, 7:36,  7:44, 7:56, 7:57, 8:02, 7:45, 7:58, 8:07, 8:04, 8:20, 7:49, 8:07 and 7:25 over the last 0.2 mile. I closed with a 6:08 into the finish chute. The Shoreline 5K was also held with 165 finishers, link here.

Soon I was home with a mug of coffee and a bagel. Christine woke up and made a brunch of chicken strips. I even took a very rare afternoon nap while watching TV ... I was tired or was it a food coma? I also discovered an abrasion in my belly button. I think the buckle of my SpiBelt rubbed it while I was running the Shoreline Half this morning. I wear the buckle in front and the pouch with my cell in it in the back because it doesn't bounce as much. Oh well. Just another running thing to be aware of.

All in all ... another great day to bookend the week!

Sunday, 7/3/2016 to Saturday, 7/9/2016 - Brighton 5K

I ran 5 times this week: 17.08 miles.

Sunday, 7/3/2016: Rest day ... perhaps too much rest.

My darling wife, Christine, cooked up some readymade ribs that I bought on sale at Wegmans ... mmm, tasty! My honey also cut my hair for the fourth time. This time she did it outside so that the wind took care of the mess. She is getting quite good at cutting my hair down to about 3/8" all around. I do think that it helped that we only let my hair grow for a month before cutting it again. She said that I have a lot of snarls (which hurt to cut, trust me) when my hair is longer.

Monday, 7/4/2016: 3 runs of 1.65, 3.12 and 1 miles, 64F for the first two and 70F for the last, 64F, 68% RH, 7 mph W wind, sunny

I "slept" in until 5:50 AM for my second running of the Brighton 5K. I last raced this flat and fast 5K course in 21:01 back in 2011. I knew I was not as fast now in 2016 but still I had hopes of breaking 22 again like I did at the Medved 5K on Father's Day. I got dressed, had my usual pre-race breakfast of cereal and banana, got my gear ready, kissed Christine goodbye and headed down to Brighton High School on South Winton Rd. I arrived at the race venue around 7:10 AM in plenty of time for the 8 AM start.

It was warm so I just wore a old pair of black shorts, a 2009 Spring Forward short sleeve tech and sunglasses. I got out for a nice and easy 1.65 mile warmup run at 8:46 pace, link here. I lined up in my usual start position about 5 yards back and to the right.

And ... we were off! I got up to race speed quickly. I noticed Tony Gingello from GVH up ahead and decided to stick close to him. Tony is 69 but is faster than I am. I was able to stay with him for the first 2 miles but had to back off for the last mile. Still ... I finished in 21:36 which is my fastest 5K of 2016. My splits were: 6:46, 6:49, 7:09 and 6:40 over the last 0.13 mile.


The start ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

Just after the start ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

The finish is in sight ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

I did pretty well, I was 56th out of 552, link here. I was 3rd out of 22 in my M 55-59 age group, link here, so I stuck around for the awards. I did get in a 1 mile cooldown run before the awards at 9:27 pace, link here. The pancake breakfast in the cafeteria was $5 for runners. I had never had blueberries inside a rolled pancake before ... tasty.

Tuesday, 7/5/2016: 5.05 miles, 43:14, 8:33 pace, 88F, 38% RH, 9 mph W wind, mostly sunny.

Garmin Connect Activity for A hot nice and easy 5

I don't usually run the day after a race but it was Tuesday and I run on Tuesdays. It was hot so I didn't run as fast or as far. I didn't even drive anywhere after work. I had my gear in the Equinox and ran a single loop around the Rochester Tech Park at a really nice and easy pace. My splits were: 8:41, 8:46, 8:32, 8:23, 8:27 and 8:20 over the last 0.05 mile. I went home, stripped and took a shower right away.

Wednesday, 7/6/2016: Rest day ... also the first time in the Greenleaf Meadows pool. Aahhh!

Thursday, 7/7/2016: 6.25 miles, 52:41, 8:25 pace, 88F, 55% RH, 4 mph NW wind, partly sunny.

Garmin Connect Activity for A hot and not so easy 10K

I run on Thursdays so I ran. Some sayings that fuel me: part of running is mind over matter, running is a habit that needs scratching, long runs don't get done by themselves. Anyway ... it was hot and I ran when I ended up after work again, the Rochester Tech Park. I struck up a slighter faster pace and went a bit longer. I did put some ice from the cooler in the cafeteria in my 20 ounce water bottle which helped. My splits were: 8:25, 8:37, 8:33, 8:20, 8:32, 8:23 and 7:07 over the last 0.25 mile. Boom ... done.

Rochester has had 7 days over 90F this summer including the last 3 days in a row (90, 91 and 91). I am getting used to it.

Friday, 7/8/2016: Rest day .. the Boilermaker 15K is 2 days away.

Saturday, 7/9/2016: 19 mile ride, 1:26:36, 13.2 mph avg, 23.6 mph max, 77F, 69% RH, 10 mph WSW wind, partly cloudy.



I wanted to do something active but not run so I rode. I got out and did a 19 mile bike ride on my usual route. The wind was out of the WSW and it felt like it was in my face everywhere except when I rode north on Island Cottage. I surely don't know how riders can endure riding for so long. I wore my cushioned shorts but I was getting a bit sore after 90 minutes.

My darling wife, Christine, and I enjoyed our afternoon and evening together. We did get out to New Nails so she could have her nails cared for. She made a pasta dinner ... carb loading before the Boilermaker 15K tomorrow. I laid out and packed all my gear before we went to bed at 10 AM. I set 2 (not just 1) alarms for 3 AM. The GRTC Boilermaker bus was leaving for Utica from the Park and Ride lot near SJFC at 4:30AM.

Sunday, 6/26/2016 to Saturday, 7/2/2016

I ran 1 times this week, 37.47 miles.
I biked 1 times this week, 17.55 miles.

Sunday, 6/26/2016: 12.1 miles, 1:53:03, 9:21 pace, 73F, 69% RH, 7 mph SW wind

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to East Manitou Rd

I woke up around 6:10 AM but didn't get out until just after 8 AM. I should have gotten out earlier. The weather forecast was for a high of 90F and muggy. It wasn't so bad at 8 AM but by 10 AM it was definitely hotter. I did get out there but I melted (figuratively) on the way back. I weighed myself in the morning when I got up and when I got back ... I lost 3 pounds!

I had hopes of doing a strong half or maybe 16 miles but due to the humidity had to settle for what I did. I even took my shirt off for the last 2.5 miles. I have to start getting out earlier on the weekend for my long run! Anyway, my splits were: 8:28, 8:17, 8:15, 8:22, 8:45, 8:51, 8:47, 10:08, 9:58, 10:42, 10:42, 10:56 and 8:50 over the last 0.1 mile.

Monday, 6/27/2016: Rest day ... typical after running on Saturday and Sunday.

Tuesday, 5/28/2016: 17.55 on the bike, 1:21:07, 13.0 mph, 75F, 54% RH, 15 mph N wind, mostly cloudy.


I wanted to exercise. I switched it up and biked instead. I got out and tried to stay on roads with wide shoulders. I wasn't too happy on Edgemere Drive with its narrow shoulders and then trying to pass people fishing on my right while a truck was going by me on my left. But I survived (and so did the people fishing). It was windy heading west but much nicer heading east.

Wednesday, 6/29/2016: Rest day ... a bit gimpy from the bike ride.

Thursday, 6/30/2016: 12.12 miles, 1:40:16, 8:16 pace, 79F, 39% RH, 7 mph NNE wind, partly cloudy.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to East Manitou Rd II

I wanted redemption for melting on Sunday so I went out and did the same run a minute faster. My splits were: 8:06, 8:00, 7:54, 8:02, 8:03, 8:13, 8:22, 8:22, 8:58, 8:36, 8:24, 8:22 and 7:47 over the last 0.12 mile. So ... 6 degrees hotter but 30% less humid and I do better.

Friday, 7/1/2016: Rest day ... nothing unusual.

Saturday, 7/2/2016: 13.25 miles, 1:57:56, 8:54 pace, 64F, 68% RH, 11 mph WNW wind, sunny

Garmin Connect Activity for Out for  a half

Up early like usual but not out early ... like usual. I didn't get out until 8:30 AM. I usually just carry a 20 ounce hand bottle on my long runs. But I decided to show some love to my Salomon XA20 running backpack that I got at a Salomon outlet store in Niagara Falls Canada a few years ago. I threw away the Camelbak bladder that I had put in it (and never cleaned) and put in a brand spanking new Ultimate Directions 3 liter bladder that I bought a couple weeks ago at Medved. I filled it up about half way and headed out. I did put on sunscreen on my head and neck.

My thoughts were at least 13 miles and maybe 16. Well ... I did get greater than 13 miles but not by much. My splits were: 8:31, 8:13, 8:27, 8:35, 8:34, 8:35, 8:40, 9:11, 9:17, 9:08, 10:31, 8:57, 9:13, 8:32 over the last 0.25 mile. I was definitely slower than Thursday night. I did set out slower at a slower nice and easy pace though.

I liked not carrying a hand bottle and the ability to swing both my arms. I will have to get used to the "slosh slosh slosh" water sound. I bonked at mile 9 and 10. I should have had my HammerGel sooner. I just have to get past the 13 mile barrier if I want to do well at the Rochester Marathon coming up in just 11(!) weeks.

Sunday, 6/19/2016 to Saturday, 6/25/2016 - Medved 5K & Charlie's Old Goat Trail Race

I ran 6 times this week, 29 miles.

Sunday, 6/19/2016: 3 runs of 1.1, 1 and 3.16 miles, 75F, 47% RH, 9 mph WSW wind, partly cloudy.

I slept in until 6:10 AM on Father's Day. Then I got ready for my fourth Medved 5K to Cure ALS held down at Frontier Field in downtown Rochester. It was going to be warm so I just wore my Brooks shorts and an old Medved 5K tech shirt along with my Brooks Adrenaline GTS15 shoes. There was practically no traffic and I made it to the race venue by 7:35 AM for a primo shaded parking spot in plenty of time for the 8:30 AM start. I met up with Prem Kumar and got out for a 1.05 mile warmup run at a really nice and easy pace of 9:31, link here. Then I met up with Bill Beyerbach and went out for a 1 mile warmup at a faster nice and easy pace of 8:47, link here. I got some water and then settled in for the start next to Prem with Bill up in front near all the other GVH runners.

Milling around before the start ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of runnerspics.shuttlefly.com

The start! ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of runnerspics.shuttlefly.com

And ... we were off! I had no trouble getting up to race pace. A 5K is like a controlled sprint. I usually go out to too hard and can't hold it ... like this race. I wanted to break 22 minutes. I remember hitting mile 1 at 6:30 or so.

Just after mile 1 ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of runnerspics.shuttlefly.com

Then I slowed down. I could feel it. I would love to run a 5K all out once just to see if I could it. When I got near the finish I could see that I was going to break 22 which I was happy about. I was parched and quickly found a orange Powerade to gulp down. I checked the results and soon found that I placed second in my M 55-59 age group so I stayed for the awards. I won a free pair of Features socks from Medved Run & Walk!

Running down the third base line ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of runnerspics.shuttlefly.com

I did pretty well. I finished in 21:47, 72nd out of 503, link here. I was 2nd out of 28 in my M 55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 6:31, 7:03, 7:16 and 6:21 over the last 0.16 mile. I did slow down but I broke 22 ... so it was a good day.

I lazed around the rest of the day once I got home. I started off with the obligatory mug of coffee and bagel of course. Then I watched the US Open all afternoon. Dustin Johnson won, link here. I was happy (along with most of the males in America) to see Dustin's girlfriend, Gretsky, links here, congratulate him after he won. The internet either loved or hated her short white dress. I personally loved it.

Paulina Gretsky, Dustin Johnson and their son, Tatum

 My darling wife, Christine, cooked my favorite food for Father's Day ... ribs! Mmm ... tasty! Then we watched Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavs and the Golden State Warriors. It was a very close game and ... wait for it ... the Cavs won 93-89, links here, here, here, video mini-movie link here and The Block, links here, here and here. Lebron James put up a 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 blocks and 2 assists line. Lebron James, the favorite son of Akron OH, came home to the Cleveland Cavs and delivered the NBA Finals trophy just like he promised. He won the unanimous NBA Finals MVP trophy after averaging the best (first player ever) in points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals. What a game!

"The Block" by Lebron! ... photo courtesy of http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-chasedown-block-saves-cavs-game-7-finals-2016-6

Monday, 6/20/2015: Rest day ... moving on.

Tuesday, 6/21/2015: 8.6 miles, 1:18:49, 9:10 pace, 79F, 20% RH, 10 mph WNW wind, partly cloudy.

Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill

I needed hills so I loaded my running gear in the Equinox, changed after work and headed to Cobbs Hill. I did 2 grassy Vs, 2 Ys, 2 loops around the reservoir and then ran the long back to the Equinox with a total elevation gain of 813 feet. My splits were: 10:05, 10:02, 10:16, 9:08, 9:14, 8:41, 8:10, 8:17 and 8:15 over the last 0.6 mile. A bit of grocery shopping at Wegmans made it a long night before I had supper around 8:30 PM.

Wednesday, 6/22/2015: Rest day.

I watched "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" from Redbox. The movie did follow most of the story of "Pride and Prejudice" but threw in zombies ... cool!

Thursday, 6/23/2016: 8.6 miles at Cobbs Hill again.

I decided that I needed more hills so I loaded my running gear in the Equinox, changed after work and headed to Cobbs Hill again. Once I got there I found that I had no Garmin Forerunners (305, 210 or 310XT) in my bag. No matter ... I did the exact same route as Tuesday except that I did the 2 loops counter-clockwise instead of clockwise. Maybe I did it a wee bit faster than Tuesday.

Friday, 6/24/2016: Rest day ... nothing unusual with a race on Saturday morning.

Saturday, 6/25/2016: 2 runs of 0.55 and 5.99 miles, 70F, 80% RH, calm, sunny.

I slept in until 6:10 AM. Today was my sixth running of Charlie's Old Goat Trail Race put on by Charlie Sabatine. an interesting Google link about him here. Did you know that Charlie ran a 100 miler in 1989 when he was 56? I sure didn't! I quietly got ready with my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana. I woke up my darling wife, Christine, at 7:20 AM and she was ready to go at 7:45 AM. Then it was off to the Ganondaga State Historical Site south of Victor. We arrived at 8:15 AM in plenty of time for the 9 AM start.

I went up and got my bib. The weather was sunny and warm so I had on just my Brooks shorts, an old Charlie's short sleeve tech and my Salomon Speedcross 3 trail shoes. I didn't expect any mud but they do provide good traction on the trail. I got out for a real short 0.55 mile warmup run just short enough to build up a sweat, link here.

I settled into the start next to Prem Kumar with Bill Beyerbach, Wilt Alston and Andy Ciaio in front of me. There was no Native American prayer this year ... just Charlie going over some pre-race details and then a softly spoken "Go".


And ... we were off! I was a bit unprepared and hit to fire up my Garmin Forerunner 210 on the run which took about 100 yards. We had about 1/4 mile of grass meadow to spread out before we headed down into the trails.

The start ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shuttlefly.com

Turning my Garmin on while crossing the start ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shuttlefly.com

A line of runners ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shuttlefly.com

Charlie had told us that it was a shorter race and I did notice some differences here and there. I did make a mistake about 2 miles into the race. I was following Prem and then Wilt with Bill up front out of sight. All of a sudden three runners came back at us saying "you're going the wrong way". I knew I was going the right way but allowed doubt that I wasn't turn me around and follow them for a bit as runner after runner passed me going the right way. I turned around to go back the right way after a minute or so after I convinced myself that I had been running the right way all along. I was a bit miffed but stuff happens on trail races. I just started to pass the runners ahead of me as I could for the rest of the race. The stream crossing didn't have much water ... just enough to barely get your feet wet if you looked for a puddle to splash in. The good downhill that we ran down about 1/2 mile into the race turned into a seemingly steeper uphill on the way back. Then ... I was done in 58:44 by my Garmin (I did turn it on a bit late) and 58:53 officially.

Charlie was right there after the finish to hand out a small bottle of ... his signature. Soon I ambled down to the tent by the Visitor's Center for some post race grub (3 small squares of pizza, a brownie and some water).

I won a jar of Once Again Peanut Butter in the post race raffle

Christine and I had a free admission to the Visitor's Center courtesy of my running the race so we went through and looked at all the interesting exhibits.

All in all, a good race. My splits were: 8:08, 8:49, 11:20, 10:48, 9:51 and 9:48. I finished 40th out of 116, link here. I was 4th out of 10 in my M 55-59 age group. I was happy to note that I still finished behind Wilt despite my misadventure. This was a GRTC Rochester Runner of the Year race so I was a bit worried.

Sunday, 6/12/2016 to Saturday, 6/18/2016 - Dirt Cheap #3

I ran 4 times this week, 21.19 miles.
I biked once for 10.55 miles.

Sunday, 6/12/2016: 6.35 miles, 1:09:51, 11:00 pace, 61F, 45% RH, 17 mph NW wind, partly cloudy.

Garmin Connect Activity for 10K Fail

Well ... that didn't go well! I had thoughts about just a nice and easy 8 miles, 15K or a half when I started out. It was cooler and windy (such a difference from yesterday's 75F and 74% RH) so I wore my Brooks shorts and a long sleeve tech (yes, in June). I noted my right hip pain nagging at me as soon as I started. I figured that it would go away just like it usually does. Well ... it didn't go away. I continued on Edgemere Drive as I passed Schaller's as I looked to shorten the run to 8.2 miles. But ... I stopped at 3.2 miles and turned around. I tried to continue running but couldn't. I ran/walked/limped back home. It's a long ways when you can't run more than 100 yards. A runner who knew me said "Hi" as I walked past the Lake Shore Country Club on Greenleaf Rd. I think he (Phil??) disappeared either into Greenleaf Meadows on the left or Pebbleview Dr on the right. I have three races (Dirt Cheap #3 on 6/15, Medved 5K on 6/19 and Charlies on 6/25) in the next two weeks that I am signed up for and really want to run! I am not a happy camper if I can't run ... my darling wife, Christine, can tell you that.

I was sad most of the day after learning what happened overnight at the nightclub in Orlando FL, link here. There is sadly no shortage of links about this tragedy, rhetoric between Hillary and Donald, a much needed debate about an assault gun ban and any number of depressing news articles about death. My darling wife, Christine, doesn't want me to tell her about the news. She says that she saw enough death when she worked in healthcare and that it upsets her.

Later, I went down to see two of my three children. I gave my oldest, Michael, an Android charging cord and gave my daughter, Karen, back a dish that did have some delicious cookies. The usual catching up on stuff ensued.

Monday, 6/13/2016: Rest day.

I tried to watch Game 5 of the NBA Finals with the Warriors up 3-1 on the Cavs out in CA. If I had stayed awake, I would have seen Lebron and Kyrie combine for 41 each as the Cavs won 112-97, link here.

Tuesday, 6/14/2016: Rest day ... moving on.

Wednesday, 6.15/2016: 2 runs of 1.5 and Dirt Cheap #3 of 3.29 miles, 73F, 44% RH, 9 mph ENE wind, overcast.

I put all my running gear in the Equinox before work so I could go directly to Dirt Cheap #3 at Lucien Morin Park situated next to MacGregor's Bar & Tap Room. I got there a bit late at 5:40 PM but was still directed to a primo parking spot by Ellen (who seemed to be everywhere like usual). I geared up and got ready. I have run this course numerous times so I knew what to expect: a tight, technical course with lots of up and down and to be ready for anything: mud, bees, heat and humidity come to mind.

I got out for a not so short warmup and not so easy run of 1.5 miles at 10:43 pace, link here. I noticed right away that I was wearing my Brooks Adrenaline GTS15 shoes on trail and had the predictable kind of unstable footing. But I didn't turn back but went onward. I went longer than I thought and didn't know if I would get back out in time but I got back to the Equinox with about 6 minutes to go before my wave 1 start at 6:30 PM. I quickly changed into my Salomon Speedcross 3 trail shoes. Then I went up and toed the start line with Andy Ciaio and Joe Ciecierega among others.

The lead runners of wave 1 ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

Running down the stone road just after the start ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

The runners of wave 1 ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

And ... we were off! There was a cloud of dust as we ran down the stone road for about 1/4 mile before we turned left into singletrack. It was just long enough to get your blood pumping and to spread out a bit. Then the race really started. This course is very technical, narrow in spots with lots of roots along with lots of up and down. I was ahead of Andy and Joe for a mile before both passed me. Mile 1 was definitely quick for me.  I kind of ran out of gas after that and walked a few hills. I hung on as best as I could. Boots and Sean cheered me at a tight turn back into the woods for the last 1/2 mile. Up the last hill and then down into the finish with Ellen calling me in ... priceless!

I quickly drank the water in my 10 ounce hand bottle as I waited for my coveted long sleeve Dirt Cheap series t-shirt. I didn't put it on since I was dripping with sweat. Thankfully it was just a bit warm and not very humid. I went into MacGregor's for a bit of their post race grub: pasta, salad and a bun ... tasty!

I did OK. My splits were: 9:30, 11:30, 12:16 and 10:10 over the last 0.29 mile. I was 70th out of 443 overall, link here. I was 53rd out of 330 series overall, link here. I was a distant 2nd out of 16 behind Jim Roche in my M 50-59 series age group, link here. I thought I ran OK. I didn't have any right hip pain and didn't trip. There was no mud to speak up and no bees like a couple of years ago.

Another excellent Dirt Cheap put on Fleet Feet Sports and Yellowjacket Racing. It's easy to overlook how good they are at what they do but I try not to. Thanks!

Thursday, 6/16/2016: Rest day.

I watched Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Cavs and the Warriors, link here and here. Lebron was ON from the opening tip as the Cavs pushed to a 3-3 tie, 115-101. Lebron at one point in the 3rd quarter scored 18 straight points. The Warriors got within single digits a couple of times (8 and 7). Lebron had another monster game: 41 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Game 7 on Sunday night should be epic, an interesting link here.

Friday, 6/17/2016: 10.05 miles, 1:23:57, 8:21 pace, 84F, 20% RH, calm, sunny.

I needed to run so I didn't talk myself out of it. I just took it nice and easy. I wanted to go ten so I went out to Lowden Point Rd on Edgemere Drive before turning around. I added a wee bit to make it to 10 miles. My splits were: 8:24, 8:9, 8:13, 8:20, 8:21, 8:25, 8:22, 8:28, 8:30 and 8:21. I was dripping wet when I got done and proceeded directly to the shower.

Saturday, 6/18/2016: 10.55 mile ride, 47:59, 13.2 mph, 20.8 mph max, 86F, 19% RH, 4 mph N wind, partly cloudy.

I definitely needed to go out for "anything" after a "discussion" with my darling wife, Christine, on the way home for a nail salon appointment at New Nails. I had brought up a story that my oldest son, Michael, had told me that his mother had not fixed her parked car after it had gotten dinged because she had needed to pay off a vet after her cat had died. Well ... a "discussion" ensued. I just wish she could accept that yes, I had a life that involved an ex and three kids before I met her again. I give her that privilege that yes, she had a life that involved an ex and two kids before I met her again. Yes, she is fiercely loyal to me and does stick up for me. But there is a time and a place. A "Oh, that's too bad" reply and a quick change of the subject would have been so much better.

Anyway ... I needed to get out but not for a run since I had a race on Sunday. So I got ready to get out on my bicycle. I did have to pump up tires which finally broke my old car air compressor (the DC plug was cracked). The DC plug broke more and now the on/off switch is stuck in the on position. It still works though. Anyway, I got out for a bike ride which put me in a better mood.