Sunday, 8/21/2016 to Saturday, 8/27/2016

I ran 3 times this week, 40.6 miles.

Sunday, 8/21/2016: Travel day

Christine and I woke up at the Motel 6 in Streetsboro OH. I really slept in until 8:45 AM so there was no time for a morning run. We had to be out of there by 11 AM and just made it.

Here is my review of the Motel 6 ... basically, it's a cheap roof over your head. We had stayed there before when it was a Microtel. It was better then. Then they had a continental breakfast ... now just coffee. Then they had toiletries ... now just soap. Then they had Kleenex in the bathroom dispenser ... now either they don't or the housekeeping guy from Nepal didn't understand me. So ... the room had 2 queen beds, a 32" LCD TV that was hooked up to antenna not cable, a closet. It did have a refrigerator and microwave which was a plus. Another plus was just $135 for 2 nights which saved us $185 over the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls. Yes, it was 20 miles away but Christine and I drove to the wedding venue only twice.

We had a pleasant breakfast at Bob Evan's and then hit the road. We called ahead to Russo's Pizza on Long Pond for a large cheese and pepperoni pizza since Christine didn't want to make supper. We were home by 5 PM.

Monday, 8/22/2016: Rest day.

I forgot both my personal and work cell phones this morning. I guess I was still in vacation mode.

Tuesday, 8/23/2016: 11 miles, 1:32:45, 8:26 pace, 82F, 40% RH, 7 mph W wind, sunny.


It was a Tuesday and I know what I do on Tuesdays ... I run. I had the running gear in the Equinox, changed after work and headed to Herrema's like usual as of late. I made a slight detour on the way to Ontario Beach Park to hit the head before I headed out. So it was just a slightly longer variation in my usual bridges route. The weather was ideal: a bit warm but not too much humidity. I pushed the pace when I could and just enjoyed the run. I think I am getting the hang of this route ... or you could say that I am making these hills my bitch! My splits were: 8:19, 8:32, 8:13, 8:15, 8:28, 8:36, 8:54, 8:39, 8:11, 8:26 and 8:11. Christine had been cooking in my absence. The result was a delicious chicken ... yummy!

Wednesday, 8/24/2016: Rest day ... nothing unusual.

Thursday, 8/25/2016: 9.5 miles, 1:22:52, 8:43 pace, 84F, 62% RH, feels like 88F, 10 mph WNW wind, overcast.

Garmin Connect Activity for Back at Herrema's

Man, what a difference between the running conditions on Tuesday and Thursday night! It was much more humid tonight which affected my pace. I headed down to Herrema's after work. I was a bit late because I had to detour around an accident on Route 531 and I-390N. I set up a really nice and easy pace on my usual Bridges route. I made sure to hydrate every mile or so. Fleet Feet held a Pub Run from Hose 22 on Stutson St so I started to run into their runners as I hit the Genesee River Trail. They were mostly running my pace so I just ran with them. I thought about going to Hose 22 after my run but I was sweating profusely and also knew that my honey was cooking supper. My splits were: 8:53, 8:17, 8:31, 8:32, 8:49, 9:07, 8:44, 8:25, 9:29 and 8:14 over the last 0.5 mile.

I could smell food cooking when I got home ... ribs! I stripped and took a shower to cool off. Oh ... the ribs were yummy!

Friday, 8/26/2016: Rest day.

Saturday, 8/27/2016: 20.1 miles, 3:13:34, 9:38 pace, 63F, 94% RH, 3 mph WSW wind, sunny.


Well, I finally got a 20 miler done! It wasn't pretty but I got it done. I was up early at 5:15 AM and had a bagel and a bit of OJ while I waited for the sun to come up. I shouldn't have waited but I did. I got cobbled together hydration vest all geared up. I filled the 3L hydration bladder about half full and put as much Gu in my new Gu flask as I could. I had my doubts about whether I would be able to get anything out of it but I needed Gu. I set out around 6:45 AM. I set up a really nice and easy pace. My idea was put my pace at a "get it done" pace and just stick to it. So I did. I headed out on Edgemere Drive all the way (about 6 miles) and south on East Manitou Rd to Frisbee Hill Rd. I didn't like the north edge of Frisbee Hill Rd or some of the west edge of Lowden Point Rd. It was extremely narrow or non-existent with the road crumbling away. There was a lot of cars on the 1/4 mile stretch of Frisbee Hill Rd but luckily no cars on Lowden Point Rd. I had a decision to make once I got back to Edgemere Drive: go right and head back for about 16.5 miles or left for more mileage. I turned left. I didn't loop again. I just headed back out Edgemere Drive and then south for most of Frisbee Hill Rd and headed back. I thought I had enough mileage and I did. I was starting to get a bit pooped. I had started hydrating at mile 4 every 2 mile and I started to take Gu at mile 6 every 4 miles. I was correct about the Gu flask ... I couldn't get anything out of it. I solved that problem by just opening it up and sucking the Gu out. Not bad but I am certain that it was not intended to be that way. Note to self: contact the Gu people. Anything I was slowing and started to walk a tenth or two every mile from mile 16 on. I started to see the Fleet Feet Half Full Marathon (HFM) pace groups at mile 18. I saw Kathy Reardon who was pacing the 10s and also Amy Lord who was pacing the 13s or 14s. I was more than happy to stop after 20.1 miles. The coffee in the townhouse was already brewed and I drank a mug on the back porch while I toweled the sweat off me. My splits were: 8:51, 8:51, 8:46, 9:01, 8:59, 9:01, 10:07, 8:57, 9:13, 9:15, 11:12, 9:14, 9:43, 9:14, 9:44, 9:41, 11:25, 10:01, 11:10, 10:18 and 8:46 over the last 0.1 mile.

Now I have another decision to make: do the full Rochester Marathon on the 18th or drop down to the half? I'm pretty sure that I can do the full. It probably will be a sufferfest and it won't be a BQ. I know for a fact that I can't run a sub 8:58 pace (which is the current BQ pace for M 60-64) for a full marathon. I'm stubborn so I probably do the full. I have until the end of August to drop down without financial penalty. I signed up for the Summerfest 12K on next Saturday on September 3rd and plan to do another 20 miler on Labor Day, September 5th.

Facebook reminded me that my darling ex-girlfriend from the late 1970s, Christine Wisniewski, first contacted me seven years ago on August 27th, 2009. I learned that she had been married for 11 years (the marriage was just a week after I had married in 1980) and was known as Christine Ligas. Well ... long story short ... I had gone out to visit her just nine days later after I ran the 2009 Summerfest 12K. I didn't know what to expect and thought seriously of turning back when I got to the OH border. But I didn't, nor did Christine not open the door when I arrived. I made sure to kiss her within a minute of meeting her again. Sparks flew at the bottom of the stairs and again at the top of the stairs ... she did say that she got weak in the knees. It was a hot and steamy Labor Day weekend for sure! She ended up moving to Rochester in November 2009, we got engaged at 2011 Summerfest and married on November 30, 2012. So ... behold the power of Facebook to bring people together! We did celebrate appropriately after I woke her up, ;-)!