Sunday, 11/20/2016 to Saturday, 11/26/2016 - Race with Grace 10K

I ran 5 times this week, 28.84 miles

Sunday, 11/20/2016: Rest day

Yes ... a rest day. I decided that I needed one after running three days in a row. I could have squeaked one by running in the morning but I didn't. The wind kicked up, the temperatures dropped. it rained by mid-afternoon and it snowed by evening ... and it snowed and blew some more.

Christine and I watched the Bills - Bengals game. The Bills squeaked out a victory, 16-12, link here. The Bengals kicker doinked two PATs off the right upright. Thus the Bengals needed a TD to win at the end ... which they didn't get. So the Bills have climbed back to a 5-5 record.

I went to bed early since I figured that I would need to leave early due to the snow. The forecast was for high winds and 8-12 inches of snow south and west of Rochester with limit accumulation up near Lake Ontario.

Monday, 11/21/2016: Rest day

I didn't sleep well due to the howling wind which rattled the window screens all night. I left 15 minutes early for work. I was met with clear roads and little traffic so ... yay! I saw on Facebook that Pittsford got 15" of snow. My son, Michael, texted me that Newark got 18" of snow. We had 2" of snow up 1/2 mile from the lake on Greenleaf Rd.

Tuesday, 11/22/2016: 5.5 miles, 44:33, 8:06 pace, 34F, 59% RH, 16 mph NW wind, wind chill 24F, overcast.


I swear I would forget my head if it wasn't attached. I left my wallet home when I went to work. What to do? Well ... I dressed for a pre-lunch run, drove up to where the LOSP trail hits Island Cottage, ran from there and stopped for my wallet on my way back to work. I chose Island Cottage and Janes Rd because they had wide shoulders that were "runner friendly". The wind was still there and it wasn't a warm wind either ... but I got the run done. Hey ... it was Tuesday and I run on Tuesdays. I didn't want to run in the dark and I needed to grocery shop for Thanksgiving in the evening too. Anyway ... my splits were: 8:09, 8:10, 8:16, 8:05, 8:02 and 7:43 over the last 0.5 mile.

I looked at my running spreadsheet and noticed that I was over 100 miles for November (11th straight month) and was at 1371 miles for 2016 (the most ever!) with 39 days to go.

Wednesday, 11/23/2016: Rest day ... like usual.

Thursday, 11/24/2016: Race with Grace 10K

Today's race was the Race with Grace 10K. The night before I looked at my running spreadsheet and found that this is my 12th running of a Thanksgiving race. I ran the Newark Turkey Day 5 mile Race for 6 years from 2005 (my very first race) to 2010, the Webster Turkey Trot in 2011 and now my fifth Race with Grace 10K from 2012. My times are: 2012 in 46:04, 2013 in 45:07, 2014 in 44:29 and 2015 in 45:58. Today was my 396th race ... how time flies!

I slept in until 6 AM. I heard Christine's alarm go off at 5:45 AM. Mine was set for 6 AM. I puttered around for a hour before I started to get ready at 7 AM. The weather was just above freezing with a light sprinkle so I chose to wear my old CW-X tights, Darn Tough socks, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve tech along with my Brooks jacket for pre-race warmth. My Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves were in my running bag  I left a bit early and got to the First Bible Baptist Church (FBBC) a bit earlier than usual. I was 1 hour 15 minutes early for the 9 AM start.

I hung around for a bit and talked with Andy Ciaio. He told me that one of his first races in college was the Newark Turkey Day Race. He also told me that a new group was running it this year and made it into a 5K instead of a 5 mile race. Sacrilege! The info that I found is here and here. It was rather pricey at $30 pre-race and $35 day of race, The course looks that the old Run for the Red 5K course that I ran back on 6/11/2011.

I got out for a little 1 mile warmup run at 8:52 pace, link here. I stopped at the Cruze to take off my Brooks jacket. I thought twice about it since it was cold but I knew I would warm up during the race. I walked up to the race start and waited. The weather was: 36F, 80% RH, 4 mph ESE wind, overcast with real light sprinkles of rain.

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

I lined up at my usual spot ... a bit to the right and about 10 feet from the start line. And .. we were off! I got to speed pretty quickly. I saw Andy up ahead around the 1/4 mile mark and then Steve Levitsky passed me around the 1/2 mile mark.

Funny story ... Tim Matthews took the start pictures and then came sprinting by me. He said something like "I'm the rabbit". Then he stopped in the middle of the road and took pictures as runners ran by him.

Just after the start ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

I hit 1 mile at 7:15 and just kept going. I knew I could run the race ... I just hoped I could at the pace I was running since I usually run a 8:10 pace. I hit 5K at 23:00. Halfway done. I saw Tom Butler cheering just before mile 4. I found out later that it was his birthday. I passed up the mile 2 and mile 4 aid stations. Then the turn back onto Manitou Rd with a bit more than 1 mile to go. I could see the police lights at the turn back to the FBBC in the distance. I was running hard but the turn didn't seem to get any closer.

Just before the finish ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

But ... it did ... very slowly ... a bit farther ... the 6 mile mark was at the turn into the parking lot of the FBBC ... only 0.2 miles to go ... push it up ... the turn into the chute ... sprint ... past 2 runners ... done with 6.24 miles in 46:30.

I was parched and downed 3 small cups of water. Then I wandered into the FBBC. I had a bagel, a cup of yogurt and a couple of chocolate milks. I looked at the results and saw that I was 97th and 7th in my M 55-59 age group. I went home. Later, I found my results on Score-This. Officially, I finished in 46:26, 97th out of 798 and 7th out of 48 in my M 55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 7:15, 27, 27, 41, 29, 29 and 6:58 over the last 0.24 mile. I sprinted into the chute at 4:59 pace.

Soon I was home with a mug of coffee. I tried to find out if my youngest son, David, was going to come over for Thanksgiving dinner on either Saturday or Sunday. His mother wanted to know if he was coming to her place in Newark for Thanksgiving. But neither of us could reach him. Finally, Christine started to cook our dinner around 3 PM so that we could eat at a reasonable hour. She cooked a small turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and cranberries. We ate around 6 PM. Mmm ... it was tasty! I had seconds ... and then we couldn't move. Christine started to put everything away and then had to quit from exhaustion. I took over and cleaned everything up. We are a team. She cooks well and I clean up well. Though I think I will have to run the next three days to try to maintain my weight of 165 pounds since she cooks so well. We didn't even touch the cherry pie that she baked.

Friday, 11/25/2016: 8.05 miles, 1:07:18, 8:22 pace, 43F, 100% RH, 6 mph WSW wind, wind chill 39F, overcast.


I didn't get out too early but I did get out. I overdressed a bit with a short sleeve tech over a long sleeve tech. I tried out a new route but it's not a keeper. I ran really nice and easy without pushing the pace once I warmed up. My splits were: 8:27, 8:21, 8:26, 8:14, 8:15, 8:30, 8:22 and 8:17. I got out later to check out the Black Friday shoe sales at Fleet Feet Ridgeway and Armory but didn't see anything I liked.

I stopped by the Red Box at Wegmans Hudson Ave and picked up "Independence Day: Resurgence" and "The Legend of Tarzan". They were quite good. A bit of action sci-fi for me and a bit of romance (and man candy) for Christine.

The Greater Rochester Track Club (GRTC) sent out a link for $5 off for 4 items so I used it on three of them. I signed up for the Freezeroo series and the 2017 individual membership. I also signed up my darling wife, Christine, and I for the 2017 Mind the Ducks in May. This time Christine and I plan on running or running/walking or walking until the end. Boom.

I tried to reach my youngest son, David, via text to find out where he was on Thanksgiving. I explained that we had leftovers and asked him to tell us whether he would be over on Saturday or Sunday. Simple, right? His cryptic three word response: "Why did you" ... no punctuation either. Still ... it was three words. It's a bit better than the answer earlier in the week of "weekend" as to when he was going over. I think he expected that Christine and I were going to wait to cook our turkey until he came over. Hey ... we were hungry plus the turkey and all the fixing were stuffing (pun intended) our refrigerator.

Saturday, 11/26/2016: 8.05 miles, 1:07:22, 8:22 pace, 39F, 87% RH, 7 mph W wind, wind chill 34F, overcast.


I was out again in my effort to keep from gaining weight over the Thanksgiving holiday. I was on my usual 15K route at a nice and easy pace when I decided to detour to the left onto a paved trail that had a barrier across it. Well ... the paved trail degraded to a double track trail about 200 yards in ... and then got worse. I had to cross a stream and got my shoes wet. I did get over to Dewey and then decided to take the LOSP trail back to Greenleaf Rd. I just had 7 miles so I decided to go up and down Greenleaf Rd a bit to get to 8 miles. This route will NOT be a keeper. My splits were: 8:11, 8:10, 8:13, 8:18, 8:23, 9:20, 8:20 and 8:03.

My darling wife, Christine, and I relaxed for a while before I took her out to New Nails to get her nails touched up. She hadn't been in a month so they did need it, :-). We delved into the leftovers from Thanksgiving for our supper. Still ... mmm!

Monday, 11/14/2016 to Saturday, 11/19/2016

I ran 4 times during these 6 days, 28.6 miles.

Monday, 11/14/2016: Rest day ... well deserved.

I got some sad news from my cousin, Lea Ann Sawyer. Her father, Elmer VerPlank, had died. He had suffered from Alzheimer's. He was 84. He was my mother's brother and was the last VerPlank of his generation. His parents, William and Edith (DeCracker) VerPlank were my grandparents and had Arthur who died at age 6, Doris (my mother) who died in 2004 at age 79, Eleanor who died in 2011 at age 84, Shirley (who died in the 70s) and Elmer. Elmer had three kids; Paul, Heidi and LouAnn by his first marriage to Ann and Lean Ann with Pat. There was a bit of confusion about the days but it ended up with the following at the Bob Yost Funeral Home, link here: calling hours were 5-8 PM on Wednesday, the funeral at 11 AM on Thursday and burial at the East Palmyra Cemetery. The obituaries are here and here.

Uncle Elmer VerPlank - 10/21/1932 to 11/13/2016, may he rest in peace

Tuesday, 11/15/2016: 7.05 miles, 57:32, 8:09 pace, 52F, 43% RH, 4 mph WSW wind, mostly sunny


I got out from Harris B601 on Lee Rd for a pre-lunch run. I took it out at a nice and easy pace. I didn't push the pace after I warmed up. I was running the canal path between Long Pond Rd and Elmgrove Rd when I passed by a blue heron, link here, that was standing just off the path. One thing ... this blue heron looked mostly gray.

A blue heron ... grabbed off a "blue heron" Google search

I ran by within 10 feet the first time and within 15 feet on the way back. The bird just looked at me. I didn't stop to take a picture but just ran on by. I ran a nice and easy pace. My splits were: 8:18, 8:20, 8:15, 8:11, 8:01, 8:13 and 7:51 on my old, old Brook Adrenaline GTS15 (black) running shoes with 652 miles.

Rant begin: One thing that pisses me off is looking for stuff that I have misplaced. Somehow ... between running the Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K on Saturday, 11/5/2016, I have misplaced two pairs of shorts (my Brooks shorts and my CW-X shorts) and my Brooks running gloves. I looked everywhere I could think of in the townhouse ... nada. I looked in the Cruze and Equinox ... nada. I looked in my Harris B601 office (I do change in there) ... nada. Aaarrrgggghhhh!! Rant off ...

Update: I found them in the bedroom ... they had been put in a box that had fallen over. I really need to organize the townhouse. I will try not to upset my darling wife, Christine, when I have to move her stuff but I absolutely have to organize the living room and both bedrooms. The basement is also on the "must do" list but it's a task best left for a vacation week ... that's how bad it is.

Wednesday, 11/16/2016: Rest day.

Christine and I headed out to Bob Yost Funeral Home for my Uncle Elmer's calling hours. We met up with my brother, Don. We saw lots of my relatives that we don't normally see. We hugged and expressed our condolences to LeaAnn and her mother Pat (2nd wife) and also his son Paul, daughter Heidi and LouAnn (from his 1st wife, Ann).

A picture of Pat and Elmer near the casket

Thursday, 11/17/2016: 6.25 miles, 50:14, 8:02 pace, 39F, 93% RH, 6 mph W wind, wind chill 35F, sunny.

I took today off as a bereavement day so I could attend the funeral at 11AM and be a pallbearer for the burial at the East Palmyra Cemetery where my parents, Doris in 2004 and Bernard in 2014, are buried.


I got up early so I could go for a morning run. I put on my virgin Pearl Izumi M3 running shoes. I just took it nice and easy. My splits were: 8:10, 7:49, 7:54, 8:07, 8:01, 7:55 and 7:39. The M3s felt a bit different and a bit more cushy.

My darling wife, Christine, had a doctor's appointment at 1:15 PM so she stayed home. I arrived at the Bob Yost Funeral Home about 30 minutes and met up with my brother, Don, who was also a pallbearer. The funeral was like most funerals. Lea Ann gave a eulogy and some people came up to talk about Elmer. I guess he cheated at Uno with other people too. My mother always watched like a hawk when they played Uno. They had a hoot of a time when they played back in the day. Them were the days ...

Taking the casket out to the hearse ... photo courtesy of Jennifer Verplank

I'm the middle left and my brother, Don, is front right ... photo courtesy of Barry Dingman

Uncle Elmer was buried with military honors ... photo courtesy of Paul VerPlank

This was my first time being a pallbearer. I found out that a casket was heavy but the six of us carried it without incident. I drove my cousin, Sandy Bastian (Shirley's daughter), out to the burial since her husband, Bill, had to go back to work. Elmer served in the US Army in Korea and was buried with military honors. I took small comfort in that Uncle Elmer and my Mom and Dad are buried within 30 feet of each other at the East Palmyra Cemetery. We talked for a while afterward and then went over to the American Legion in Palmyra for a scrumptious lunch. I had seconds and then dessert, mmm! I took Sandy home also. I took a paper plate of desserts home. Everyone made jokes that I will have to run the dessert off.

Here are some "blast from the past" pictures that were on the poster boards at the funeral home captured from Facebook and my Droid.

The VerPlank kids in the early 1950s (I think). Aunt Shirley, Doris (Mom), Uncle Elmer and Aunt Eleanor (left to right) ... photo courtesy of Barry Dingman

Aunt Eleanor with Terry on the left and Mom (Doris) with Don n the right, Terry is 2 months older than Don. I wasn't born until 1957.

A bowling picture from 1985. Uncle Elmer is on the left and Dad (Bernie) is next to him ... photo courtesy of Barry Dingman

Elmer, Lea Ann and Pat ... photo courtesy of Lea Ann Sawyer

It seems a shame that the only time I see the relations on my Mom's and Dad's side is at weddings (not any in the future that I know of) and funerals. I don't see my brother, Don, much since he lives in Syracuse. I see my sister, Diane, even less since she lives in Kentucky.

Friday, 11/18/2016: 7.05 miles, 55:55, 7:56 pace, 63F, 55% RH, 9 mph SSW wind, mostly sunny.


I don't normally run on Friday but ... the weather forecast was for at least 70F on November 18th. So ... I ran. I felt good so I pushed the pace a bit once I warmed up. My splits were: 8:10, 7:49, 7:54, 8:07, 8:01, 7:55 and 7:39. I was drenched with sweat when I got done. I must have looked a bit when I came back into work to go to the shower.

Saturday, 11/19/2016: 8.25 miles, 1:07:06, 8:08 pace, 63F, 48% RH, 8 mph SSW wind, mostly cloudy.


I enjoyed not having my alarm set and slept until 8 AM. I didn't get out early but I did get out. I knew that the weather was doing to turn colder and wetter in the afternoon so I went out for my fourth run in 5 days. I am trying to break in my M3s so I just went a mile farther than yesterday. My splits were: 8:06, 8:10, 8:13, 8:14, 8:23, 8:00, 8:02 and 8:04. My thighs were a bit tight when I stopped. I think I will take a rest day tomorrow.

Friday, 11/11/2016 to Sunday, 11/13/2016 - Dirt Cheap Stage Race

I ran for my eighth Dirt Cheap Stage Race hoodie. I don't know where all my hoodies are but I know I earned all of them.

Friday, 11/11/2016: DCSR #1

Dirt Cheap Stage Race #1 was a 3 mile trail race out on Pond Rd in Mendon Ponds Park. It was held in time trial fashion with runner going out in 5 second intervals starting at 6;30 PM. So ... yes, this was held at night and headlamps were required. The bibs were given out in "first come, first given" fashion at Fleet Feet Armory. I picked up my bib on Thursday night so I had number 144. I had signed up for the series so I had the same bib all weekend.

I filled my running bag with the gear I would need plus a bit more just in case. I dressed after work and drove straight out. I wore my CW-X tights, an orange long sleeve tech, a short sleeve tech (2015 Rochester Marathon), Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I pinned my race bib through both tech shirts since I knew I would be wearing for three days. I got down to the parking lot at the intersection of Douglas Rd and Pond Rd around 5:30 PM. I put on my yellow Brooks 1/4 zip pullover and Brooks jacket on to keep warm until the race and brought a small race bag to keep everything in during the race. I wore this race gear the whole weekend since the race temps would be between 40F and 55F.

I walked up the 1/4 mile to the race venue and waited. I met up with Prem Kumar (#39) and Andy Ciaio (#211). Prem wasn't feeling well. He said he was "running for the hoodie" ... one foot in front of the other. The weather was a bit chilly: 41F, 45% RH, 10 mph NW wind, wind chill 35F, partly cloudy.

A picture of the race venue ... photo courtesy of Ellen Brenner of Fleet Feet Sports

I got in line with the other and saw that there was still a 10 minute wait so I went out for a short 0.47 mile at 8:36 pace at to warm up, link here.


I just had about 3 or 4 minutes to psych myself up .... and I was off! I have run this course numerous times during other DCSRs but this was the second time in the dark on a Friday night. I caught up to lot of runners and offered them encouragement as much as I could. I was also trying to avoid any roots and roots that my headlamp picked up but also just hoping to just avoid them by just sheer luck. This course seemed a lot longer when you run it in the dark. And ... I was done! The clock said around 40 minutes. I was confused for a bit and then I realized that I had started when it was 11:10.

A picture of the finish ... photo courtesy of Ellen Brenner of Fleet Feet Sports

After DCSR #1

I had a quick couple of hot dogs along with a few cookies before I put the clothes in my running bag on over my wet tech shirts. I ran with Andy Ciaio back to our cars since it was a bit too chilly to walk. Andy told me that he had been stuck behind long groups of slower runners for a bit during the race ... he still ran a 30:13 ... beast!

Officially, I ran well. I ran the 3.11 miles in 30:55, 58th out of 221, link here. My splits were: 9:37, 10:59, 9:40 and 6:49 over the last 0.11 mile. It didn't feel that fast over the last 0.11 though.

Saturday, 11/12/2016: DCSR #2

Dirt Cheap Stage Race #2 was a 5 mile trail race held out at Devil's Bathtub at Mendon Ponds Park. I have run this course numerous times (8 DCSRs and at least 8 DCTRs) and knew it well.

I arrived around 9:10 AM and was rewarded with a pretty good parking spot about 1/2 way up the hill. I backed the Cruze in a bit too far and scraped the bottom of the grille into the ground. Some people did remark about it. I was early for the 10 AM start and met up with Prem Kumar, Andy Ciaio and Mike Meynadasy before the race. I got out for a 0.9 mile warmup run at 8;28 pace, link here. I got back with 5 minutes to spare so I had to rush a bit to get to the Cruze to shed my top 2 layers, take a swig of water, pick up my 10 ounce water bottle, lock up the Cruze and get back up near the start before the race started. The weather at the start was: 41F, 56% RH, 8 mph W wind, wind chill 36F, mostly sunny.

You can see my glove and yellow long sleeve tech to the left ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports 

And ... we were off! I liked how Yellow Jacket Racing swept off the leaves from the roots and rocks near the start. It's just part of the all encompassing care that YJR takes when they put on a race! I got up a nice and easy but fast trail race pace quickly. I passed Prem early and saw Andy and Mike up ahead. The race progressed.

Early in the race ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

Later in the race ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

I walked the hills I had to keep my heart rate under control and then ran the flats and downs. Non-runners think runners ran all time on trail races. We, for the most part, don't. I power walk up the long and steep hills to catch my breath.

I passed Mike in a long flat stretch before we got back to the infamous stair climb finish. Yes ... we climb the stairs at Devil's Bathtub to the finish. Why? Well ... because Boots believes that hills build character, lol! I could hear the finish line announcer so I knew the finish was near. I held a bit back to have something in the tank for the finish ... up, up ... stairs ... up, up ... more stairs ... 50 feet to go ... more stairs ... done!

The infamous stair climb to the finish ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

My time was just over 43 minutes. I took a swig of water and bumped fists with Andy who had finished in 42:09. I had a bagel half and some donut holes for my post race food. They hit the spot.

After DCSR #2

Officially, I ran the 4.57 miles in 43:17 gun time, 43:12 chip time. I was 54th out of 243, link here. My splits were: 8:17, 9:58, 10:26, 8:11 and 6:28 (wow!) over the last 0.57 mile.

Mike mentioned how I "glided" past him on the flat when I passed him with about 1/2 mile to go. Maybe I do "glide" on the flat but I struggle on the ups and tend to be conservative on the downs and particularly so on the steep downs. I know what happens when I fall ... I tend to break stuff. I have had enough ambulance rides after races and don't want any more ... knock on wood.

My darling wife, Christine, had company in town so we met up with her daughter, Beth, and Beth's mother-in-law, Linda, for dinner at Rohrbach Brewing Company on Buffalo at 5 PM. This was a test for me since I hadn't had an alcoholic drink since my 59th birthday back in September. I ordered a orange creme soda with my dinner and everyone else,  including Christine BTW, had beer. But ... I held to the promise I had made to myself ... 57 days sober and counting.

It was an early bedtime for Christine and I. We made the best of it ... ;-)

Sunday, 11/13/2016: DCSR #3

Dirt Cheap Stage Race #3 is the "running for the hoodie" race if and only if you have run and finished the previous 2 races. I had #1 and #2 under my belt so ... I was "running for the hoodie"!

I was up at 6:16 AM and quietly got ready. This time I filled up my Hammer Gel flask with Hammer Gel and filled my 20 ounce water bottle. I kissed my darling wife, Christine, good-bye like I had the previous two mornings. She told me "Have a good race" like she always does before she either drifts back to sleep or wakes up and checks out my eCrumb that I leave before I start a race. She uses the eCrumb to virtually stalk me.

I decided to take a different route down to Mendon Ponds Park on this morning. I went east on the LOSP to get to I-590S instead of west to I-390S, I-490E and I-590S. This brought me to the intersection of the LOSP and Lake Ave. There was a lot of sun glare but I was able to make out the red light. The pickup truck beside me didn't and was almost hit by two cars. The driver of the pickup truck stopped for about 20 seconds before proceeded onward ... probably counting their lucky starts (among other things I'll bet).

Anyway, the race start was at Stewart Lodge. I got there around 8:15 AM and just hung out at the lodge. I congratulated Ellen Brenner, the race director, on how she was able to get good weather for every DCSR. She said "Shh" and knocked on wood, lol! I was a bit hungry so I had some donut holes. Barry Cherney was across the table from me and cracked open a can of Genny Cream Ale beer. He said that he doesn't have leg cramps if he has a beer before a race and that the one time he didn't he had a leg cramp.

I didn't warm-up before this race. I just stretched a bit. I met up with Prem Kumar and Andy Ciaio. Andy kidded me about not going out too fast ... since I always do. Ellen went through her usual pre-race announcements: "Don't litter, follow the pink flags, don't follow the runner in front of you and if you get lost it's your own fault". She reminded us that the early start runners had started at 7:45 AM and to be courteous if we came upon them. Oh, I have followed the runner in front of me during a race ... so I have gotten lost more than once.

Before the start ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sport

A pic of Andy, Mike and I just after the start ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Sports

The line of runners on the beach .. photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sports

Climbing a hill about 1 mile in ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sports

And ... we were off! I got up to my usual nice and easy but fast trail race pace quickly and held it until the climb up to the water tower about 1.5 miles in. I started my hydration at mile 2 and took a swig every 1 or 2 miles. I stopped to take some Hammer Gel at mile 5 and around 7. I have run this race enough to kind of know it well. I knew about the road crossing at mile 5 where there was a water table. I forced myself to stop, dig out my Hammer Gel flask and suck about an ounce of it. I did lose about 100 yards to the couple of runners that I was with. But I had to remember to take care of myself and run my own race.

Just running in the woods ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sports

I was almost out of water at mile 7 so I stopped to refill my 20 ounce water bottle. The race was getting long and I was slowing down a bit. I was walking the hills I had to walk and running the flats and downs. It was tough to not walk the flats and downs too but I managed. Boots and Sean gave encouragement on  one steep hill around mile 8. Then it was down the infamous stairs at Devil's Bathtub ... mile 9 ... down to the Hundred Acre Pond ... skirting it on the path between it and Deep Pond ... turn left toward Steward Lodge ... past the boat launch ... mile 10 ... a momentary course mix up ... back into the woods near Stewart Lodge ... one more hill ... dig, dig ... done!

The standard grimace was evident as I climbed the last hill before the finish  ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Sport

My time was just over 1:44. I had looked at my previous times for the last 7 years and I was pretty sure that this was a course PR. I bumped fist with Andy Ciaio who had finished a minute ahead of me and then went into Stewart Lodge. Ellen presented me with another DCSR hoodie to add to my collection. Cobalt blue is the newest color!

The hoodie!

I was pretty sweaty and tired. So I had a banana and some pretzels as I cooled down. Then I took off my wet and sweaty top layers and put on the hoodie. It felt good on my skin ... aaahhh!

Enjoying the hoodie as someone finishes before me.

Yes, I did have a couple mugs of coffee while I reclined on the couch. Officially, I ran a 1:44:07, link here. I was 43rd out of 214. I was 6th out of 22 in my series M 50-59 age group, link here.

I checked my running spreadsheet. Yes, I did run a DCSR #3 PR. My previous DCSR #3 (2009 - 2:05:41, 2010 - 1:52:54, 2011 - 1:45;51, 2012 - 2:10:54, 2013 - 1:47:18, 2014 - 1:50:28 and 2015: 1:48:16) So .. I ran 1:44 faster than 5 years ago in 2011. I must have ran fast early but I don't think I ran fast later in the race! I also ran the night version of DSCR #1 1:39 faster than in 2015 when it switched from Saturday morning to Friday night. These 59 year old legs can still surprise me!

The DCSR bling

So .. 5 runs in 3 days. Friday was 0.47 and 3.11 miles; Saturday was 0.9 and 4.57 miles and Sunday was 10.32 miles for a grand total of 19.37 miles. Not a whole lot of miles when it's spread over three days. But earning the 2016 Dirt Cheap Stage Race hoodie ... priceless!

Sunday, 11/6/2016 to Thursday, 11/10/2016 - Politics

1 ran once during these 5 days for 7.05 miles.

Sunday, 11/6/2016: Rest day ...

I was more than a bit sore than yesterday, Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K. I watched a bit of the New York City Marathon coverage. I also virtually stalked the two people that I knew: Jim Ciecierega who ran a 4:44:18 and Chuck Traub who ran a 5:24:42, link here. Barry Cherney went down and volunteered at the finish line. I read a story about a 96 year old runner, named Johathan Mendes, who was the last unofficial finisher of the New York Marathon, link here. He has 11 official finishes and 5 unofficial finishes.

Monday, 11/7/2016: Another rest day ...

Tuesday, 11/8/2016: Voted, ran and then despair ...

Today dawned with such great hope. I woke up at 5:30 AM before my alarm. I started the coffee and then woke up my darling wife, Christine. We had this crazy idea of voting early. So ... we did. There was a Trump supporter with a Trump/Pence sign in dark clothing in front. It was dark still ... Christine saw him but I didn't. We were at the Lakeshore Fire Dept on Ling Rd around 6:20 AM. It was a bustling place. There were 2 electronic voting machines. I was 22nd on mine.


We went back home. I went to work. I needed to run so I went on a before lunch run. The weather was ... . It was a good run. I really ran well: 7:05, 55:26, 7:52 pace, 61F, 45% RH, 5 mph SW wind, partly cloudy.


I called the run: A lucky 7 ... full of hope for the future of America. My splits were: 7:57, 7:49, 7:57, 7:55, 7:57, 7:55 and 7:37. It really was a fast and excellent run.

I did a bit of grocery shopping at Wegmans for a rotisserie chicken. Then ... we settled in for some election news. Soon ... the news didn't look good. Trump was in the early lead. So we switched to some shows on the DVR. Then back to election news ... it still didn't look good. Trump was leading in FL, OH, NH, MI, PA. The Electorate College paths looked bad for Hillary and good for Trump. I stayed up until 12:30 AM before I feel asleep. I don't know when my darling wife, Christine, fell asleep since she sleeps in the second bedroom. I am a light sleeper and she snores. I feel bad about this but I need to get up in the morning.

Wednesday, 11/9/2016: A rest day and despair ...

I woke up at 5:30 AM and turned on the TV. Trump had won ... OMFG! Christine was already awake because she had only slept a hour or so. I guess she had been checking her phone during the night for election results.

Let me digress from my mostly running blog for a moment. Where to begin ... first, I identify as a liberal. You name it and I most likely hold the liberal view. Hillary was not a perfect candidate and I thought Bernie was better. But ... Trump? He was and still is a bigot, tax avoiding businessman (where are his tax returns?), can be baited with a tweet, without a plan, failure of a Republican that I thought had not a chance in hell of winning the election. Lots of digital ink has been spilled that have chosen lots of better words and reasoning than I can possibly type. Please check out Dan Rather on Facebook for his reasoned words. But ... Trump won. He is not my president and won't ever be. Here is I predict will happen ... the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer, the ACA will be ripped away and millions will lose their healthcare, the Supreme Court will be stacked with conservative judges and some laws will be changed and rights will be stripped away, his followers in the alt-right will feel emboldened to continue with their hate ... my words fail me. Let us not forget the Republican House and Congress getting a head of steam and passing their favorite legislation potentially getting rid of all sorts of stuff! Lot of nightmare scenarios go through my head. I wonder if I will recognize America in 2018 and 2020. Will we be able to vote for another president in 2020? Trump and the Republican party control the White House, the House, the Senate and soon the Supreme Court. He will be able to nominate conservative judges in the federal courts. Words fail me again about what can happen in the next 4 years. I posted a single post on Facebook this morning that largely outlined the same views.

Thursday, 11/10/2016: Rest day ... the usual before a race weekend.

Sunday, 10/30/2016 to Saturday, 11/5/2016 - Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K

I ran 3 times this week, 41.34 miles.
I biked once this week, 11.05 miles.

Sunday, 10/30/2016: 11.05 bike miles, 52:25, 12.6 mph average, 17.8 mph maximum

MapMyRide workout for Only ride in October

I wanted to do something but didn't want to run. What to do? So I biked instead. I puttered around longer than I should have but gathered the proper gear and got out there. It was a bit cool and windy. I wished I had something over my ears and a pair of heavier gloves. It also started a real light mist. I cut the ride a bit short but I survived.

I read on Facebook about the Marine Corps Marathon down in DC. Chris Patterson, the "pacemaster", paced a guy who ran around a 4:45. I would love to run that marathon one day!

My darling wife, Christine, and I spent another lazy Sunday together. We did have a bit of a downer watching the Patriots - Bills game. The Bills were taken apart by Brady and lost 25-41, link here. Their record is now 4-4. Another year looking in from the outside of the playoffs is staring them and their fans right in the face.

Monday, 10/31/2016: Rest day ...

Stats time:
I ran 17 times (2 were warmup runs of 2 and 1.5 miles) during the 31 days of October for 147.66 miles, 8.69 miles/run.
I ran two races in October; the Finish Strong 15K and the Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K
I have run 168 times so far in 2016 for 1268.13 miles, 7.55 miles/run.
I have run 30 races so far in 2016 which is a lot less than the 50 I had run thus far in 2015. I have cut back on my race schedule in 2016 and will do so in 2017 also.
I have signed up for the following races in November: Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K on 11/5, Dirt Cheap Stage Race on 11/11, 11/12, 11/13 and Race with Grace 10K on 11/24.

Tuesday, 11/1/2016: 7.3 miles, 1:00:36, 8:18, 64F, 64% RH, 7 mph SSE wind, partly cloudy



Back to the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday schedule. I had all running gear (including my shorts this time) in the Cruze and changed after work. But ... where to go? I decided that I needed hills since the Mendon Ponds Trail Race 50K is staring me in the face. So I went over to Cobbs Hill. I parked in Fleet Feet Armory parking lot, geared up with a 20 ounce water bottle, put on my reflective vest (but forgot my headlamp ... stupid) and headed out. I put up a nice and easy pace at first. I did 3 Ys and then 3 loops. I sped up on the loops and enjoyed the speed. I knew some runners on the hill but not many. It was kind of dark when I was heading back ... I should have worn my headlamp. My splits were: 8:53, 8:29, 8:21, 8:27, 8:07, 8:06, 7:49 and 7:58 over the last 0.3 mile.

Wednesday, 11/3/2016: Rest day ... moving along!

Thursday, 11/3/2016: 5.05 miles, 40;28, 8:01 pace, 54F, 71% RH, 6 mph WNW wind, partly cloudy

I brought all my running gear in the Cruze and fully intended to run at Ontario Beach Park but ... I had forgotten my heartrate strap and SpiBelt so I changed at work to save time (and my darling wife's possible distractions) and then went home to get them. I settled on just a nice and easy out and back 5 on the LOSP. I wore my Brooks shorts, a short sleeve tech and light Brooks gloves. I didn't carry water but did have my headlamp since sunset was only 15 minutes away when I started.


Well ... a nice and easy pace is not one that I do for long. I sped up and ended up negatively splitting each mile. My splits were: 8:16, 8:10, 8:03, 7:58 and 7:39. I was a bit sweaty when I stopped ... it felt good!

Friday, 11/4/2016: Rest day ... pasta for supper and tried to go to sleep early!

Saturday, 11/5/2016: 29.99 miles, 5:56:37, 11:53 pace, 48F at start ... maybe 55F at finish, 76% RH, 10 mph WSW wind, overcast to partly cloudy

I set my alarm for 5:15 AM ... it was dark'o'clock for sure. Today was my third attempt at the Mendon Ponds Trail Run 50K (2010 - DNF and 2013 in 6:34:37). I have run the 20K (2006 in 2:12:55, 2011 in 1:55:25, 2012 in 2:17:45 and 2015 in 2:27:40) and the 30K in 3:27:34. I ran the Grocery Run 5K at 8:15 AM before the MPTR in 2014 and 2015. So .. today I was "just" running the MPTR 50K.

I geared up for whatever Mendon Ponds Park could throw at me. I donned my Brooks shorts, calf sleeves, a yellow long sleeve tech. I had my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana. I filled my Hammer Gel flask with Hammer Gel, stuffed another sleeve tech, filled my water bottles, kissed Christine good-bye and headed out at 6:37 AM. Oh, I put on my yellow Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve tech and Brooks jacket on before I left. The Cruze purred while I drove down to MPP. I arrived at the Beach parking lot at 7:05 AM. It was still dark as I walked up to Stewart Lodge ... I should have put on my headlamp because I almost tripped on some roots once or twice. I pinned on my bib and mentally got ready. Soon enough it was light out.

I met up with Chris Washburn (who lives out in Newark where I grew up) and Andy Ciaio before the race. This race is pretty low key so just a couple of announcements and no start line ... just a "Go"!

The 50K start ... photo courtesy of Rochester Orienteering Club Facebook page

The 50K start ... photo courtesy of Rochester Orienteering Club Facebook page

And ... we were off! I settled into a nice and easy but fast trail race pace. There wasn't much talking and I slowly got away from the two guys who were talking. I settled in behind a blonde ponytail for miles 2 through 8. I kept pace with her, passed her on some ups and she passed me on some downs. I remember passing through loop 1 at 57:26. I thought to myself ... "maybe I can hold this pace" but I also "this is insanely fast". I was on my hydration schedule of every 2 miles and taking Hammer Gel every 4 miles so I passed up the aid station at mile 3.5 on the first two loops. Loop 2 passed at 1:58 and change so I had slowed to a 1:01 loop. Then ... I slowed more. Loops 3 and 4 mostly sucked. I walked more of the hills but ran the flats and downs slower. I started to stop at the aid stations at the finish and at mile 3.5. I favored fig newtons, PB&J squares and pretzels. I also started to drink TailWind in my 20 ounce water bottle. Oh, someone told me that I had a nipple bleed when I came in the mile 3.5 aid station on loop 3.

Loop 3 wearing my yellow lnng sleeve tech ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

So ... I changed to an orange long sleeve tech when I finished loop 3. I tried to convince myself to run more on loop 4 ... I don't think it helped much. But ... I gathered my strength after loop 4. I saw the time at 4:35.

Loop 4 wearing my orange long sleeve tech ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

I think this is Loop 5 ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthew of https://runnerpics.shutterfly.com

I walked up the hill to Douglas Rd and started loop 5. I knew that I had a chance to finish under 6 hours. So I tried to run more. Mike Meynasdasy told me as much when I sat down for a few seconds at the mile 3.5 aid station. So ... I ran as much as I could during the last loop. I knew I wasn't running as fast ... but I was running. I knew the course ... I knew I was getting closer ... last hill ... down the hill ... across Douglas Rd ... down to the hill towards Stewart Lodge ... lots of 5s on the clock ... and done under 6 ... nice!

I glanced at my Garmin ... 5:56:37, nice! I was handed a finisher's glass just after the finish. I walked into Stewart Lodge and sat down ... done! I had a couple of bananas and an apple for my post race grub. I am not much of a bagel or soup person after a race. I knew I would be a bit cold when I went back outside to get my running bag from the outdoor pavilion ... I was right. It hurt a bit to get my legs into the Cruze. Then I drove home. It hurt to get out of the Cruze, walk to the door ... but it was a good hurt. Soon I had some coffee and my feet were up ... done!

I uploaded my Garmin and relaxed. I accomplished my unspoken goal of breaking 6 hours. My splits were: 1 - 9:30, 2 - 9:42, 3 - 10:02, 4- 9:04, 5 - 10:08, 6 - 10:17, 7 - 9:43, 8 - 9:56, 9 - 10:52, 10 - 10:26, 11 - 9:48, 12 - 12:20, 13 - 11:40, 14 - 11:07, 15 - 11:16, 16 - 12:44, 17 - 11:03, 18 - 15:36, 19 - 15:13, 20 - 13:26, 21 - 13:49, 22 - 14:08, 23 - 12:06, 24 - 16:29, 25 - 15:30, 26 - 11:36, 27 - 13:35, 28 - 13:40, 29 - 10:52 and 11:00 over the last 0.99 mile. My official time was 5:56:35, link here. Some stats:

The MPTR 50K finisher's glass

I just lazed around the rest of day. I managed to limp around when and if I had to. All in all ... a great day!