I ran 4 times this week, 19.63 miles.
UPDATE on 6/17/2016: I struggled on whether I should post details about Christine or not. I decided to because it's past time where we hide away mental health issues. Yes, Christine does have some issues. The idea of anything associated with her daughter's, Beth, wedding has stressed her out. I love her dearly.
Sunday, 5/29/2016: A hospital day.
Christine woke up at
Marymount Hospital after an OD suicide attempt the previous day (see the previous blog entry). This is on her Facebook page so it is public knowledge. Not much happened as is typical of a hospital on a weekend if you are not dying or dead. She was medically stable and slept a lot. Christine was cared for and watched by a sitter that didn't leave the room. I tried to find answers but largely sat and either watched TV or looked at Facebook. I read all the comments that various people posted about the hot
Sehgahunda Trail Marathon and Relay the previous day or the hot
Buffalo Marathon on Sunday. I also read about Heather and Chris Patterson running the
Comrades ultramarathon in South Africa in 10:55:21. I did find out that Marymount was waiting for a bed to open up in its geriatric phych unit.
Monday, 5/30/2016: 6.6 miles, 56:11, 8:30 pace, 68F, 78% RH, 4 mph SW wind, sunny
I seriously needed to run so I got up and out a bit after 7 AM. I decided to just do an out and back I wouldn't get lost. I did find the
Rocky River Reservation Metropark. I was told by a walker that the trail went on for miles and miles. I only had time for 4 (2 in and 2 out). I took some pics ... which I don't normally do. My splits were: 8:33, 8:20, 8:38, 9:12, 8:38, 8:11 and 7:47 over the last 0.6 mile. I was drenched with sweat when I stopped. Then I showered, had a small bite to eat with some a couple small mugs of coffee.
Back to Marymount hospital to see Christine. There, Christine was being seen by a variety of people: her medical doctor, social worker and priest. She had been told that she was being "pink slipped" or involuntarily held by a psychiatrist that had seen her for maybe 5 minutes (when I wasn't there) due to her suicide attempt. Christine was adamant, insistent and agitated that she be allowed to get home so that she could take care of her mental needs at home. She had changed back into the dress and shoes that she had worn when we were traveling on Saturday. I had brought her luggage up at her insistence even though I knew that I shouldn't have. The orderly insisted on searching it which she didn't want. A compromise was struck where she was allowed panties and lotion. I took her luggage back to the Cruze. Christine was given some meds that she needed. She was definitely off her regular meds schedule since all her own medicines were not allowed. Her brother, Bill, and her father came. Then the social worker came and told her that she was being transported to
Windsor Laurelwood (WL), a mental health facility in Willoughby OH, right then by ambulance. Christine wanted a second opinion and insisted on being able to see the psychiatrist again. She didn't get as agitated but all her pleads were denied. Her brother and father asked her to go get the help that she needed. She allowed herself to be transported around noon. I kissed her goodbye and off she went. Bill insisted that I go down to a picnic in Ravenna with her family. It was nice getting better (and free) food but my thoughts were of Christine. I got up to WL around 4 PM. There I was told that visiting hours weren't until 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM ... and that was because it was a holiday. So ... I somehow found a park that overlooked Lake Erie and just waited while I tried to charge my cell. When I saw Christine I was shocked. She was in a hospital gown with her sandals and looked half awake. I think that she was been given too much of some anti-anxiety med at Marymount because she could barely stand or stay awake. Her tinnitus bothered her because there was a constant buzz of activity in the adult ward and all that noise echoed in the hallways and cafeteria. It was soon time to leave. Then I had to make the terrible decision to head back to Rochester. I was only going to be able to see her on Wednesday and Sunday. Her daughter, Beth, and brother, Bill, concurred. I don't want her to feel like I abandoned her but I didn't know when she would be released. I couldn't just take off an entire week of work. I want her to get the help that she needs to be a happy Christine and not the Christine who tried to kill herself. I left for Rochester at 8 PM and arrived at 11:45 PM. The townhouse was very quiet. I missed my darling wife, Christine.
Tuesday, 5/31/2016: Rest day.
I was really tired from 4.5 hours of sleep the night before so I bagged my usual Tuesday run. I had signed up for Fleet Feet's Global Running Day activities at Cobbs Hill (a 3 mile fun run and a 1 mile timed race in the 6:00 to 6:59 group).
WL had called me during the day to get more background about what transpired with Christine on Saturday. Her daughter, Beth went to see her during visiting hours from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.
Wednesday, 6/1/2016: 2 runs of 2.7 and 1 mile, 66F, 64% RH, 6 mph ENE wind, partly cloudy.
Christine called me from WL just before lunch. She complained of her sinuses, tinnitus (the place is one big echo chamber), that she didn't want to be there and that she wanted to come home. I called our doctor and asked them to FAX a complete list of her meds to WL. I asked her daughter, Beth, to go shopping and bring Christine some clothes to wear besides a couple of hospital gowns. Her brother, Bill, saw her during visiting hours from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.
I use running to clear my mind and keep my weight down. I'm 6'4" and weigh 165 pounds so I'm keeping my weight down. A lot is on my mind with Christine out in OH so I definitely needed to run. I headed down to
Fleet Feet Armory and then over to
Cobbs Hill to help them celebrate
Global Running Day, their link
here. I had signed up for 2 free runs. The 3 mile fun run was really 2.7 miles. I did end up keep pace with another guy who didn't want me to pass him so it ended up in a good spirited race, 2.7 miles at 7:33 pace. My splits were: 7:56, 7:33 and 6:59 over the last 0.69 mile. My mile (6:00 to 6:59 pace) was race 7 of 8 so I had time to kill.
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| A pic of the finish line and the vendor village - photo courtesy of Boots of Yellow Jacket Facing |
Here is a video of the start of the 3 mile fun run:
https://www.facebook.com/barb.boutillier/videos/10209719660334156/
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| The start of the 3 mile fun run - courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester |
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| The start of the 1 mile race ... notice all the runners in front of me - photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester |
I ended up test racing a size 13 pair of
New Balance Vongo running shoes for my race. There were 19 runners in my race. And ... we were off! Almost everyone left me in their dust initially. The course was 3 laps of an ad-hoc grassy cross country course marked by orange pylons. It took me a bit but I slowly built up some semblance of speed and started to pass people. Lap 1 was 2:10, 6;31 pace, rank was 17th. I just concentrated on catching people as I could. Lap 2 was 2:18, 6:55 pace, rank was 10th.
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| I think this was the end of lap 2. I was straining to catch these speedy young kids - photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester |
I was running in a group of 3 what seemed to be 12 years olds. I passed one boy (who was 9) but couldn't catch the other two (a boy who was 9 in 11th and a girl who was 11 in 10th). I turned on the jets but they did too. Lap 3 was 2:08, 6:14 pace, rank was 5th. I ended up 12th in 6:34, link
here. Not bad. I even won a prize from Asics during the raffle. I chose a yellow backpack. Sweet!
Thursday, 6/2/2016: 9.35 miles, 1:18:07, 8:21 pace, 79F, 54% RH, 10 mph W wind, partly cloudy
Christine called during the day. She apologized and I forgave her. I miss her, :-(.
Garmin Connect Activity for Out and back to Island Cottage
I started a load of laundry and then I got up and got out. I have to keep up my mileage. I wore my old black/red Brooks Adrenaline GTS15 running shoes because I want to get 600 miles out of them. You can look at the back of these shoes and see that I am a heel striker, lol! It was muggy so I didn't feel too bad about 2 tiny walk breaks after mile 7. My splits were: 8:12, 8:06, 8:12, 8:20, 8:16, 8:13, 8:20, 8:38, 8:59 and 8:23 over the last 0.35 mile. I was drenched with sweat when I got done and went straight to the shower. Then I resumed doing a bit more laundry.
Friday, 6/3/2016: Rest day
Christine called early in the day to tell me that she is being released from WL at 10 AM. I made arrangements for her daughter, Beth, to take her to Erie PA where I will pick her up. I have the Webster Classic Trail Race at 8 AM so I will just get a bite to eat before I go directly there. I should be there around 12 to 12:30 PM. I think that they will get there first. So ... I went home after work, gassed up the Cruze and Equinox, and did more laundry. I can't get the townhouse completely organized but I hope to get all the laundry done. I hope to get fresh linen on the beds also.
Saturday, 6/4/2016: 9.55 miles, 1:37:54, 10:15 pace, 63F, 83% RH, 4 mph WSW wind, partly cloudy.
I set my alarm for 5:30 AM. I wanted to leave for Webster at 6:30 AM. The townhouse was quiet with just me ambling around getting ready for a trail race. It was going to be warm so I wore my Brooks short tights, an Old Goat tech short sleeve tech, along with a pair of crew shoes and my blue
Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes. I got out to Webster Town Park around 7 AM. I couldn't find the entrance and stopped at the park office for a bit of directions. I got to the Valley View shelter around 7:10 AM. I got my bib and just waited. My tummy was a bit unsettled so I had to run to the bathroom before the race. I just waited for the start patiently. I knew where I had to be at noon and had time to run a race so life was good.
And ... we were off! I forgot to start my Garmin Forerunner 220 until the race was about 1/4 mile old ... oh well! I soon realized (yet again) that running on road and running on trail are two different animals. Road is all about pace and persistence. Trail is constantly varying your pace as you go up and down rolling hills, twisting and turning on the trails, deciding to go slightly around or through a muddy patch along with looking out for roots, rocks and branches. I did OK for the first 4 miles or so. Then I started to get hot and hungry. It had warmed up and I was running in a sunny field for a while in the middle of the race. I knew I had only 3 miles or less to go but I started to take a few breathers as I walked a tiny hill. Soon enough ... boom, I was done with 9.55 miles. I talked a bit with Pat Milligan while I gulped down 4 delicious cookies (2 chocolate chip, 1 macadamia nut and 1 oatmeal raisin) along with some Gatorade. Soon I ambled out to the Cruze and did a complete change of clothing (with the help of the bathroom for the bottom). My feet were a bit dirty from my trail shoes.
I had to go get my darling wife, Christine, at the
Heritage Wine Cellars in North East, PA at noon. This is where and when her daughter, Beth, was going to meet me after Christine was discharged from WL at 10 AM. So I plugged in my Droid Maxx, fired up Google Maps and was on the way around 10:30 AM. Google Maps had the trip had 100 minutes so I knew I was going to be late. I pushed it a bit on the Thruway as I drove toward Buffalo but then I got a text from Beth say that she was still waiting at almost 11 AM. I was shocked that my Droid actually told me that a text had arrived, asked me if I wanted to listen to it and then give me an option to verbally reply to it! Sweet! I found out later that it was part of a recent update. So I had time to stop and get some coffee at a Tim Hortons in the Clarence Travel Plaza. I got to the Heritage Wine Cellars about 3 minutes before Beth pulled up. Hugs and kisses were exchanged. Beth bought a couple bottles of wine and was soon on her way back to OH.
Christine's emotions were still a bit raw as we caught up on what had happened to each other during our time apart. We took a leisurely trip back to Rochester. Then we reconnected once we got back in our townhouse. I ended up going out to
Wegmans for subs for supper as I didn't want to pull out leftovers that had been in the refrigerator for a week. I had survived on rotisserie chicken and salad during the 5 days that Christine had been in WL. Christine calls it "living bachelor style".
Oh ... I did OK at the Webster Trail Classic. I was 28th out of 118 in 1:39:00, link
here. I asked around and learned that the actual distance was about 9.8 miles. I was 6th out of 20 in my M50-59 age group. My splits were: 9:42, 9:48, 9:31, 11:18, 9:44, 9:38, 10:30, 9:56, 11:56 and 9:38 over the last 0.55 mile.
