Sunday, 5/21/2017 to Saturday, 5/27/2017 - Lilac 10K and Dirt Cheap #2

I ran 6 times this week, 31.39 miles

Sunday, 5/21/2017: 2 runs of 0.93 and 6.26 miles, 63F, 68% RH, 9 mph SSE wind, partly cloudy to overcast.

Today's race was my 8th running of the Lilac 10K. My previous times were: 2007 - 46:22, 2010 - 49:03, 2011 - 46:28, 2012 - 43:53, 2013 - 47:41, 2014 - 44:53 and 2015 - 48:03. It's a challenging course with its downhill start which teases you into going out too fast and its uphill finish which punishes you for going out too fast. I got up around 6 AM. Why? I guess because I like to putter around before I get ready. I had my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana, checked the weather and got dressed. I chose my green Brooks shorts and a yellow Phelps Sauerkraut 20K short sleeve tech shirt. I left around 7:30 AM. I'm glad I did because I chose the wrong way to get down to Highland Park. I meandered down the streets of downtown Rochester until I got to Elmwood Ave and parked in my Al Sigil Center spot. They charge a $5 donation fee but well worth it for the convenience. Note to self for next year: Head down I-590S and exit on Elmwood Ave!

I did get down there around 8:15 AM in plenty of time for the 9:15 AM start. Well ... first I had to find where you pick up your bibs. It wasn't in the usual spot which was a brick building that isn't too hard to find. This year is what in an unlabelled tent in a sea of tents. I had to ask several people to find it. You know you have run more than a few races when someone you don't know just hands you your bib when you saying anything except "What size shirt do you wear, Doug?". I walked back to the car to deposit my new and latest short sleeve tech shirt.

I saw Jeff Rose around 9 AM. He told me of his great idea: He needed to get in a long run before the Lake Placid Marathon coming up and he was signed up for the Lilac 10K. So ... he left his house in Honeoye Falls around 6:15 AM and ran all the way to Highland Park ... which is around 14 miles away. His wife was running the Lilac 5K and drove there after he left on foot. He went off to get a drink of water and stretch. His plan was then to run the Lilac 10K at marathon pace, go out to breakfast with his wife and then drive home. Only a runner would think of and do that, lol! I did do that once ... kind of. I ran 7 miles before I ran an 11 mile River Chase back in 2014. I remember that I suffered for that decision.

I got out for a short warm-up run 0.93 miles before the race at 9:09 pace .. link here. I was able to slip into line but further back from the start that I would have liked. And ... we were off!


I could see the front runners run and the ripple effect as more and more runners in front began to shuffle, walk and then run. Then it was my turn ... it took about 20 seconds to cross the start line. I slowly picked my way through slower runners and got up to race pace. Yes ... I went out too fast with a first mile of 7:09. Hey ... it's a downhill start! What's not to love? The Rochester Running Company had a tent at around the 0.6 mile mark which was a nice touch. I knew some of those who yelled encouragement. I started to feel the "too hard" pace around mile 3. I stopped for a couple of seconds to drink a cup of water at an aid station and then got back up to a slightly less insane race pace. I ran up the incline back to Highland Ave and drink another two cups of water at the aid station just before mile 5. Come on! Just over a mile! I did catch up, pass or at least kept pace with everyone who passed me when I stopped to drink water.

Mile 6 ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shuttlefly.com

Keep running ... pick up the pace ... mile 6 sign ahead ... around the corner ... finish line ... timer below 47 ... and done in 46:45 according to my Garmin Forerunner 220. It started to sprinkle just as I got done. I went off to find the $5 pancake breakfast that I had signed up for. I had to ask several people which tent the pancake breakfast was being sold at ... but I did find it. I went underneath a large tent that held several other food vendors while the shower came and went. There were all sorts of food being sold by all sorts of food vendors ... I almost needed run another 10K just from smelling all that food (most all of it was probably no good for you)!

Had to grab a pic with the lilacs!

I walked around for a bit, bought a vial of Highland Lilac perfume for Christine and then went home.

I had my obligatory 2 mugs of coffee along with a bagel while I uploaded my Garmin and checked out Facebook. My official times for the Lilac 10K were: 46:46 (gun time, 7:32 pace), 46:29 (chip time, 7:29 pace), 83rd out of 783, 4th out of 44 in my M 55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 7:09, 7:13, 7:19, 7:41, 8:02, 7:27 and 7:12 over the last 0.26 mile. That last mile did seem to last forever. Here are news links, here and here.

Later, Christine and I reconnected before she cooked a great supper. She knows that the way to my heart is through my stomach!

Monday, 7/22/2017: Rest day.

Tuesday, 7/2/2017: 6.55 miles, 53:06, 8:06, 64F, 60% RH, 7 mph SSW wind, partly cloudy.


I got out before lunch. It was warm so I wore my green Brooks shorts and a 2015 yellow Phelps Sauerkraut short sleeve tech shirt. I knew that I should have taken it nice and busy. But ... did I? I did start a bit easy ... and then pushed the pace with every mile. The result ... negative splits, baby! My splits were: 8:23, 8:14, 8:11, 8:07, 8:06, 8:02 and 7:20 over the last 0.55 mile. It might not have been wise with a Dirt Cheap #2 the next day ... but it felt good so I went with it.

Wednesday, 5/24/2017: 2 runs of 2.0 and 5.4 miles, 75F,

Tonight's race was Dirt Cheap #2 (delayed 2 weeks due to poor conditions) out at Black Creek Park in Chili. I dressed after work and went straight there. It was warm so I just wore my green Brooks shorts and an orange 2013 Spring Forward short sleeve tech shirt. This year I took the correct exit (4 instead of 3 like last year). I arrived in time enough to snag a relatively close parking spot.

I hung out with some of the 6 PM early start runners (Tom, Bill and Duane) before I got for a nice out and mostly back run of 2 miles at 9.55 pace, link here. I found Boots about 0.75 mile out hacking away at brush that was mostly blocking a section of single track. I tried to help for a few seconds but the branch I grabbed broke off plus he seemed to have it under control. I got back to the start with 7 minutes to go and settled in for a nice trail run.


And .... we were off! This race has an uphill start that we encounter twice (the start and about 4.5 miles later). The uphill start got my legs and heart pumping.

The start of Dirt Cheap #2 ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester

A left turn at the top and then a gentle down. Everyone was still kind of bunched together. Boom! I tripped and went down! I thought I had tripped on a rock or root so I quickly got up and started running again. Boom! Down again! I thought "WTH? (or words to that effect)" and looked down. I saw that my right lace of my Salamon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes had come untucked and that was why I tripped. I quickly tucked it back in and got back to running. The damage? An empty water bottle (I had fell on it) and a jammed left thumb. I didn't see any blood (but then I didn't really look either). I was now behind runners who didn't run my pace so I went into pass mode and got back up to where I felt comfortable. The race progressed. There was a long, long section of single track and I started to get parched. I tripped on a root at one point and came really close to going down again but I caught myself just in the nick of time.

Trying hard not to fall again ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester

Then I burst out of single track and almost passed a self-serve water station. I circled back, filled up my water bottle and took a long swig. Ahhh!! It was warm and this race is rather long so I really appreciated a bit of water. Then it was back to running and catching up to where I was ... and then some as I used my long legs to good advantage on the flat. I may not be the fastest but I try to hold my own ... at least in my age group. At long last it was back up the start hill and then right back into single track. I could hear Ellen calling in runners at the finish but we werent' there yet. I was tired and concentrated on not tripping or misplacing my feet when I had to jump over roots, rocks or logs. It's tougher when you're tired for sure. Then ... out of single track ... past the Cruze ... finish line in sight ... Ellen calling out my name (priceless) ... and done in 49:26!

I got a drink of water and tried to stop my eCrumb (so Christine could track me if she was so inclined) but my Droid froze for a while. I guess it was a bit overheated ... I know I was dripping with sweat so I didn't blame it. I hung out for a bit and ate 2 hot dogs and some cookies. You gotta say that Fleet Feet and Yellow Jacket Racing do know how to put on a good event. I thank them for getting and keeping me running! I hold a special place in my heart for Boots and Ellen. I may not spend as much at Fleet Feet any more but I do like to run their races.

I brushed off most of the mud when I got to the Cruze and changed into my old road shoes that I wore to work. I was glad that Christine had put some old Wegmans plastic bags in the one of our shopping bag ... useful when you have a pair of muddy trail shoes!

I found some Black Creek Park mud!

Anyway ... I did OK. I checked the results, link here. I was 62nd out of 323, 3rd out of 20 in my M 55-59 age group. My splits were: 9:09, 8:36, 9:05, 9:42, 9:44 and 10:42 over the last 0.3 mile. I took stock when I got home ... my left thumb kind of hurt, my left ankle was a bit touchy, I picked up a couple of scrapes on my right forearm plus I was a bit achy. Ahh ... a couple falls on a trail run ... what fun!

Thursday, 5/25/2017: Rest day.

It was kind of tough going down stairs today for some reason. It rained most of the day. If Dirt Cheap #2 had been tonight instead of last night ... there would have a whole lot of muddy runners!

Friday, 5/26/2017: Another rest day. Hmm ... where am I going to run this weekend?

Saturday, 5/27/2017: 10.25 miles, 1:28:12, 8:36 pace, 57F, 94% RH, 3 mph W wind, overcast.

I was up early at 6:05 AM. I puttered around. I knew I wanted to get stuff done, but what first? I started the laundry, had my usual pre-run breakfast of cereal and banana, made the coffee, caught up on email and Facebook, started another load of laundry. I could have continued onward but I knew I would feel like a slug if I didn't get out for a run. So I dressed in my green Brooks shorts, my 2015 yellow Phelps Sauerkraut short sleeve tech shirt and got out there.


I struck up a nice and easy pace and took Edgemere Drive to see both side of the water across it near Dewey Ave. I took a picture on each side of where Lake Ontario crosses Edgemere Drive. The sound of the pumps was quite loud.

Edgemere Drive near Dewey Ave looking west toward Island Cottage

Edgemere Drive near Dewey Ave looking east back toward Dewey Ave

My left ankle twinged a wee bit around mile 6 so I backed off and cut the run short to just 10 miles. But a ten miler was good enough for today. My splits were: 8:17, 8:33, 8:22, 8:30, 8:35, 8:45, 8:50, 8:42, 8:50, 8:46 and 8:10 over the last 0.25 mile.

I had my usual post-run two mugs of coffee along with a cinnamon roll. Then ... I got busy. I did ten loads of laundry in total. Hey .. I got in some stair work by going down the stairs to the basement and up to the bedroom many times!

Meanwhile, the Canandaigua Classic (a 5K and half marathon) was held, 5K results here with 219 runners and half results here with 407 runners. I have never ran this half marathon but maybe one of these days.