Monday, 7/10/2017 to Saturday, 7/15/2017 - Shoreline Half

I ran 4 times these 6 days, 30.74 miles.
I took 66,987 steps during these 6 days.

Monday, 7/10/2017: 8605 steps during the day, rest day.

Tuesday, 7/11/2017: 14898 steps during the day, 7.5 miles, around 8:30 pace, 81F, 66% RH, 6 mph NE wind, mostly cloudy.

I brought my running gear to work so I could go out right after work. So I did the usual: dressed after work and drove out to the Greece Arcadia High School. I was gearing up when I found out something ... you can make your nose bleed. I put a dab of sunscreen (my darling wife has gotten me in the habit of putting on sunscreen) on my left index finger and vigorously went to apply it to my nose. Well ... I missed and jabbed it up my nose instead. Ouch! I didn't think much of it until ... I started sniffing and realized that my left nostril was bleeding. I had to take care of that before I could start up. I also had to set up my Ricoh cell for RoadID before I could start out.

Then ... I forgot to start my eCrumb until about a mile into the run. So ... the route was 7.5 miles but the pace and splits were from a 6.5 mile run. It was a bit humid so I was totally drenched when I got done. My splits were: 8:16, 8:24, 8:24, 8:38, 8:40, 8:34 and 8:30 over the last 0.5 mile.
I was still dripping with sweat when I got home so I went upstairs straight away to take a cool shower. I cut my toenails and noticed that I had four (yes, four) old blisters on my feet. Two around my left heel (from Many on the Genny), one on my left 2nd toe (from Sunday's Boilermaker) and one on my right big toe (from who know what). Lovely ... but what can a runner who runs do? Just keep on running.

Wednesday, 7/12/2017: 8346 steps during the day, rest day.

Thursday, 7/13/2017: 15736 steps during the day, 9.3 miles, 1:15:17, 8:06 pace, 66F, 88% RH, 7 mpn ENE wind, overcast.

The usual run out towards home after work. This time I started out on Janes Rd. It was cooler since a cold front has pushed through and given Rochester a not so necessary burst of rain. I started out a bit slow and then decided to push it longer and harder. I was definitely feeling strong at the end. Now if I could just do that during the Shoreline Half on Saturday. My splits were: 8:02, 7:54, 8:04, 8:05, 8:14, 7:59, 8:14, 8:11, 8:12 and 7:54 over the last 0.3 mile. OK ... maybe I didn't start out so nice and easy.

Friday, 7/14/2017: 4250 steps during the day, rest day.

The usual rest day before a race. I stopped by Fleet Feet on Ridgeway to pick up my bib and olive short sleeve tech shirt for tomorrow's Shoreline Half. The lady who took care of me told me about the course changes in the last mile. The last mile of the old course was along the paved paths along Lake Ontario. Well ... the high lake levels "ate" some of the paths so the course was changed. She told that the last mile was a bit "twisty and turny". I do know that I like the last mile of a half course to be straight so I just gut out the finish. Oh well ... I got my gear together and set my alarm for 5:45 AM.

Saturday, 7/15/2017: 23,757 steps during the day, 2 runs of 0.75 and 13.19 miles, 64F, 88% RH, 8 mph W wind, overcast.

Today's race was my sixth Shoreline Half Marathon (2011 - 1:56:12, 2012 - 1:36:21, 2014 - 1:45:26, 2015 - 1:47:04 and 2016 - 1:44:24).

I was awake a bit before the alarm. I went downstairs to put away the dishes from the dishwasher, make the coffee and have my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana. I woke my lovely wife, Christine, up at 6:15 AM (which was not early enough). She had signed up to volunteer and needed to be there at 7 AM. I got ready quickly. I wore my usual: black shorts and an old green Shoreline Half short sleeve tech shirt. Christine took more than she needed. We left at 6:57 AM for Hamlin State Park which is about 19.5 miles away. We encountered a few sprinkles on the way. I begun to wonder if my clothing choices were wrong. We arrived at 7:20 AM.

Then ... Christine got "stuck" in the car and couldn't fulfill her volunteer duties. I knew enough not to inflame the situation. I found the volunteer tent and told them. They had already reassigned her duties since it was 7:30 AM. I went back to the Cruze and told her. I got out for a nice and easy warm up run of 0.75 miles which ended up at the start line. I had decided to carry my 20 ounce hand bottle filled with water and maybe a bit of ice along with a 5 ounce flask of Hammer Gel. I tried to fire off a RoadID eCrumb so that Christine and my kids could track me but I was unable to get a strong enough cell signal.


Ellen reminded us about the course change at the end before letting us go with a boisterous "Goooooooooooo!" I had a clean start except for some idiot with ear buds in front of me hopping from one side to the other side to a clearer lane. I changed my step to avoid him and yelled "Hey, watch it!" but I doubt he heard me.

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

This girl was also around mile 1, I touched the lightning bolt for more power ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester

I set up a sensible pace around 8 to 8:10 pace. It was overcast and very humid. We got to mile 3 just as we left the park. The race progressed. I had water at miles 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 and Hammer Gel at miles 6 and 8. I developed a pain in my right cramp. It wasn't a hard cramp but enough to bug and slow me down ... which I did. I went into a run/walk past mile 10 or so. Mile 11 ... back in the park ... the new course was on the park road ... mile 12 ... the new twisty and turny course at the end (not a fan) ... I was still running but felt like I was in quicksand ... it hurt to run ... I had nothing left ... last left ... I heard Ellen call my name ... push ... the finish line just as the clock turned to 1:49 ... done!

Somewhere around the end ... photo courtesy of Kim Smith of Fleet Feet Rochester

Two ladies put the Shoreline Half and 4 Season Challenge medals over my neck. I was parched and quickly downed 2 cups of water. I took a few minutes to rest and then walked over to the Cruze to tell Christine that I was done.

A post race selfie ... you can barely see the 4 Season Challenge medal

Shoreline Half swag

I sat with Christine in the Cruze for a bit. Yellow Jacket Racing had contracted with Sticky Lips  BBQ to serve our post race food. I stood in line for about 5 minutes before it was my turn. I talked with a woman who told me that at mile 9 she had stayed with a guy who had fainted. Someone called 911. She and I hoped that he was OK. The pulled pork on a bun, beans and pasta tasted excellent.

I went to the beach and watched the waves come in for a bit.

I checked out the results when we got home. I finished 95th out of 639, link here. I was 6th out of 21 in my M 55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 8:08, 8:10, 8:12, 8:20, 8:14, 8:16, 7:59, 8:11, 8:09, 8:24, 8:36, 8:13, 8:29 and 8:25 over the last 0.19 mile. There was 175 finishers in the Shoreline 5K, link here. So .. out of six Shoreline Half races this was my second slowest. Oh well ... it's what I could do today. I guess I have to race against who I am today ... not 5 years ago in 2012.

Meanwhile other athletes were out there being awesome. Trails ROC held their 5th 0 SPF Trail 1/2 Marathon out in Victor with 127 finishers, results here. The Musselman Mini was held out in Geneva. The athletes I knew of the 614 finishers: Jim McLaughlin in 1:24:59, Tom Dutton in 1:33:01, Bob Hamilton in 1:35:30, Jeff Rose in 1:39:06, Sarah Hardy Strossman in 1:39:23, Ellen Boettrich in 2:02:18, Frank Colavecchia in 2:14:21