Sunday, 12/24/2017 to Saturday, 12/30/2017

I ran 5 times this week, 37.35 miles.
I took 56.419 steps this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.
I was off on holiday, a floating holiday and 3 vacations days from Ricoh this week.

Sunday, 12/24/2017: 12430 steps during the day; 9.35 miles, 1:16:32, 8:11, 27F, 86% RH, 5 mph WSW wind, wind chill 21F, partly cloudy.

I slept in until almost 8 AM. I puttered around like usual but said what I usually say: "A run doesn't get done by itself". So ... I get my usually winter running gear on: CW-X tights with black shorts over, heavy Craft base layer, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, balaclava, yellow/black Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I put on my sunglasses to shield my eyes from any snow glare that dared show itself and also from any wind.


I set up a nice and steady pace and got going. It had snowed about 2 to 3 inches yesterday after the rain had changed to snow. So ... I kept to the roads and did my old Greenleaf 15K route. I was a bit bored but just kept running and got it done. My splits were: 7:59, 8:13, 8:11, 8:17, 8:21, 8:05, 7:59, 8:27, 8:07 and 8:15 over the last 0.35 mile.

Monday, 12/25/2017: 1539 steps during the day, rest day.

My darling wife, Christine, and I celebrated Christine very quietly. I drove out to take my oldest son, Michael, and daughter, Karen, to supper at the Denny's in Canandaigua. The weather broke with temps in the high 20s with brilliant sunshine.

Later, Christine and I watched three Hitchcock movies off the DVR: 1943's "A Shadow of a Doubt", 1954's "Rear Window" and 1954's "Dial M for Murder". Hitch ... the master of suspense along with Grace Kelly in the last two movies.

Tuesday, 12/26/2017: 8975 steps during the day; 6.25 miles, 58:28, 8:18 pace, 12F, 52% RH, 19 mph W wind, wind chill -6F, sunny


Today was Tuesday ... so I did what I do on Tuesdays ... run. Yes, it was cold and windy. But ... I have the correct gear for that kind of weather. I broke out my heavy Craft base layer and wore it instead of my long sleeve tech. I also wore my mittens. The result? A nice run. The only part of me that was sort of cold was my face. I set up a nice and steady pace as I ran an out and back. My splits were: 8:18, 8:39, 8:20, 8:23, 8:04, 8:09 and 8:09 over the last 0.25 mile.

Wednesday, 12/27/2017: 2558 steps during the day, rest day.

I busied myself during the day in the basement putting together 3 shelving units and then bring down boxes to put on them. Joy, joy, joy ... not really. I discovered that I need a few more shelving units or that I need to go through the box to get rid of the stuff I decidedly don't need.

Yellow Jacket Racing held Snow Cheap #2 out at Webster Park in Webster at 6:30 PM. I haven't signed up for a Snow Cheap in a couple of years. I loved running them (I looked at my spreadsheet and I ran 25) but I don't want to risk injuring myself. The results of 158 finishers are here.

A great picture that I grabbed off of the Facebook page of JamesandAmy Fricon

Thursday, 12/28/2017: 9883 steps during the day; 6.05 miles, 52:56, 8:45 pace, 1F, 84% RH, 8 mph WSW wind, wind chill -12F, mostly cloudy with light snow


It was Thursday ... so you know what I did. Normal people would have stayed inside, lol! My darling wife, Christine, stayed up really late and woke me up when she came to bed at 7 AM. We cuddled a bit and then I got up. I puttered around a bit, waited for the sun to rise a bit and then got geared up to run.

The WT Forecast app had this to say ...

It was 1F so I woke my "really cold" running gear: CW-X tights with shorts over, Craft base layer, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, balaclava, yellow/black Brooks beanie, ski mittens and sunglasses. It was cold and a bit windy but I set out in a nice and steady pace. It was a bit cold as I headed west. I warmed up and enjoyed the run. My splits were: 9:18, 9:03, 8:34, 8:38, 8:25 and 8:29.

Friday, 12/29/2017: 9807 steps during the day; 7.35 miles, 1:04:03, 8:43 pace, 10F, 78% RH, 5 mph WSW wind, wind chill 2F, sunny.

I don't normally run on Fridays but I have a race on Monday so I figured I will take a rest day on Sunday. So ... I will run on Thursday, Friday (today) and Saturday. No speed ... just maintaining my base. I put on the same gear that I had on yesterday. It felt warmer. I think it was because it wasn't as windy. My splits were: 9:01, 8:56, 8:33, 8:34, 8:34, 8:36, 8:57 and 8:12 over the last 0.35 mile.

Saturday, 12/30/2017: 11227 steps during the day; 8.35 miles, 1:08:30, 8:18 pace, 18F, 73% RH, 11 mph WSW wind, wind chill 5F, overcast.

I slept in until a bit after 8 AM. My darling wife, Christine, and I were up a bit late before we drifted off to sleep. I puttered around a bit before I got out for my usual Saturday morning run. It was a little less frosty but I wore the same running gear as yesterday. It hadn't snowed overnight so I decided to wear my Brooks Transcend 3 road shoes instead of my Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes. Both have lots of miles ... 535 for the road shoes and 730 for the trail shoes. I set up a nice and steady pace. I decided on an out and back 7 miles and then a tour through the neighborhood across Greenleaf Road. My splits were: 8:41, 8:21, 8:12, 8:03, 8:08, 8:13, 8:31, 8:25 and 7:34 over the last 0.25 mile.

Christine and I continued with our impromptu Hitchcock fest as we watched 1958's "Vertigo" and 1963's "The Birds". Hitchcock didn't have blonds in every movie but did in these two: Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren.

Sunday, 12/17/2017 to Saturday, 12/23/2017

I ran 4 times this week, 32.0 miles.
I walked xx steps this weeks according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.

Sunday, 12/17/2017: 12912 steps during the day; 10.05 miles, 1:24:50, 8:26 pace, 14F, 85% RH, 3 mph SW wind, partly cloudy.


I was up a bit early at 6:50 AM. Oops, I had forgotten to turn off my weekend alarm. I thought about going back to sleep but I knew I couldn't so I didn't. I had my usual pre-run bowl of cereal and banana and then puttered around on Facebook and looked at email for a bit. But ... a run doesn't get done by itself. It was cold but calm so I dressed in my usual winter gear: CW-X tights with shorts, red long sleeve tech, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, balaclava, yellow/black Brooks beanie and ski mittens. It was a bit cold out but calm. I set up a nice and easy pace as I set out on my old Greenleaf 15K route. I wanted 10 so I added a bit at the end. Boom, done. My splits were: 8:26, 8:22, 8:23, 8:30, 8:40, 7:59, 8:18, 8:12, 8:22 and 9:12.

Later, Christine and I watched the Miami Dolphins - Buffalo Bills game from the New Era Stadium in Buffalo. This was a must win for the Bills and they delivered ... mostly. They scored 21 in the first half and only 3 points in the second half. But the defense held the Dolphins to only 16 points. So the end of the game was a bit nerve wracking. The Dolphins recovered their onside kick after closing to 8 points but Cutler threw an interception on the next play ... ball game! Final score: 24-16 and the Bills move to 8-6 and in the 6th spot in the AFC playoff picture with 2 games to go .. away game versus the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins. Here are some links ... here and here.

Monday, 12/18/2017: 8984 steps during the day, rest day.

Tuesday, 12/19/2017: 20614 steps during the day; 7.55 miles, 1:00:37, 8:01 pace, 45F, 76% RH, 17 mph W wind, wind chill 37F, overcast.

I couldn't break away before lunch so I ran after work. It was above 40F and windy so ... I wore shorts! I also my yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, yellow/black Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. This was the first test of my fully charged InnoGear headlamp. It's brighter and gives a lot wider beam than my old Black Diamond headlamp. Wow! It was a bit tough running in the wind on Janes and back on Island Cottage but I just tried to keep a quick pace. My splits were: 7:55, 8:12, 8:10, 7:43, 7:49, 8:06, 8:08 and 8:11 over the last 0.55 mile.

Wednesday, 12/20/2017: 6673 steps during the day, rest day.

Thursday, 12/21/2017: 17216 steps during the day; 8.15 miles, 1:04:44, 7:56 pace, 28F, 69% RH, 6 mph ENE wind, wind chill 22F, overcast.


I couldn't get out before lunch in the daylight so I got out after work in the dark. I wore my usual winter garb: CW-X tights, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, yellow/black Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I had my Nathan Tracer360 and InnoGear headlamp so I could be seen and see what's ahead of me. It was a bit chilly so I set up a quick pace. The recent warmth had melted all the snow so I took the LOSP trail. I saw a walker wearing a dark coat and said "Hi". Then I came upon a pair of walkers. I said "Coming up on your left". It turned out to be Tom and Amy Butler. Tom had no reflective gear and Amy had a few reflective strips on her jacket. Neither had a headlamp or flashlight. Huh? They were out for a 10K walk/run. I stopped for a wee bit to say "Hi" and wish them a Merry Christmas. Then I ran onward ...  I had miles to get in. I settled on an out and back. I saw Tom and Amy on the way back also. I said "Hi" as I ran by at full speed. Boom ... done, a quick 8.15 mile. My splits were: 7:47, 7:32, 7:52, 8:01, 7:56, 8:05, 8:07, 13 and 7:39 over the last 0.15 mile.

My new Nathan Tracer360 and InnoGear headlamp. Tom & Amy Butler told me that they could see me from a long way off.

Friday, 12/22/2017: 6997 steps during the day, rest day.

Saturday, 12/23/2017: 8468 steps during the day; 6.25 miles, 54:33, 8:43 pace, 34F, 100% RH, 7 mph NE wind, wind chill 28F, overcast with light sprinkles.


I was up at 6:50 AM. I puttered around like usual, looked outside at the light rain and almost bagged the run. But ... a run doesn't get done by itself. So ... I manned up, got dressed and got there. It was just around freezing so I wore my CW-X tights with shorts over, a long sleeve tech, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, balaclava, yellow/black Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I wore my blue Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes for added traction. I was happy to have them in the one inch of slush. I stayed off the road and just went really nice and easy on the LOSP trail. Out and back ... done. I was damp when I got in so I stripped and right straight into the shower. A mug of coffee afterward helped also. My splits were: 8:57, 9:00, 8:44, 8:39, 8:41, 8:39 and 7:43 over the last 0.25 mile.

Sunday, 12/10/2017 to Saturday, 12/16/2017

I ran 4 times this week, 33.7 miles.
I took 73,426 steps this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.

Sunday, 12/10/2017: 12905 steps during the day; 11.45 miles, 1:34:34, 8:16 pace, 30F, 64% RH, 21 mph W wind, wind chill 17F, mostly cloudy

I slept in until 8:30 AM. I have a feeling that if and when I ever retire that I will eventually become a night owl and sleep everyday until noon! But ... I ate my usual pre-run bowl of cereal with banana, puttered around a bit on Facebook. But ... I dragged myself upstairs and got ready for a long run outside in December.

It looked cold and blustery outside but ... a runner has to do what a runner has to do. I dress warmly: CW-X tights with shorts over, yellow/black Brook 1/4 zip pullover, balaclava, yellow/black Brooks beanie, ski mittens and sunglasses. "A run doesn't get done by itself" I muttered as I stepped out the door.



Did I say it was cold? Yes, I could have turned around and made it a 5 mile when I got to the end of the LOSP trail. Yes, I could have made it a 10K or a 15K. But ... I wanted at least 10 miles. So ... I added my 10K loop. Yes ... it was cold heading into the wind on the LOSP trail, Edgemere Drive and down Long Pond Rd. But ... it wasn't so bad on the way back on Janes Rd and the LOSP trail. My splits were: 8:15, 8:26, 8:19, 8:29, 8:27, 8:31, 8:17, 7:49, 8:01, 8:14, 8:13 and 7:51 over the last 0.45 mile. Boom ... done!

My darling wife, Christine, was already downstairs when I came inside. She let me do my normal routine ... pour my coffee, grab 5 mini-donuts and sit down. We listened to some Christmas music before we turned on the Indianapolis Colts - Buffalo Bills game at exactly 1 PM. Wow! The game was played in a Lake Erie snow belt snow storm! Some runner friends were at the game and posted pictures on Facebook ... crazy!

A image grab from si.com

Matt Wittmeyer of Brighton took this picture of a Buffalo Bills fan ... photo courtesy of Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

The groundskeepers ran onto the field during timeouts to shovel and blow the yard markers. It helped a bit but you still had to rely on the TV to tell you where the ball was. There was a whole lot of slipping and sliding, punts just dropping in the snow and not so much scoring. The Bills had their backup AB, Peterson, in at QB. The Bills grabbed a 7-0 lead just before halftime. Peterson was knocked out in the third quarter. The Bills had their backup, backup QB, Joe Webb, in. Back and forth with no team scoring. Meanwhile, Christine was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. She served Greek Pastitsio from greek.food.com during the 4th quarter. It looked like the Bills would hold the Colts but they scored after a 19 play drive with under 2 minutes to go. They lined up for a 2 point conversion to win the game. The pass was good ... FLAG ... offensive pass interference!!! The Colts then tied the game with a 43 yard PAT. The Colts almost won the game when they got an interception but missed a 43 yard FG attempt with 6 seconds to go. OT! The Bills got the ball and drove to the Colts 41. They punted on 4th and 1 ... what? But ... the Bills held and the Colts punted the ball back. Time for the Bills to drive the ball. McCoy won the game with a 21 yard burst up the left side with 1:33 left! Bills win 13-7!! Wow ... EPIC game! The Bills (7-6) crawled into the sixth spots in the AFC playoff picture with 3 games to play. Lots of links; here, here, here, here (no snow pictures, upi.com?), here, here, here, here, here, here, here and Peterson is in concussion protocol, link here.

Monday, 12/11/2017: 5856 steps during the day, rest day.

Tuesday, 12/12/2017: 14324 steps during the day; 6.25 miles, 55:57, 8:56 pace, 21F, 62% RH, 13 mph W wind, wind chill 9F, overcast.


I brought my gear to work so I could have run before lunch but just wasn't feeling it. I wanted to test out the new InnoGear headlamp I bought off of Ebay and my new Nathan Tracer360. I dressed after work: CW-X tights with shorts over them, long sleeve tech, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, Darn Tough socks and my Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes (they still feel OK and they have LOTS of traction). But ... I didn't have my balaclava or my yellow/black Brooks beanie. So I headed home to get them. I went inside, dumped my stuff, grabbed the head gear, announced my intentions to Christine (who by now knows I'm crazy) and headed back out. I lit up the Tracer360 and the headlamp (which seemed dim) and set up a slow and steady pace. The footing in the parking lot was icy and the complex plow guy probably thought I was crazy. I went out onto the LOSP trail. It was about 2 inches of snow on it and about 4 inches in sheltered areas. The footing was OK so I set up to do my 10K out and back. The only part of me that was cold was my face. Well ... my headlamp got dimmer and quit with about a mile to go (more on the headlamp on Thursday. So ... I ran the rest of the LOSP trail by the glow of my Tracer360! There were street lights when I got to the Greenleaf Meadow complex.  One car didn't move over as I ran up toward my townhouse so I had to take to the snow ... I did turn around and yell at the car but ... it did no good as usual. My splits were: 9:07, 9:04, 8:41, 8:42, 9:11, 9:00 and 8:22 over the last 0.25 mile. My darling wife, Christine, had a supper of chicken, beans and salad along with a mug of hot chocolate ready when I came in from the cold ... priceless!

Wednesday, 12/13/2017: 4673 steps during the day, rest day.

I found that I could charge my Ebay headlamp (which had no charging LED) using one particular USB charger so the cord is good. This cord also worked to charge my old Black Diamond headlamp (but is super slow).

Thursday, 12/14/2017: 18217 steps during the day; 7.55 miles, 1:04:37, 8:33 pace, 18F, 62% RH, 9 mph WSW wind, wind chill 9F, overcast.


Yes, it was cold and dark but it wasn't so windy or snowing ... so I ran. I dressed after work and drove out to Greece Arcadia High School for my IC and Janes route. I wore my winter usual for 18F: CW-X tights with shorts over, long sleeve tech, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, balaclava, yellow/black Brooks beanie and ski mittens. I wore my Nathan Tracer360 for reflectivity. I wanted to use my new headlamp but I forgot it so I used my old Black Diamond headlamp that didn't quite have a charge (more on that later). I set up a nice and easy pace ... and set forth in the darkness. The wind wasn't too bad and I warmed up quickly. My splits were: 8:17, 8:38, 8:34, 8:30, 8:27, 8:34, 8:40 and 9:00 over the last 0.55 mile. My darling wife, Christine, had tracked me on RoadID and had hamburgs cooking and a mug of hot chocolate ready ... priceless!

Oh ... about my headlamp choice. I had broken one of the blades in the transformer (no longer sold) that charged my old Black Diamond headlamp (no longer sold) so I was forced to get another headlamp.

I must have twisted the plug when I pulled it out ... :-(

So I bought a InnoGear 5000 lumen headlamp from Ebay for $21.95 about 2 weeks ago, link here. It is widely sold online and uses 2 18360 rechargeable batteries. I like to run before lunch during the daylight but the snow and ice on the Erie Canal path has forced me to run after work in the dark. The InnoGear headlamp worked when I got it but it had no charging LED so I had no idea whether it charged or not before I took my Tuesday run. It died with a mile to go. I ordered a separate 18360 battery  charger off a Ebay for $3.95 so I can know that the batteries are fully charged.

I did find that the USB charging cord for the InnoGear headlamp does fit into my old Black Diamond headlamp but I know that the broken transformer was about 12V which is definitely a bit higher than the voltage that a USB charger puts out. This could be why the Black Diamond headlamp is charging so slowly when I try to charge it with a USB charger. So ... I measured the InnoGear plug (it's 3.5 mm) and ordered a 12V 2 Amp transformer with a 3.5 mm connector off of Ebay for $5.99. Running is just a cheap hobby ... lol! But ... it's always best to be see (with a spare headlamp just in case) and to be seen (with a lighted reflective vest)!

Friday, 12/15/2017:  6753 steps during the day, rest day.

Saturday, 12/16/2017: 10698 steps during the day' 8.35 miles, 1:11:51, 8:36 pace, 27F, 68% RH, 8 mph WSW wind, wind chill 18F, snow.

I slept in until 7:50 AM ... I guess I needed the sleep. I ate my usual pre-run bowl of cereal and banana while I puttered around and looked at Facebook and email. I saw that a lot of people were getting ready for the Reindeer Run 5K downtown. Been there, done that, have the antlers. But ... a run doesn't get done by itself. So .. I headed upstairs, got dressed in my usual winter running gear and got outside. I added my Nathan Tracer360 running vest even though it was daylight. I lit it up but it didn't seem to help too much. It did start snowing later in the run so maybe it helped. I set up a nice and easy pace on the LOSP trail. It was a bit of a slog so I didn't go back that way. I headed down Island Cottage, Latta, Dewey Ave, Beach Ave and Greenleaf Rd instead. I did find that drivers DO NOT look when they are turning right ... and especially when it is snowing. I could see that the two drivers were going to pull out right in front of me so I just stopped and held up my arms when they looked my way. I guess they think that there are no pedestrians or runners out when it's snowing? Anyway ... there were no further incidents. My splits were: 8:47, 9:17, 8:57, 8:26, 8:01, 8:14, 8:09, 9:01 and 8:25 over the last 0.35 mile.

Sunday, 12/3/2017 to Saturday, 12/9/2017 - Freezeroo #1

I ran 5 times this week, 27.78 miles.
I took 83,100 steps during this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.

Sunday, 12/3/2017: 14289 steps during the day; 9.35 miles, 1:18:27, 8:23 pace, 36F, 93% RH, 4 mph SW wind, partly cloudy.

I woke up around 7 AM but puttered around enough so that I got out around 9 AM. I'm a creature of habit during the winter and wore what I wore yesterday. I bet people can recognize me: my Brooks pants, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, yellow/black Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. It makes grabbing my gear easier. Anything to make a run when it's cold outside is a good thing. I've been running going on 13 years now so I know that runs don't get done by themselves.


I set up a nice and steady pace. I only saw one runner during the run. My splits were: 8:20, 8:21, 8:26, 8:38, 8:31, 8:16, 8:16, 8:31, 8:29 and 7:25 over the last 0.35 mile. Boom ... done. The coffee that I had programmed before I left was all done ... mmm! I had my mug of coffee on my left side, my feet up and 4 mini-donuts in front of me ... mmm!

Later ... my darling wife, Christine, and I watched the Patriots plays the Bills at New Era Stadium over in Buffalo. The results were predictable ... a 23-3 loss to bring the Bills down to 6-6, link here. The Bills just rip their fan's hearts out every year ... a hot September and October followed by a lackluster November and dismal December. 17 years and counting since the Bills made the playoffs.

Monday, 12/4/2017: 5994 steps during the day, rest day.

Tuesday, 12/5/2017: 14720 steps during the day; 6.45 miles, 52:13, 8:06 pace, 53F, 76% RH, 17 mph SW wind, overcast.


I grabbed my old Brooks Adrenaline GTS15 black/yellow running shoes this morning but they are what I had ... so I ran in them. It was supposed to the mid 50s so I wore shorts, a long sleeve/short sleeve tech combo, yellow/black Brooks light running gloves and my yellow/black Brooks beanie. I was a bit chilly as I headed south in the brisk SW wind for the first 3/4 mile plus my shoe choice felt a bit like concrete but I ran onward and let the run happen. My splits were: 8:22, 8:06, 8:01, 8:20, 8:08, 7:56 and 7:21 over the last 0.45 mile. I took a look at the long range forecast. I bet this will be last time I run in short this year, :-(.

Laundry needed to be done so it was up at 4:45 AM to start 2 loads of laundry and then 2 more after I got home from work. Boom ... done. I'll wash the rest of my clothes this weekend.

Wednesday, 12/6/2017: 6199 steps during the day, rest day.

Runner's World picked up on Jill Jackett's death while running and ran a story about her, link here. Her memorial service was held today from 2 to 5 PM down in the Education building at the Genesse Country Village and Museum in Mumford NY.

I signed up for my second Empire State Marathon. It's a week later next year on 10/14/2018 so it will not conflict with either the Chicago Marathon or Mohawk Hudson Marathon. I used the HOLIDAYFULL coupon to get $25 off. There is also a HOLIDAYHALF to get $20 off the half and a HOLIDAY10K coupon to get $10 off the 10K. So ... the prices are down to $60, $55 and $35 with the coupons. Hopefully, the temperature at the start of next year's race will be 53F instead of 73F like it was this year!

Thursday, 12/7/2017: 15222 steps during the day; 6.45 miles, 50:52, 7:52 pace, 32F, 12 mph SW wind, wind chill 23F, overcast.


I got out before lunch like I usually do. It was a lot colder so I wore my CW-X tights, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, yellow/black Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I hiked up the speed to keep warm. I actually had a bit of sweat by mile 6, lol! My splits were: 7:25, 7:56, 8:02, 8:11, 8:05, 7:48 and 7:16 over the last 0.45 mile.

Friday, 12/8/2017: 7045 steps during the day, rest day.

Saturday, 12/9/2017: 9631 steps during the day; 2 runs of 2.5 and 3.13 miles, 30F, 59% RH, 6 mph SW wind, wind chill 24F, mostly cloudy.

Today's race was the GRTC Freezeroo #1. It was my sixth. Two were a 5 mile version at Pineways Pond Park (2010 - 36:44 and 2011 - 34:18). The past three and this one were at the current Northstar Christian Academy location on Lyell Ave (2013 - 22:52, 2014 - 21:41 and 2016 - 22:06). Today's weather was Freezeroo-ish: a bit before freezing, light wind and mostly cloudy. I slept in until 7:30 AM. I washed the dishes that didn't make it into the dishwasher, programmed the coffee, had my pre-race bowl of cereal and banana and caught up on Facebook and email. Then I got dressed, kissed Christine goodbye and was out the door by 8:40 AM for the short 20 minute drive down to NCA. I wore my winter usual: CW-X tights, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, yellow/black Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I added my Brooks jacket for warmth while I warmed up.

I misread the pre-registration list when I got my bib and got #60 and pinned it on. I met up with Prem Kumar and went out for a really nice and easy 2.5 mile warm up run at 8:56 pace, link here. We were taking it easy enough to catch up on what's been going on with each other ... and also complain about how cold the wind was ... lol! His race schedule for 2018 is firming up: the 4 Season Challenge, the Roads are Poison snowshoe races, Sehgahunda, Ontario Summit Trail, Pittsburgh Marathon. I told him about the HOLIDAYFULL coupon that I had used to sign up for the Empire State Marathon (ESM) in October. He has a plan that he can ran a 3:20 at the 2018 ESM he can qualify for the M 45-49 at the 2020 Boston Marathon when he will be 45 (he is 42 now, 43 in April 2018). I told him that I was signed up for the 4 Season Challenge, Mind the Ducks and ESM. I saw Chris and Heather Patterson along with their month old baby. Heather was racing while Chris was watching. Chris told me that they would be taking turns so that they could each race. I stashed my jacket in the car before the race. Heather had taught me years ago that you should be cool at the start of a winter race. You will warm up she told me. Prem told me that I when we met (way back on 11/30/2013 at the RT Turkey Run ... I looked it up) that I had inspired him to run 50+ races a year when I told him I was running my 49th race. We each found out that we had both had run a bit over 1500 miles this year. Prem is slightly behind me by 20 miles ... maybe. Prem also told me that he was leaving right after the race so that he could drive down to Power Mills Park in Perinton so that he could run another race, the WTF 5 mile Trail Run. It's nice to know that I have inspired someone ... sniff, sniff, lol!

A woman came up to me with 6 minutes to go before the race start at 10 AM and told me that I had her bib. We hurried back to registration where I unpinned my bib, gave it to her, got my correct bib, pinned it on and hurried back out to the start with 2 minutes to spare. I got my RoadID ready and ... was off!

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

I got up to speed quickly. I got my breathing under control and hit the 1 mile mark at 7:00. I passed a few runners before and after the turn around at mile 1.65 mark. Heather shouted some encouragement as we met after I made the turn. I traded a few elbows with a runner who wanted to run in the same lane and pace that I did until I pushed past him.

Heading back ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shuttlefly.com

I saw Prem's orange jacket about 150 yards ahead. I pushed the pace a bit as much as I could as I rounded the last building. I saw the race clock go past 22. I was a bit disappointed ... and done in 22:11, 7:06 pace!

Sprinting for the finish ... photo courtesy of Christina Darlak Ruhland

I had a bit of water when I put my jacket back on. I went inside the NCA and down to the basement  to have a bit of delicious post race food (a couple of PB&J squares, apple slices and several small brownies along with a couple cups of coffee). I looked at the results and saw that I finished 32nd and won my M 60-64 age group. Nice!

The traffic getting back onto Lyell Ave was a bit difficult to navigate at first. I was stuck behind a SUV who was waiting to get onto Lyell like I was. I had time to look at the bumper stickers: 77.7, 26.2 x 20+ and 26.2: what possibly can go wrong? I thought about all the races that I have run in the past 13 years: 435 races and where they are taken me and what they had taught me.

Soon I was home, the coffee was brewed and I had my feet up with a mug of coffee on my left side while I checked out Facebook and my email. The Freezeroo #1 results were posted. I finished 32nd out of 153, link here. I was 1st out of 11 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. My splits were: 7:02, 7:11, 7:11 and 6:36 over the last 0.13 mile.

There were other runners out there being awesome. The WTF had 44 finishers in the 15 mile, 55 finishers in the 10 mile and 56 finishers in the 5 mile. I learned from Facebook some runners had run about the Irondequoit Bay. A lot of runners ran the It's A Wonderful Run 5K out in Seneca Falls ... 4562 finishers, link here!

Me ... I am done with racing for 2017. I ran 36 races and needed to hold back to keep to somewhat of a racing budget. I would love to run more races ... but I did run more when I didn't run race so it's all good!