Monday, July 17, 2017

Sunday, 7/16/2017 to Saturday, 7/22/2017 - Dirt Cheap #4 (DNS)

I ran 3 times this week, 23.25 miles.
I biked once this week, 18.35 miles.
I took 70,091 steps during the week.

Sunday, 7/16/2017: 3603 steps during the day, 18.35 miles on the bike, 1:23:56, 13.1 mph average, 24.9 mph max, 77F, 85% RH, 6 mph N wind, mostly sunny.

I needed to get out since I knew if I stayed in I would feel like a slug. There were so many athletes out there being awesome! The Musselman (a half Iron) was held down in Geneva. The athletes I knew of the 414 finishers: Bill Beyerbach with a 5:14:46. Jim McLaughlin with a 5:49:10, Megan Hammersmith with a 5:56:16, Barry Cherney with a Half Iron of 6:34:49 (a huge 42 minute PR), Score-This results here. Blake Landry was out in PA at the Presque Isle Half Marathon doing a 1:24:57 PR (results here).  Bambi Jasmin was out in her native Vermont finishing the Vermont 100 mile in 29:12:51, 265 finishers in the 100 mile with results here and 61 finishers in the 100K with results here. The Jungle Jog 5K was held locally at the Seneca Park Zoo with 671 finishers, results here. Whew!



So ... with a hard (on me) half marathon the previous day, I decided to get out on my "Black Beauty" bike and take it relatively easy. "Black Beauty" is what I nicknamed my bike in Strava. I wore almost the summer usual: padded bike shorts, cargo shorts over that, an orange long sleeve tech top, bike gloves and my trusty helmet. I was a bit hot on the top but I thought that then I wouldn't have to put sunscreen on my arms. So ... six of one and half a dozen of the other. I went on my usual 18 to 20 mile route ... nothing too exciting. I did see Tina Pellegrin on her bike for a second. She was out on a 43 mile bike ride to celebrate her 43rd birthday!

A lazy rest of the day ensued. Christine and I did celebrate National Ice Cream Day though!


Monday, 7/17/2017: 12,225 steps during the day, 5.05 miles, 41:29, 8:13 pace, 77F, 68% RH, calm, partly cloudy.


I got out before lunch for a short 5 mile run. I decided to cut it short because it was very humid. I set up a nice and easy pace and kept it going (except for traffic). I was drenched with sweat after I got done. I had to sit for a bit after I took my cold shower so that I won't just sweat through my work shirt (I did a bit anyway). My splits were: 8:17, 8:06, 8:21, 8:12 and 8:11.

Tuesday, 7/18/2017: 8504 steps during the day, rest day.

I had a headache most of the afternoon. I did a bit of grocery shopping at Wegmans on the way home, and sat outside for a bit. I went to bed before 8 PM and was alseep by 8;30 PM. I haven't done that in a long time.

Wednesday, 7/19/2017: 7195 steps during the day, picnic day instead of Dirt Cheap #4

I fully intended to run Dirt Cheap #4 out in Webster tonight instead of attended a hastily planned (2 days notice) Ricoh picnic at Cobbs Hill Park. But ... I just had to think of an excuse. I learned that it was going to be sparsely attended plus it was really humid ... so since I don't run well in the heat I decided to go to the picnic. I left work a hour early so I could swing home and pick up my darling wife, Christine. But ... she decided she wasn't up to it.

I was a bit miffed and I almost bailed on the picnic too but ... decided that I needed to put in some face time with the higher ups at Ricoh and headed down to Cobb's Hill Park. I ended up attending a small (8 people max) picnic (right behind the basketball courts) with lots of food and not enough people to do the food justice. I took home 2 hamburger, 2 hot dogs, a zucchini, a yellow squash and a bag of Wise Barbecue Chips. One boss gave me two Perfect Cooling Cooling Towels.

I also have a yellow one.
So ... bottom line ... I bailed on Dirt Cheap #4. I felt bad but life sometimes gets in the way of running races. There were 343 finishers in what I was sure was a hot and sweaty Dirt Cheap #4 out in Webster, results here.

Thursday, 7/20/2017: 14,056 steps during the day, 6.45 miles, 53:04, 8:13 pace, 79F, 70% RH, 5 mph SSW wind, overcast.


I needed to run ... it was Thursday plus I didn't run Dirt Cheap the night before. I wanted to run before lunch so I would get the run done. It was just as humid as Tuesday so I decided to try out one of the cooling towels that I had got last night. I wet it down, wringed it out a bit, tucked the ends into my shirt and set out with a 20 ounce water bottle at a nice and easy pace. I took in a couple of squirts of water, squirted some on my front and some down my back at miles 2, 4 and 6. My splits were: 8:14, 8:06, 8:14, 8:25, 8:22, 8:11 and 7:43 over the last 0.45 mile. My impression of the Cooling Towel was incomplete. It seems to help. I think I will need another test run on another hot day.

Friday, 7/21/2017:  6509 steps during the day, rest day.

Saturday, 7/22/2017: 17,999 steps during the day, 12.25 miles, 1:47:18, 8:46 pace, 72F, 85% RH, 5 mph SSW wind, overcast

I slept in until almost 7 AM but didn't get out early. I puttered around until after 8:30 AM. It probably wouldn't have made any difference. It was ungodly humid. I wanted to do at least 11 and maybe 17 (a single or double loop of Island Cottage - Edgemere, Long Pond - Janes). I set off at really nice and easy pace. My left ankle ached for about 1/2 mile. I changed it up a bit and just did an out and pack to Lowden Ppoint Rd. The humidity really affected me past mile 8 or so. I just trudged onward. I did do a couple of run/walks. I was totally drenched when you got done. My Droid's eCrumb app locked up tighter than a drum so I posted the results to Facebook manually. Someone posted that a 8:45 pace is fast to some people. I usually run about 15 to 25 seconds/mile faster. The humidity really cooked me. My splits were: 9:12, 8:19, 8:23, 8:24, 8:27, 8:33, 9:20, 8:42, 9:11, 8:45, 8:57, 9:02 and 8:10 over the last 0.25 mile. It took a while to calm down afterward.

Ribs, sweet potato and salad ... mmm!!!
My darling wife, Christine, knows I like ribs so she cooked up a double batch while we watched a movie, Serenity, that she downloaded onto the DVR. I had always wanted to see this Joss Wheldon written and directed movie from 2005 but had never gotten around to it. It wasn't bad. It was nice seeing Nathan Fillion (pre-Castle), Morena Baccarin (pre V and pre Gotham), Adam Baldwin (pre Chuck and pre The Last Ship) and Summer Glau (pre Dollhouse and pre Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles).