I biked once this week for 20.02 miles.
I took 72335 steps during the week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.
Sunday, 7/13/2017: 2967 steps during the day, 20.02 miles on the bike, 13.4 mph average, 20.0 mph peak, 70F, 73% RH, 7 mph NNW wind, mostly sunny.
I definitely wasn't going to run but I thought all the trail runners down in Letchworth running the Dam Good Trail Race as I biked 20 miles on the LOSP trail, Island Cottage and Janes Road. I saw 8 runners and lot of bicyclists. I guess I missed the memo that today was a much better day to run than yesterday! Or ... maybe it felt better because I was bicycling instead of running? Anyway ... it was a nice ride!
I settled in with a nice mug of coffee and had a bite to eat before I showered and make my way out to my daugheter's apartment in Palmyra for a quick visit. I delivered and set up a cat tree that she had bought off of Amazon and had sent to our townhouse. She was afraid that she wouldn't have been able to get it up her stairs since it was 33 pounds. It went together quite well ... and with no parts left over!
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| Karen's cat, Hermonie, did warm up to this cat tree after I left |
Monday, 7/14/2017: about 5000 (? ... see Tuesday) steps during the day, rest day.
I had my running gear in the Cruze and I toyed with the idea of running ... either before lunch or after work. But ... I hadn't slept well so I was tired all day and my left ankle felt weird. I definitely need new running shoes. I have gone away from the Brooks Adrenaline for my last two pair of road running shoes ... the Pearl Izumi and now the Asics GT-1000. I tolerated them but I was (and am) not a fan of either. So ... I am looking at searching the web for the best online shoe deals that I can find for a good running shoe for a medium distance runner who over pronates. I am looking at going back to Brooks for either the Ravenna 7 or the Transcend 3. Yes ... last year's models but it's what I can afford not what I want that ends up feeding my running habit. I have the Empire State Marathon in less than 60 days ... I need new running shoes!
Tuesday, 7/15/2017: 4000 (estimated) steps during the day,
Well ... today is that day where my tech hit the fan. My Droid (personal cell) which had been presenting problems (locking up, random reboots) went down with the "Droid stuck at red eye". I Googled it, link here.
It's a thing where a Droid locks up on bootup with the red eye. Any reboots just get stuck at the red eye. I figured out how to flush the cache memory (which isn't easy) but it went back to the red eye ... which kind of looks like the "Evil Eye of Mordor" when you think about it. Then ... it gets better! I managed to lock my Samsung Galaxy S5 (Ricoh cell) and Pebble 2 HR smart watch in a locker at RTP B5 outside a secure area where that tech is not allowed. I must have locked it and scrambled the lock before I noted the combo which is the wrong way to do it. I felt like taking "I'm pissed at the world" run after work but ... didn't since I had Dirt Cheap #5 on Wednesday.
Wednesday, 7/16/2017: 12000 (estimated) steps during the day, 2 runs of 1.35 and 3.95 miles, 73F, 53% RH, 7 mph NNE wind, mostly sunny.
I (and a guard) retrieved my Samsung and my Pebble 2 HR smart watch from the locker opposite the RTP B5 secure area in the morning. Then ... I forgot to link the two back together which prevented me from know exactly how many steps I took during the day. I remember looking at it before I went to bed.
Anyway ... tonight's race was Dirt Cheap #5 held at Durand Eastman Park off of Lake Shore Blvd. My running gear had been in the Cruze since Monday so all I had to do was add my underused (but with 660 miles) blue Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes. I dressed after work, put ice in my 20 ounce water bottle and went straight to the venue. I arrived at 5:30 PM so I got a great parking spot within 100 yards of the finish. I struggled a bit but I put on my calf sleeves and changed from my road shoes into my trail shoes. I got out for a really nice and easy warm up run of 1.35 miles at 10:20 pace, link here.
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| My wife will be astonished that I looked up. saw this swan on Eastman Lake and took its picture! |
I took a swig of water when I got back to the Cruze. I thought I was all set for the start of the race ... but I didn't leave enough time to set up my Garmin for the Wave 1 start at 6:30 PM so ... I was running for about one tenth of a mile while I got it finally started. Luckily I was running on even ground so I didn't fall flat on my face!
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| A bit after the start ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester |
Then I headed straight home ... my darling wife, Christine, had taken care of the necessary shopping at Wegmans. I did OK. My splits were: 8:57, 10:46, 11:03 and 10:23 over the last 0.95 mile. I was 76th out of 332, and I was 3rd out of 10 in my M 55-59 age group, link here.
Thursday; 7/17/2017: 14129 steps during the day, 6.55 miles, 53:15, 8:08 pace, 72F, 61% RH, 4 mph ESE wind, partly sunny.
I wanted to get back to my schedule so I got out for my usual Thursday run. I ran before lunch on my new usual 6.55 mile route. It's a bit shorter than it's not an out and back so it's a wee bit less montonous. I took it as a not so easy pace so I was absolutely dripping when I got done. My splits were: 8:19, 7:54, 7:58, 8:22, 8:09, 8:15, and 7:48 over the last 0.55 mile.
You gotta love Hammer Gel! I ordered another 26 serving bottle of Hammer Gel in my go-to Apple Cinnamon on Tuesday and got it plus another Hammer Gel 5 serving flask (free and very useful) and 2 sticks of Fully Charged as a free sample! I love this stuff!
Friday, 8/18/2017: 2239 steps during the day, rest day.
Just your typical Friday. The usual rest day before a long run on Saturday. I have given more thought to this run than usual. I loaded the TuneIn Radio app to my Samsung so I can play some music out its speakers when I run tomorrow. I am going to stash a jug of water at the intersection of the LOSP trail and Island Cottage so that I get to it when I go there twice. I am going to wake up at 5 AM and get started at 6 AM. Lots of "I am going to" for tomorrow ... let's see if I can do them. So ... it's going to be an early bedtime.
Saturday, 8/19/2017: 32000 (estimated) steps during the day, 19.35 miles, 3:15:57, 10:08 pace, 68F, 83% RH, 8 mph WSW wind, mostly sunny
I lied in bed for a couple of minutes after the alarm went off at 5 AM. I checked out Facebook while I had my usual pre-run bowl of cereal and banana. I saw that the 101 trail runners down at the Twisted Branch 100K (a grueling point-to-point trail run between Naples and Hammondsport with around 10,000 feet of elevation gain/11,000 feet of elevation loss and a 20 hour time limit) had started at 4 AM.
Time to head out myself. I filled one of my Hammer Gel flasks with Hammer Gel, filled my 20 ounce water bottle with ice and water, filled my water jug (an old 2 liter juice container) with water and got outside. I remembered to put Body Glide on my nipples (and forgot ...) and put my sunglasses on top of my head. I started up my newly installed TuneIn Radio app and tuned it to Legends 102.7 (60s, 70s, and 80s) and adjusted the volume so I could hear it when I ran. I needed something to overcome the boredom .. why not music?
I headed out around 6:15 AM. My original plan was to carry my water jug to the intersection of the LOSP trail and Island Cottage and stash it there. I found out within 1/4 mile that my plan for stashing water sucked. I should have stashed it there last night. But ... I ran 2.55 miles with that water jug before I got rid of it as planned. I ran at a nice and steady pace up Island Cottage (IC) to Edgemere Drive (ED), turned around and back down IC to Latta. The sun had come up but I didn't need my sunglasses yet because I wasn't running east. I had Hammer Gel at mile 6. Then back up IC and turned left onto Janes. There was a headwind heading west on Janes to Long Pond (LP). I turned around at LP and headed into the sun so I put my sunglasses on. They were a bit sweaty and foggy but cleared up. I ran back to IC, turned left, ran up to the LOSP trailhead and hit my water stash ... 10 miles in. Just one more loop but I was slowing. So ... up IC to ED, back down IC to Latta, up IC to Janes, down Janes. I got about 2/3 down Janes when my right hip started to hurt. I usually ignore a lot of aches and pains but this pain I didn't ignore. I tried a run/walk ... not good. I turned around and heading home. I tried a shorter run/walk ... not good. Plus I forgot to put Body Glide around my groin region. I know TMI but it's the truth. I have never had any problem down there except for today! I must have been the humidity and my short choice. Anyway ... I gave up and walked home ... which was a long 4 miles.
So ... my second 20 mile run attempt didn't go so well. My splits were: mile 1 - 8:34, 2 - 8:11, 3 - 8:38, 4 - 8:27, 5 - 8:42, 6 - 8:18, 7 - 8:32, 8 - 8:40, 9 - 8:49, 10 - 8:38, 11 - 9:15, 12 - 9:28, 13 - 9:08, 14 - 8:37, 15 - 9:44, 16 - 11:31, 17 - 15:18, 18 - 16:15, 19 - 15:17 and 16:46 over the last 0.35 mile. So ... I was the pace I wanted for the first 10 miles, 8:33 pace and kind of OK for the first 14 miles, 8:43. But ... definitely trending upward. I have to maintain a 8:45 pace for a 3:50 marathon, link here.
What did I learn? Well ... music worked, Hammer Gel worked, hydration every 2 miles worked. Hmm ... I think my wonky left ankle caused my gait to change and that along with my Asics GT-1000 running shoes having 539 miles caused my right hip pain. I'm cheap so I try to stretch my running shoes as far as I can and then add on some string to get them to last even longer. My blue Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes have about 680 miles on them. Anyway ... I have a pair of Brooks Transcend 3 (last year's model I know) running shoes coming from Holabird Sports next week sometime. I found them when I was searching on shoekicker.com and also Googling "cheap running shoes overpronation" (I think). I hope they work better. I have read that this model is cushier than the Adrenalines but do take a bit to break in, link here. I prefer to look at the positives. I still have plenty of time for successful 20 mile runs. But the Rochester Half on 9/17 and the Empire State Marathon on 10/8 do loom large in the future!
I was a bit sore and tired afterward. I lost 3 pounds according to our Withins Smart Scale. I recovered outside with a mug of coffee and a banana before I went back inside for another mug of coffee and 2 donuts. I caught on Facebook and stalked Danielle Feligno's progress down at Twisted Branch. I was rooting for her to complete it this year after taking a learning DNF last year.
I kind of waited for my darling wife, Christine, to make the spare ribs that I had pulled out of the freezer around noon. But ... she wasn't feeling like cooking so I gave up at 6:40 PM and just headed downtown to see the Rochester Crit, link here. I got down there quickly and parked on State St. I walked over and got there in time to see the Amateur Mens 1 mile run, the Elite Women 1 mile run, and the Elite Men 1 mile run right away. I knew one of the male runners, Chris Patterson, and congratulated him on his fifth place finish of 5:02:26.
The course was blocked off with crosswalks that only opened up when nothing (runner or bicycle) was coming. There was a bit of break before the pro mens bicycle race. This race lasted about two hours. These guys were going about 30 mph lap after lap so they would make a lap of the course about every 2:10 or so. They were hauling! They were preceded by a pace car beeping its horn and then by a pace motorcycle. They were tailed by a pace motorcycle.
The Pro-1 Men whizzing by!
I eventually got hungry and had a chicken, bacon and avacado salad from the Effortlessly Healthy food truck along with a couple adult beverages. Mmm! I wandered around a bit. The riders got quite close when they leaned into the corners! It was dark and a bit windy when the race ended.
The Pro-1 Mens finish!
A rider by the name of Curtis White won, results here. The announcer, music and people by the start/finish line were quite loud and I had a bit of a headache by the time I headed home. I don't think Christine's tinnitus would have liked it. I saw Ellen Brenner and Barb Boutiller of Fleet Feet trying out a couple of Rochester Bike Share bicycles to get back to their cars as I walked back to the Cruze.
Not a bad day! I try to look on the bright side of things! Oh ... Danielle Feligno finished the Twisted Branch 100K in 19:24:21, 68th out of 74 finishers. The opensplittime.org results link here and the ultrasignup.com results link, here. She started at 4 AM and finished at 11:24 PM ... awesome!! 74 runners finished out of 101 who started ... a testament to how tough this race is.
