Sunday, 10/14/2018 to Saturday, 10/20/2018 - Empire State Half & Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K

I ran 5 times this week: 28.92 miles.
I took 74,635 steps this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.
Common abbreviation: OMEP is Orange Mud Endurance Pack

Sunday, 10/14/2018: 20167 steps during the day, 13.23 miles, 1:46:18, 8:07 pace, 48F, 81% RH, 5 mph S wind, partly sunny.

Today's race was the Empire State Half, my 33rd road half marathon. I ran the Empire State Marathon last year in 4:28:21. It was a miserable experience since it was 74F at race start. I was signed up for the same race this year but I paid $15.25 to drop down to the Half 5 days ago. My training had been a struggle with three 18 mile runs and I had a severe pain in my left calf when I ran the Rochester Half last month on 9/23. I was a little bummed and dejected about not running the Full but I got over it and looked forward to running the Half. A half marathon is more in my wheelhouse.

I was up at 5:11 AM ... time to rise and shine. I got out of bed around 5:45 AM. My darling wife, Christine, was soon up. We both got ready quietly and efficiently. I brewed the coffee for her and had my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana. The temp was in the low 40s so I packed the usual: shorts, last year's Empire State Marathon long sleeve tech and all my electronics (Garmin, MP3 player and earbud. I brought my OMEP, a flask of Hammer Gel and some ice in a small cooler to put in the OMEP before the start. I decided to wear my running pants and Brooks jacket for warmth until just before the race. We were on the road for NBT Stadium around 6:50 AM. We did have to stop sharply for a buck by the side of the road on Lake Shore Blvd near Culver Rd. He ambled across the road unharmed and we drove onward. I liked taking this route because it's the shortest way to get to I-590S but it does take you by areas where deer cross the road early in the morning. We stopped at the Port Byron Thruway rest area for a bathroom break. I also broke down and had an Egg McMuffin from McDonald's ... which turned out to be a good thing because I didn't get hungry later.

I knew about the road closures around the race so I exited I-690E at Hiawatha Blvd and got to NBT Stadium with no fuss. We parked around 8:40 AM in plenty of time for the 9:30 AM start. I didn't take any warm up. I stripped out of my pants and jacket before I kissed Christine goodbye.

Before ...

I asked her to met me at the finish line around 11:15 AM (1:45 from the start time). I meandered to the start behind home plate inside the stadium. We had a mass start at 8 AM outside the stadium last year. I liked the separate starts this year (8 AM for the marathon, 9:30 AM for the half and 10 AM for the 10K). I had a bit of trouble getting my MP3 player and earbud up and running but I was all set by the time the Star Spangled Banner was just about over.

And .... we were off! The course was simple .. just an out with a little loop at the end and then back. Easy-peasy. I tried to set up a nice and steady pace. I wanted to just get this half marathon done. I was running well so I tweaked my pace up a bit as we ran down 370 to the Onondaga Lake Park. The 5K split was 24:34, 7:55 pace. The temp and weather was perfect ... around 46F to 55F with partly sunny skies. Today was one of those days where everything felt great! I just kept on running.

9:54:20

10:13:33

I saw the lead half marathon runners coming back at me at mile 6 or so. Soon I was on my way back too. I settled in behind a lady who rocked a maple leaf tech shirt with 21.1 inside it ... obviously a runner from Canada. The 10 mile split was 1:20:38, 8:04 pace. I was a bit ahead of her until I slowed in mile 11 and 12. I took a cup of Gatorade at the last three aid stations. I forgot to take any gulps of Hammer Gel. My thighs started to ache around mile 9 so I slowed a bit as I ran back down 370 before I picked it up on the streets to the stadium during mile 13. I could see the stadium ... around to the front ... past the old finish in front ... into the stadium on the left field side ... I saw Christine standing in the bleachers ... we high fived ... and done in 1:46:18 according to my Garmin ... nice! I grabbed a mini bagel and a banana. Christine made her way over and gave me a kiss after I collected myself.

After ...

We walked up ... painfully for me ... to the stadium concourse. I met up with Prem Kumar who had run the marathon. He told me that he had been running 7:30 pace until mile 19 before he slowed. He still ran a 3:26:08 for first place in his M 40-44 age group. He has run 5 half marathons and 3 marathons in the past 8 weeks! He left quickly and ran the Wendell Hercules Running with Angels 5K in 28:31 with his 11 year old son, Ravi, back in Henrietta at 1 PM. Prem is quite the runner! I missed seeing Andy Ciaio. He had run the marathon in 3:45:38 and placed 3rd in the M 50-99 age group. I also missed Tim Hawkins. He ran his 65th half marathon in 2:38:25.

I finished in 1:46:10 chip time, 1:46:19 gun time, 8:07 pace, according to the results. I was 71st out of 470, 8th out of 64 in the M 50-99 age group, link here. There were 174 finishers in the marathon, link here. There were 280 finishers in the 10K, link here. Yeah ... I will email the race director about the lack of 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69 and 70+ age groups. I am pretty sure that a lot of other runners will do the same. Anyway ... my splits were: 7:59, 7:52, 7:52, 7:56, 7:59, 7:54, 7:59, 8:02, 8:01, 8:13, 8:22, 8:28, 7:56 and 7:45 over the last 0.23 mile. The Relive link to the Empire State Half is here.

So ... I was pretty pleased with my effort. The temp and weather were excellent for running. The course was pancake flat with 40 feet of elevation change. I didn't have any moments of "woe is me" and stayed positive. The result was my fastest half marathon of 2018. One might say that running the Rochester Half in 1:47:28 with 629 feet of elevation change was a better effort ... but time is what I remember.

We left fairly quickly. The loudspeakers blaring out the runners as they came in was pretty loud and I could tell that it was bothering Christine. We stopped at the Blue Ribbon Smoke House & Restaurant in Phelps on the way back. I had the Breakfast Sampler (pancake, scrambled egg and bacon). It was just enough to fill me up but overfill me.

I learned on Facebook that the Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk in Rochester had over 10,000 walkers, link here. Steve and Kimberly Levitsky were down in Louisville KY and became Ironmen. Steve finished in 13:51:46. Kimberly finished in 15:13:38. She had trouble with the bike (2 flats and riding in on the rim to beat the cutoff by 10 minutes) and the run (beat the run turnaround cutoff by 3 minutes and the run cutoff by 4 minutes). They both conquered the course and the conditions (cold mist and temp in the low 40s)!

The Buffalo Bills continued not to impress. Game 6 was down in Houston versus the Texans. The starting QB, Josh Allen, was knocked with an elbow injury. Well ... they put in Peterman in and it looked OK for a while. The game was tied 13-13. Well ... he threw ... wait for it ... a pick 6 and then another INT. The Bills lost 20-13 to fall to 2-4, link here.

Monday, 10/15/2018: 1919 steps during the day, rest day.

I had the good sense to use Monday as a floating holiday. I lounged around with my darling wife, Christine, all day. She headed out to Polish Me Up to get her nails touched up.

Big Apple Red ... Ding! Ding! Chicken Dinner! We have a winning nail color!

She left me instructions on how to start making lasagna. I was nervous but her instructions seemed simple enough even for me. I browned the hamburger by putting it a pan and baking it at 350F. I checked it every 15 minutes and poured off the grease into a glass jar when necessary. An hour later the hamburger was browned and Christine was back. I started the water to boil and put in the lasagna strips. Then ... Christine took over. The end result was yummy!

I never knew that you could brown hamburger in an oven!

1/2 of the lasagna disappeared ... mmm!

Tuesday, 10/16/2018: 5405 steps during the day, rest day.

Today was ordinarily a run day but ... I decided to push my run to Wednesday. I felt that Christine and I needed some more time lounging around.

Wednesday, 10/17/2018: 12589 steps during the day, 5.15 miles, 43:21, 8:24 pace, 45F, 70% RH, 13 mph WNW wind, wind chill 39F, overcast with a bit of graupel.

I simply had to run tonight. It was cold and windy but ... I had to run. Luckily I had some extra clothes in my running bag. It was in the low 40s. I started with shorts and a long sleeve tech. I added another short sleeve tech, light running gloves and an ear warmer (open at the top) when I got out of the 2014 Cruze and felt the wind.. I was still a bit cold because the west wind had a bunch of bite to it. A month from now I will be used to it but not tonight. I set up a nice and steady pace. My thighs were a bit tight so I cut the run to 5 miles. I even had a bit of graupel (frozen rain pellets) fall on my head at mile 3 for a few hundred yards. My splits were: 8:19, 8:37, 8:33, 8:14, 8:11 and 7:53 over the last 0.15 mile. You can definitely tell at miles 4 and 5 that I turned and ran east or south!

Thursday, 10/18/2018: 18244 steps during the day, 8.15 miles, 1:07:45, 8:19 pace, 45F, 53% RH, 13 mph W wind, wind chill 39F, partly cloudy.

Back to my "Run on Thursdays" schedule. I got out just after 5 PM from Greece Arcadia High School like usual. I wore the same clothing as last night ... it seemed not as cold or maybe I just got used to it. I may have to pack my NoxGear Tracer360 next week. I do like to be seen when I run. It is getting darker and darker by the time I get done. Anyway ... I set a nice and steady pace and got a 8 mile run done. My splits were: 8:12, 8:34, 8:25, 8:06, 8:13, 8:08, 8:22, 8:26, and 8:43 over the last 0.15 mile. Boom ... done!

Friday, 10/19/2018: 5086 steps during the day, rest day.

Saturday, 10/20/2018: 11225 steps during the day, 2 runs of 2.25 and 3.14 miles, 50F, 87% RH, 7 mph W wind, wind chill 48F, sunny.

Today's race was my 4th Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K (2014 - 21:06, 2015 - 21:08 and 2016 - 21:46). I have also run Karknocker 5K (2012 - 20:18, 2014 - 21:23, 2015 - 21:56 and 2017 - 22:35) which uses the same course out in East Rochester. It's a nice course: flat and fast. The 20:18 in 2012 was my second fastest lifetime 5K.

I was awake at 6 AM. I had a fitful night of sleep. I had the wind last night. I got out of bed around 6:30 AM. I puttered around but I did my usual ... had my pre-race bowl of cereal and banana and got dressed for the conditions. It was around 50F so I wore shorts for my bottom and a long sleeve tech, short sleeve tech combo. I wore my Brooks jacket, beanie and gloves for warmth ... a bit of overkill. I kissed Christine goodbye and hit the road.

The drive to East Rochester High School took 22 minutes and I was there exactly at 8 AM in plenty of time for the 9 AM start. I ditched my Brooks jacket after I got my bib and latest favorite shirt. I got out for an easy, slow and somewhat long warm up run of 2.25 miles at 9:18 pace, link here. I was a bit overheated so I took off my short sleeve tech and Brooks beanie.

I met up with Andy Ciaio and his wife, Laura, at the start line before the race. Andy and I mentioned to each other that our PR times were behind us. I told him I would be happy to break 23. There were over 1000 runners signed up so it was a bit clustered. And ... we were off! The first 100 yards were a bit crowded and I got up to race pace OK. I remember seeing a few good costumes ... a woman dressed as Batgirl and another dressed as Wonder Woman.

What can I say about a 5K? This race had LED timers at miles 1, 2 and 3. I remember mile 1 was 7:14 and mile 3 was 22:00 when I ran by. I tried to pick up the pace a bit in mile 2 (didn't) and mile 3 (did). I sprinted to the finish and crossed just before 23 ... done! I had a couple cups of water and then went inside to the one of the best post race meals in Rochester. I had a slice of breakfast pizza, a Greek yogurt, a 2 inch slice of ham sub (with a nice selection of condiments to choose from) and chips ... mmm! Andy told me that I placed 2nd in my 60-64 age group. He finished 3rd in his 50-54 age group. I stuck around a long while for the awards and got a unique but generic medal. But ... it's a chance to cheer for fellow runners who get out there and get it done.

Obligatory SBCA 5K post race pic wearing my 2017 Empire State Full long sleeve tech

One of the best post race spreads after a 5K along with a free water bottle. There was a BBQ mini bun with my name on it outside too!

SBCA 5K bling

Officially, I finished in 22:57. I was 70th out of 1149, link here. I was 2nd out of 33 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. My splits were: 7:20, 7:36, 7:05 and 6:45. The Relive link to my Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K is here.