Sunday, 12/31/2017 to Friday, 1/5/2017 - Freezeroo #2

I ran 3 times during 6 days,  14.29 miles.
I took a snowshoe walk this week, 2.07 miles.
I took 58,438 steps during 6 days according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.

Sunday, 12/31/2017: 6784 steps during the day; 2.07 miles on the snowshoes, 46:23, 22:23 pace, 7F, 72% RH, 12 mph NW wind, wind chill -9F, overcast with real light snow


I had told my darling wife, Christine, and oldest son, Michael, that I wouldn't run since it was a rest day before Freezeroo #2 the next day ... but I didn't mention anything about a snowshoe walk. Yes, it was cold and windy ... but I do what I do. I added another long sleeve tech so I had 3 layers on top. I was still cold. You just don't generate as much head when you walk as when you run. But I set out the front door, put on my Dion snowshoes and walked about the perimeter of the Lake Shore Country Club anyways.

A snowshoe selfie.

The only part of me that was uncovered was a bit of my cheeks between my sunglasses and my balaclava ... and it was cold! I went straight upstairs, stripped and into the bathroom for a hot shower and bath when I got back inside. Brr!

Then ... it was time for the Buffalo Bills versus the Miami Dolphins game down in Miami. The Bills were still in the playoff hunt. They needed to win and some help. The game was a nail biter. I texted back and forth to my oldest son, Michael, like we usually do during Bills games. The Bills leading rusher, Sean McCoy, was carted off during the 3rd quarter ... not good. The Bills were up 22-9. Miami scored a late TD, kicked the extra point and recovered the onside kick ... not good, 22-16. But ... the Bills got an interception ... the Bills win, link here!

Oh .. the Bills had another TD taken away by the replay officials in NYC. This time it was a 98 yard fumble recovery. This gave Miami new life at the Bills 1 yard line. They scored a TD on the next play to climb to 22-9.

The CBS coverage cut right to the Cincinnati Bengals - Baltimore Ravens game down in Baltimore. The Bills needed the Ravens to lose to make the playoffs and end their 17 year playoff drought. It didn't look promising. The Ravens were up 28-24. The clock was at 0:44 in the 4th quarter and the Bengals faced a 4th and 12 from the Baltimore 49. The Bengals QB, Dalton, back to pass ... 49 yard TD, video link here!! Christine and I screamed like crazy people ... like most of western NY!! The Bengals won 31-28, link here!! Reaction videos ... links here, here, here, here, , . Article about DT Kyle Williams TD, here. The Bills will face the Jacksonville Jaguars down in Jacksonville next Sunday!

Christine and I spent a quiet New Years Eve just watching a bit of TV. We saw the ball drop and went to bed shortly after. My alarm was set for 6:50 AM.

Oh, stats for December:

I ran 19 times in December for 145.07 miles, 7.64 miles/run.
I ran one race, Freezeroo #1, on 12/9.
I took out the snowshoes once on 12/31 for 2.07 miles.
I took 315,275 steps during the month of December.

Monday, 1/1/2018: 14880 steps during the day; 2 runs of 1.32 and 7.57 miles, 3F, 84% RH, 8 mph SW wind, wind chill -10F, partly cloudy with some sun.

I'm a GRTC member and I'm signed up for the Freezeroo series so New Years Day meant Freezeroo #2 out at Mendon Ponds Park at 10 AM. The temperature was 0F so I decided to wear my "really cold" winter running gear: CW-X tights with shorts, a long sleeve tech, heavy Craft long sleeve tech, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, balaclava, Winter Warrior hat along with ski mittens. I wore my Brooks Transcend 3 road shoes and brought my Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes just in case.

This was my ninth Freezeroo #2: 2009 in 1:02:33, 2011 in 57:24, 2012 in 53:26, 2013 in 1:02:13, 2014 in 58:35, 2015 in 57:31, 2016 in 59:44 and 2017 in 59:19. So ... I know the course. But ... every year my fitness level, the temperature and conditions were different.

The drive out there was a bit dicey. I left early so I was not in a hurry. A snow plow veered into my lane as I merged from I-390S to I-490E, there was a car into the guardrail at the Monroe Ave exit on I-390S and the ramp down to Monroe Ave was a bit icy ... but I got down to MPP around 8:50 AM.

The temperature outside the Cruze when I got to MPP.

I went up to Stewart Lodge to pick up my bib. Laura Ciaio told me that the roads were icy so I went back down to the Cruze to put on my trail shoes. I saw Andy Ciaio and Prem Kumar came back from their warm up run. Andy came over and told me the same thing.

I walked up to the start with everyone else. I lined up next to Andy, Prem and Joe Ciecierega. I didn't carry any water. I usually don't drink much during a race anyway. And ... we were off!


I settled into what resembled a race pace. Everyone pretty much opted to run in the tire tracks so that is where I ran also since it gave the best traction. We moved over when a car came and then moved back.

The 10AM start of Freezeroo #2 ... photo courtesy of https://runnerpics.shuttlefly.com

Prem (on the extreme right) and I just after the start ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shuttlefly.com

I passed Joe on Douglas Rd and then Andy on Canfield Rd before mile 1. I stayed on Prem's shoulder for a bit and then passed him somewhere on Clover St before mile 2. I was running well. I had to take a couple of tiny walk breaks during miles 4 and 5 to get my breathing under control. I settled into a tiny bit slower race pace ... a "get it done" pace. There wasn't as much traction on Canfield Rd when we came back into MPP.

Heading down Douglas Rd toward the finish ... photo courtesy of Christina Darlak Ruhland

I tried to push the pace after the left onto Douglas Rd but I had nothing left. I saw the clock under 1 hour ... and done in 59:40, 7:53 pace according to my Garmin. My splits were: 7:46, 7:54, 7:53, 7:57, 8:03, 7:47, 8:02 and 7:30 during the last 0.57 mile.

A post race selfie.

I went to the Cruze to put on my parka. I saw Andy and Prem. They asked me if I had flown ... I answered "No ... I slowed down after mile 5." I had some pasta and a cup of hot coffee at Stewart Lodge. I listened and hung out for a bit as fellow runners warmed up after what to us was a usual activity on New Year's Day ... running Freezeroo #2 no matter what the temperature or conditions. Other people might consider us crazy ... but it all depends on your point of view. I though about that on the way home ... how I love running races and the things I have experienced during them.

I stripped as soon as I got home and headed upstairs to take a hot shower and bath. A mug of hot coffee helped warm me up also. I checked the results ... I did OK. I was 26th out of 179, link here. I was 1st out of 17 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. The Relive link for Freezeroo #2 is here.

There was also another "race" at 11AM. Fleet Feet held their second Donut Mile. It's a race where you eat a donut, run 1/4 mile and repeat until you have run one mile.

The course looked to be an out and back ... photo courtesy of Barb Bourtillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

Results are here. Hmm ... more people ran this than Freezeroo #2 ... 212 versus 179. I have never run a race like this (beer, taco or donut) ... but never say never, I guess.

Tuesday, 1/2/2018: 7999 steps during the day, rest day.

It was back to work after 10 days off. I was amazed that I still remembered all my passwords.

Wednesday, 1/3/2018: 13232 steps during the day; 5.4 miles, 44:28, 8:12 pace, 21F, 58% RH, overcast.


I decided to get in a night run before it really gets cold. I headed out to my usual spot ... Greece Arcadia High School to run Island Cottage and Janes Rd. Anyway ... I forgot my Garmin Forerunner 220 and my 310XT didn't get beyond the start-up screen after 5 minutes so I downloaded the Strava app on my Ricoh cell. I don't like using a cell app because you have to start it, tug the cell away, run, dig the cell back out and stop it. I wore my usual winter running gear: CW-X tights with shorts, heavy Craft long sleeve, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, balaclava, yellow/black Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I added my InnoGear headlamp and Nathan Tracer360 for light and reflectivity. I set forth at a nice and steady pace. I immediately regretted not wearing mittens. But ... I ran onward. My fingertips warmed up after a long 3 miles. I decided to cut the run short to 5 miles since my wife was a bit sick at home and I worry about her. My splits were: 7:56, 8:05, 8:14, 8:06, 8:25 and 8:44 over the last 0.4 mile. Boom ... done.

The forecast is for temperatures around 0F along with high winds from Thursday night to Sunday morning. The upcoming Winter Warrior Half has been modified so that solo runners can either sign up for 1, 2, 3 loops or continue as before with 4 loops and still get their bling and relays runners can mass start for 1 loop or continue as before and still get their bling. Modified runners get put in their race of that "loopage". Runners who don't modify and quit get credit for their loops and a DNF. But ... the volunteers and staff will still be out in the elements. Perhaps more modifications are forthcoming though.

Thursday, 1/4/2018: 6575 steps during the day, rest day.

It was snowing and getting colder so I did what everyone else did it seemed ... shopped for bread at Wegmans. Other people posted in Facebook their bread aisle pictures so it wasn't just me that didn't find much bread!

A portion of the bread aisle at Wegmans Latta

Willie, our salesguy from Bob Johnson Chevrolet, delivered our new lease, a 2018 Cruze, to our townhouse later that night. What a guy! So we now have 2 Cruzes: a 2014 Cruze that Christine's father bought for us and a 2018 Cruze with a 24 month/10K per year lease.

Friday, 1/5/2018: 8968 steps during the day, rest day.

There was a lot of chatter on Facebook about the upcoming conditions for tomorrow's Winter Warrior Half. Some people posted that they were doing 1 loop or 2 loops. I thought about it. I had until noon to go to that option so I delayed until I could see the conditions tomorrow. UPS delivered a box around 6 PM ... 2 cheap ski goggles that I had ordered off of eBay for $17.67 on Tuesday.