Sunday, 2/11/2018 to Saturday, 2/17/2018 - Freezeroo #5

I ran 3 times this week, 17.52 miles.
I took 59,258 steps this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.

Sunday, 2/11/2018: 2631 steps during the day, sick and laundry day.

Yes ... I felt like crap. But ... 4 loads of laundry (towels, dark, tech and white) needed to be done so I did them while I felt like crap.

Monday, 2/12/2018: 5546 steps during the day, rest day.

I took a half day off of work in the afternoon to do a little grocery shopping. Then I stayed in bed and watched the Olympics. A nice touch of foreshadowing by NBC was to be had. They did a piece about 17 year old Chloe Kim who competed live in the women's half pipe later that night.

Chloe Kim won the gold medal in the snowboard women's halfpipe final at Phoenix Snow Park in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images

Kim’s gold-medal run. Composite image by Alexandra Garcia and Jeremy White of the NY Times

Well ... she laid down a first run of 93.75 to take (and keep) the lead and then a final run of 98.25 to win gold. “I knew that if I went home with a gold medal knowing I could do better, I wasn’t going to be very satisfied,” Kim said at the bottom of the pipe. - NY Times article. 

Awesome! Links here, here, here, here and here.

Tuesday, 2/13/2018: 6208 steps during the day, rest day.

I felt a bit better today. Christine seemed a bit surprised when I told her I was coming straight home instead going out for a run. I guess I have trained her that she has to make a late supper on Tuesdays and Thursday, lol!

The Winter Olympics was a bit of a bust early with delays due to wind for the alpine events along with some boring curling, hockey and warm ups for pairs in the ice dancing. But ... then it was time for the men's halfpipe. Shaun White took first with a 94.25 first run. He fell on his second run and then fell to second when Ayumu Hirano did a 95.25 with twin 1440s.

Shaun White is a gold medalist once again. (Gregory Bull/Associated Press)

So ... the stage was set for the last run, White's third and last run. He put down a 1440, 1440, and a double McTwist 1260 ... for a 97.75 and the gold medal. Awesome! Links here, here, here and an interesting take on White as a flawed hero here.There was a bit of online controversy ... in his excitement he let the US flag drag on the ground, link here.

Wednesday, 2/14/2018: 7245 steps during the day, rest day.

I came straight home after work, it was sunny ... I could have gotten for a 4 mile run but I didn't. I have to get back the 25 miles of running that the cold stole from me ... but not today.

Mikaela Shiffrin, gold medal in giant slalom - Screen grab from NY Post

Mikaela Shiffrin won the women's giant slalom while I was sleeping ... it was televised on tape in the evening due to the 14 hours time shift, link here.

Thursday, 2/15/2018: 15206 steps during the day; 7.55 miles, 1:02:35, 8:17 pace, 55F, 77% RH, 16 mph WSW wind, overcast.

So ... funny story. I took 2 hours vacation so I could get out in the 55F weather before sunset. I had my running gear so my plan was to change at work and work 7.55 or 10 from Greece Arcadia High School. Well ... I didn't have shorts or tights. Yep ... nothing to wear below the waist. So ... I went home. My shorts were in my running gear pile and my tights were still hanging up in the basement after being washed on Sunday. Well ... I changed and got out there.


I was a bit cold first due to the wind but I warmed up. The LOSP trail was 95% clear from Greenleaf Rd to Dewey and about 70% clear from Dewey to Island Cottage (there was a 200 yard shaded spot where I ran in 2 inches of wet snow ... no worries). I felt a bit sluggish but still thought about a 15K run instead of a 10K so I split the difference and ran Island Cottage up to Janes before turning for home. I saw and said "Hi" to Tom and Amy Butler on the LOSP trail. My splits were: 7:58, 8:31, 8:11, 8:19, 8:22, 8:34, 8:16 and 8:00 over the 0.55 mile.

Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Skeleton racing at the Winter Olympics is crazy! Imagine heading down an icy track face first!! Well ... South Korea won its first non-skating medal. Home court advantage for "Ironman" Yun Sung-bin who won gold, link here.

Friday, 2/16/2018: 6774 steps during the day, rest day.

Just your normal Friday ... work, groceries at Herrema's, supper, Olympics, bed.

Linsay Vonn after her "wide turn" run - Getty Images

Lindsey Vonn took a wide last turn in the Super G and finished out of the medals in a tie for sixth, link here. Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic won the Super G in an upset by 0.01 second, link here. She asked a cameraman after her run, "How did this happen?"

"I just wanted to leave here satisfied with what I have done and I definitely am," Nathan Chen said, after rebounding from a rough short program to make a personal-best score in the men's free skate. - Aris Messinis /AFP/Getty Images

Nathan Chen landed 6 quads in his free skate, link here. He was first for a while and eventually finished in fifth.

Saturday, 2/17/2018: 15648 steps during the day; 2 runs of 2 and 7.97 miles.

Today's race was Freezeroo #5. The race venue was Braddock Bay Park which is just a 10 minute hop, skip and jump down the Parkway from my townhouse. This was the second year at this venue. I ran 1:00:24 last year. The race wasn't held in 2016 due to below zero wind chills. I ran this 4 out of 5 years when it was held at the Greece DPW on Long Pond Rd (2011 - 1:01:36, 2012 - 59:41, 2014 - 59:26 and 2015 - 1:01:56). The weather was ideal: low 20s, sunny and light wind.

I was up at 6:30 AM. I had been emailed 5 or 6 times about the early Freezeroo #5 start of 9 AM so I started to get ready at 7:30 AM. I had already had my usual pre-race breakfast of cereal and banana. The temperature was in the low 20s so I wore my CW-X tights with shorts over, a long sleeve tech, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 pullover, yellow/black Brooks beanie, ski mittens and sunglasses. I drove the 2014 Cruze and got to the race venue just after 8 AM. I picked up my race bib and got out for a 2 mile nice and easy warm up run at 9:04 pace with Prem Kumar and Steve Levitsky, link here. The weather was: 21F, 79% RH, 6 mph S wind, wind chill 13F, sunny.

The start .... photo courtesy of Christina Darlak Ruhland

Everyone seemed a bit bashful about lining up for the start until the last second. And ... we were off! I ran next to Andy Ciaio for a bit. He almost didn't miss a patch of ice just as we made it to E Manitou Rd. I started a bit fast and that did catch up to me. Runners started to pass me as I slowed a bit ... Steve Levitsky and Heather Patterson. The miles slowly went by ... there were ice fishermen on Cranberry Pond. I gave a "You can do it" or something like that to every early runner that I passed. Eric and Sheila Eagan who lived about 100 yards away from the course on Cranberry St (around mile 6) were out giving everyone encouragement.

Heather Patterson passing by Eric Eagan. I'm the yellow speck in the background.

I had a slight pain in my right thigh that I tried to ignore ... but I was tired and did slow a bit. I didn't stop to walk but just sucked it up and kept going. Mile 7 on East Manitou Rd ... the turn back into Braddock Bay Park ... still 1/2 mile ... keep going ... timer over 1 hour ... done in 1:00:58, 7:39 pace by my Garmin Forerunner 220. The weather was: 25F, 74% RH, 6 mph SW wind, wind chill 18F, partly cloudy.

Cruising into the finish .... photo courtesy of Christina Darlak Ruhland

I headed into the lodge. I had a delicious bagel with 1/2 strawberry jelly and 1/2 Reeses peanut butter/chocolate spread along with a pint of water. Soon I was home with my feet up and a mug of coffee in my left hand. The results were soon up on hourglassworks.com. I was 34th out of 125, link here. I was 3rd out of 13 in my M 60-64 age group (behind Charlie Andrews and Kevin Clinefelter), link here. My splits were: 7:29, 7:34, 7:38, 7:40, 7:36, 7:42, 7:52 and 7:38 ... so I didn't slow down as much as I thought. The Relive link to Freezeoo #5 is here.

Lots of Winter Olympics watching ensued. Women's Biathlon, US Men's Hockey, Long Hill Ski Jump, Short Track, Aerial Jumping and more. We also watched most of the Saskatchewan Rush - Rochester Knighthawks lacrosse game held live downtown at the Blue Cross Arena. The Hawks held on to win 16-11 versus a previously undefeated road team and improved to 4-6 on the season.