I took 84,454 steps this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.
Sunday, 2/18/2018: 13866 steps during the day; 9.35 miles, 1:16:25, 8:10 pace, 32F, 80% RH, 8 mph WSW wind, wind chill 25F, overcast.
I slept in until after 8 AM and then puttered around a bit. But ... I got dressed and got out there. It was around freezing so it was the usual "cold" weather gear. I am so predictable in the winter. I wear the same running clothes run after run. I just throw on more if it's colder. There was about 1/2 inch of snow overnight. The shoulders weren't plowed but it didn't bother me. I ran in the road when I could. Anyway ... I set up a nice and steady pace. I think I picked up the pace a bit after mile 4. My splits were: 8:07, 8:22, 8:12, 8:24, 8:27, 7:48, 7:56, 8:04, 8:15 and 8:02 over the last 0.35 mile. Boom ... done. I have 32 miles to go until I get to 100 miles for the month. I'll make sure that I get there.
Christine and I didn't do much the rest of the day. We watched most of the Daytona 500. I called the crash with just over 1 lap to go. I've watched enough Daytona 500s to know that there is practically ALWAYS a crash with under 5 laps to go. I could sense that someone was going to get someone else to crash. We watched three episodes of "60 Minutes" off of the DVR instead of the taped Winter Olympics coverage.
Monday, 2/19/2018: 7929 steps during the day, rest day.
Typical rest day ... watched a lot of old "X Files" off of Spectrum OnDemand.
Tuesday, 2/20/2018: 16525 steps during the day; 8.65 miles, 1:10:29, 8:09 pace, 64F, 88% RH, 8 mph SW wind, overcast.
The temperature rocketed up to 71F during the day! Two Rochester NY records were set: the highest low and the record high (62 back in 1994). It was the 2nd highest high for February since records have been kept (73 was the highest on 2/21/1993).
It was mentioned on the channel 10 weather that 3 years ago in 2015 the low was a record low of -11F and the high was 2F!. I looked at my running spreadsheet ... I ran dreadmill on 2/19/2015 and 2/20/2015. Who knew that there is a Rochester Weather Alamanac, link here? Cool!
Anyway ... needless to say I wore shorts and a short sleeve tech for my usual Tuesday run. I took a couple hours of vacation so I could get out earlier. I pushed it a little farther to celebrate the warmth. It felt weird to have a wipe off sweat during a run in February! My splits were: 7:49, 8:06, 8:10, 8:04. 8:07, 8:14, 8:13, 8:23 and 8:15 over the last 0.65 mile. I was dripping with sweat when I got done so I took a shower when I got home.
My darling wife, Christine, cooked up a chicken breast, baked potato and salad for supper ... mmm!
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Wednesday, 2/21/2018: 5000 (estimated) steps during the day, rest day.
Well ... the record warmth didn't last. It was back to 40F by 9 AM. Easy come ... easy go.
Rest day ... more Winter Olympics. The women, Jessica Diggins and Kikkan Randall, won a gold medal for the first time ever in the team sprint, link here. Jessica passed Norway's Maiken Caspersen Falla on the last winding downhill and passed outsprinted Sweden's Stina Nillson to the finish by 0.19 second. I knew it before I saw it ... it was still exciting to watch it on tape!
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| Jessica Diggins edging out Stina Nillson in the Cross Country Ladies Team Sprint Free Final ... photo courtesy of Sporting News |
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| Diggin (left) and Randall (right) - NY Daily News |
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| From left; Silver medal winner Alex Ferreira, of the United States, gold medal winner David Wise, of the United States, and bronze medal winner Nico Porteous, of New Zealand, celebrate after the men's halfpipe final at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics - ABC News |
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| David Wise and his family celebrate after winning gold in the Freestyle Skiing Ski Halfpipe ... photo courtesy of Sporting News |
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Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin competing in the women's combined slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympics
JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images
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| Jocelyne Lamoureux scoring the winning goal on the 6th shot of the shootout vs Canada - photo courtesy of Sporting News |
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| The United States team celebrates winning the women's gold medal hockey game against Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) |
Back to the usual winter running apparel. I got out a bit and made it to Greece Arcadia High School at 5 PM so I could run my usual route. The wind was chilly but I powered through without any trouble. It was getting a bit dusky when I got done ... without any reflective gear or a headlamp. Well ... I did have on my usual yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover and beanie (what else). My splits were: 7:47, 8:02, 8:09, 8:20, 8:14, 8:13, 8:08 and 8:00 over the last 0.55 mile.
I warmed up ribs, baked potato and beets for supper and watched a bit of the Winter Olympics. Nothing too spectular ... a bit of biathalon and women's free skating finals. The Russian women, Zagitova and Menvedeva went 1-2 (after I was asleep), link here. A technical explanation of why they are hard to beat, link here.
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| Alina Zagitova of the Olympic Athletes of Russia performs during the women's free figure skating final in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) |
My darling wife, Christine, went out to OH solo today. She joined her brothers, Bill and Rich, in going through her father's belongings. Her emotions are still raw but she knew that she had to do it s she went. I had other obligations on Saturday that I really didn't want to break plus I thought it was something that she and her siblings had to get through together.
I took down my 36 2017 race bibs and medals ... a bit late since I have already run 6 2018 races.
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| My 2017 race bibs and medals |
Germany went 1-2 and South Korea captured the bronze in the men's 4 men bobsled, link here. I can't imagine being in a 1400 pound sled rocketing at up to 88 mph down an icy track! The German pilot, Francesco Friedrich, became the second man in 30 years to take home gold in both the 2 men and 4 men bobsled.
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| MARK RALSTON/Getty Images |
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| Justin Olsen of the US pilots during 4 man bobsled training ... photo courtesy of Sporting News |
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| Andreas Rentz/Getty Images |
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| [GETTY IMAGES] |
I slept in until 6:45 AM. I didn't have to get ready until 8:20 AM so I had plenty of time to have a breakfast muffin and putter around for a bit.
I saw a tape of the men's curling final between US and Sweden. The shot that sent the US from a 5-5 time to 10-5 at the 8th end was awesome! A video of that shot, link here, and a NPR link here.
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| [Getty Images] |
The course was the old Polar Cat #2 2 loop course that I ran 2010, 31:31 and 2011, 30:21. I, along with other runners that I talked to, was not a fan of the clockwise course that runs with traffic at our backs.
I got out for a warm up run on the course as it should be run: counter-clockwise. I just took it nice and easy: 2.37 miles, 8:25 pace, link here. I met up with Prem Kumar and Andy Ciaio before the race. The RD explained the course and .... we were off! The weather conditions were: 41F, 70% RH, 7 mph N wind, wind chill 36F, overcast.
I was a bit farther back than I liked and there were a few elbows and apologies before I found some good running room.
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| The start ... photo courtesy of Tim Matthews of https://runnerpics.shuttlefly.com |
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| Loop 1 ... photo courtesy of Christina Darlak Ruhland |
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| Pushing up the last hill on loop 2 ... photo courtesy of Christina Darlak Ruhland |
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| Post run loop with Prem ... photo courtesy of Christina Darlak Ruhland |
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| Bill Kehoe took my $25 from winning the Freezeroo series M 60-64 AG and my app so I could enter the 3/17 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green |
I finally took down the 2017 race bibs and medals that had been decorating one of the walls in our townhouse. I figured it was time ... I've already ran 6 races in 2018.
I led the bachelor life with Christine away ... I ate leftovers. I made up a "Things to Do" list ... and proceeded to not "X" off many of the items (unfortunately). I also watched the Winter Olympics ... what else?
Ester Ladecka of the Czech Republics became the first women to win gold in alpine (Super G) and snowboard (Parallel Giant Slalom), links here and here. She is the reigning World Cup champion in the Parallel Giant Slalom for the past 2 years. Awesome!
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| Ester Ledecka powers down the parallel giant slalom course en route to her second gold medal of the 2018 Winter Games. (Martin Bureau / Associated Press) |
