I took 73,814 steps this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.
Sunday, 4/8/2018: 14253 steps during the day; 8.25 miles, 1:09:47 8:27 pace, 28F, 86% RH, 7 mph W wind, wind chill 21F, overcast.
My alarm went off at 5:40 AM. I shut it off and probably dozed a bit ... or maybe not. I got up around 7 AM and had my usual pre-run bowl of cereal. I looked outside and saw that it was snowing ... joy. It had stopped snowing by the time I got into my "cold" running gear. It was in the mid 20s ... early April. I wore my heavy gloves and yellow/black Brooks beanie. Yes, it was cold and windy but ... it was Sunday so I ran. I set up a nice and steady pace. Then I slowed it down a bit when I saw that the shoulder was covered with 1/4 inch of snow and a bit slippery. I decided just to go out to Long Pond Rd and back. The west wind (what else?) was a bit nippy but it did get me a burst of speed on the way back. My splits were: 8:21, 8:55 (dicey sidewalk on Edgemere), 8:35, 8:39, 8:20, 8:19, 8:12, 8:22 and 8:02 over the last 0.25 mile. Boom ... done!
I lounged around for a bit while I drank my usual mug of coffee. Then it was time for Christine and I to head to the Geneva BJ's to help my youngest son, David, get a mattress for his apartment. Our contribution was my BJ's card, a $5 off a $50 or more coupon and my labor. We had to wait around for a work friend of David's, a young woman named Maggie, to arrive from South Butler with a pickup truck. But ... everything came together, David paid for a Sealy Grove Lane Plush Euro Pillowtop Queen Size 23" Mattress set. It was pretty easy hoisting a plastic encased mattress and box springs up to his apartment. We talked a bit and then hit the road for the hour trip back up to our townhouse. A quick pizza supper ensued.
Monday, 4/9/2018: 5535 steps during the day, rest day
Just your usual rest after 2 days of running: 12.05 miles on Saturday and 8.25 miles on Sunday. I signed up for the Dirt Cheap Trail Race series in the morning before I went to work. It will be my 10th year in the series.
Tuesday, 4/10/2018: 5517 steps during the day, rest day.
Another rest day in advance of a trail race tomorrow. I try to rest my legs the day before a race.
Wednesday, 4/11/2018: 17078 steps during the day; 2 runs of 0.6 and 5.05 miles,
Today's race was Dirt Cheap #1 held down in Mendon Ponds Park. The race venue was Devil's Bathtub. I was able to get down to the park by a bit after 5 PM so I snagged a primo parking spot on top of the hill within 100 feet of the finish. The weather was in the low 40s with a breeze and light rain so I wore my "cold" running gear: CW-X tights, long sleeve tech, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, heavy running gloves and yellow/black Brooks beanie. It was borderline shorts weather not the wind and light rain flipped me to tights. I picked up my bib right behind Tom Dutton. He's over 70 and I'm 60. He asked me "What the hell are we doing here"? I laughed and said "Running in the mud .. the same as you!".
I stayed in the '14 Cruze until 6:10 PM. Then I had to rush a bit to get in the porta-potty line and out for a 0.6 mile warm up at 9:07 pace, link here. It was just a simple out 0.3 mile and back. I looked up when I turned around and saw 3 deer about 50 feet away looking back at me. I had 4 minutes before the start so I eased up to my customary spot about 20 feet before the start line. I talked with Andy Ciaio before the race. He has 3 races this week. He ran the Skunk Cabbage Half down in Ithaca on Sunday (results here), today's race and Rally Round the Valley 18 miler race in Honeoye on Saturday. Wow!
And ... we were off! My approach to this race (and all trail races) is just run easy, try to stay upright and splash through the mud as necessary.
I took it out nice and easy ... and hit mile 1 at 8:19 pace. The first mile is all open mowed grass so it was all good. I knew the rest of the course would slow me down. I stayed on the path along the trees when I went through the bog. I tried running in the bog but the mud and water were deep. Then ... I went off course. I was following a group of runners around mile 1.8 when I noticed that the trail led us out to a road. I have raced this course enough time to know that something was wrong. Then the leaders turned around and said "No flags". Opps! So we ran back about 0.2 mile and found a clearly marked right hand turn that I had missed. Ellen's warnings of "Don't follow the runner in front of you" and "If you get lost it's your own fault" came to mind. I picked up my pace a bit to try to catch up to where I should be. But hey ... stuff happens. I didn't get upset about it. I picked my spots when I would splash through the mud. It was definitely deep enough so it would try to suck off your shoes. Luckily I had cinched up my blue Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes up tight before the start. I passed Tom Dutton around mile 4. He would have known that I had started ahead of him. So I told him "Don't ask. I followed a group of runners off course". Up ... down ... mud, roots ... repeat ... up Mendon's Cardiac Hill. I could hear Ellen's voice at the finish so I knew that only one thing remained ... the infamous stair climb to the finish line ... up, up ... and done! My Garmin Forerunner 220 read 5.05 miles in 50:29, 9:59 pace. My splits were: 8:19, 10:34, 10:12, 9:53 and 10:43. The Relive link to Dirt Cheap #1 & a bit more is here.
I quickly had a cookie and hot dog ... nice! I quickly changed my wet top layer of clothing and trail shoes before I could get chilled. I should have some water and paid the price later with several coughing jags when I got home. I stuck around for a while. Andy Ciaio told me that one person missed a turn and ran 6.2 miles instead of Andy's 4.6 miles. I told him of my 0.4 mile misadventure. I didn't win anything in the post race raffle. I got cold right after I got home so I changed into my sweats that I wear to bed.
I learned on Facebook that this race had been struck by assholes that had pulled up flags. One of the early start runners noticed it, called Boots and had reset some flags. Boots, the race director, told on Facebook of how a lot of races had been hit. I remember the Dirt Cheap race out in Webster a couple of years ago when everyone seemed to run a different race when its flags were pulled. The race results had to be thrown out. Someone posted that last year's Mighty Mosquito 99 race had its flags pulled 3 time during the night! Who would do such a thing!
Thursday, 4/12/2018: 9347 steps during the day, rest day.
I walked a lot during the day plus my knees hurt so ... rest day.
Friday, 4/13/2018: 5604 steps during the day, rest day.
My knees still hurt ... but Saturday will be a long run day. I don't how long a run though.
Saturday, 4/14/2018: 16480 steps during the day; 11.55 miles, 1:37:27, 8:26 pace, 36F, 93% RH, 12 mph ENE wind, wind chill 27F, overcast
Yet another brisk and windy Saturday morning. This winter (and spring) has been full of them. But ... a long run doesn't get done by itself. So ... I dress in my usual "cold" running gear and got out there. I added my balaclava and heavy running gloves. I decided to revisit my LOSP trail & 10K route for something over 11 miles. The Flower City Half is next weekend. I just set out at a steady pace and let the run happen. My splits were: 8:25, 8:20, 8:20, 8:28, 8:32, 8:16, 8:16, 8:28, 8:36, 8:37, 8:28 and 8:26 over the last 0.55 mile. Boom ... done!
My lovely wife, Christine, had been tracking me via my eCrumb and had scrambled eggs cooking when I got done. Sweet! Then she made some cinnamon buns ... doubly sweet!
Sunday, 4/8/2018: 14253 steps during the day; 8.25 miles, 1:09:47 8:27 pace, 28F, 86% RH, 7 mph W wind, wind chill 21F, overcast.
My alarm went off at 5:40 AM. I shut it off and probably dozed a bit ... or maybe not. I got up around 7 AM and had my usual pre-run bowl of cereal. I looked outside and saw that it was snowing ... joy. It had stopped snowing by the time I got into my "cold" running gear. It was in the mid 20s ... early April. I wore my heavy gloves and yellow/black Brooks beanie. Yes, it was cold and windy but ... it was Sunday so I ran. I set up a nice and steady pace. Then I slowed it down a bit when I saw that the shoulder was covered with 1/4 inch of snow and a bit slippery. I decided just to go out to Long Pond Rd and back. The west wind (what else?) was a bit nippy but it did get me a burst of speed on the way back. My splits were: 8:21, 8:55 (dicey sidewalk on Edgemere), 8:35, 8:39, 8:20, 8:19, 8:12, 8:22 and 8:02 over the last 0.25 mile. Boom ... done!
I lounged around for a bit while I drank my usual mug of coffee. Then it was time for Christine and I to head to the Geneva BJ's to help my youngest son, David, get a mattress for his apartment. Our contribution was my BJ's card, a $5 off a $50 or more coupon and my labor. We had to wait around for a work friend of David's, a young woman named Maggie, to arrive from South Butler with a pickup truck. But ... everything came together, David paid for a Sealy Grove Lane Plush Euro Pillowtop Queen Size 23" Mattress set. It was pretty easy hoisting a plastic encased mattress and box springs up to his apartment. We talked a bit and then hit the road for the hour trip back up to our townhouse. A quick pizza supper ensued.
Monday, 4/9/2018: 5535 steps during the day, rest day
Just your usual rest after 2 days of running: 12.05 miles on Saturday and 8.25 miles on Sunday. I signed up for the Dirt Cheap Trail Race series in the morning before I went to work. It will be my 10th year in the series.
Tuesday, 4/10/2018: 5517 steps during the day, rest day.
Another rest day in advance of a trail race tomorrow. I try to rest my legs the day before a race.
Wednesday, 4/11/2018: 17078 steps during the day; 2 runs of 0.6 and 5.05 miles,
Today's race was Dirt Cheap #1 held down in Mendon Ponds Park. The race venue was Devil's Bathtub. I was able to get down to the park by a bit after 5 PM so I snagged a primo parking spot on top of the hill within 100 feet of the finish. The weather was in the low 40s with a breeze and light rain so I wore my "cold" running gear: CW-X tights, long sleeve tech, yellow/black Brooks 1/4 zip pullover, heavy running gloves and yellow/black Brooks beanie. It was borderline shorts weather not the wind and light rain flipped me to tights. I picked up my bib right behind Tom Dutton. He's over 70 and I'm 60. He asked me "What the hell are we doing here"? I laughed and said "Running in the mud .. the same as you!".
I stayed in the '14 Cruze until 6:10 PM. Then I had to rush a bit to get in the porta-potty line and out for a 0.6 mile warm up at 9:07 pace, link here. It was just a simple out 0.3 mile and back. I looked up when I turned around and saw 3 deer about 50 feet away looking back at me. I had 4 minutes before the start so I eased up to my customary spot about 20 feet before the start line. I talked with Andy Ciaio before the race. He has 3 races this week. He ran the Skunk Cabbage Half down in Ithaca on Sunday (results here), today's race and Rally Round the Valley 18 miler race in Honeoye on Saturday. Wow!
And ... we were off! My approach to this race (and all trail races) is just run easy, try to stay upright and splash through the mud as necessary.
 |
| The start ... photo from the Fleet Feet Rochester Facebook page |
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| The infamous Devil's Bathtub stairs ... photo from the Fleet Feet Rochester Facebook page |
I learned on Facebook that this race had been struck by assholes that had pulled up flags. One of the early start runners noticed it, called Boots and had reset some flags. Boots, the race director, told on Facebook of how a lot of races had been hit. I remember the Dirt Cheap race out in Webster a couple of years ago when everyone seemed to run a different race when its flags were pulled. The race results had to be thrown out. Someone posted that last year's Mighty Mosquito 99 race had its flags pulled 3 time during the night! Who would do such a thing!
Thursday, 4/12/2018: 9347 steps during the day, rest day.
I walked a lot during the day plus my knees hurt so ... rest day.
Friday, 4/13/2018: 5604 steps during the day, rest day.
My knees still hurt ... but Saturday will be a long run day. I don't how long a run though.
Saturday, 4/14/2018: 16480 steps during the day; 11.55 miles, 1:37:27, 8:26 pace, 36F, 93% RH, 12 mph ENE wind, wind chill 27F, overcast
Yet another brisk and windy Saturday morning. This winter (and spring) has been full of them. But ... a long run doesn't get done by itself. So ... I dress in my usual "cold" running gear and got out there. I added my balaclava and heavy running gloves. I decided to revisit my LOSP trail & 10K route for something over 11 miles. The Flower City Half is next weekend. I just set out at a steady pace and let the run happen. My splits were: 8:25, 8:20, 8:20, 8:28, 8:32, 8:16, 8:16, 8:28, 8:36, 8:37, 8:28 and 8:26 over the last 0.55 mile. Boom ... done!
My lovely wife, Christine, had been tracking me via my eCrumb and had scrambled eggs cooking when I got done. Sweet! Then she made some cinnamon buns ... doubly sweet!
