I took 104,415 steps this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.
Sunday, 7/29/2018: 22450 steps during the day; 13.55 mile, 2:05:32, 9:16 pace, 66F, 73% RH, 7 mph W wind, sunny.
Well ... Christine was still at Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH). But ... I needed to get out for a long run first. I didn't get out as early as I wanted. It was 30 minutes later than yesterday, around 8:30 AM, in fact. It was nice and cool at first. I set up a nice and easy pace and clicked out some miles. I gulped a few mouthfuls of Hammer Gel at mile 9. I slowed a bit. The full sun hit me as I ran east on Janes Rd. My right hip started to ache at mile 11. I tried a run/walk but didn't push. I didn't want to do anything stupid so I mostly walked the last 1.5 miles. It was definitely hotter when I got done around 10:30 AM. My splits were: 19, 16, 18, 20, 29, 27, 12, 26, 14, 29, 9:46, 10:10, 13:25 and 15:41 over the last 0.55 mile. Takeaways: I should have gotten out at 6 AM and put on sunscreen.
Not exactly the best beginning to a month or two of long runs to prep for my upcoming Empire State Marathon on October 14th. I am sure that I will question my logic and sanity soon. Pushing past the half marathon distance does give you plenty of time to do that! I think I will put the longest run of the weekend on Saturday next weekend. My legs seemed to be tired from running 11.05 miles yesterday.
Then it was time to head to SMH to see my darling wife, Christine. She was still in ED Observation, bed 73. Her ear and cheek were more swollen than yesterday. I was told that she has a skin infection. It seems to be resistant to antibiotics but the doc said that the swelling most times gets worse before it gets better. She was admitted to SMH and will be in a different room tomorrow. I helped as much as I could when she got up to go to the bathroom. She has to unplug her IV machine and adjust her gown, shuffle off to the bathroom and then reverse the process on the way back. I tried to brush her hair but it was full of snarls. I have a list of things to bring tomorrow: an emery board, chia seeds and a spray to unsnarl her hair. Oh ... and hard candy. The doc said that sucking on hard candy will help get out the infection in her salivary glands. I got lucky when I left the SMH parking garage ... there was no one taking money!
Monday, 7/30/2018: 8945 steps during the day, rest day.
I took off at 2 PM (though I didn't really get out until 2:45 PM) to go see my darling wife, Christine, at Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH). I saved $6 by parking in the nearby free College Town parking lot near Mt Hope Ave and Elmwood Ave. I did shop at CVS and looked in on Rochester Running Company so I was there for a legitimate purpose ... I just took a long walk afterward. SMH is about a 1/4 mile walk away down Elmwood Ave. I got up to see her a bit before 4 PM. Her right ear looked a lot better but it was still swollen. Her glands were also still swollen. She said that she is going stir crazy and joked about it to the medical people who looked in on her. Her supper was lost for a bit but I did score a free supper when someone who had been discharged didn't need their supper. I was hungry so the fish, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy and lemon meringue pie disappeared quickly. Hey ... it saved me going to Wegmans for rotisserie chicken. There are no leftovers left in the refrigerator back at the quiet townhouse. So it's either buy something or eat sandwiches every night now.
Tuesday, 7/31/2018: 17258 steps during the day; 6.55 miles, 54:56, 8:24 pace, 82F, 55% RH, 3 mph W wind, partly cloudy.
I took off at 2 PM so I could get in a run before I went to see my lovely wife, Christine, at Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH). I used plotaroute.com to map a route from the College Town parking lot but decided to park by the swimming pool at Genesee Valley Park (GVP) and run a loop in GVP and along both sides of the Genesee Riverway Trail up to Court St to avoid traffic altogether. It was really muggy so I wore my OMEP filled with ice (which didn't last long) and water. I took it really nice and easy. The trail around Court St and South Ave was a bit dodgy with construction but I managed to find my way around. I was more than happy to stop when I got back to the '14 Cruze. My splits were: 8:33, 8:19, 8:19, 8:29, 8:24, 8:16 and 8:19 over the last 0.55 mile. I was drenched when I got done and it took a while to cool down enough to drive over to the College Town parking lot for its free parking (4 hours after 4 PM).
Christine looked a lot better today. Her right ear and glands were almost back to normal. Her color looked a lot better. Internal Medicine switched her meds from IV to oral. She will probably be coming home tomorrow assuming that there is no adverse reactions to the oral meds.
It's the end of July ... so it's stat time!
I ran 19 times in July for 133.14 miles, miles/run.
I ran 4 races in July:
Irondequoit 10K on 7/4: 48:38, 7:55 pace
Boilermaker 15K on 7/8: 1:13:51, 7:49 pace
Dirt Cheap #4 on 7/11: 5.02 miles, 50:40, 10:06 pace
Shoreline Half on 7/14: 2:00:01, 9:04 pace
I have run 22 race so far in 2018.
I biked twice in July, 13.87 miles on 7/1 and 15.82 miles on 7/15
I took 354,574 steps in July and 2,312,048 steps so far in 2018 according to my Pebble 2 HR smartwatch..
Wednesday, 8/1/2018: 8199 steps during the day, rest day.
Christine got the OK to get out of Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH) around 11 AM but had to wait a while for the Outpatient Pharmacy to fill her medicine order. I picked her up at the Outpatient Pickup Area at 1:30 PM. We went straight home. The first thing she did was take a shower ... it had been a while. She and I relaxed the rest of the day. She did complain that she gained water weight due to all the IVs that SMH had pumped in her. I was glad to have her home ... the townhouse had been too quiet.
Thursday, 8/2/2018: 17328 steps during the day; 6.25 miles, 52:35, 8:25 pace, 81F, 58% RH, 5 mph SSW wind, mostly cloudy.
I went home during lunch to check on Christine ... a good intention but poor result. She was cranky when she thought I was being her up her lunch but instead just ate my lunch. We both were cranky to each other instead.
I got caught up with work so I didn't get out from the townhouse until 6 PM. It was muggy! I set up a really nice and easy pace. I struggled to hold it but I did succeed. Other people would have stayed inside in their A/C but ... runners tend not to do that. Anyway ... it felt like I was swimming not running! My splits were: 8:20, 8:21, 8:25, 8:26, 8:36, 8:27 and 8:05 over the last 0.25 mile. I was drenched when I got done. I marched straight up to take a cool shower when I got done. Then I treated Christine and I to 3 hours of A/C comfort before we called it a night. We have had the A/C on for about 6 hours so far this summer.
Friday, 8/3/2018: 6256 steps during the day, rest day.
The usual rest day. I mapped out a 16.16 mile route, link here, on www.plotaroute.com. So ... my alarm was set for 5 AM. My plan is to get out at 6 AM to get the run done before the sun gets high and it gets warm.
Saturday, 8/4/2018: 23979 steps during the day; 15.25 miles, 2:12:12, 8:40 pace, 66F, 100% RH, 4 mph WSW wind, mostly cloudy.
I woke up early ... when I finally checked the clock it was 4:12 AM. Joy. I got out of bed at 4:30 AM. But ... did I get out early and run? That would be ... no. I puttered around for longer than I should. I did get out before 7 AM. I decided to wear one of my Phelps Sauerkraut 20K tech shirts since that race was being held at 8 AM. I filled up my OMEP with ice and 1200 ml of water and headed out. I set up a nice and steady "get it done" pace. I almost turned around when I got 6 miles in at the corner of Edgemere Drive and East Manitou Rd but I turned left and headed down East Manitou Rd ... no turning back now. I had a mouthful of Hammer Gel at mile 8 and 12. I had a bit of trouble past mile 11. All my roads heading east (Frisbee Hill Rd, Kuhn Rd and Janes Rd) were directly into the sun and it was getting warmer. I had a choice to make the run shorter if I took the LOSP trail. The LOSP trail had shade so I took it. Boom ... done with 15.25 miles. My splits were: 8:25, 8:23, 8:23, 8:30, 8:25, 8:54, 8:26, 8:29, 8:35, 8:44, 8:43, 9:01, 8:57, 9:38, 8:32 and 8:14 over the last 0.25 mile. I didn't really hurt too much afterward. Maybe next week I can get out at 6 AM and get over 16 miles.
I tried to take a nap around 11 AM but couldn't. I never could nap when I was a kid and I still can't. I got out to go see my daughter, Karen, in Palmyra and my oldest son, Michael, in Macedon. There was rain when I headed east. A storm drain was clogged on 490E which delayed me for a few minutes and then there was a torrential downpour between Perinton and Macedon. I had to drive slower with my wipers on double time. It was the heaviest rain I have ever driven in!
Oh, the numbers at the Phelps Sauerkraut 5K and 20K were down this year. 106 finished the 5K, link here. 59 finished the 20K, link here. I was kind of sorry that I didn't run it (2006 - 1:44:56, 2008 - 1:35:48, 2010 -1:39:12, 2011 - 1:37:08, 2013 - 1:40:51, 2014 - 1:42:27 and 2015 - 1:38:14) ... but $45 not spent there is $45 I can spend on Rochester Runner of Year races like the Heather Boyum 5K and the Grocery Run 5K. Oh, I somehow set my lifetime 20K PR of 1:35:48 in 2008 on that hilly course.
Another Oh ... the last Bergen 5K was held. There were 175 finishers, link here. The winner, Garrett Kenyon from Beaver Dams NY, ran a 14:43! That's a 4:44 pace!
Well ... Christine was still at Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH). But ... I needed to get out for a long run first. I didn't get out as early as I wanted. It was 30 minutes later than yesterday, around 8:30 AM, in fact. It was nice and cool at first. I set up a nice and easy pace and clicked out some miles. I gulped a few mouthfuls of Hammer Gel at mile 9. I slowed a bit. The full sun hit me as I ran east on Janes Rd. My right hip started to ache at mile 11. I tried a run/walk but didn't push. I didn't want to do anything stupid so I mostly walked the last 1.5 miles. It was definitely hotter when I got done around 10:30 AM. My splits were: 19, 16, 18, 20, 29, 27, 12, 26, 14, 29, 9:46, 10:10, 13:25 and 15:41 over the last 0.55 mile. Takeaways: I should have gotten out at 6 AM and put on sunscreen.
Not exactly the best beginning to a month or two of long runs to prep for my upcoming Empire State Marathon on October 14th. I am sure that I will question my logic and sanity soon. Pushing past the half marathon distance does give you plenty of time to do that! I think I will put the longest run of the weekend on Saturday next weekend. My legs seemed to be tired from running 11.05 miles yesterday.
Then it was time to head to SMH to see my darling wife, Christine. She was still in ED Observation, bed 73. Her ear and cheek were more swollen than yesterday. I was told that she has a skin infection. It seems to be resistant to antibiotics but the doc said that the swelling most times gets worse before it gets better. She was admitted to SMH and will be in a different room tomorrow. I helped as much as I could when she got up to go to the bathroom. She has to unplug her IV machine and adjust her gown, shuffle off to the bathroom and then reverse the process on the way back. I tried to brush her hair but it was full of snarls. I have a list of things to bring tomorrow: an emery board, chia seeds and a spray to unsnarl her hair. Oh ... and hard candy. The doc said that sucking on hard candy will help get out the infection in her salivary glands. I got lucky when I left the SMH parking garage ... there was no one taking money!
Monday, 7/30/2018: 8945 steps during the day, rest day.
I took off at 2 PM (though I didn't really get out until 2:45 PM) to go see my darling wife, Christine, at Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH). I saved $6 by parking in the nearby free College Town parking lot near Mt Hope Ave and Elmwood Ave. I did shop at CVS and looked in on Rochester Running Company so I was there for a legitimate purpose ... I just took a long walk afterward. SMH is about a 1/4 mile walk away down Elmwood Ave. I got up to see her a bit before 4 PM. Her right ear looked a lot better but it was still swollen. Her glands were also still swollen. She said that she is going stir crazy and joked about it to the medical people who looked in on her. Her supper was lost for a bit but I did score a free supper when someone who had been discharged didn't need their supper. I was hungry so the fish, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy and lemon meringue pie disappeared quickly. Hey ... it saved me going to Wegmans for rotisserie chicken. There are no leftovers left in the refrigerator back at the quiet townhouse. So it's either buy something or eat sandwiches every night now.
Tuesday, 7/31/2018: 17258 steps during the day; 6.55 miles, 54:56, 8:24 pace, 82F, 55% RH, 3 mph W wind, partly cloudy.
I took off at 2 PM so I could get in a run before I went to see my lovely wife, Christine, at Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH). I used plotaroute.com to map a route from the College Town parking lot but decided to park by the swimming pool at Genesee Valley Park (GVP) and run a loop in GVP and along both sides of the Genesee Riverway Trail up to Court St to avoid traffic altogether. It was really muggy so I wore my OMEP filled with ice (which didn't last long) and water. I took it really nice and easy. The trail around Court St and South Ave was a bit dodgy with construction but I managed to find my way around. I was more than happy to stop when I got back to the '14 Cruze. My splits were: 8:33, 8:19, 8:19, 8:29, 8:24, 8:16 and 8:19 over the last 0.55 mile. I was drenched when I got done and it took a while to cool down enough to drive over to the College Town parking lot for its free parking (4 hours after 4 PM).
Christine looked a lot better today. Her right ear and glands were almost back to normal. Her color looked a lot better. Internal Medicine switched her meds from IV to oral. She will probably be coming home tomorrow assuming that there is no adverse reactions to the oral meds.
It's the end of July ... so it's stat time!
I ran 19 times in July for 133.14 miles, miles/run.
I ran 4 races in July:
Irondequoit 10K on 7/4: 48:38, 7:55 pace
Boilermaker 15K on 7/8: 1:13:51, 7:49 pace
Dirt Cheap #4 on 7/11: 5.02 miles, 50:40, 10:06 pace
Shoreline Half on 7/14: 2:00:01, 9:04 pace
I have run 22 race so far in 2018.
I biked twice in July, 13.87 miles on 7/1 and 15.82 miles on 7/15
I took 354,574 steps in July and 2,312,048 steps so far in 2018 according to my Pebble 2 HR smartwatch..
Wednesday, 8/1/2018: 8199 steps during the day, rest day.
Christine got the OK to get out of Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH) around 11 AM but had to wait a while for the Outpatient Pharmacy to fill her medicine order. I picked her up at the Outpatient Pickup Area at 1:30 PM. We went straight home. The first thing she did was take a shower ... it had been a while. She and I relaxed the rest of the day. She did complain that she gained water weight due to all the IVs that SMH had pumped in her. I was glad to have her home ... the townhouse had been too quiet.
Thursday, 8/2/2018: 17328 steps during the day; 6.25 miles, 52:35, 8:25 pace, 81F, 58% RH, 5 mph SSW wind, mostly cloudy.
I went home during lunch to check on Christine ... a good intention but poor result. She was cranky when she thought I was being her up her lunch but instead just ate my lunch. We both were cranky to each other instead.
I got caught up with work so I didn't get out from the townhouse until 6 PM. It was muggy! I set up a really nice and easy pace. I struggled to hold it but I did succeed. Other people would have stayed inside in their A/C but ... runners tend not to do that. Anyway ... it felt like I was swimming not running! My splits were: 8:20, 8:21, 8:25, 8:26, 8:36, 8:27 and 8:05 over the last 0.25 mile. I was drenched when I got done. I marched straight up to take a cool shower when I got done. Then I treated Christine and I to 3 hours of A/C comfort before we called it a night. We have had the A/C on for about 6 hours so far this summer.
Friday, 8/3/2018: 6256 steps during the day, rest day.
The usual rest day. I mapped out a 16.16 mile route, link here, on www.plotaroute.com. So ... my alarm was set for 5 AM. My plan is to get out at 6 AM to get the run done before the sun gets high and it gets warm.
Saturday, 8/4/2018: 23979 steps during the day; 15.25 miles, 2:12:12, 8:40 pace, 66F, 100% RH, 4 mph WSW wind, mostly cloudy.
I woke up early ... when I finally checked the clock it was 4:12 AM. Joy. I got out of bed at 4:30 AM. But ... did I get out early and run? That would be ... no. I puttered around for longer than I should. I did get out before 7 AM. I decided to wear one of my Phelps Sauerkraut 20K tech shirts since that race was being held at 8 AM. I filled up my OMEP with ice and 1200 ml of water and headed out. I set up a nice and steady "get it done" pace. I almost turned around when I got 6 miles in at the corner of Edgemere Drive and East Manitou Rd but I turned left and headed down East Manitou Rd ... no turning back now. I had a mouthful of Hammer Gel at mile 8 and 12. I had a bit of trouble past mile 11. All my roads heading east (Frisbee Hill Rd, Kuhn Rd and Janes Rd) were directly into the sun and it was getting warmer. I had a choice to make the run shorter if I took the LOSP trail. The LOSP trail had shade so I took it. Boom ... done with 15.25 miles. My splits were: 8:25, 8:23, 8:23, 8:30, 8:25, 8:54, 8:26, 8:29, 8:35, 8:44, 8:43, 9:01, 8:57, 9:38, 8:32 and 8:14 over the last 0.25 mile. I didn't really hurt too much afterward. Maybe next week I can get out at 6 AM and get over 16 miles.
I tried to take a nap around 11 AM but couldn't. I never could nap when I was a kid and I still can't. I got out to go see my daughter, Karen, in Palmyra and my oldest son, Michael, in Macedon. There was rain when I headed east. A storm drain was clogged on 490E which delayed me for a few minutes and then there was a torrential downpour between Perinton and Macedon. I had to drive slower with my wipers on double time. It was the heaviest rain I have ever driven in!
Oh, the numbers at the Phelps Sauerkraut 5K and 20K were down this year. 106 finished the 5K, link here. 59 finished the 20K, link here. I was kind of sorry that I didn't run it (2006 - 1:44:56, 2008 - 1:35:48, 2010 -1:39:12, 2011 - 1:37:08, 2013 - 1:40:51, 2014 - 1:42:27 and 2015 - 1:38:14) ... but $45 not spent there is $45 I can spend on Rochester Runner of Year races like the Heather Boyum 5K and the Grocery Run 5K. Oh, I somehow set my lifetime 20K PR of 1:35:48 in 2008 on that hilly course.
Another Oh ... the last Bergen 5K was held. There were 175 finishers, link here. The winner, Garrett Kenyon from Beaver Dams NY, ran a 14:43! That's a 4:44 pace!
