I took 82,086 steps this week according to my Pebble 2 HR smart watch.
Common abbreviation: OMEP is Orange Mud Endurance Pack
Sunday, 8/12/2018: 458 steps during the day, rest day.
My thighs ached and didn't want me to run ... or move very much so I didn't. My lovely wife, Christine, and I got sucked ... willingly ... into the Hallmark Channel. We watched Unleashing Mr Darcy, Marrying Mr Darcy, A Summer to Remember with Katherine Bell of The Good Witch, Eat, Play, Love with Lee Majors of The Six Million Dollar Man and Lindsay Wagner of The Bionic Woman, Love at Sea with Audrey Landers (Afton Cooper of Dallas). Older actors and actresses may not get the lead but I do like seeing them work!
Other trail runners were down in Letchworth running the Dam Good Trail Race. 114 runners finished, link here. I have run this trail race 7 times in its 10 year history and have fond memories of it. A nice, low key trail race with an excellent post-race line up of pizza and homemade treats. Mmm!
Monday, 8/13/2018: 6709 steps during the day, rest day.
My lovely wife, Christine, texted me that she had steamed lobsters chilling at home ... so I went home instead out for a run. She was more than a bit beat but she managed to peel the lobsters and microwave the potatoes before she got tuckered out. Mmm!
Tuesday, 8/14/2018: 12305 steps during the day; 5.05.miles, 42:09, 8:21 pace, 77F, 79% RH, 4 mph wind, overcast with an occasional sprinkle.
I don't usually run the day before a race but today I did. Two reasons: I hadn't run in 3 days and a steady trail pace is a lot slower and easier than a steady road pace. So out I went. It was a bit muggy and it sprinkled a bit so my tech shirt was soaked when I got done. My lovely wife, Christine, had bought a couple of flowers (40% off) so I dug a couple of holes out in front of the townhouse before I went up to take a shower. Anyhow ... my splits were: 8:13, 8:18, 8:27, 8:28 and 8:19.
Wednesday, 8/15/2018: 15308 steps during the day; 4.53 miles, 43:39, 9:26 pace, 82F, 66% RH, 9 mph wind, mostly cloudy.
Tonight's race was Dirt Cheap #5 held out at Black Creek Park. This race supposedly to be Dirt Cheap #2 but it was flip flopped because of poor trail conditions back in mid-April. I headed out right after work and arrived around 5:25 PM. I had plenty of time before the 6:30 PM start. I talked with Andy Ciaio, Tom Dutton and Tom Butler before the race. Andy told me that this was his first run since Sunday's Dam Good Trail Race, results here, and how he had face-planted at mile 11. His left shin did bear the scabs of a fall.
I didn't do a warm up run before this race. It was hot and muggy so I didn't want to get all sweaty before the race. I knew I would have more than enough of that after the race started. Thankfully there was a nice breeze and it wasn't sunny! So ... I just chilled. I ambled over to the Start arch with about 7 minutes to go and waited with Andy. I just had my 18 ounce Nathan SpeedDraw Plus flask filled with water. I kind of wished that I had my OMEP but I thought it was a bit of overkill for an under 5 mile trail race.
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| The start and finish before Dirt Cheap #5 |
And ... we were off! The starts leads straight up a 100 foot ski hill and then to lots of double track. I took it slow up the hill and settled into a nice and easy trail pace. I knew that there would be plenty of time to pick up the pace when I needed to. I was near a couple of gabby women ... I suffered through it until they got separated from each other. I watched for roots and reminded myself to pick up my feet. Then ... came lots and lots of twisty single track trail. I just stuck behind the runner in front of me and only passed if I had to. I caught up to Joe Ciecieraga for a bit before he passed someone. Joe was nowhere to be seen when I broke out of the single track. Then ... over to and up the ski hill again ... left into some more twisty single track trail. I had to really careful here ... I was tired and knew to keep on picking up my feet or else take a tumble ... out unscathed ... 1/4 mile to go ... Andy gave me a "You're almost there" yell .. Ellen called me in ... and done with 4.53 miles in 43:39 gun time, 43:36 chip time. My splits were: 9:10, 8:45, 8:47, 9:13 and 11:54 over the last 0.53 mile. I don't remember going that slow over the last 0.53 mile though. The Relive link to Dirt Cheap #5 is here. I did OK, 71st out of 259, 1st out of 7 in my 60-64 age group, link here.
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| Post Dirt Cheap #5 |
Thursday, 8/16/2018: 13624 steps during the day; 5.05 miles, 44:10, 8:45 pace, 88F, 55% RH, 6 mph wind, mostly cloudy
It was kind of a bitch day today. I picked a fight over nothing with my darling wife, Christine. I definitely needed a run so I took a hour of vacation ... and ran in the heat and humidity when didn't do too much for my mood.
I set up a stubborn, slow and steady pace. I didn't have my OMEP ... just my 18 ounce Nathan SpeedDraw Plus flask which was thankfully filled with ice and water. I think I dumped more on my head, neck and shoulders than I drank. It was hot and humid! But ... I got it done. My splits were: 8:45, 8:45, 8:47, 8:32, 8:42, and 8:20 over the last 0.05 mile. I went straight home and right up to take a cool shower when I got home.
Then ... I went out to supper with my youngest son, David, and his friend Titiana out to the Pasta Villa on East Ridge Rd in Irondequoit. I was told that they are just friends, not boyfriend and girlfriend. First, it poured on the way there as a front moved through. Second, Christine would have liked to come along but David was extremely nervous and wanted to keep the first meet simple. Of course, Christine thought that was disrespectful to her. Third, Pasta Villa was super busy and loud so Christine would not have liked that due to her tinnitus anyway. Fourth, we ended up eating at Olive Garden out on West Ridge Rd instead. Titiana was 20, quite nice, 5'7" and petite. I had the lasagna, Titiana had the shrimp scampi and David had the Taste of Italy. I brought Christine home a take home bag of Cheese Ravioli with Marinara sauce and a couple of bread sticks as a peace offering for being an ass. We kissed and made up before we went to sleep and again in the morning so we are all good there. I do love her but sometimes life and my reactions to it and Christine can just get in the way of a loving relationship.
Friday, 8/17/2018: 6495 steps during the day, rest day.
The usual rest day before a long run on Saturday morning. My alarm was set for 5 AM.
Saturday, 8/18/2018: 27187 steps during the day; 18.05 miles, 2:40:20, 8:53 pace, 68F, 94% RH, 8 mph wind, overcast with light sprinkles or rain for miles 0-9.
I got up when my alarm went off at 5 AM. It was dark but I could hear that it was raining outside. The weather forecast said it would clear so I puttered around a bit while I ate a bowl of cereal and checked Facebook and email. Facebook showed me the start of the Twisted Branch 100K Trail Run. Awesome! So ... my 18 miles on tap didn't seem so long. I got my gear ready ... my Orange Mud Endurance Pack (with 1600 ml of ice and water), my Hammer Gel flask and applied Body Glide. I also found a hat to wear. I got outside just at 7 AM. I checked Storm Radar on my cell and it appeared relatively clear so I left my hat in the mailbox. I set up a nice and easy road pace. My thinking was that pace wasn't important. Getting this run done without pain was more important. Well ... it started to sprinkle almost immediately. It was a steady light rain between miles 2 and 4. I didn't really mind. It kept my mind off of running. I took a Hammer Gel gulp at mile 6. I saw a group of 4 women runners around mile 7. The sprinkles started around mile 9. I had another Hammer Gel gulp at mile 10 and mile 14. I started to get a bit of mile thigh pain at mile 15. I did push it and went into an easy run/walk. I think I could have pushed through it. I got done just as I heard the coffee get done inside the townhouse. My splits were: 8:47, 8:49, 8:41, 8:30, 8:44, 8:30, 9:01, 8:35, 8:42, 8:46, 9:05, 8:47, 8:40, 8:49, 9:15, 9:27, 9:16 and 9:29.
OK! 18 miles in the books without hip pain! I did discover that I had another place to put Body Glide before a long run. I put it on my nipples, shoulder but not my groin. Hopefully I will remember next time! I was a bit stiff the rest of the day but it wasn't really too bad.
Oh .. the Twisted Branch Trail Run, results here. 110 runners finished and 23 did not finish. I read on Facebook that the conditions were not that great in the morning with a three hour rain around dawn making the footing muddy and slippery. Bambi Jasmin in 18:28:07 and Mort Nace in 18:40:58 were two runners that I knew who finished. Awesome! 100K on hilly, muddy trails is a long ways!
