Sunday, 7/7/2019 to Saturday, 7/13/2019 - DIrt Cheap #4 and Shoreline Half

I ran 2 times this week, 18.17 miles.
I took 58,369 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.

Sunday, 7/7/2019

1279 steps, 47/77 resting/peak HR, 7.45 hr sleep, 174.6 lbs, 7 floors climbed.

Not much ... I did finish up the laundry that Christine started yesterday. I thought about going out for a walk ... but didn't. Christine and I watched the USWNT win the Women's World Cup vs Netherlands 2-0, link here. No ... they probably won't get invited to the White House. Rah, rah!

Monday, 7/8/2019

4328 steps, 47/116 resting/peak HR, 7.10 hr sleep, 175.1 lbs, 1 floors climbed.

Tuesday, 7/9/2019

1947 steps, 46/99 resting/peak HR, 9.49 hr sleep, 174.2 lbs, 0 (?) floors climbed

I took a rare day off of work today. I celebrated by sleeping until almost 9 AM ... though I did wake up at 5, 6 and 8 AM before I went back to sleep. I didn't do much ... Christine and I lounged around. I did get outside to vacuum out both cars. Oh ... we watched Captain Marvel on DVD again.

Wednesday, 7/10/2019

15391 steps, 47/152 resting/peak HR, 7.07 hr sleep (off by 1 hour), 172.7 lbs, 39 floors climbed.
Run: 4.95 miles, 53:46, 10:51 pace, 146 avg HR, 150 avg cadence, 81F, humid, 3 mph NE wind, mostly sunny.

Written 7/10 at 1:20 PM: Any readers of this blog will notice that I haven't run since July 4th when I ran the Freedom Run 5K which is 6 days ago. I experience left knee pain and thought that a complete running stop was in order. I didn't tell Christine about this and she has asked whether I ran on Sunday and Tuesday (my normal running days). Well ... tonight's Dirt Cheap #4 will be a test. Long ago I signed up for this Saturday's Shoreline Half (as part of my fifth 4 Season Challenge) and then stupidly signed up for this Sunday's Boilermaker 15K. I haven't even signed up for the GRTC Boilermaker Bus (still 5 slots open) yet. I just don't know how my body will react to a hot July half marathon followed by a hot July 15K a day later. Last year ... maybe a concern. This year ... a big concern. I haven't run well in 2 months. I REALLY should go to the doctor and get myself checked out for that tick bite that I got 3 months ago in April. Will someone slap me upside the head and tell me to go?

Onward ... tonight's race was Dirt Cheap #4 out in Webster Park at the corner of Holt Rd and Lake Rd. I dressed just before 5 PM and was out to the race venue just after 5:30 PM. I was there in plenty of time to get a shady spot under a tree since the race start was 6:30 PM. The 2018 Cruze said that it was 91F as I was driving out ... it "cooled" to 85F by the time I stopped. I could see Lake Ontario from my parking spot. I went into the lodge to get my bib ... it's kind of nice going to a Fleet Feet race where they know your name and have it all ready. I have been to just a few ... cough ... hundred ... races, I guess!

I talked with Andy Ciaio for a while before the race. Neither of us thought it necessary to do a warm up run ... it was already too warm. I sprayed bug spray on my legs and arms to give any ticks warning not to bug me ... lol! My race plan was merely to see what my left knee would give me, stay upright and survive. A pretty conservative plan.

And ... we were off! No staggered starts in this race besides the early start at 6 PM. I started out nice and easy. The first 1/2 mile or so was open field while allowed everyone to thin out a bit before we hit single track. Webster Park has a lot of roots so I definitely wanted to be able to see the ground rather than the calves of the runner in front of me. So ... I slowed when I had to get some space or sped up a bit to pass (which wasn't often). There was a lot of single track with lots of roots so that made for some tense attention to where my feet were placed. My left knee started to bug me which kind of sucked. But ... I took breaks on some of the uphills ... squirted water on my front, back and head ... and sucked it up. I managed to run all the way up the last hill ... done in 53:46 ... and glad to stop!

I was totally drenched with either sweat or water that I had squirted on myself. I gobbled down 2 hot dogs and 2 cookies before I ambled out to my car. I talked with Joe Ciecieraga about whether I should run both the Shoreline Half on Saturday and the Boilermaker 15K on Sunday even with my left knee issue. He suggested that I just power walk the Boilermaker so I wouldn't miss the after party. Interesting idea ... though I am not a fan of power walking.

Still ... I was out there trying to get it done. I was 83rd out of 207, 3rd out of 8 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. My splits were: 9:30, 10:45, 11:00, 11:35 and 11:27.

I got home and immediately asked Christine to check me over for ticks. I passed and went upstairs to take a cool shower. I was exhausted ... but do you think I could get to sleep before almost midnight? Hint ... NO!

Thursday, 7/11/2019

5190 steps, 47/111 resting/peak HR, 6.06 hr sleep, 171.4 lbs, 1 floors climbed

Christine's nails need a bit of upkeep but still look pretty!

Friday, 7/12/2019

7814 steps, 51/105 resting/peak HR, 7.49 hr sleep (off by 1 hour), 174.3 lbs, 9 floors climbed.

The VA-HR sleep "estimate" is way off. I did go to bed early but I woke up for at least 30 to 45 minutes. I heard my Ricoh cell text me just before 4 AM. I did get back to sleep thankfully. I thought that I would just lay there with my eye shut.

My thighs were tight all day as I walked around. I still haven't signed up for the GRTC Boilermaker Bus (5 slots open) and I won't either. My body is telling me that I will be happy to walk after I run (mostly run/walk) the Shoreline Half on Saturday. I know I signed up for the Boilermaker 15K on Sunday but I just know that if I push myself that I will regret it. Some would say "just walk it then" ... but that is not how I roll. My left knee is telling that I should see a doctor and soon. But ... not today and not Saturday. I'm a runner and I'm going to run ... run/walk .... walk/run ... walk ... crawl ... if I have to ... but I will finish the Shoreline Half.

Saturday, 7/13/2019

22690 steps, 51/152 resting/peak HR, 6.24 hr sleep, 175.0 lbs, 2 floors climbed
Run: 13.22 miles, 2:04:06, 9:23 pace, 136 avg HR, 156 avg cadence, 66F to 80F (estimated), 8 mph SW wind, sunny

Today was my 8th Shoreline Half held out at Hamlin State Park. My previous times were: 2011 - 1:56:13, 2012 - 1:36:21, 2014 - 1:45:26, 2015 - 1:47:04, 2016 - 1:44:24, 2017 - 1:49:00 and 2018 - 2:00:01. The Shoreline has my fastest (2012) and slowest (2019) lifetime half marathon results.

The race start time had been moved up by 1/2 hour to 7:30 AM since the Shoreline Half does tend to get hot since it is a July half marathon. So my alarm was set for 5:15 AM ... though I was awake at 5 AM. My darling wife, Christine, had thought about going to this race but begged off when I woke her up. So ... I got dressed in black shorts, an old orange Shoreline Half tech shirt and Beluga socks. I brought a small cooler of ice and water (but didn't use it). I left at 6:15 AM. It was just a 22 minute drive ... left onto Greenleaf Rd, right onto the Lake Ontario State Parkway ... boom ... there. No hurry, no rush. I could see where the course onto the park road due the high Lake Ontario lake level. I already had my race bib and race tank top so I could just relax before the race.

I did not take any warm up run. I found a nice and secluded bathroom for a little number 2 (I know ... TMI) at lot 3 before the race and then walked to the start line which was between lot 3 and lot 4. I stretched a bit and settled in.

And ... we were off! My race plan was just a nice and steady pace. I knew that my left knee would give me issues so I wanted to put that off for as long as possible. I did pass a few runners while we were still inside the park for 5K of the 13.1 miles. I was OK for 5 miles with my pace below 9 minutes. There was a nice breeze out of the west. Miles 6 to 8 were the hottest since I was running with the wind at my back and into the sun. I had trouble getting back to a run pace when I stopped at the aid stations for water. I would hop/run until I could run without hopping. Someone gave out ice cold washcloths at mile 9 ... wow ... did it feel good on the back of my neck! An ambulance went by and I remarked to another runner ... "I hope that's not for anyone we know". It stopped just ahead for a runner who was dehydrated. I was surprised to see Kevin Clinefelter on the ground between mile 10 and mile 11. Boots was with him and I heard that he had calf cramps. I kept running ... into the park at mile 11 ... aid station ... hop/run until I could settle up to a slow run ... the course got a bit wonky with lots of 90 degree turns to add distance ... I just wanted to go straight to the finish line that I knew was ahead ... last turn ... done! My Garmin VA-HR said 2:04:06. Someone asked if I was OK ... I must have looked like crap ... I felt like crap. I got some water and looked for a place to sit down. I limped over to some shade where there was a picnic table. My left knee locked up if I hit the ground wrong.

Gutting it out at mile 8 or 9 ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

Post Shoreline Half bling

An ambulance crew was helping another runner as I slowly walked over to where Texas Roadhouse served the post race food. There was pulled pork, pasta salad, baked beans and pickles. So delicious! I checked the results on the outside chance that I placed in my age group ... I was 4th. I headed home ... limped inside ... and sat down ... done with my 36th road half marathon. The results were up soon at yellowjacketracing.com. There were 418 finishers in the Shoreline 5K, link here. I was 183rd out of 414, link here. I was 4th out of 8 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. I was 1st in my Four Seasons Challenge 52.4 M 60-64 age group, link here. Now my slowest half marathon time was 2:04:10. No matter ... I gave all I could and was happy with that. Christine cooked up a couple of bacon/cheddar burgers for our brunch/supper ... I was starved.

Then ... around 4 PM ... the reality hit that we are only on this earth for just so long. I read a Facebook post that Ellen posted at 2:17 PM to her 7000+ members of the Fleet Feet Rochester group ... Kevin Clinefelter had died at the hospital of a cardiac event after the Shoreline Half! I could tell that she probably cried as she wrote her post. She was informing 6803 readers that someone had died after a Fleet Feet event.

RIP, Kevin Clinefelter

Barb Boutillier posted this picture of Kevin at the Shoreline Half start and her last picture of Kevin at mile 9. She says he said "Hello" and thanked her to being out there.

Kevin was a fast 62 year old runner who burst into the Rochester running world about 5 years ago. He took up running late in life and was a member of the Genesee Valley Harriers (GVH). He was the "new" runner in the M 55-59 and then M 60-64 age group who consistently placed first. Christine was shocked after I told her. She told me in no uncertain terms that I should see a doctor to get my left knee checked out. I called Bill Beyerbach, who isn't on Facebook, to let him know about Kevin. He was shocked too since he had worked out with him on Thursday. He told me that Kevin had felt a bit poorly over the last week. He also told me that of a runner that had a left knee issue after he got bit by a tick.

The sad news put a damper on the rest of the evening. I had 1/4 of a leftover Wegmans apple pie for my supper/dessert and then went to bed early. I was exhausted.