Sunday, 4/28/2019 to Saturday, 5/4/2019 - Flower City Half

I ran 5 times this week, 23.18 miles.
I walked 75,836 steps during the week according to my Pebble 2 HR smartwatch.

Sunday, 5/28/2019: 23628 steps during the day, 2 runs of 0.55 and 13.22 miles, 4:50 and 1:57:23, 137 avg HR, 158 avg cadence, 37F, 90% RH, 6 mph N wind, wind chill 32F, overcast with real light sprinkles

Today's race was my tenth Flower City Half (2010 - 1:46:21, 2011 - 1:40:11, 2012 - 1:39:14, 2013 - 1:44:32, 2014 - 1:47:12, 2015 - 1:46:01, 2016 - 1:43:26, 2017 - 1:42:32 and 2018 - 1:48:57). I had set my alarm for 5:15 AM the night before. I had a bit of trouble falling asleep but I think I got around 5.5 hours of sleep. I had my usual bowl of cereal and banana as I caught up on a bit of Facebook and email. But ... there was a race to run. It was a bit chilly and rainy so I dressed in my usual winter running gear: CW-X tights, Darn Tough socks, a Freezeroo long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve tech, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I will bet that everyone who runs my pace in the winter knows what I wear!

I put my bib, a hat, light running gloves and my newest Flower City Half long sleeve tech (about to be earned) in a drawstring running bag that I was going to stash in the Blue Cross Arena for after the race. I also brought a travel mug of cold coffee and a few energy bars. It was only a 15 minute drive with the 2014 Cruze down Lake Ave / State St to the race venue, the Blue Cross Arena (BCA). I parked only a couple blocks away on Fitzhugh St across from the Sister Cities Garage. Easy-peasy with about 50 minutes to go before the race start of 7:30 AM. I have raced a few race before ... 479 before today and counting. I went into the BCA, pinned on my bib and hung out in the Fleet Feet VIP Area for a while. Four Season Challenge members do have a few perks! I also stashed my drop bag under a table.

Hanging at the Fleet Feet VIP Area before the Flower City Half

Now for the big elephant in the room that I have left unsaid. My left hamstring had been feeling wonky since Saturday, the 20th. Then I found a tick behind my left knee on Tuesday, the 23rd that had been hanging there since either Monday, the 15th (trails in Durand Eastman), or Wednesday, the 17th (DC #1 at Devil's Bathtub)! Was my muscle issue related to the tick and/or Lyme Disease? Who knows? I did take a single dose of doxycycline on Friday, the 26th. I just know that I had only run 3.05 miles in the last week. How would my left hamstring handle a half marathon? Well ... only one way to find out!

I got out a little 0.55 mile warm up run at 8:50 pace, link here. I didn't push so I felt no discomfort. My race plan coming in was to run a bit easy, see what happens and adjust as necessary.

Just after the start ... lurking behind Josh, the 1:50 pace leader. Photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

A long line of Flower City Half runners ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

And ... we were off! I stayed near the 1:50 pace leader, Josh, for the first mile. But ... my left hamstring twinged like a knife was being thrust into it around mile 1.5. I yelled "Ouch" and slowed to a walk for a bit. Damn!! Bill Crowe asked if I was OK when he passed me. I got up to a hop-a-long gait that looked (and felt) weird for a 1/2 mile. I walked a bit and thought for a few seconds. It was way early in the race and I didn't want to walk the rest of the way. I tried a slower pace ... I felt a bit of discomfort but I could run about a 8:40-ish pace. Good! So ... I ran. I caught up to the 2:00 pace leader group, passed them and slowly passed a few runners. I had to constantly hold myself back but the fear of pain was a good motivator.

Heading west on Park Ave around mile 5 ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

Marigolds greeted some of the 5K runners ... photo courtesy of Barb Boutillier of Fleet Feet Rochester

I passed Bill Crowe on Park Ave around mile 5 a bit before turning left onto N Goodman St. I slowed a bit as I ran up into Highland Park but I didn't walk. I had to be careful when I was running downhill in Highland Park to not stretch my left hamstring. I slowed a bit when I entered Mt Hope Cemetery at mile 8 due to the hills and took a few tiny walk breaks. I noticed that Bill Crowe passed me again (I never saw him again). I was out back onto Elmwood Ave at mile 10 ... only a 5K to go! I made sure that I avoided triping on the roots in the paved Genesee Riverway Trail ... and took a few walk breaks. I was getting tired. I knew that I would break 2 hours but ... WTF (where's the finish)! Up onto the Ford St Bridge ... less than 1 mile ... on fumes ... keep running ... Freddie Sue Bridge ... I-490 overpass ... in the chute ... nothing left ... done in 1:57:23 according to my Garmin, 1:57:22 gun time, 1:47:11 chip time.

Post FCH picture ... exhausted

I was exhausted. I might have hydrated better. I still had 1/2 of my 18 ounce Nathan water bottle left. I drained it and went inside the BCA. I gathered up some food (pizza, banana, a bag of Fritos, a few cookies and plopped my butt down in the Fleet Feet VIP Area. I ate another piece of pizza, more cookies, a pint of water and chocolate milk ... and slowly recovered. It hurt like hell to get up out of that chair. It hurt doubly like hell when I used a massage tool on my left hamstring ... ouch!!!

I talked with Carl C and his friend about ticks as I was leaving. They told me that there is a place where you can send a tick to be tested to see if it has Lyme Disease. The tick that bit Carl's friend did have it so she had to undergo the whole 21 day antibiotic regimen. So ... Google research time! I found that it is pricey ($40 to $75 per tick). Maybe I can get my PCP to pay for it?

I had changed out of my wet upper body clothing and put on my new favorite Flower City Half long sleeve tech before I headed out to the 2014 Cruze. It was a bit chilly now that I wasn't running! I headed directly home with a short side trip to BJ's for coffee and coffee creamer.

I ached the rest of the day. I got enough energy to check the Yellow Jacket Racing results. I was 506th out of 1575, link here. I was 4th out of 31 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. I did notice that Michael Viterise who took 3rd was 505th and one second ahead of me! Note to self ... always sprint in the chute no matter if it hurts! Whatever ... my splits were: 8:28, 9:25, 8:33, 8:28, 8:35, 8:31, 8:57, 10:01, 8:37, 9:01, 8:55, 9:15, 8:45 and 8:23 over the last 0.23 mile.

Ohh ... I did look around and saw some signs. Here are the four (paraphrased) that I remember: "You're not watching Avengers: Endgame! You can go to the bathroom anytime you want!" "So it's hard! So it's long! Go faster!" "If you imagine hard enough this course is flat!" and "People are still watching Avengers: Endgame!" The "Go faster!" signs or variations on that theme were held by some college age ladies. I have seen these signs before so these ladies do get around ... lol!

So ... what's the moral of this story? Yes ... I ran my slowest Flower City Half ever. I took what my body could give me today ... which wasn't what I really wanted but I made it work and finished. Another day of running, racing and making memories ... it doesn't get any better. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Monday, 4/29/2019: 7353 steps during the day, rest day.

Tuesday, 4/30/2019: 12266 steps during the day, 3.14 miles on the elliptical.

I couldn't run yet but I managed to get up on the elliptical in the exercise room at Greenleaf Meadows to get in 1.33 and 1.81 miles for 3.14 miles. I put in a bit of upper body workout in between. I set a really slow pace, 13:30 per mile. I was streak hunting. I knew that my 100 miles per month streak of 39 months was toast but I found that I had an active streak of 71 months with greater than 80 miles per month. I only needed 2.99 miles to continue that streak and I got in 3.14 miles. Hey ... anything to get motivated to get up and off the couch. Yes ... it's an arbitrary number. So .... 80 is the new 100?

It's the end of April so it's stat time!
 I ran 16 times for 80.16 miles (72 months greater than 80 miles), 5.01 miles/run
 I have run 74 times for 422.83 miles so far in 2019, 5.71 miles/run.
 I ran 2 races in April (9 so far in 2019):
 4/17 - Dirt Cheap #1 - 4.64 miles, 50:51, 10:59 pace, 99th out of 247, 3rd out of 9 in my M 60-64 age group
 4/28 - Flower City Half - 1:57:11 chip time, 8:57 pace, 506th out of 1571, 4th out of 31 in my M 60-64 age group
 I took 295,094 steps during April according to my Pebble 2 HR smartwatch, 1,225,750 steps so far in 2019.

Wednesday, 5/1/2019: 7223 steps during the day, rest day.

Thursday, 5/2/2019: 9816 steps during the day, 3.14 miles on the elliptical and treadmill

My left hamstring still felt too wonky to chance it on the road so I hit up the exercise room at nearby Greenleaf Meadows again. I sped up at bit. I did 1 mile on the elliptical at 12:40 pace, 1 mile on the treadmill at 10:34 pace and 1.14 mile back on the elliptical at 12:40 pace. It was enough to work up a sweat.

Friday, 5/3/2019: 9489 steps during the day, rest day.

Saturday, 5/4/2019: 6061 steps during the day, 3.15 miles, 27:39, 8:47 pace, 124 avg HR, avg cadence 155, 50F, 86% RH, 7 mph NE wind, wind chill 47F, overcast

I really didn't want to go back to the elliptical and/or treadmill again but I wasn't really anxious to test out my left hamstring either. I knew I would be grouchy the rest of the day so I got myself out at 1 PM. I didn't know what to expect so I decided on an out and back 5K. I started out slow and I could feel a bit of a knot but I felt OK otherwise. I ended up with negative splits: 9:09, 8:49, 8:28 and 8:04 over the last 0.15 mile.