Today's run was my tenth Lilac 10K (2007 - 46:22, 2010 - 49:03, 2011 - 46:28, 2012 - 43:53, 2013- 47:37, 3014 - 44:51, 2015 - 47:30, 2017:46:29 and 2018 - 46:25). It was a Rochester Runner of the Year race so I signed up ... like always. The added "bonus" was a 10K with a challenging uphill finish ... like always. It just seems like this race gets harder every year.
I was up around 6:15 AM. I wanted to leave around 7:30 AM so I could get down where I park at the Al Sighl Center before 8 AM when the Lilac 5K starts. I puttered around a bit, had my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana and kissed my darling wife, Christine, goodbye and hit the road at 7:35 AM. It had gotten a LOT warmer in 24 hours. It was 53F when I went out for a 5K run yesterday morning and it was already 72F when I driving before 8 AM. So I was dressed in shorts and an old Charlie's Old Goat Trail Run short sleeve tech shirt.
I paid my usual $5 to park at the Al Sigl Center on Elmwood Ave and got up to the Start/Finish line in plenty of time to view the 5K finish. These runners didn't even look like they were running hard when they posted sub 18:00 minute times! Ahh ... to be young! I got out for a little 1.25 mile warm up run at 9:56 pace so I could run back to the 2014 Cruze, link here. I took a gulp of Hammer Gel and a swig of water, link here.
I was still a bit sweaty when I lined up for the Lilac 10K start ... and a bit farther back than I like. And ... we were off! It took about 10 seconds before I even took my first steps but pretty soon I was walking, shuffling, running ... and then up to a slow race pace. I wanted to go easy since it was so hot. Well ... that didn't work out so well. I had a good mile 1 and mile 2. Then ... the bottom fell out. I overheated and fell hard into a run/walk that seemed to be more of a walk/run the closer I got to the finish. I just couldn't push myself back up to anything resembling my usual race pace. I am going to blame the sudden heat and humidity. I was certainly not used to it. Oh well!
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| Everyone got a finisher's medal this year! |
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| A shot of the lilacs and a damp mug shot (notice the petal on my forehead) |
My darling wife, Christine, had a nice Aldi's meat-lovers pizza ready when I got home. A mug of coffee and pizza ... nice!
Monday, 5/20/2019: 4839 steps during the day, rest day.
Tuesday, 5/21/2019: 5776 steps during the day, rest day.
Yes, it was a Tuesday. But ... I decided that my lovely wife, Christine, and I needed some "together" time more than I needed a run. Christine was most appreciative!
Wednesday, 5/22/2019: 15989 steps during the day, 8.05 mile, 1:07:00, 8:19 pace, 161 avg cadence, 64F, 37% RH, 16 mph N wind, overcast.
Yesterday's run didn't happen so today's run did. I decided to go for 8 miles on a loop route so that I couldn't turn back. I headed out to my usual spot ... the Greece Arcadia High School just before 5 PM. I set up a nice and steady pace as I headed out. It was overcast and a bit breezy. I got sprinkled on for a couple of minutes. My thighs were a bit tight and I felt sluggish but I pushed through it with only 2 tiny water breaks. My 5K was 25:25, 8:12 pace and my 10K was 51:30, 5:18 pace (2nd 5K: 26:05, 8:25 pace). So ... I ran this 10K 6 minutes faster than Sunday's Lilac 10K. The difference? It was cooler (14F), less humid and flatter. Hey ... I guess I have good days and bad days. My splits were: 8:05, 8:17, 8:12, 8:17, 8:26, 8:24, 8:24 and 8:28.
A long winded paragraph, two or three about how I use my electronics to track my runs and handle my personal cell. Your eyes may glaze over ... just a warning.
I have been using a Pebble 2 HR smartwatch to handle my personal cell. I have tracked my runs with a Garmin Forerunner 220 for years. I bought it from Prem Kumar when he upgraded to a Garmin Vivoactive. Both are long in the tooth. I liked the Pebble 2 HR smartwatch because: I could decline calls without digging out my cell, I could see notifications (texts, Yahoo! email, Facebook and Messenger) and weather. I could track steps but it was outside the Garmin ecosystem which I never did like. I have had no complaints about my Garmin Forerunner 220. It was trusty and reliable. I put it on when I went running and took it off when I got done. I seldom had to soft reset it ... maybe 5 times tops.
But ... I have, have had and probably will always have ... Garmin lust. I looked at the Vivosmart HR for a while. Then ... recently I started to look at the Vivosport and most recently at the Vivoactive and Vivoactive HR. Note that all these models are still not top of the line but they are newer than the Forerunner 220. I looked at Ebay and found that all of them were sold used for between $50 and $80. I looked at reviews ... Vivosmart HR (link here), Vivosport (link here), Pebble 2 HR vs Vivosport (link here), Vivoactive (link here), Vivoactive HR (link here) and Vivoactive vs Vivoactive HR (links here, here, here and here). I am quite partial to reading the exhaustive reviews of Ray, the DC Rainmaker, Ray's story, link here.
Anyway ... I bet you can figure out which one I sprung for. Drum roll ........ the Vivoactive HR. It has the most bang for the buck ($70). The Vivoactive HR form factor is just like my trusty Pebble 2 HR smartwatch except that the screen is color. My steps will be in the Garmin ecosystem, it counts floors, it has Garmin ConnectIQ widgets and .... it's cooler. Hopefully I will be happy. I do love my Garmins. I have had a Forerunner 305 (retired), 310XT (used only for biking and duathlons (my own) and 220 (used for running). It should get to me by Tuesday, June 4th.
Thursday, 5/23/2019: 12955 steps during the day, 5.05 miles, 47:11, 8:33 pace, 133 avg HR, 158 avg cadence, 76F, 60% RH, 29 mph W wind, partly cloudy
Today's run was blah! A line of thunderstorms was forecast to move through around lunchtime. Nothing special ... just a brief downpour. But it did get warmer, more humid and windy by the time I got out for my run at 5 PM. I don't do well in the heat, humidity and wind. I felt like I was barely moving as I ran into the west wind on Janes Rd. My thighs and left calf were tight too. So ... a run best forgotten. My splits were: 8:22, 8:48, 8:34, 8:14 and 8:42. I bet you can guess which miles (2 and 5) were into the wind!
Friday, 5/24/2019: 5814 steps during the day, rest day.
Saturday, 5/25/2019: 8569 steps during the day, 1.75 and 3.16 miles, 62F, 67% RH, 8 mph W wind, overcast.
Today's race was my second Sunset House 5K, My time last year was 23:20. It has been a Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) race for the past 2 years. I usually sign up for 10 out of the 12 RROY races. I almost could have ran to this race since it was on the Irondequoit United Church of Christ on the corner of Cooper Rd and Titus Ave (4.5 miles away). Well ... almost.
I got to the race venue around 8:10 AM ... in plenty of time to get in a 1.75 mile warm up run at 8:52 pace, link here. It was kind of cool, a bit muggy ... so not bad conditions for a 5K.
And .... we were off! I started a bit slow as I slowly moved into some free running space. I didn't want to go out too fast but ... mile 1 was a bit fast at 7:30. I thought I might be able to break 23:00. .... maybe. I didn't think I slowed down much. I was neck and neck with an older guy. I was behind him ... I would pull up ... he would push ahead ... I got ahead a bit ... and he pushed ahead to stay ... I rounded the last turn ... the clock flipped past 24:00 ... done in 24:08, 7:47 pace. That older guy finished 44th in the M 65-69 age group. Anyway ... my first 5K of 2019. I was plenty much dripping wet with sweat. There were donuts afterward ... I had one ... sweet! I got a couple pieces of breakfast pizza to take home before I left.
I snuggled up with my darling wife, Christine, for a while when I got home. Hey ... it was a bit chilly before it warmed up later in the afternoon. We had a mug of coffee and the aforementioned breakfast pizza.
PCR-Timing.com did the timing. I did OK. I was 46th out of 310, link here. I was 4th out of 9 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. My avg HR was 147. My avg cadence was 167. My splits were: 7:30, 7:43, 7:49 and 7:11 over the last 0.16 mile.
