Sunday, 1/30/2022 to Saturday, 2/5/2022 - Freezeroo #5 --- IN PROGRESS

I walked once this week, 1.15 miles.

I snowshoed 3 times this week, 5.36 miles.

I ran 4 times this week, 17.27 miles.

I didn't bike this week.

I took 57.093 steps this week according to my Garmin Venu smartwatch.
My Venu gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt). My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

WALKING/RUNNING/BIKING: I am pretty sure that I have 100% recovered from plantar fasciitis in my right heel. I have been wearing compression socks and stretching a lot for at least 3 months now. It has slowly helped. A run is better than a walk in my 64-year-old mind but any exercise is good in the end.

BTW, I am on a 585 day streak of either a walk, run or bike of greater than 1 mile (as of Saturday night, 1/29). There were more than a few days when a mile was all I could walk or limp.

COVID-19: I've had the same blurb about COVID-19 for about 2 years with some varying details. Hey ... been doing it for 2 years so I will change it up. I believe in science, CNN, Fauci and wear a mask over my nose and mouth when I am in a public space like Wegmans or BJs. I don't need to do "my own research" so you can guess which way I lean in politics. 

Sunday, 1/30/2022

7320 steps, 45/144 resting/max HR, 7:44 hrs sleep, 21 floors climbed

Run: 4.51 miles, 40:21, 8:57 pace, 103 feet elevation gain, 133/145 avg/max HR, 155/165 avg/max cadence, 12F, 61% RH, 7 mph SSW wind, wind chill 2F, sunny

Shoes: Salomon Speedcross 4 trail shoes blue: 190.28 miles

I woke up at 6:45 AM and puttered around for a long time. I guess I was just waiting for motivation ... maybe for it to get warmer. I finally got out. I talked myself into the wrong footwear and I was a bit overdressed. It hadn't snowed for a day or so and the sun had melted most of the snow on the road shoulders. So I should have worn my Brooks Adrenaline GTS20 road shoes instead of my Salomon Speedcross 4 trail shoes. So ... I had to run slower. I thought of running my "Out to the end of Beach Ave" route but I wanted a bit more so I run my very underused "The Ling Rd loop" route. I don't like Ling Rd because its shoulders are narrow. There weren't very many cars at all so it was OK. I felt a bit blah but I got out and got it done. My splits were: 8:52, 9:16, 8:47, 9:02 and 8:39 over the last 0.51 mile. 

Later, I watched most the AFC Championship between the Bengals and the Chiefs. The Chiefs jumped to a 21-3 (almost 28-3) HT lead. The Bengals jumped back to tie it at 21-21 after 3 quarters. It was a 3-3 tie in the 4th quarter. The Chiefs won the toss but were intercepted and the Bengals went to win by a FG, 27-24. I sorted of watched the NFC Championship game between the 49ers and the Rams. The Rams won 20-17. So ... it's the Bengals and the Rams in the Super Bowl. 

1/31/2022

5144 steps, 44/128 resting/max HR, 8:06 hrs sleep, 180.5 lbs, 12 floors climbed

Snowshoes: 2.09 miles, 46:57, 22:28 pace, 49 feet elevation gain, 109/123 avg/max HR, 89 avg cadence, 28F, 64% RH, calm, partly cloudy

Shoes: Salomon Speedcross 4 trail shoes blue: 192.37 miles

I slept in as usual lately. I didn't get out during lunch either. I took a short lunch so I could get out on my snowshoes right after work. It was quiet and peaceful with only the "smush, smush" of my snowshoes to keep me company ... which was all I needed. The setting sun, almost freezing temperature and no wind was all very nice. I nailed my walking gear choice and didn't dress too warm. The peace was thrown in the trash when Christine had a headache (?) and stormed upstairs within 30 minutes after I came back inside. I guess I listen to the news with the volume too loud? She didn't want to listen to me spouting about the politics of TFG for all of a minute either. Perhaps she could tell me about her health before blindsiding me? Just an ask.

Anyway ... today is the end of January so it's stat time!

I walked 14 times for 20 miles, 1.43 miles/walk

1 snowshoed 4 times for 7.16 miles, 1.79 miles/snowshoe

1 ran 15 times for 56.99 miles, 3.8 miles/run

I ran 3 races in January (times are Garmin results, not official results)

 1/1 Freezeroo #2, 7.57 miles, 1:06:17, 8:45 pace

 1/8 Freezeroo #3, 5.09 miles, 42:02, 8:16 pace

 1/22 Freezeroo #4, 4.89 miles, 40:14, 8:13 pace

I took 2116,052 steps in January.

Tuesday, 2/1/2022

10319 steps, 45/143 resting/max HR, 8:56 hrs sleep, 180.1 lbs, 17 floors climbed 

Run: 3.1 miles, 26:22, 8:30 pace, 64 feet elevation gain, 136/145 avg/max HR, 157/172 avg/max cadence, 36F, 52% RH, 10 to 23 mph SSE wind, wind chill 28F, partly cloudy

Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS20 black: 455.60 miles

I slept in like usual (that will end soon) and was still at work during lunch so I had to run after work. It was a nice run! What's not to like? It was still daylight at 5 PM, it was above freezing and the roads were clear. I could have worn shorts! It was nice running without dressing like I was "Nannuk of the North". I ran a bit faster. I was running down Greenleaf Rd when I heard footsteps coming behind me. A runner passed me ... a bit like I was standing still. It's all good though ... I think he was younger than me, lol! I tried to keep pace but gave up in about 100 yards. He ran on the road on Beach Ave so I followed in his wake. I figured that oncoming traffic would see him first. I ran my "Out to Mann Rd" route. That was a good thing because my darling wife, Christine, had supper ready within 5 minutes after I came home. My splits were 8:21, 8:24, 8:45 and 8:24 over the last 0.1 mile.

Wednesday, 2/2/2022

3239 steps, 42/81 resting/max HR, 8:51 hrs sleep, 178.6 lbs, 18 floors climbed

Walk: 1.15 miles, 18:25, 16:02 pace, 4 feet elevation gain, 66/87 avg/max HR, 107/142 avg/max cadence, 41F, 55% RH, 4 mph SSW wind, cloudy

Shoes: Salomon Speedcross 4 trail shoes blue: 193.52 miles

I got out for a walk during lunch. Everywhere that wasn't plowed had 3-6 inches (or more) of snow. I tweaked my left ankle a bit when I walked too fast on the trail out to the hole in the LOSP Trail fence. The snow wanted to take my foot somewhere it didn't want to go ... a slight twinge of pain resulted.

Thursday, 2/3/2022

6932 steps, 49/123 resting/max HR, 178.8 lbs, 17 floors climbed

Snowshoe: 2.07 miles, 52:47, 25:28 pace, 52 feet elevation gain, 100/120 avg/max HR, 123/159 avg/max cadence, 22F, 100% RH, 17 to 27 mph NE wind, wind chill 7F, overcast with light snow

Shoes: Salomon Speedcross 4 trail shoes blue: 195.59 miles

The forecast was for 8-10 inches of snow during the day and into the night. Well ... 6-8 inches of snow had already fallen when I got out for a snowshoe around the Lake Country Country Club after work. It was a slow trudge but I kept at it until I was done. I dressed warmly with about my trusted winter running gear. It was kind of pretty so I kept my head up and looked around. There were a bunch of geese (30 or so) that were clustered around a bit of water that peeked through the snow. I passed about 25 yards from them. We watched each other as I passed slowly by. It was quiet and peaceful. I was quite cold when I got in. I stripped off my wet clothing and changed immediately. My darling wife, Christine, made up some nice hot chocolate for me. We had some delicious leftovers for supper ... mmm!

Friday, 2/4/2022

8162 steps, 55/99 resting/peak HR, 8:51 hrs sleep, 180.0 lbs, 7 floors climbed

Snowshoes: 1.2 miles, N/A, N/A pace, 16F, light wind, overcast.

Shoes: Salomon Speedcross 4 trail shoes blue: 196.79 miles

Well ... I pressed Walk on my Garmin but forgot to start it. I did my "Another mile" route out to the Spanish Garden road and back. I put my snowshoes on when I got to the trail that goes out to the hole in the LOSP Trail fence. There was another 4 inches of snow so the total from the latest snowstorm is about 12 inches. The snow just keeps on coming! I am getting sick of it. But ... Freezeroo #5 is tomorrow with a 9 AM start so I will just get up, suck it up and run. This race is 8 miles which is a bit long for me but ... I will do it.

Saturday, 2/5/2022

15977 steps, 43/149 resting/max HR, 8:27 hrs sleep, 179.2 lbs, 21 floors climbed

Today was Freezeroo #5 out at Braddock Bay about 12 minutes away from our townhouse at Greenleaf Meadows. It was cold ... like it usually is in February. I brought everything I had for cold weather running gear. It was 9F with a wind chill of -2F .... I knew what to wear ... been there, ran that. I wore Brooks tights, Craft windproof briefs, compression socks, Darn Tough socks, Craft baselayer, long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve tech, balaclava, Brooks beanie, ski mittens and ski googles. Wow! No ... it didn't take too long to dress. I just know what to put on for the temperature and conditions.

I got to the race venue in plenty of time for the 9 AM start. I met up with Andy Ciaio and his wife, Laura. We all wondered what we were doing out racing Freezeroo #5 in the cold ... and laughed about it because it's what we do for fun. I got out for a 0.65 mile warm up run just to feel how cold it was ... it was cold. But ... it was sunny at least. I was dressed OK so I just hung around and got out for the start.

Run: 0.65 mile, 6:01, 9:13 pace, 26 feet elevation gain, 119/131 avg/max HR, 155/163 avg/max cadence, 9F, 72% RH, 7 mph W wind, wind chill -2F, sunny

Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS20 black: 456.25 miles

Run: 8.01 miles, 1:09:19, 8:39 pace, 68 feet elevation gain, 139/154 avg/max HR, 160/171 avg/max cadence, 9F, 72% RH, 7 mph W wind, wind chill -2F, sunny

Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS20 black: 464.26 miles

And ... we were off! The road out to East Manitou Rd was a bit snow covered so I just ran easy. I ran well for the first 5 miles. I stayed on the shoulder of a younger woman who was running my pace. She was sucking me along ... I went with it. I started to have problems. I turned left onto Edgemere Drive and felt the wind in my face. It slowed me down. I felt a nagging ache in my left ankle which reminded me that I tweaked it 2 day ago. I went into a mostly run / a bit of walk for a mile or so. The jog at mile 6.5 onto snow-covered streets for 1/4 mile slowed me. Then I sucked it up and just put it in "get me home" mode. I picked it up ... passed that younger woman near the chute ... done in 1:09:09.

I was beat. I stripped into dry upper tops after I had a bit to eat. I had a half bagel, a couple pieces of banana bread (yum) and a couple cookies. My left ankle had seized up so I limped to the Trax. Hey ... I put it out there ... no worries.

The results from www.hourglassworks.com were up before I even got home. I did OK. My official time was 1:09:09. I finished 51st out of 114, results here. I was 8th out of 15 in my M 60-64 age group, results here.