Sunday, 5/7/2023 to Saturday, 5/13/2023 - Run Our River 5K - May & Fly By Night Classic Du

I walked 3 times this week, 4.5 miles.

I ran 5 times this week, 9.39 miles.

I biked 4 times this week, 47.48 miles.

I took 49,869 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 have been hampered by a nagging ache in my left hip/hamstring for the past month. So ... I can do short walks (1.5 miles), somewhat painful runs (< 3.1 miles) or bike rides (< 20 miles). A run or a bike is better than a walk in my 65-year-old mind but any exercise is good in the end.

BTW, I am on a 1047 day streak of either a walk, run or bike of greater than 1 mile (as of Saturday night, 5/6). There were more than a few days when a mile was all I could walk or limp.

Sunday, 5/7/2023

3445 steps, 44/123 resting/max HR, 7:42 hours sleep, 177.1 pounds, 8 floors climbed

Bike: 15.53 miles, 1:11:19, 13.1/20.4 avg/max mph, 103 feet elevation gain, 110/127 avg/max HR, 26/33 avg/max respiration, 59/82 avg/max cadence, 45F, 87% RH, 3 mph SSW wind, partly cloudy

I got out a bit before 7:30 AM for a bike ride. I decided to do my longer "Out to East Manitou Rd and around" route since it was early. No worries.

A picture of the 2 sleepingfemales in our townhouse

   

Walk: 1.5 miles, 28:40, 19:09 pace, 19 feet elevation gain, 80/98 avg/max HR, 99/107 avg/max cadence, 57F, 67% RH, 8 mph NNW wind, sprinkles

Shoes: blue Brooks Launch8 GTS - 272.63 miles

I decided to get out in the afternoon when I just neede to get out and comtemplate life. I went slowly and enjoyed the outside. My splits were 19:10 and 19:06 over the last 0.5 mile.

Monday, 5/8/2023

7216 steps, 42/133 resting/max HR, 7:25 hours sleep, 175.6 pounds, 12 floors climbed

Run: 2.05 miles, 19:54, 9:42 pace, 37 feet elevation gain, 126/137 avg/max HR, 148/161 avg/max cadence, 46F, 92% RH, 6 mph SW wind, wind chill 44F, partly cloudy

Shoes: black Brooks Adrenaline GTSXX - 589.56 miles

A slow run this morning on my out and back "Out to Beach Ave" route. I didn't want to do anything strenuous with the Run Our River 5K tomorrow evening. My splits were 9:48 and 9:38.

Tuesday, 5/9/2023

10859 steps, 42/155 resting/max HR, 9:24 hours sleep, 174.4 pounds, 10 floors climbed

Bike: 11.50 miles, 53:30, 12.9/18.6 avg/max mph, 66 feet elevation gain, 24/30 avg/max respiration, 57/75 avg/max cadence, 46F, 57% RH, 10 mph NE wind, wind chill 42F, cloudy

I got out a bit late on my bike so I chose my slightly shorter "Out to Long Pond Rd and around" route. The wind definitely cut through me so I was glad that I had put on my tights and most of my cold weather gear. Brr!! A nice ride though.

Today was the second Tuesday of the month so it was time for the Run Our River 5K - May. I got down to the Corn Hill Plaza race venue a full hour before the race start at 6:15 PM so I had plenty of time. The weather conditions were ideal: 59F, 29% RH, 10 mph E wind, cloudy.

Run: 1.0 mile, 9:54, 9:52 pace, 13 feet elevation gain, 124/135 avg/max HR, 146/156 avg/max cadence

Shoes: black Brooks Adrenaline GTSXX - 590.56 miles

I got for a really slow warm up run of 1 mile. My left hip/hamstring was really achy so I stretched as much as possible in the ten minutes I had before the race started. 

Run: 3.14 miles, 26:59, 8:36 pace, 12 feet elevation gain, 149/160 avg/max HR, 156/163 avg/max cadence

Shoes: black Brooks Adrenaline GTSXX - 593.70 miles

And ... we're off! I started slow and let the race progress. I just concentrated on one foot in front of the other and running tall with my head up (with an eye on the ground too just in case). Yes, I felt an ache in my left hip/hamstring but I ignored it. It got a bit better past mile 1. I was surprised when I saw the clock was just getting to 27 when I closed the line .... and done! I was pretty tired. 

I am in the red shirt behind Frank Quatronne in the green Rochester Running shirt.

I looked at my stats and was surprised with my lap splits of 8:27, 8:48, 8:32 and 8:46 over the last 0.14 mile. I really thought that I ran a 9:27 first mile. My chip time was 8:36, results link here. I did OK, 66th out of 130, 7th out of 11 in my M 60-69 age group. My 115th 5K!

Wednesday, 5/10/2023

6861 steps, 45/105 resting/max HR, 174.2 pounds, 7 floors climbed

Walk: 1.5 miles, 22:42, 15:08 pace, 88/110 avg/max HR, 113/122 avg/max cadence, 39F, 81% RH, 7 mph SW wind, wind chill 35F, sunny

Shoes: blue Brooks Launch8 GTS - 274.13 miles

My muscles complained during the night and on my usual walk on my "Out to Ling Rd" route. But ... I got up, got dressed, got out and got it done. My splits were 15:16 and 14:53 over the last 0.5 mile.

Thursday, 5/11/2023

1523 steps, 43/123 resting/max HR, 11:38 hours sleep (?), 175.7 pounds, 2 floors climbed

Bike: 11.46 miles, 51.46, 13.3/20.1 avg/max mph, 111/128 avg/max HR, 27/34 avg/max respiration, 58/76 avg/max cadence, 46F, 76% RH, 5 mph SW wind, partly cloudy

I got out on my bike on my "Out to Long Pond Rd and around" route. I saw 2 geese families with about 5 goslings each at the round pond by the end of the LOSP Trail at Island Cottage. I rode by before the papa goose could get antsy, lol. It was a nide ride. 

Friday, 5/12/2023

7441 steps, 44/88 resting/max HR, 8:05 hours sleep, 174.6 pounds, 7 floors climbed

Walk: 1.5 miles, 21:15, 14:09 pace, 7 feet elevation gain, 84/93 avg/max HR, 115/130 avg/max cadence, 54F, 71% RH, 6 mph WSW wind, cloudy

Shoes: blue Brooks Launch8 GTS - 275.63 miles

I got out for a walk on my usual "Out to Ling Rd" route. My joints and muscles were a bit stiff but loosened up after I got to Greenleaf Rd. A nice walk. My splits were 14:15 and 14:00 over the last 0.5 mile.

Saturday, 5/14/2023

12524 steps, 42/154 resting/max HR, 8:23 hours sleep, 174.2 pounds, 6 floors climbed

Today was the day of my bucket race, the Fly By Night Du, down in Watkins Glen at the Watkins Glen International Speedway. I had signed up for this race last year around Thanksgiving. I had hoped to share this race with my darling wife, Christine, but she had a 102F fever the night before and still felt poor in the morning. I canceled our overnight booking with Hotels.com with 30 minutes to spare so I got a refund. A fellow runner, Tina Pellegrin, needed a ride so she could volunteer so I offered her a ride.

The 2 hour ride down to Watkins Glen was uneventful. Tina talked constantly (and would on the way back). I certainly didn't talk much and said "huh" a lot like most men would. I remembered that I forgot a chair when I was about halfway there. Oh well. There was a hill down into Watkins Glen and then another bigger hill up out and to the track. I just followed everyone else and found a place to park. We got there a bit before 4 PM so I had more than 2 hours to hurry up and wait ... and wait. It was past 5:30 PM before we got on the track since the transition area had to be built.

My Trex 7.2 that Christine got for me 10 years ago ... ready to go!

I saw a lot of people and bikes. Lots of people had way more expensive bikes that I did so I felt a bit of bike envy. I had one guy say that he was there from Virginia!

The weather conditions were 72F, 15 mph NNE wind, 31% RH and sunny. It was cool and windy so I dressed in my bike padded shorts, shorts and a long sleeve technical shirt. 

Bike: 1.46 miles, 7:16, 118 feet elevation gain, 12.0/26.3 avg/max mph, 17/39 avg/max respiration, 49/81 avg/max cadence

I got out for a short ride to test out the track. I found a nice downhill from the start/finish line but a big climb back when I turned and rode back. The transition area was a bit crowded. I found a spot near the exit and parked my bike and gear. It was dry and I found some Gatorade to drink in my gear bag. 

Run: 1.58 miles, 13:32, 8:34 pace, 86 feet elevation gain, 145/159 avg/max HR, 156/173 avg/max cadence

Shoes: black Brooks Adrenaline GTSXX - 595.28 miles

And we .. were off! The run course was a meandering route around the infield with varying surfaces. Everyone was crowded together so I had to run slow and carefully. My left hip/hamstring issue prevented me from any real speed so I did the best I could. The course all over including through a narrow tunnel under the track and finally up a ramp, over the track and back down another ramp back to transition. 

Bike: 9.99 miles, 49:45, 12.0/36.4 avg/max mph, 734 feet elevation gain, 134/145 avg/max HR, 29/46 avg/max respiration, 66/108 avg/max cadence

Let me tell you ... the bike course of 3 laps around the track was no joke! The first lap was a learning experience. Th e downhills were fast but the uphills brought me and my bike to a crawl. I tried to stay in my front - third gear at first but it was too hard to pedal. I soon geared down on my front to the first gear so I could at least maintain even a bit of speed on the uphills. The second downhill was quite fast (max speed 36.4, 35.2 and 31.8 mph) and I had faster riders that whizzed past me as I checked my mirrors. Then the next uphill would take any speed away. There was an ambulance in my rearview mirror as I approached the second downhill on my third lap so I knew that someone had crashed. There was a truck to avoid so I didn't go as fast. I hadn't brought any liquid on my bike so I was plenty parched when I got done. I grabbed and guzzled about half of a Gatorade before I headed out on my second run.

Run: 1.64 mile, 16:16, 9:55 pace, 89 feet elevation gain, 138/154 avg/max HR, 150/182 avg/max cadence

Shoes: black Brooks Adrenaline GTSXX - 596.92 miles

I was tired but I still had a run to do so I went back out. I was out about 100 yards so I realized that I still had on my bike helmet. Oh well, I run onward. I ran (Ok, trotted) as well as I could. I stashed my bike helmet at the water stop and ran onward. Soon I crossed the finish line and ... done! Tina was there to hand me my finisher medal. I grabbed something to drink and walked my bike back to the Trax.

Someone called out and asked me if I was Don DeWeaver's brother. I replied that I was. He told me that he knew Don and that his brother, Guy Robson, was in the Du. Guy's bike was next to him and was for sale for (only?) $3000. It was as light as a feather though. I found out that I had snagged a second in my M 65-69 age group, results here. Sweet! I stood in line to get it and walked back. 

I found out where the BBQ pulled port, salt potato and coleslaw dinner was given out and went to the Trax to eat. I was hungry! It was getting dark. Tina soon joined me and we headed out. Tina told me that it was good to be old so it was easier to get age group awards. Yeah ... but you still have to show up, get it done and earn them.

The drive back up to Rochester in the dark seemed twice as long. Tina talked up a storm. She told me so much that went in one ear and out the other as my mother used to say. The drive progressed without issue and I dropped her off at her house. The 10 minute drive home was very quiet! 

I unpacked all my gear, bike and bike carrier. I was tired but it still had to get done. I told Christine of my adventures or at least as much as I could remember. I was tired but not tired enough to sleep right away. My day was done!

Photographers also took pictures during the Fly By Night Du. Here are 4 of the 5000+ that they took. Yes ... I clicked really fast through them.