Sunday, 8/22/10 to Saturday, 8/28/10

I ran 4 times this week, 29.8 miles

Sun, 8:22: 14 miles, 2:19:52, 9:59 pace, 65F, rainy, some stops for gel and water, no pain during the race.

CJ and I headed down to the Letchworth Dam in Mount Morris for the "Dam" Good 14 Mile Trail Race. It was raining lightly at the start. The trail was muddy and sloppy in parts, just muddy in other parts. The rain stopped for a while mid race and started raining lightly by the end. I ran pretty well ... I fell in with some good runners and just ran. I took in all 4 of my gels by mile 9, and just kept it up. The last mile was most clay and slippery. I finished 42nd out of 89, results here. I finished 8th out out 16 in my 50-59 age group, results here.

The post race feed was nice ... just like last year. I won a $15 RoadID certificate ... so I can replace the one that is playing possum in our apartment. Many thanks to CJ for her support during the day.


Gritting it out at the finish!

The bling!
On the way back we did a surgical strike at JC Penney at MarketPlace Mall for a pair of jeans and a couple of short sleeve shirts. Then onward to Wegmans for groceries. Then I just collapsed and put my feet up for the rest of the night.

Mon, 8/23: Definite rest day ... in fact I took the day off from work. CJ and I watched 2012 from NetFlix. Very good CGI effects!

Tue, 8/24: 7.7 miles, 1:02:23, 8:06 pace, 72F, cloudy, dry, 2 stops for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Speed workout; 3 loops of 1200m hard, 400m easy

I went down to Fleet Feet for the Speed workout. After running up to Cobbs Hill reservoir we did 1200m hard, 400m easy repeats. I ended up doing 4 ... 3 hard, 1 easy. I only caught the last 3 on my Garmin so I kind of added an extra 7 minutes and 1600m (1 mile) to my workout. Yes, I think I ran a 7 min mile in a 1200m hard, 400m easy ... I was running pretty hard. It was good workout, sweaty and sweet!

Wed, 8/25: Rest night.

I gave blood for the 72nd time. My vitals were: temp of 97.9, pulse of 60, blood pressure of 120/70. After supper, I watched CJ bake a loaf of banana bread ... mmmm! Next time, it's my turn!

Thu, 8/26: 3.1 miles, 24:36, 7:52 pace, 68F, sunny, windy, no stops, no pain.


CJ and I headed up to the beach for Aqua Cheap #3. It was a bit cool and windy. I started out pretty good on the path but when I hit the beach and the headwind I felt so tired and sluggish. My loop 1 split was 12:00. On loop 2 I did a bit slower on the path but a bit faster on the beach for a split of 12:36. I did mile laps of 7:02, 8:25 and 7:58.


Preparing to start our Garmins at the beginning of the race

Hopping the water hazard

Trying to find zen on the beach
After the race CJ and I went up to the Lake Shore Blvd spin bridge for a romantic walk out on the breakwater. CJ played tourist and snapped a lot of pictures.

Fri, 8/27: 5 miles on the treadmill

After work CJ and I went down to UHaul in Victor to pick up a cargo van. We drove and parked it down at the ex's apartment. I will use it to transport my oldest son and his stuff to Amherst MA on Tuesday. Afterward, CJ and I felt the need for exercise at Planet Fitness. I ran 3 miles at 8:00 pace, 1 and 1 mile at 7:30 pace. I had to take 2 walks to cool down, it was a bit hot inside and I was sweating up a storm.

Sat, 8/28: Rest day.

I helped my daughter move back to a townhouse at Houghton College. My ex provided the van, I provided the muscle. A long day but not as long as this coming Tuesday when I do the same solo for my oldest son ... who will be attending grad school at UMass Amherst. A nap ensued soon after I got back up to Rochester. I did wake up long enough to eat some pizza.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, October 18th to Saturday, October 24th

Sunday, October 18th to Saturday, October 24th

I ran 3 times this week, 20.1 miles

Sun through Thursay: CJ was visiting from Cleveland while the furnace in her apartment was replaced. It turned out that her furnace was not replaced as of Sunday, 10/25.

Sun: The Bills won against the Jets in OT, 16-13. The Browns lost to Pittsburgh by 13 as expected. We took my daughter back to Houghton College.

Monday: 1.4 mile walk with CJ around the neighborhood. We tried to calibrate her Nike+ Sportsband.

Tue: 6.1 miles, 48:27, 7:57 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 55F, dusk, calm, 1 stop, no pain (didn't wear my IT bands). I ran a bit hard with a few traffic stops. CJ went up to Cobb's Hill and back for a 2.6 mile walk. We watched New in Town. Renee Zellweger did a fine job ... she eventually warmed up to Minnesota!

Wed: I gave blood for the 70th time. My vitals: pulse was 50, BP was 110/74. CJ and I went out to Lyons to see my father in the Wayne County Nursing Home. We stopped at the Newark High School and walked 1 mile around the track to try to calibrate her Nike+ Sportsband ... no joy. It uploads fine but the distance is off. We watched Eastwick.

Thu: CJ left to go back to Cleveland. I puttered around the apartment after work, washed the dishes, ate leftovers, tried to catch up on my email, balanced my checkbook, watched FlashForward and Grey's ... mundane stuff. She left stuff for me to remember her by.

Fri: 8.2 miles, 66:04, 8:04 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run x 2, 42F, night, calm, misty rain, no stops, no pain.

We definitely light up the night!
For the first time, I ran the Cobb's Hill run twice. I ran the first loop a little hard in 32:20, 7:53 pace. I cooled down for a bit, chatted a bit. Then I decided on the spur of the moment to head out again for another lap ... 4.1 miles was just too short! I ran easy in 33:44, 8:14 pace. I used my headlight on the second lap. It was dark, misty, damp ... and sweet times two! Hulu.com is great for catching on the shows ... like NCIS, NCIS LA, Fringe, and Castle that I have missed plus it saves time with a lot fewer commercials!

Sat: 5.8 miles, 46:32, 8:03 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul up to Carter back to Ridge run, 52F, dusk, a little windy, 2 tiny stops, no pain.

I just had to get out! I felt like a slug just watching Boston College play Notre Dame and surfing the web just mindlessly. I could have gone to Planet Fitness but I pounded the pavement instead. I felt a bit sluggish but I really wasn't I guess. My total running mileage for the year is now 1004.5 miles! I looked at my running spreadsheet and saw that I broke 1000 running miles at the same time last year.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 23rd to Saturday, August 29th

Sunday, August 23rd to Saturday, August 29th

I ran 4 times this week, 23.6 miles

Sun: Long drive to help cart my oldest son's stuff down to Ithaca College where he is finishing up his bachelor's in music theory and performance. Weird weather on the way back ... sun, clouds, sprinkles, rain, then repeat.

Tue: 3.65 miles, 28:36, 7:50 pace, Fleet Feet Speed workout, 76F, sunny, calm, dry, no stops, no pain. The workout this week was 5 repeats of 800m hard, 400m easy. My time is total so I was kind of quick on the hard I reckon. I did 3 laps for warmup, 1 lap for cool down for 5 total miles. A very sweet workout!

Wed: Gave blood for the 69th time. Pulse: 64, Blood pressure: 100/64. I really would liked to run tonight because the weather was excellent but I decided to err on the side of caution and rest.

Thu: 8.5 miles, 71:04, 8:22 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo Trail-Collingwood-Seneca run, 65F, sunny, calm, 3 tiny stops. Crap! I ran in my really old sneakers which hurt my feet! They look almost the same ... I noticed after about a half mile but I trudged on. Needed time to get those endorphins and to think.

Fri: 4.1 miles, 32:27, 7:55 pace, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 65F, cloudy, calm, 2 walking stops, no pain. I ran a little hard but don't like to stop. I was really tired because I was up late the night before then couldn't get to sleep. No complaints though. I operated all day on 3.5 hours of sleep, 2 cups of coffee and a Diet Coke. I had to keep moving or fall asleep. Afterward I had to go down to a pet store at Marketplace Mall to get some water conditioner for my daughter's fish. She loves all animals but she draws the line at insects.

Sat: 6 miles, 51:24, 8:34, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Zoo-Pond-St Paul-Ridge run, 67F, light rain, calm, numerous stops, no pain. I started out in a light mist which developed in a steady light rain. I took out my shirt so I didn't get nip burn. I was drenched when I got back but happy that I went out ... as always. I just took what my body gave me and ran with it. I may not be the fastest or slowest ... but I am out there. Anyone who is out there is OK in my book. Exercise helps keep me young ... though sometimes my body disagrees.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, June 21st to Saturday, June 27th

Sunday, June 21st to Saturday, June 27th

I only ran 3 times this week, 19.8 miles

Sun: 7.5 miles, 62:34, 8:20 pace, Seneca-Titus-St Paul-Ridge, 74F, sunny, calm, really nice and easy, 2 water stops, no pain. I was really feeling gimpy due a night cramp in my left leg. I really needed this run to get out and DO something rather than just sit and think.

Tue: 6.3 miles, 52:44, 8:20 pace, Fleet Feet Cobb's Hill run, 4 loops, 78F, sunny, not humid, real easy, walking water stops, no pain. I am a creature of habit, I wanted to do the Cobb's Hill run.

Wed: 6ish miles, 60:09, Green & Blue trails at Mendon Ponds, 80F, sunny, a little humid, walking water stops, no pain. I needed a trail fix so I trekked down to Mendon for a nice run.

Thu: I gave blood for the 68th time. Vital stats: BP - 120/60, Pulse - 50. I guess I am in OK health.

Fri: Still a bit wonked from giving blood plus I wanted to save my muscles for Sat.

Sat: I helped my kids (and ex) move from their rented house to a very nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment outside of Newark. We had a lot of help ... it took 2 trips and 8 hours. I wore my IT Band wraps all day which really helped.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, April 19th to Saturday, April 25th

Sunday, April 19th to Saturday, April 25th

Flights (24 steps/flight)
Sun: -, Mon: 14, Tue: 13, Wed: 20, Thu: 32, Fri: 8, Sat:

Steps:
Sun: 5281, Mon: 6760, Tue: 15975, Wed: 4340(?), Thu: 8945, Fri: 17695, Sat: -

I ran 3 times this week, 17.2 miles

Sun: 6.9 miles, 1:02:10, 9:01 pace, Mendon Ponds trails, nice and easy, 45F, sunny, calm. A good morning run. The weather warmed up nicely. I wore pants and a long sleeve tech top.

My daughter did not have a good OOB (Out of Box) experience with her Dell Studio laptop that she ordered. She claimed it was possessed. She went up to Best Buy today and bought a Toshiba Satellite A305. Hopefully she will get her money back from Dell. She is calling them tomorrow.

Mon: Rest day. I went to court. My daughter just turned 21, now I am paying child support on only one child. I pay more in alimony now but it's all good.

Tue: 6.2 miles, 49:52, 8:03 pace, FF Cobbs Hills run, 46F, sprinkles, a little hard, 3 loops, no stops, no pain. I pushed it, my usual hill run with some light rain thrown in. I took a quick hot shower when I got back to the apartment.

Wed: Rest day. I watched The Duchess from NetFlix. A pretty good movie ... Keira Knightley played the lead quite well.

Thu: Another rest day. I gave blood for the 67th time today. Pulse was 44, blood pressure was 114/70. I was advised to avoid strenuous activity so I decided the best thing was to not run ... even though I wanted to.

Fri: 4.1, 32:07, 7:50 pace, FF Happy Hour, 80F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain. The temp went up from 43F this morning to over 80F! I went out way fast in 7:09, then slowed down in the hills. All in all, a good sweaty run. Next time, I should take some water. It would have helped. I watched Becoming Jane off the Instant Queue of NetFlix.

Sat: Rest day. I did some stuff around the apartment though it doesn't look it. A box at a time.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 24th to Saturday, August 30th: 21 miles run, 20.2 miles bike

I wish everyone an enjoyable Labor Day! I "celebrated" by running 13.8 miles in the morning. My last long run before the Rochester Marathon in less than two weeks. I did the first 7 in 55:10, 7:53 pace. I had some gu and water at the house then headed back out. I had some stomach cramps and could only do 12:15 for the next mile. I cranked out slow 8:15 to 8:30 miles the rest of the way to finish in 1:56:08, 8:25 pace. I was kind of stiff afterward with a slight pain in the back of my right thigh and Achilles tendon.

I ran three times last week:

Mon: 7 miles, 53:35, a little hard, 65F, sunny, calm, no stops, 7:39 pace
Wed: 7 miles, 54:14, easy, 60F, sunny, calm, no stops, 7:45 pace
Fri: 7 miles, 54:58, easy, 75F, sunny, calm, no stops, 7:51 pace

I am worried about running the marathon in two weeks but I am committed ... or should be committed, I guess. I am concentrating on running easy, trying not to run for time.

I biked once last week. I rode my bike 20.2 miles out to Palmyra to give blood for the 65th time, www.donatebloodnow.org. My pulse was 44, blood pressure was 100/70.

Sunday: I helped cart some of my daughter's stuff down to Houghton College. I had a car load: a dorm refrigerator, beanbag, and stuff. I could have taken more ... but not much. I talked with LB down in DE on the way down. She will be moving to a new job in VA next month.

On the way back I decided to go to the DCA World Championship at Paetec Park, link here. I had a seat in last row of the upper deck, even with the goal line on the right side. There were 4 Class A corps in competition: SoCal Dream, Chops Inc, Fusion Core, Alliance. Alliance won with a 82.750. There were ten open class corps in competition: Rochester Crusaders (10th 83.738), CorpsVets (9th 86.763), Renegades (8th 89.675), Brigadiers (7th 90.013), Bushwackers (6th 93.425), Caballeros (5th 93.625 falling from 3rd), Hurricanes (4th 94.913, rising from 5th), Empire Statesmen (3rd 95.063, falling from 2nd), Minnesota Brass (2nd 96.513, rising from 4th), Buccaneers (1st 97.913). I may not be a judge but you didn't need to be to know that the Bucs won. They were simply astounding. Scores and recap, here.

Some links: DCI, DCA Corps, Drum Corps Planet, Band Videos.

I saw an interesting T-shirt for sale while I was heading to my seat in the nosebleed section ... the caption read "The older I get, the better I was". I prefer to think optimistically ... "The older I get, the better I will be".

Well, I have been alone in the house for a week now with just a cat for company. I have been keeping busy. I have boxed all of Michael's stuff. It's kind of heart wrenching when you box up games that you didn't have time to play back then and now you do. Now I am starting to box up my downstairs office. There is more to do for sure.

Keeping active, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, June 22nd to Saturday, June 28th: 21 miles run, 59.6 miles bike

I ran three times this week:

Mon: 7 miles, a little hard, 75F, a little shower, rainbow, no stops, 7:33 pace
Thu: 7 miles, easy, 80F, sunny, humid, 1 stop, 8:04 pace
Sat: 7 miles, easy, 78F, very humid (78%), 3 stops, 8:00 pace

The Monday run was a great one. I heard rumbles of thunder when I headed out. I saw a rain shower up ahead on Filkins Road. I ran into it, it quit and the road just steamed ahead of me. Then there was a rainbow! The other two runs were during some hot and sticky days. I am listening to my body and walking when I need to in the heat.

I biked twice this week:

Wed: 29.3 miles out to Macedon, a little hard, 75F, sunny, calm, 1 stop, 4:58 pace
Fri: 29.3 miles out to Macedon, out hard, back easier, 80F, cloudy, 1 min stop, 4:57 pace

My longest bike ride now is 29.3 miles out to Canandaigua Rd past Macedon. Main St in Fairport is only 6.5 more miles. The past two times I have gone by Lock 30 in Macedon on Wednesday I have heard the Towpath Volunteers practicing.

I gave blood for the 63rd time on Tuesday in Palmyra on the way home. My pulse was 56, blood pressure was 112 over 70.

I am chatting with DS in Kingston on Fitness-Singles.com. She is quite a busy woman. We went out running at roughly the same time on Saturday morning. I thought of her running in the rain. I wonder if she thought of me while I was running in the heat and humidity of Newark?

Well, I am out of work yet again. I got a call from Adeccco that my contract with EK had been terminated. I could see it coming but hoped it would not be me.

Keeping active, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, April 20th to Saturday, April 26th: 0 miles

That's right, 0 miles. I was sick with an intestinal bug on Monday and Tuesday. I lost 5 pounds but have since gained it back. The rest of the week I was just out of it and needed the rest.

My father was transferred back to the nursing home but I have been unable to see him. His unit was under a GI quarantine on Sunday night. I could have gone in but since I was recovering from my own GI experience I decided against it.

I went to give blood on Monday after work at a church in Palmyra. I didn't have enough iron so I could not. I have not been eating as many vegetables as I should or been taking my vitamin pill I guess.

Keep running, Doug

Please Give Blood, June 7th, 2007

Hi All,

I gave blood for the 59th time today. I have had a drop of my blood spun to check if my iron level was high enough. A first for me.

My pulse was 50, my blood pressure was 118/68. My blood draw took 10 minutes. I was in and out in 45 minutes.

So remember ... please give blood. If you are squeasmish about needles, just shut your eyes ... I do. If you don't give blood, please consider donating money to the American Red Cross. You may not save your own life but you could save someone you care about. Sign up at: http://www.donatebloodnow.org.

Keep healthy, Doug

Donate Blood!

Hi all,

I donated blood for the 58th time on Tuesday. My blood pressure was 108/80, my pulse was 50. Only 4% of eligible people donate blood from what I read. It really doesn't hurt except for the needle stick plus you get cookies and juice at the end! Plus sometimes you get stuff ... this time I got a free ticket to a Rochester Knighthawks game during March and April!

So go to http://www.donatebloodnow.org and schedule your blood draw today!

Keep running, Doug