Happy St. Patrick's Day, 2007!

Hi all,

Sunday 3/10 - Saturday 3/17, 19.3 miles.

Rochester weather went from one extreme to another this week. Sunday was around freezing with a 5.3 mile run on the short usual route around my house. Tuesday was around 55F with a 4.6 mile run out to Rochester zoo on the streets since the trail run was still icy. Thursday was around 40F with a run out to the Rochester zoo on the trail, the snow was practically all melted due to the warm weather. Then Friday night and all of Saturday it snowed about 8 inches of the wet, heavy snow that March can bring.

But now the good part. I ran the Johnny Runnin' of the Green 5 mile up in Rochester along with 760 runners crazy enough to run in 20F, snowy weather on St. Patrick's Day. I didn't rabbit and ran a nice 7:38 first mile. I could have sworn that I slowed down after that but when I turned the last corner and got close enough I was amazed to see I was going to beat my PR of 38 minutes. I crossed the line at 37:34 in a 7:31 mile pace ... bettering my PR by 26 seconds! I seem to set all my PRs in cold weather ... maybe I just want to get in out of the cold!

The race results are at: http://grtconline.org/2007Results/JOHNNYGREENORD.HTML

I am the third runner (with the green sweatshirt tied around the neck) in the picture just crossing the line.

I placed 169th out of 760. There was other people that I knew that ran, though I didn't see them: Mike, Eileen and Sara. I stayed for a while to sample some of the usual beverages consumed on St. Patrick's Day and to watch some of the parade. I got more exercise when I got home shoveling the six inches of snow that was in my driveway to greet me. Then more fell after I got done. The snow won't last. The forecast is for 50s and 60s by the end of the week.

I will really need my running in the future to deal with the mounting pressures in my life: work, trying to get divorced, my father in the hospital and other things. It would be nice if someone special could share my PRs. Running helps ... I enjoy it and it's good for me, though while I am doing it I have my doubts!

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday 3/4 - Saturday 3/10: 19 miles.

The cold weather did indeed come on Monday with bone chilling cold and wind and Tuesday. I had to cancel out on going down to Ithaca College to see my son's concert on Monday night. It was just too dangerous. It has warmed up. This afternoon it was 40F. I think spring is just around the corner.

I ran 4 miles on the treadmill on Sunday,Thursday and Friday. The treadmill needs some work. It slipped a lot, especially on Friday. I think I have a lot of time to fix it since the weather has turned for the better.

I ran about 7 miles on Saturday morning, adding on some mileage to my regular route. I think that running just 14 hours after running on the treadmill did affect my performance, I had to stop and walk four times. Also I think my mind was playing tricks on me. I was running a new route so I didn't know the mileage.

Keep running, Doug

P.S. The Runnin' of the Green 5 mile is coming up on St. Patrick's Day!

Hi All,

Sunday, 2/25 - Saturday 3/3: 29.1 miles. February: 83.3 miles, I ran 19 out of 28 days.

The weather broke a little bit this week ... it got above freezing for a couple of days. So I ran outside 4 out of 5 days. I ran 5.3 on Sunday, 6.3 on Wednesday and 5.3 on Friday out at home and 4.6 on Thursday at work. I ran 4 miles on the treadmill on Monday.

The weather is turning back towards winter plus real life is intruding so my mileage will be down next week.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday 2/18 - Saturday 2/24: 24.1 miles.

I have become somewhat obsessed with running of late. I have run 9 out of the past 10 days. This week was another bookend with outside runs on Sunday (Polar Cat #6 5K) and Saturday (5 miles) along with four treadmills runs of 4 miles each during the week after work.

I have a new routine on the 4.0 incline treadmill. It's 2 miles at 7 mph, 1.625 miles at 7.5 mph, 0.25 mile at 8 mph and 0.125 at 9 mph. It's over in 34 minutes plus a cool down of 5 minutes at 3 mph.

February has been a snowy month. I saw a weather report that said that Rochester has gotten 39.9 inches of snow this month which makes it the 4th snowiest February on record. Well, the couple of inches that we got last night will make it the 3rd snowiest ... which is why my treadmill has seen so much use this month.

One thing about running is that I can occasionally eat the "bad" foods without any effect. Over the past couple of years I have gone from 182 pounds down to around 168 pounds. This also means that I have gone from wearing a 36-36 jean on my 6' 3" frame to a loose 34-36 jean. Now if I could convince myself to work out my upper body. All the running magazines say that I should cross-train.

I like running because I can go out and think about nothing at all or "run away from my problems" as one woman put it. Non-runners find excuses, runners run. It doesn't matter how fast or how far, just run. Well, there are worse things I could do with my spare time I guess.

Keep running, Doug

P.S. I have signed up for the Runnin' of the Green 5 Mile on St. Patrick's Day, http://www.johnnysirishpub.com/greenreg.htm, and the Spring Forward 15K, http://www.yellowjacketracing.com/Spring%20Forward.htm, on April Fool's Day. I had better get out for some long runs!

Hi All,

Sunday 2/11 - Saturday 2/17: 18 miles.

The weather relented so I could run two 5 milers on Sunday and Saturday and two 4 mile runs on the treadmill on Wednesday and Friday. I have a new routine: 3.75 miles at 7 mph and a 0.25 mile at 8 mph. It's a good workout.

Plus I got three workouts outside shoveling my driveway. I am not like some people who either have a plow come do it or just drive over it. I like a clean driveway.

Today, the Polar Cat #6 5K was held in Newark. So I braved the elements: 20F, a little snow, a little wind. I ran a 23:32 and placed 7th out of 25. I was third in my age group. The male 45-49 age group is a tough one. The results are at: http://www.grtconline.org/2007Results/2007PolarCat-6.html

I picked up an application for Johnny's Runnin' of the Green on St. Patrick's Day. It's a 5 miler up in Rochester. It will be my next race hopefully. I am also thinking of the Spring Forward 15K on April 1st.

Keep running, Doug

Happy Valentine's Day, 2007!

Hi all,

A Happy Valentine's Day to all the women who read my blog ... Ok, don't all crowd in at once!

It was sunny, cold and relatively calm on Sunday, 2/11, so I did a 5 miler outside. Just up and down Grace Ave twice. It was nice to get outside but a bit nippy!

Today I am taking a snow day. We have gotten 10 inches of snow so far today and it's still snowing. The forecast is for about 6 to 12 more before it's all done tonight. Right now, it's 18F and the wind is starting to pick up.

I have made a things-to-do list and I am trying to check them off. One thing will be a nice 4 mile run on the treadmill.

Well, wherever you are reading this from I hope you are staying warm!

Keep running, Doug

Hi all,

Sunday 2/4 - Saturday 2/10: 16 miles.

Well, it's on the treadmill! I ran 4 times; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I have a new 4 mile routine, all at 4.0 incline: 3.5 miles at 6.5 mph, .25 mile at 7 mph and .25 mile at 8 mph. It's a good workout and it's done in about 40 minutes.

The weather was just too cold and windy for me! Most of the week had temps struggling to get into the teens and wind chill struggling to get above zero! Well, at least there wasn't very much snow ... unlike around Oswego NY which got around 100 inches in a week!

Here is a link to a CNN gallery about the snow in upstate NY:
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/us/0702/gallery.lessthanzero.ireports/frameset.exclude.html. Look at the eighth picture in this gallery. It's taken from the bridge overlooking the Lower Falls in Rochester NY. Well, that bridge is about one hundred yards from where I work. I run over that bridge to and from the Genesee River Trail when the weather is good.

My dance class is one half over and is going well. I can do an OK impression of the swing ... less so the waltz and two-step. The instructors keep on threatening us with the polka, though.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday 1/28 - Saturday 2/3: 14.6 miles. January: 86.1 miles. I ran 17 out of 31 days.

A slacker week! Just a 5 mile run (6mph, 4 incline) on the treadmill on Tuesday night (no dance class) and two almost 5 mile runs outside on snow covered streets on Thursday and Friday during lunch. It warmed up to just below freezing for a couple of days so I got outside! I think I twinged my left knee on Friday's run by running on a snow covered sidewalk.

Saturday brought artic windchills and the forecast is for a lot more of the same! So it looks like more sessions on the treadmill for me.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday 1/21 - Saturday 1/27: 24.4 miles.

Due to the snow, I ran 5 miles on my basement treadmill three times at 6mph, 4.5 incline. Along with a 4.4 mile run out to the Rochester zoo during lunch in about 4 inches of snow and a 5 mile run out at B6 before the snow hit. I don't really like to run on the treadmill but it is a good workout. It's better than running outside when it's 15F with wind chills in the single digits, I guess. Upstate NY has gotten hammered with snow, cold and wind lately.

It's kind of tough to find the time during the week to run on the treadmill though. I am not a morning person who can wake up and exercise so my runs have been on the weekend so far. Now I will have to just come home and do the treadmill before supper which will be a big test of mind over hunger.

Keep running, Doug

So far in Jan 2007

Hi all,

This post will catch you up on what's happened in 2007.

Monday 1/1 - Sunday 1/6: 20.6 miles.

I ran in shorts and long sleeves in 60F and lots of wind on 1/6!

Sunday 1/7 - Saturday 1/13: 17.8 miles, return to seasonal temps.

I ran the Freezeroo #3 up at Camp Eastman in Irondequoit on Saturday, 1/13. I didn't 'rabbit' (a problem of mine), ran a 7:16 first mile, kept it strong and finished 94th out of 243 with a 22:34, 7:17 pace. The result ... a PR by 9 seconds! I'm the guy on the right. Results link: http://grtconline.org/2007Results/2006-07-Freezeroo3-Overall.html. A new runner, Sara, ran her first race. I also got some grief from Mike for wearing wind pants instead of tights. Sales at Fleet Feet are coming up soon!

Side note: I joined a 8 week dance class on Tuesday nights. Hopefully I will learn how to dance or at least fake it through the swing, waltz, box step and two step.

Sunday 1/14 - Saturday 1/20: 18.3 miles.

I had to contend with the snow at last. It's like running in sand.


I said "Good-bye" to a fellow runner, Janet, who moved to Washington. She has been and will continue as a positive influence on my running. She showed me the running routes around work so I can run during lunch, kept a running journal with her mileage and ran more races that I did. She will be missed by all the runners who knew her but will be back for some races this year. Perhaps a 5K or two?

The weather is turning colder now so I will be faced with the dilemma of bundling up and running outside and just running on the boring treadmill.

Side note: I gave blood for the 57th time on 1/19. My pulse was 56, blood pressure: 106/72.

Keep running, Doug