Sunday, 12/12/10 to Saturday, 12/18/10

I ran 4 times this week, 19.7 miles

Sun, 12/12: 5 miles, 36:44, 7:21 pace, 40F, cloudy, 3 mini stops, no pain.


CJ and I went out to Spencerport for the first of six Freezeroos. This one was a 5 miler. I went out hard: mile 1 in 6:36 (at least that's what was shouted out), mile 2 in 14:10, mile 3 in 21:04. I broke down a bit in mile 4 and did 3 mini walks to catch my breath. I got back into a slow jog and gutted out to the finish in 36:44 which is my fastest 5 mile of the year and just 5 sec off my lifetime PR back in 2008. I was 48th out of 175, results here. I was 4th out of 23 in my age group, results here.

After we got back, we did the rest of our laundry ... towels, bed sheets and my running clothes. CJ made a nice supper of ribs and sweet potatoes. Amazingly, the Buffalo Bills won the third game of the season against the Cleveland Browns.Mon, 12/13: Rest day. A return to winter, temp fell to 12F with a wind chill of 0F during the day.

Tue, 12/14: 5.5 miles, 46:40, 8:29 pace, 16F, night, light snow, just a bit of a breeze, 1 mini stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to the Zoo, 2 times around the pond.

Winter fun ... 4 inches of snow fell during the night, 4 more inches fell during the day, in the low teens all day. A truly horrible day to drive. I must have spent at least 2 hours in my car driving between buildings. I had no desire to get back into my car to drive down to Fleet Feet. So after a bit of procrastination I put on my running gear and headed out to the Seneca Park Zoo, then 2 times around the pond and back. I put on the pair of YakTrak Walkers that CJ bought me for traction. I warmed up pretty quickly. A sweet run!

CJ had a mug of hot chocolate ready for me when I got back! We had the usual pasta dinner. Later ... dutch apple pie a la mode! Mmmm!

Wed, 12/15: 2.5 miles, 26:19, 10:32 pace, 22F, night, a bit windy, 1 stop, no pain


CJ and I went down to Cobbs Hill for Snow Cheap #1 with about 180 other fellow runners. I ran in the no showshoes category, just my trail shoes and YakTraks Pro. The start was blinding ... lots of snowshoes kick up lots of snow! I settled into a rhythm once we strung out. I followed a snowshoe runner for a while ... he packed down the snow for me. When a girl passed him I took off after her. We picked off some runners with a nice pace. When we broke into the clear for the finish 3 guys past me like I was standing still. I finished 17th out of 97 runners, results here. I finished 1st out of 8 in my 50-59 age group, results here. Another great event put on by my home around from home, Fleet Feet!

Thu, 12/16: Rest day. I set out our Christmas decorations. CJ helped put up the lights. It looks nice!

Fri, 12/17: 6.7 miles, 54:28, 8:20 pace, 28F, night, a bit windy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to the Zoo, 3 times around the pond

I needed to run. I thought about heading out to run up Winona but decided that the road would be too slushy. So I went to the tried and true route out to the Seneca Park Zoo and around the pond. The road at the zoo and around the pond was mostly packed snow with some bare patches but very runnable at my pace. Sweet!

Sat, 12/18: Rest day.

Just a lazy day. CJ baked up a pound of bacon while I made the toast, cut the tomato and lettuce. So we had luscious BLTs with apple pie a la mode for dessert.

Sunday,12/5/10 to Saturday, 12/11/10

I ran 2 times this week, 11.7 miles.

Sun, 12/5: Rest day, of course.

I lazed around most of the day, watching it snow outside. I watched the Buffalo Bills knock Brett Favre out on the 3rd play and score a TD to go up 7-0 against the Minnesota Vikings. Good, right? Well, the Vikings went up 31-7 at half and won 38-14. CJ and I brushed off her car and went out around 6PM to Wegmans ... we needed food.

Mon, 12/6: Another rest day.

It continued a light snow most of the day. There are about 5 to 6 inches of snow on the ground now. Winter has really come to upstate NY with a vengance ever since December 1st!Tue, 12/7: Rest day.

I had a splitting headache when I came home from work so I bagged my usual run. I did make it down to Fleet Feet for Men's Night. There was beer, wings and shoe pong ... what more could you ask for? Oh, stuff to buy! Which I did.

Wed, 12/8: Rest day. Another splitting headache. CJ thinks that it may be from the diet cola that I drink for lunch. After a bit we caught up on a DVR of Castle. It was a pretty good episode.

Thu: 12/9: 6.6 miles, 54:53, 8:19 pace, 13F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to the Zoo, 3 times around the pond

I was getting antsy after 5 days without a run. After work I headed out to the Seneca Park Zoo to be out of the traffic flow, ran 3 times around the pond and back. It was a sweet run, clear, calm as a bell, with a pretty crescent moon in the sky! Mmm, feel the endorphins!

CJ made a nice post-run dinner of salmon, rice, peas and a salad with mushrooms, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Fri, 12/10: 5.1 miles, 42:40, 8:22 pace, 34F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + 1 loop

I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run. The run was strenuous due to the slush, especially once I got to Monroe Ave. I much preferred yesterday's run when it was 13F ... hard snow is easier to run on. Still, it was a nice run!

After a supply run to the local Wegmans, CJ and I had a rotisserie chicken, baked otato and salad for super. Later, we had cherry pie a la mode for dessert.

Sat, 12/11: Rest day.

After CJ got her nails done, we headed out to Newark to pick up my father's mail, then out to the Wayne County Nursing Home in Lyons to see my father. I was sorry that I hadn't see him in a month but CJ and I didn't want to give him the cold that we have both been fighting. We had a nice visit. Then we headed back to Newark to see my youngest son before heading back up to Rochester.

Later, we purchased our first Movie on Demand, Knight and Day. Then we watched the last half of It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Yes, I shed a tear at the end like I always do.

Sunday, 11/28/10 to Saturday, 12/4/10

I ran 4 times this week, 39.6 miles.
Month of November: 12 runs out of 30 days, 79.9 miles, 6.7 miles/run
Up to November 2010: 144 runs out of 334 days, 929.95 miles, 6.5 miles/run

Sun, 11/28: 3.1 miles, 21:58, 7:05 pace, 36F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

CJ wasn't feeling too well so I headed down to Honeoye Falls for the first Polar Cat race of the season. I signed up for the series, link here. I met up with the usual Polar Cat runners. I headed out fast on the flat course, 6:48 first mile. I held on with a 7:17 and 7:08. I finished strong with a sprint to the line to get in under 22 minutes, my fastest 5K of the year!

I am at 4:45

I finished 9th out of 38, results here. I was 2nd out of 7 in my age group, results here. After the race, Bob Hamilton gave me a pic of my Newark Turkey Day 5 Mile Race finish ... a much appreciated present!

Yes, the Buffalo Bills lost again in OT to the Pittsburgh Steelers... yes, again by a FG! The best but worst snake bit 2-9 team in the NFL!

Mon, 11/29: Rest night. I didn't sleep well on Sunday night ... I must have slept but coffee surely helped during work.

Tue, 11/30: 6.1 miles, 49:46, 8:10 pace, 48F, light rain, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 Y's

I went down to Fleet Feet for the Winter Warrior Kickoff Party. Yes, it was a light rain ... but it was a warm rain. Yes, over 100 runners and walkers showed up. Yes, we are probably crazed. We all did the usual Cobbs Hill run. I did the usual 3 Y's, slightly slower than last week by 16 seconds ... probably because I went out slower. When I got back to Fleet Feet I changed right in front of the store into dry clothes, except for my shorts and socks. I just barely got over an almost two week long cold so I wasn't going to take any chances.

CJ had a supper of pizza all ready when I got home. We caught up on a DVR'ed episode of Chuck and The Mentalist. I have my man card ... so I watched The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. CJ watched it too ... she said it was elaborate, full of fluff. She would like to see real women out there instead of models.

Wed, 12/1: Rest day. The overnight rain turned into sleet, then light wet snow by 9:30AM ... and kept snowing until mid afternoon. We got about two to three inches.

Thu, 12/2: Another rest day. CJ made a most excellent dinner of salmon, rice, peas along with salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. Yum!

Fri, 12/3: 4.2 miles, 32:55, 7:50 pace, 28F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. I went and ran a bit hard, savoring the run. A light snow started as I headed down Monroe Ave which was a bit pretty.

Sat, 12/4: 26.2 miles, 4:50:59, 11:02 pace, 30F, cloudy, a bit of snow and a light snow at times, a bit windy at times, more stops later, aches and pains later.

Garmin Connect Activity for Old Indian Trail Fat Ass 50K/50M - 26.2 Miles

I woke up early and went down to the Seneca Park Zoo to the Old Indian Trail Fat Ass 50K/50M. I learned about it from Facebook. I showed up around 7:55AM. Each loop was 8 miles from the park entrance to Thomas Ave and back ... 4 loops were 32 miles. My plan was to gel at miles 4, 8, 12, etc and hydrate when needed.

A little bit after 8AM, around 15 fellow crazy runners started out; some faces were a bit familiar, some were not. I stayed with the lead group of 5 runners for a couple of miles until we strung out, then I was second ... by an ever increasing margin from the first runner who seemed to run like a machine. Some runners only ran 1 or 2 loops. The first loop was 1:16, the second was a slower 1:24, total 2:40. The wheels came off on the third loop ... my legs ached, my walks became more frequent. I finished the third loop in 1:42, total 4:22. I was so close to a marathon so I went out for 1.1 miles and back, total 4:50:59.

I got into my car, cranked up the heat and drank any water and food that I could find in my bag. Four runners were going out for their fourth loop when I left. I called CJ to meet me at the door to help me into the apartment. She helped me out of my clothes and into my sweats. I found a bloody left big toe, dirty toes from my trail shoes and my right fingertips were white down to my second knuckle. I eventually warmed up, ate lunch and took a brief nap. I took a shower/bath and examined my feet. I could not find any reason why I had a bloody toe. I did see that my 2nd left toenail was black along with a blister or callus at the end of my 3rd left toe. The joys of being a runner, I guess.

I was tired, achy and went to bed early after watching a guy's movie, Troy. CJ did say that she appreciated Brad Pitt's muscles ... maybe I should start working out?

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, 11/21/10 to Saturday, 11/27/10

I ran 3 times this week, 16.1 miles.

Sun, 11/21 & Mon, 11/22: More sick days from the crud.

Tue, 11/23: 6.1 miles, 49:31, 8:07 pace, 46F, night, windy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 Y's

I just had to get out after 9 days off from running. I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Tuesday night Cobbs Hill workout. I ran easy to warm up then a bit hard like usual. I did 3 Y's like usual. I did pay for it though ... I coughed enough to cough up one of my lungs when I went inside after the run.

Wed, 11/24: Another day with the crud. I took the day off work. I didn't take my DayQuil ... and ended up with a severe sinus headache right above my right eyebrow. CJ helped me to bed and I put a cold washcloth on my eyebrows. I think I took a nap.

CJ cooked our turkey today instead of tomorrow. We had drumsticks and cranberry sauce for supper ... yummmm!

Thu, 11/25: 5 miles, 37:29, 7:30 pace, 32F, cloudy, a bit windy, no stops, no pain.


A pic by Bob Hamilton with the finish line in my sights!
CJ and I headed down to Newark for the 34th annual Newark Turkey Day 5 Mile Race. It was cold but I was going to run ... I was already signed up. I ran hard ... 7:30 first mile. The hill at mile 4 almost broke me up but didn't. I finished in 37:29, 33rd out of 161. I didn't cough as much after the race. I think it was because I stayed outside after the race. I called all my kids to tell them of my results and to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving.

Kudos to all the other runners that ran in the Rochester area who ran on Thanksgiving Day ... the 308 at the Rochester Thankgsiving Run 8K, the 2043 at the Webster Turkey Trot 4.4 mile, 1293 at the Webster Turkey Trot 2.5 mile and the 910 at the Race with Grace 10K.

Fri, 11/26: 5 miles, 39:33, 7;55 pace, 30F, cloudy, windy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Backward Happy Hour run + 1 loop

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet to the usual Happy Hour run. Only one other runner showed up ... probably every one else showed up at the Black Friday run at 8AM. CJ and I slept in. Anyway, I headed out backward since it was the last Friday of the month. It was cold and windy but I soon warmed up. I added a loop around the Cobbs Hill reservoir. I took off my hat and mittens ... but my hands were a mite cold the last mile.

Sat, 11/27: A rest day. We had wanted to go out to Lyons to see my father but I did make it a local barber shop to get my hair a much need hair cut. I have lived up in Rochester for 2 years ... but this was my first local barber shop visit. We ended up watching a depressing, post-apocalypse DVD named On the Beach with Armand Assante and Rachel Ward. Then we went to a romantic comedy DVD named Ghosts of Girlfriends Past with Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday,11/14/10 to Saturday, 11/20/10

I ran 1 time this week, 10.6 miles.

Sat, 11/20: Yet snother sick day from we have called the crud ... just a general feeling of no energy due to sinus headache, cough and sore throat. CJ and I both feel like crap. We did discover the joys of PrimeTime on Demand, on Time Warner channel 735. We caught up on the latest episodes of Castle, Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, NCIS LA, The Defenders, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice before crashing for the night. We didn't even have enough energy to use the DVR. My daughter down at Houghton College donned a Harry Potter scar and death eater tattoo and went off to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I and called it "EPIC".

Fri, 11/19: Yet, yet, yet another rest ... better known as a sick day. I woke up worse than the day before with my left eye wet and a severe pain in the back of my neck that got worse every time I bent over. I got a doctor's appointment at 1PM and was sent home with pink eye and a pinched nerve in my neck. Joy o joy! It turns out that I am not the easiest person to give eye drops to according to CJ!

Thu, 11/18: Yet, yet another rest day. I am getting better ... I feel better than crap and a lot better than death warmed over. I think going to bed last night at 7:17PM helped. I kept on dosing myself up on NyQuil every 4 to 5 hours. I did manage to get CJ sick. It sounds like she feels like I did yesterday.

Wed, 11/17: Yet another rest day. I think I only got about 4 hours of interruppted sleep on the coach recliner. I am progressively getting worse. CJ was an angel ... she went out at 5AM to get me some OTC medicine so I could get a bit of sleep before I went to work. I am living on DayQuil and cough drops. I felt crappy so of course ... I had to deal with crappy weather. It was in the mid 40s with a misty rain and high winds all day and most of the night. Neither CJ or I had much appetite, we had French toast for supper and pumpkin pie for dessert.

Tue, 11/16: Another rest day. Still not feeling well. I only got about 4 hours of sleep on the coach recliner. CJ made a nice supper of rotisserie chicken, sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts.

Mon, 11/15: Rest day. I not feeling so well. I have a sinus headache, sore throat and cough. Maybe I got too much fresh air this past weekend!

Sun, 11/14: 10.6 miles, 1:52:50, 10:39 pace, 58F, walking stops, no pain.



Before the start of Stage #3

Start of Stage #3
CJ and I went down to our home away from home, Mendon Ponds Park, for the Dirt Cheap Stage Race 3 on a beautiful Sunday morning. I had a bit of time to stretch but not warm up. I wore my amber shades again. The early part of the race was quite hilly and I just hung on as I warmed up. My strategy was as usual ... walk the uphills when they were steep, run the downhills and flats. I had a gel at miles 5 and 7 which helped in the flat sections of the course. I contemplated taking my shirt off but didn't. I picked up the pace a wee bit and passed a few runners. I hung on with a slight right calf tightness during the last few miles. I finished 64th out of 115, results here. I was 10th out of 16 in my age group, results here. I felt almost human at the end unlike last year when I needed to be helped to a chair.


Just after the start

Somewhere in Stage #3
Everyone who completed the Dirt Cheap Stage Race received a way cool green hoodie. I won a Salamon Hydration System with the triangular water bottle at the raffle. Two for two, baby!

Again, many thanks to Fleet Feet for putting on another most excellent event! Also, many thanks to CJ for helping me out this weekend. She is a real trooper ... she waits for me while I am running around in the woods. Thank you, sexy!

Later, the Buffalo Bills won their first game of the season against the Detroit Lions (now 0-25 in away games)... in typical Bills fashion. They won 14-12. Detroit scored a TD with 14 seconds to go and were a 2 point conversion from forcing the game to OT. But a win is a win ... the Bills have had their share of bad luck this year.
Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, 11/7/10 to Saturday, 11/13/10

I ran 4 times this week, 19.35 miles.

Sun, 11/7: Rest day. I watched the Bills (0-8) lose their latest, 19-22, to the Bears. They have lost their last three games by 3 points. Their offense is putting up points , their defense is giving up more ... especially during the four quarter or overtime.

Mon, 11/8: Another rest day. CJ made turkey burgers, cauliflower and salad for supper.

Tue, 11/9: 6.8 miles, 53:29, 7:52 pace, 40F, cloudy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 Y's, long way up, short way back

CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run ... the first one in the dark. I dressed a bit cool: ls, ss tech shirt, shorts, hat and light gloves. I wore my reflective vest and headlight ... of course. I went up the long way, did 3 Y's, then blazed down Monroe Ave back to the store. A sweet run! CJ did 1.5 Y's, 3.1 miles ... 53 minutes, a PR! Afterward, we had the usual pasta dinner ... yum like usual!

Wed, 11/10: Rest day.

Thu, 11/11: 5 miles, 39:51, 7:58 pace, 44F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Data for Remington's Run #7

CJ and I headed down to Reminton's for the final Remington's Run of the year. I ran the usual 5 miles. Along Winton I encountered CJ resting on the sidewalk. She had tripped on uneven sidewalk. I helped her up. She dusted herself off and walked back to Remington's. I ran on into the night. She was no worse for the wear I found out later. She was a bit peeved because she was really moving ... 11 minutes/mile pace!

Later, after a supply run to the usual Wegmans, CJ made an excellent late dinner of pan-fried catfish, sweet potato fries and salad with shrimp as an appetizer ... yummmmm!

Fri, 11/12: Rest day. CJ would not let me run or even walk. We had a nice pre Dirt Cheap Stage Race pasta dinner.

Sat 9AM, 11/13, 3.15 miles, 29:52, 9:25 pace, 60F, sunny, calm, walked hills, no pain.



Picking my way up one of the steep uphills

After Stage #1
CJ and I had some logistics problems at the first race. We just didn't get out the door quite early enough. I had to pick up my tag at Stewart Lodge, drive the mile over to the corner of Pond Rd and Douglas Rd, then walk a quarter mile up to the start with my gym bag. I arrived about two minutes before the start still needing to put on my trail shoes. I didn't get a chance to stretch or warm up. I looked up at the clock and realized that they were starting people. Lucky for me, it was a time trail start, one runner every 10 seconds. I walked up ... looking for my place in the line. I slipped in my place one person behind the next one to go off. Fifteen seconds later, I was my turn and off I went ... totally unprepared and unstretched. It was a difficult 3 mile course ... it seemed like it was all uphill. I know it's not possible but that's how it seemed. I did OK ... I finished 49th out of 109, results here. I finished 5th out of 13 in my age group, results here. I won a pair of Hex Ryder sunglasses at the raffle after the race.

CJ and I stayed down at Mendon Ponds Park between Race #1 and #2. There was a nice breakfast of pancakes and muffins for the runners after Race #1. It was nice to just chill and rest. The weather warmed up quite nicely.

Sat 1PM, 11/13, 4.45 miles, 40:52, 9:11 pace, 60F, sunny, calm, walking stops, no pain.


The start of Stage #2

The second race at Devil's Bathtub went off well at 1PM. I wore the amber shades in my sunglasses. They really helped me pick out the rocks and roots among all the leaves. I motored along ... walked the hills that I needed to walk, ran the downhills and flats. After a bit, I started running right through the mud ... seeking the straightest line to the finish. The infamous up the stairs finish was tough but I survived. I finished in 48th out of 125, results here. I was 5th out of 13 in my age group, results here.



Many thanks to Fleet Feet for putting on another most excellent event!

Later, after some rest, we had my youngest son over for quick dinner of rotisserie chicken and potato salad. He was the first person who has eaten supper at our apartment ... well, besides us that is!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, 10/31/10 to Saturday, 11/6/10

I ran 3 times this week, 29.2 miles.
Month of October, 18 runs in 31 days, 127.55 miles, 7.1 miles/run.
I have run 100 miles a month for the past 4 months!
Up to end of October 2010, 132 runs in 304 days, 850.05 miles, 6.4 miles/run.

Sun, 10/31, run #1: 3.15 miles, 36:10, 11:26, 44F, cloudy, calm, multiple stops, a bit of ankle pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for DCSR #1 - Group run

I headed down to Mendon Ponds Park for a group run of the Dirt Cheap Stage Race, Stages 1 and 2. It was an easy run with lots of stops, lots of leaves, lots of stuff to tweak my left ankle on. Somewhere it happened. I kept on running but I could feel it somewhere during this run.

Sun, 10/31, run #2: 1.15 miles, 9:22 pace, 44F, cloudy, calm, a bit of ankle pain.

Group run from DCSR #1 to DCSR #2 - Devil's Bathtub

We ran from the start of DCSR #1 over to Devil's Bathtub where DCSR #2 starts. In hindsight, I should have turned around and went back to my car ... my ankle was starting to hurt.

Sun, 10/31, run #3: 2.65 miles, 33:22, 12:33 pace, 44F, cloudy, calm, more ankle pain.

About 1/2 of DCSR #2 - Group run

We started to run the DCSR #2 course with the infamous up the stairs finish. My left ankle started to feel worse, I started to lag behind and eventually lost contact with the group. I kind of knew where I was so I started walking onward. Eventually, I saw where I was in relation to Douglas Rd and walked back to my car. Back home, I started to RICE ... rest, ice, compression and elevation. It aches a bit.Mon, 11/1: Rest night. CJ and I did laundry at the laundromat. Then we had a quiet dinner of leftover chicken, baked potato and salad. Leftover rotisserie chicken is tasty! My left ankle feels much better.

I signed up for the Mendon Trails 50K on Saturday, 11/6. Just 5 loops of 10K with 1100 feet of vertical climb per loop. I am certifiable for sure!

Tue, 11/2: 6.2 miles, 50:21, 8:07 pace, 42F, clear, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 Y's

CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. It was a bit chilly ... but I still work a ls tech with a ss tech over it and shorts. I went out a bit slow. I warmed up as I did 3 Y's. I saw CJ on her trips up the reservoir.

Afterward, we went out and voted for the candidates of our choice. Later, we caught up on the latest episode of Castle.

Wed, 11/3: Rest night. CJ made a most excellent supper of round steak, stuffing and salad ... mmmm!

Thu, 11/4: Rest night. CJ made another excellent supper of fish and shells! A nice relaxing night ...

Fri, 11/5: 4.1 miles, about 8:30 pace, 38F, dusk, light mist, no stops, no pain.

It rained a steady mist all day but I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. I met up with John and told him that I would like run easy. We did. It was a dreary run but enjoyable, good for a pre-50K tuneup. CJ went down separately and walked with the walking group. We prepared the usual pre-race pasta dinner.

Sat, 11/6: 19.3 miles, 36F, light mist and snow, multiple stops, some joint pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Trail 50K attempt

I went down to the East Lodge at Mendon Trails 50K, 5 loops of 10K. CJ was my support crew. It was cold with a light mist. I started out with a ls and ss tech top, jacket, shorts and pants. I wore light gloves. I started out OK with a first loop of 1:05 along with Chris. I slowed a bit on the second loop of 1:12. A light snow started to fall during the first loop and part of the second loop. I changed my gloves and hat before I started the third loop. During the third loop ... the wheels started to come off. All of a sudden I started to run out of energy and had some joint pain on the right side. I finally came in at 1:25. I tried to eat and drink enough to go back out again but decided that I had been through enough for the day. The results are here ... I am down at the bottom with the DNFs.

CJ helped me over the East Lodge to eat something. When I took off my light gloves I saw that I had white fingertips on my right hand which CJ tried to warm up. CJ drove home. I had some lunch and went to bed for a long nap. My mistakes were many ... I didn't hydrate enough, didn't carry gels (I forgot), didn't dress properly. I probably could have continued to walk the next two loops but I wanted to run but just could not ... it hurt to run or even shuffle. Clint as Dirty Harry said in Magnum Force, "A man has to know his limitations". There will be other races, other days.

After I woke up, CJ made an excellent supper of ribs, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Mmmm ... tasty!

Sunday,10/24/10 to Saturday, 10/30/10

I ran 4 times this week, 25.9 miles.

Sun, 10/24: 12 miles, 2:05:44, 10:29 pace, 65F, cloudy, calm, multiple stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Running Around Mendon Ponds

CJ and I managed to get out to Mendon Ponds at 3PM. It was a perfect day, 65F and cloudy. We parked up on the hill at the Devil's Bathtub. I set out ... got lost several times. The trails in that area of the park at not too well marked. I ran on the bright blue, red, pink and green trails at various. I tried to make it to the bottom of Devil's Bathtub so I could run up the stairs. I eventually made it back, then ran down and back up the stairs. A long run ... I found mud for sure! CJ hiked 1.78 miles.

Mon, 10/25: Rest night. We learned via Facebook that a fellow runner, Dave, was murdered on Sunday night, link here and here. Senseless violence ... words escape me. I had said "Hi" to him, CJ had talked with him.

Tue, 10/26: 6.8 miles, 55:03, 8:06 pace, 68F(!), dusk, a bit windy, 2 stops for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 Y's, long way back

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. CJ dropped me off and then up to Riley Lodge for her walking group. Ellen said some heartwarming words about Dave before we headed off. I did the usual 3 Y's, ran hard a bit with Bill, went the long way back. My headlight was needed on the way back. The usual supply run to Wegmans ensued as well as a pasta dinner.

We watched Iron Man 2 from redbox.com after supper. Then I tried to watch the Lakers first home game of the season versus Houston ... I was mostly successful. They ended up winning by 2 with some drama at the end ... that I slept through.

Wed, 10/27: Rest night. We watched Twilight from Netflix.com. A pretty good movie!

Thu, 10/28: Another rest night. It was a long day at work and my feet were killing me. CJ cooked up a beef stew and biscuits. We had German chocolate with pecan coconut frosting ... yum! We caught up on some DVRed shows: Castle, Hawaii Five-O and NCIS.

Fri, 10/29: 4 miles, 30:02, 7:30 pace, 44F, dusk, a bit windy, just traffic stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Backwards Happy Hour run

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. Since it was the last Friday of the month, we ran it backwards. I started out a bit slow but kept it on. Good warm up for Pumpkins in the Park tomorrow morning!

Sat, 10/30: 3.1 miles, 22:12, 7:10 pace, 46F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Pumpkins in the Park 5K ... forgot to turn off the Garmin

CJ and I headed down to Cobbs Hill for our first Pumpkins in the Park. A whole bunch of people in costume for sure! I headed out hard, 7:04 pace. I slowed a bit in the hills, then up the reservoir, 15:00. Then downhill to mile 3, 21:30. I finished in 22:12 ... pretty darn good for such a hilly course. I cooled down, then walked out to CJ and walked her in at 56:56, a PR! Afterward, I checked the results, found that I had finished 31st out of 467 and 1st in my 50-54 age group, link here! I got a plaque at the award ceremony!


Before the start

The bling ... my first plaque! Meet Fleet Feet Pete!
The rest of day we just lazed around. CJ went to bed early after we wated a DVR'ed NCIS-LA. Then I watched Transformers ... kind of loud, it's a guy thing.



Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, 10/17/11 to Saturday, 10/23/10

I ran 5 times this week, 33.6 miles

Sun, 10/17: 10.2 miles, 1:43:39, 10:06 pace, 60F, some stops, no pain.

FLT north from Parade Grounds

CJ and I went down to the Parade Grounds entrance of Letchworth State Park to try the Finger Lakes Trail from the south going north. I headed out, made it through 2 gates ... and went to what I thought was the trail which went into the mud of a creek. I tried to backtrack but got sort of lost. I ended running in a loop to put in mileage so I wouldn't get totally lost. CJ walked my straight line route and turned around before she headed into the mud that I went into. Now that I have looked at the Garmin satellite view and the FLT map, we can see where we went astray. Oops!

My compliments to CJ, she is the girl for me! Some girls would have liked to stay home ... she went down to Letchworth and walked trail on a beautiful fall day! She wants to be a active girl ... yahoo! I'll make a trail runner out of her yet!

Sun: 6.4 miles, 1:10:22, 10:59 pace, 58F, 1 stop for hydration and gel at the turn, no pain.

FLT south from the dam


Another view of the gorge

A view of the gorge

A view from the edge, a mile south from the dam

After the run from the dam

On the way back, we stopped at the dam entrance. I went back out 3.1 miles, then back 3.3 miles. I was very careful not to trip on roots ... especially on the way back when I knew I was tired.Mon, 10/18: Well deserved rest day. I didn't sleep well on Sunday night, felt like crap all day, survived on caffeine and determination. I think I am bit allergic to fall. Went to bed early.

Tue, 10/19: 6.7 miles, 53:24, 7:58 pace, 50F, dusk, calm, 1 stop for hydration and light, no pain.

FF Cobbs Hill run, 3 Y's, long way back

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Tuesday night Cobbs Hill run. I did 3 Y's and took the long way back. I stopped at the bottom before I headed back to hydrate and put on my headlight. CJ did a 1.8 mile walk with the walking group.

I felt a bit better today but still had allergies. But staying home from a run was not even an option. A rolling stone gathers no mosss. We stopped at Wegmans for supplies. We ate a leisurely chicken and potato salad dinner. Later, we had cherry pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yummm!

Wed, 10/20: 3.2 miles, walk with CJ, 55F, sunny, a bit windy, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Walk with CJ

CJ and I got out for a nice walk around the neighborhood. It got a bit chilly by the time we got done.

Thu, 10/21: 6.2 miles, Garmin died, 42F, dusk, light rain at the start, no stops, no pain.

I got home and knew I needed to run, no matter what. It was tough getting out the door. My Garmin died pretty quickly but I continued onward. There was a light rain at the start that went away after 20 minutes. I think I ran about a 8:00 pace. I ran up Seneca to Titus to Winona, then up to Cooper Rd. I ran back down St Paul to Ridge and back. It felt good to get out.

Fri, 10/22: 4.2 miles, 31:40, 7:32 pace, 50F, dusk, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. I had someone keeping my pace for a little over 2 miles. I pushed up the Highland Ave slight grade, lost him and blazed down Monroe Ave like usual. A sweet run! CJ walked 2.2 miles. She has been out four times this week!

Sat, 10/23: A perfect rest day ...

Sunday, 10/3/10 to Saturday, 10/9/10

I ran 3 times this week, 25.3 miles.

Sun, 10/3: 9 miles, 1:29:23, 9:56 pace, 50F, cloudy, a bit windy, damp, no pain.

CJ and I headed down to Mendon Ponds Park for the Autumn Classic Trail Race. There was a lot of stuff going on ... a 4.5 and 9 mile trail race and a Formula 1 and Sprint Duathlon. I was there for the 9 miler, 2 loops of 4.5 miles on the hilly Blue and Green trail. It was a long, hard course .. but I settled in with a good speed and finished strong. I was 31st out of 67, results here. I was 6th out of 14 in my age group, results here.

The rest of the day was lazy ... reading the Sunday paper, watching a bit of the Bills going down to 0-3 against the Jets, taking a nap. We watched Alice in Wonderlandfrom Netflix later in the evening.Tue, 10/5: 6.8 miles, 56:13, 8:17 pace, 48F, cloudy, a light mist, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobb's Hill run, 3 Y's, long way back

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Tuesday Cobb's Hill run. I ran up, did 3 Y's and took the long way back. CJ went to the walking workout and did 30 minutes. We hit up Little Casear's for $5 pizza on the way back.

On the positive side, I got my new RoadID. I choose a blue Wrist ID Elite Interactive. CJ almost cut the wrist band too tight but it fits ... barely. Here is a link to a $1 off coupon good until 10/30.

Thu, 10/7: Another rest day. I wanted to run but was held up until 5:30PM at work due to a meeting that ran long (which meeting doesn't?) and then finished up some paperwork.

Fri, 10/8: 9.5 miles, 1:17:22, 8:08 pace, 68F, sunny, windy, dry, 3 mini stops for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to Cobbs Hill, 5 loops, back long way

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. I had decided that I needed to run long so I warned CJ that I would be a while before I was back. I ran up the usual route to the Cobbs Hill reservoir ... then did 5 loops and took the same way back. It was so dry that I barely worked up a sweat but I did stop 3 times for a mini hydration break. CJ went out with the walking group for 2 miles.

Sat, 10/9: Rest day. Didn't do much.