Sunday, 4/10/11 to Saturday, 4/16/11

I ran 4 times this week, 35.65 miles.

Sun, 4/10/11: 11.75 miles, 2:18:25, 11:38 pace, 50F, cloudy, a bit windy up on the road, no pain.

The informal start ...

CJ and I headed down to one of our "home away from homes", Letchworth State Park, for Sehgahunda Practice Run #2. This run was from Check Point (CP) #1 to CP #3. I was a bit nervous about this run ... this is where I fell last year. I ran carefully ... there was a lot of rocks, roots, mud, slippery creek crossings to look out for. I had to remind myself to look up to check out the yellow blazes to figure out where the trail was going next. I remembered to take my Gu's and hydrate. I slipped awkwardly on a downhill once ... my right knee didn't like how I bent it when I slipped on some mud. I got to CP #3, 8.39 miles in 1:39. I had a choice ... either run back the way I came or run back on River Rd to CP #1 where our car was and call it a day. I chose to run back on River Rd. I figured that I was running the Muddy Sneaker 20K next Saturday ... no need to push it.

Afterward ... chilling, eating, waiting for CJ ...

When I got back to the car at CP #1, CJ wasn't there. I figured out from a couple pics on my cell that she had gone down the trail. I changed my clothes and had something to eat. She came back about 40 minutes later, happy that she had gotten muddy. She went all the way down to the yellow trail and then left for about 4 creek crossings before she headed back ... perhaps 2 miles of muddy fun!

We did a bit of grocery shopping at Aldi's in Henrietta on the way back, then settled down to watch the wild finish at the Masters, link here; while reading the Sunday paper.

Mon, 4/11/11: Rest day.

I definitely needed a rest day. My stomach was unsettled after supper ... I definitely did not feel my best. The weather was different for April ... it got up to 80F but was very windy, a 66 mph peak gust in Rochester.

Tue, 4/12/11: 6.5 miles, 51:30, 7:55 pace, 45F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hills run, 1 Y, 3 loops

The weather was really different when I woke up ... 42F. After work, CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I went out nice and easy. I decided to mix up a bit with 1 Y and 3 loops. CJ didn't have on her Nike+ but she went up to Highland Ave and back, about 2 miles.

Wed, 4/13/11: Rest day.

Just your average rest day. After an enjoyable pre-supper stretch, CJ made an excellent supper of roast chicken, green beans with a sweet potato ... scrumptious!

Thu, 4/14/11: 5 miles, 37:18, 7:28 pace, 50F, sunny, calm, a couple stops for traffic, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Remington's Run #1

CJ and I headed down to Remington's for the Thursday night Remington's Run. A big crowd turned out since Urban Fitness met there too. I found Steve J to run with who also ran my pace. The miles were covered quickly and easily, I was astonished at the pace when we got done ... sweet! CJ walked the 3 mile route and was sweating when she got done.

Fri, 4/15/11: Rest day.

A definite rest night since I was running Muddy Sneaker on Saturday.

Sat, 4/16/11: 12.4 miles, 2:15:01, 10:53 pace, 45F, cloudy, rainy, windy, no pain.

CJ and I woke up and made out way down to the High Tor Wilderness Area south of Canandaigua Lake (about a 70 minute drive) ... then up as we climbed up to the start area of the Muddy Sneaker 20K. It was a raw morning ... 45F (or less), cloudy, light mist to light rain and windy. I told CJ that trail runners are certifiably crazy ... she definitely agreed. 

The start ... note the muddy road ...

Before the start I was cold and wet. The start came at 9AM ... soon I was somewhat warmer, still wet and soon my feet were much wetter and muddier. After a start on the road, we soon made it to a couple miles of ankle deep (if not deeper) mud and streams along with roots and rocks. Then we went to miles of up and down double track ... easier but still challenging. Then a whole lot more slippery mud, roots and rocks ... scary going downhill or uphill when I was so tired. I reminded myself to make good decisions about my footing and not to take chances. More uphill and more downhill ensued ... a big stream crossing, then a long uphill climb along with a scenic waterfall sighting to the finish. I must say that Muddy Sneaker was the most challenging trail race that I have ever had the opportunity to run.

I grabbed some pizza and cookies along with a free tangerine sample of Vital Energy at the finish. I was wet, cold, exhausted and crabby by the time I got back to the car. CJ didn't make it out of the car after the start ... she was chilled to the bone. She did take some pics before and after the finish. I found some nice gifts in the goodie bag; a long sleeve Muddy Sneaker T-shirt and a pair of SmartWool trail socks that I immediately put on ... nice! Everyone got a Muddy Sneaker mason jar at the finish too.

I must say that I was utterly exhausted after the race ... an hour later I was still dragging. CJ says I need to Gu more. She is correct. I had only one along 2 cups of water and 6 cups of Gatorade during the race.

CJ drove home. We stopped by ... where else ... Fleet Feet so I could sign up for the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon and the Dirt Cheap Trail Series. This is probably TMI ... but my wet tech shirt left me with sore nipples, particularly the left. I really should put on BodyGlide before every race. I just didn't think of it when it was wet and rainy! I felt better after a nice, hot bath along with a nice lunch of salmon, rice and peas. The lovely CJ takes good care of me.

CJ says I looked even worse before I changed.

My Salamons and trail socks were totally drenched.

All in all ... Muddy Sneaker ... certainly lived up to its name! I finished 61st out of 136, link here. I was put in the wrong age group, but I did finish 13th out of 34 in the 50-59 age group, link here.

Sunday, 4/3/11 to Saturday, 4/9/11

I ran 3 times this week, 20.4 miles.

Sun, 4/3/11: 9.3 miles, 1:10:20, 7:34 pace, 45F, sunny, a bit of a chilly wind, 2 walks for water, some hamstring pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Spring Forward 15K (forgot to turn on for 0.8 miles)

CJ and I headed down to Mendon Ponds Park for the Spring Forward 15K and 2.5 mile fun run. We didn't get there as early as I would have liked but 22 minutes early is better than being late! I started out pretty hot. I could have sworn that I turned on my Garmin at the start but when I checked at 0.8 miles it was not. But I can see from the data that I was doing some pretty quick miles; 7:20, 7:04,  7:15, 7:11, 7:39, 7:51 ... the rolling hills of Mendon did take a toll plus my right hamstring felt a bit tight by mile 6; 8:26, 7:52. I took water and walked for 100 feet. I dialed back my pace and took water again at mile 7.5. We got back to the park at mile 8. I gutted it into the finish and tried to finish strong, 7:48.

Even with the hamstring pain I still PR'ed by 1:01 ... sweet! I finished 101st out of 514, link here. I was 11th out of 39 in my age group, link here.

CJ walked the 2.5 mile fun run in 42:59:59, link here. She is a trooper! She wasn't feeling her best but put one foot in front of the other!

Later, I headed out to my ex's apartment in Newark to upgrade their Trendnet G Wireless Router to a D-Link DIR-615 N Wireless Router. My kids were complaining about their download speeds of 1 Mbps. It didn't make any difference. I scratched my head and found that their cable modem was ancient ... it had a 10-BaseT connection! They will be calling Time Warner.

Afterward, I watched the Denver Nuggets end the LA Lakers 9 game winning streak, 90-95 , link here.

Mon, 4/4/11: Rest day.

I did my oldest son's and my taxes using TaxAct. Loads of fun (not so much) but still pretty cut and dried. I am getting a refund ... I needed to wait for a 1099. My refund has been accepted already. CJ and I will be getting a new leather reclining couch or loveseat soon!

Tue, 4/5/11: Another rest day.

I didn't sleep well last night ... so rather that going out and running 6 miles with a headache and what probably would be bad form I went to bed early. Eight hours of solid sleep is my goal! Tomorrow will be another running day!

Time Warner did get to my ex's apartment and replaced their ancient 10-BaseT cable modem ... their download speeds went from 1.4 to around 20 Mbps! They are quite pleased. Maybe I should try the same thing! My download speed is around 8 Mbps ... maybe a similar upgrade would help.

Wed, 4/6/11: 7 miles, 56:45, 8:07 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to Cooper Rd

I really needed to get out for a run. I finally got out around 7PM. I tried to strike mid-foot and went out nice and easy. The last time I ran I had some hamstring tightness but I didn't have any problems. All in all, a sweet run!

Oh, my Endurance Ultra bag from Endurancebags.com came. It's a nice bag with lots of pockets. It's nice to have my running stuff somewhat more organized.

Thu, 4/7/11: Rest day.

Fri, 4/8/11: 4.1 miles, 31:01, 7:34 pace, 48F, cloudy, calm, 2 stops for traffic, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for our usual Friday night Happy Hour run ... after all, what else would we do at 6PM on Friday night? The usual small crowd showed up. I headed out nice and easy ... then picked it up, 7:34 first mile. I slowed a bit to 7:41 on Cobbs Hill Drive, then 7:35 and finished with a 7:26 down Monroe Ave. I tried not to heel strike, reaching out with my stride ... it seems to working. CJ walked 2.36 miles. She said she had worked up a sweat by the time I saw her at N Winton and Monroe.

Sat, 4/9/11: Rest day.

After a nice, slow morning, I did get out and got some stuff done. I changed the oil in both cars, my 1999 Grand Am and CJ's 2000 Cavalier. I practically had to crawl under the Cavalier to find and change the oil filter but was successful. Then I found a hardware store that had the O ring that I needed to fix our Black and Decker blender ... I accidentally chopped up the original O ring when I put it back together incorrectly.

CJ cooked a nice pasta dinner in preparation for the Sehgahunda Practice Run #2 tomorrow morning at 9AM.

Sunday, 3/27/11 to Saturday, 4/2/11

I ran 4 times this week, 24.3 miles.
I ran 101.95 miles, 15 days out of 31 days, 6.8 miles/run in March.

Sun, 2/27/11: 5.6 miles, 1:17:34, 20F, sunny, calm in the woods, a bit of walking, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Sehgahunda Trail Marathon Practice Run #1 - I forgot to turn off my Garmin when I got done until I was almost back to the start.

CJ and I headed down to the Mount Morris Dam Visitor's Lodge for the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon Practice Run #1. Yes, it was cold ... but what better way to spend a Sunday morning? About 30 or so trail runners showed up. The conditions were about 3 to 6 inches of crunchy to soft snow on the trail which made the running very strenuous. The stream crossings were icy. Twice I had to practically kiss the ground to get underneath a tree that had fallen down across the trail. The climb out to Check Point #1 was long. By the time I got there, 5.6 miles later, I was spent. I gladly took advantage of a ride back to the Dam. Meanwhile, CJ had walked 1.8 miles on the trail so she knew full well of the conditions. Kudos to the runners who ran back to the Dam ... wow! I really need to figure out a strategy for hydration and nutrition. I really tend to not do either as much as I need to on longer races ... like marathons.

After a short rest, CJ and I headed out to Newark to see my daughter and help her celebrate her 23rd birthday. CJ made a chocolate chip cookie cake with chocolate frosting that tasted yummy! Meanwhile, CJ had put a pork roast in the crockpot so we had a yummy supper with a sweet potato!

Mon, 3/28/11: Rest day.

Just your average day of work. I finally got my laptop back up and running the way I like it. It is amazing how much work it takes ... a full day to load XP, Office 2003, all the security updates plus all the other stuff that I usually use (Firefox, Chrome, PowerDVD, Foxit Reader, PopPeeper, Quicktime, RealPlayer, AVG, CCleaner, Spywareblaster, Malwarebytes, Zonealarm).

Tue, 3/29/11: 6.1 miles, 46:11, 7:34 pace, 40F, sunny, calm, 1 traffic stop, no pain.

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

It was beautiful day, CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I headed out slow up, picked it up a bit for the 3 Y's, then a bit faster back down. I was a bit thirsty, I could have used some water instead of trying to swallow spit I didn't have. When we got back, CJ made the usual yummy pasta dinner.

Wed, 3/30/11: Rest day.

Just your normal rest day. I took CJ out to get her nails done at New Nails then we had a nice supper at Keenan's Restaurant. I had the Philly cheese steak sandwich with sweet potato fries and CJ had the Keenan's burger with regular fries. Mmmm!

Thu, 3/31/11: 8.5 miles, 1:06:12, 7:47 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, 1 water stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Connect Activity for Out to Colebrook Drive

I really wanted to get to 100 miles this month ... so I really had to get out. I started out easy ... then I concentrated on reaching out with my stride, still easy but fast. I just kept it going. I turned around at Colebrook Drive with a stop for water. Then I gutted it back ... trying to keep my form and reaching out with each stride. I just can't seem to run slow on the road.

Running 100 miles in a month is kind of a goal for me. I don't meet it every month but it is a nice round number that has a certain pull on me.

Later, I tried to stay up to watch the LA Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in LA. I fell asleep on the couch and missed the 4th quarter where 5 players were ejected. LA won 110-82, link here.

Fri, 4/1/11: 4.1 miles, 30:18, 7:24 pace, 42F, cloudy, calm, 1 traffic stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run. I really did start out easy but ... as usual that didn't last. I always push myself when I run ... it's just how I'm wired. CJ walked 2.12 miles according to her map on Nike+ but her Nike+ itself said only 1.64 mile. Her Nike+ definitely needs to be recalibrated for sure.

CJ went to bed but I found the LA Lakers against the Utah Jazz in Utah on ESPN. This time I saw the whole game from midway in the 2nd quarter to the end. The Lakers were down 16 but closed with a 10-0 run to close to 42-48 the half. Then the Lakers outscored the Jazz 29-14 in the 3rd quarter. The Lakers went on to win 96-85, link here. The Lakers are now 17-1 since the All-Star break and only trail the San Antonio Spurs by 1 in the loss column for the best record with 7 games to go.

Sat, 4/2/11: Rest day.

I really wanted to get some organizing done ... but today was no different. I really need to organize but can't seem to get started. Anyway ... after a nice long sleep (which I probably really needed), CJ and I got up on all the DVR'ed episodes of Fringe and Grey's Anatomy that we were behind. CJ made a nice rib, baked potato and peas supper.

Tomorrow, will be a long day. In the morning, I will running the Spring Forward 15K, CJ will be walking the 2.5 mile fun run. Then in the afternoon, we will headed down to Newark so I can install a D-Link DIR-615 N Wireless Router for my children. Hopefully it will speed up their old Trendnet G Wireless Router that is poking along at 1 Mbs according to Speedtest.net.

Sunday, 3/20/11 to Saturday, 3/26/11

I ran 3 times this week, 20 miles.

Sun, 3/20/11: Rest day.

My exercise today amounted to a short walk to get the Sunday paper. That's about all the energy I had due to my cold. Oh well, I had to do some work for my M-F job anyway. After I got that done, I watched the Syracuse play Maquette in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. Alas, SU didn't take good care of the basketball and lost 66-62, link here.

Mon, 3/21/11: Rest day.

I went to work ... regardless of how I felt ... Day-Quil helped. I actually felt better as the day progressed.

Tue, 3/22/11: 6.1 miles, 48:04, 7:52 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

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

I felt better during the work day and my cold is on the way out so ... instead of staying home, CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I headed out easy on the way up. I ran steady on the 3 Y's. Then I put the hammer down on the way back, running around 7:00 pace. CJ walked 1.8 miles. After a short supply run to Wegmans, CJ warmed up an excellent pasta dinner, yummy!

Wed, 3/23/11: Rest day.

Winter returned to upstate NY during the day ... about 4 inches of wet snow fell during the day. I stayed inside where it was safe after I got home from work. Driving was hazardous enough without adding my body out there too.

Thu, 3/24/11: 9.8 miles, 1:19:47, 8:02 pace, 30F, sunny, calm, 1 stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to the lake to dip my toes

I started work early so I got home early. It was a bit cold but the sky was sunny so I headed down for a long run to the lake. I ran easy but quick, 4.9 miles in 39:29, 8:03 pace. I stopped to take 2 pics and dunked my toes in the lake more than I wanted, brrr!. After a few minutes, I started back up. I was surprised to find out that I ran a 8:01 pace ... I had never run faster on the way back.

Fri, 3/25/11: 4.1 miles, 30:05, 7:20 pace, 28F, a bit hard, 2 traffic stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Backward Happy Hour run

As usual on a Friday, CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Happy Hour run. Since it was the last Friday of the month, we ran it backward. I started out a bit slow but picked up the pace as I passed Elmwood. I just kept it steady all the way. CJ walked 1.6 miles. After a lengthy trip to Wegmans, we settled in for a late pizza.

Sat, 3/26/11: Rest day.

Just a taking care of business day. I tried to get CJ's car inspected at a Instant Oil Change place at Dewey and Latta. It failed because of a blown fuse which controlled the computer connector. I got a new fuse but couldn't get the car back before they closed. I have 3 days to get it back so they can reinspect it for free. I also have working on rebuilding a laptop that died. Hopefully the data on the old hard drive is still intact.

Tomorrow, CJ and I are headed down to the Mount Morris Dam so I can try out 6.1 miles of the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon. The Fleet Feet Endurance team is hosting a free "out and pick up" of 6.1 miles or "out and back" run of 12.2 miles so we can try out the first leg of the course. I have already run this part of the course numerous times. CJ says she wants to walk a bit of the trail for a couple hours while I am gone.

Sunday, 3/13/11 to Saturday, 3/19/11

I ran 3 times this week, 16.8 miles.

Sun, 3/13/11: 6.4 miles, 53:23, 8:20 pace, 34F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to Cooper Rd to get the Sunday paper

I woke up and needed to go for a run. I had forgotten all about the "Spring Forward" time change so I didn't get out until after 10AM. I took it nice and easy, just a nice recovery run. The run felt nice and sweet.

Mon, 3/14/11: Rest day.

Just your normal rest day with the pleasure of watching the Lakers beat the Magic live from the Staples Center. The Lakers were down by 5 at half, up by 5 at the end of the 3rd quarter, won by 13, link here. I was late to bed, of course.

Tue, 3/15/11: 6.3 miles, 48:23, 7:46 pace, 48F, sunny, calm, 1 stop for a kiss, no pain.

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

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I ran up easy and on the 1st Y. I ran harder on the 2nd and 3rd Y. I ran a bit easier on the way back to the store. When we got home from a supply run to Wegmans, CJ made a nice spaghetti dinner.

Wed, 3/16/11: Rest day.

CJ uploaded her pics from Snow Cheap #6, Run around the Bay and Johnny's so I uploaded to the last two weeks of the blog. Kind of fun looking through all the pics she took. Got to bed later that I should have.

Thu, 3/17/11: Another rest day.

CJ snored during the night so I didn't get as much sleep as I could have ... coffee and constant movement was a necessity. CJ went to the doctors and learned that she has a sinus infection. While she slept, I went out to get her prescriptions. I will try to get to bed early ... we will see.

Fri, 3/18/11: 4.1 miles, 29:23, 7:10 pace, 45F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. I wore what was the perfect clothing for the conditions: long sleeve half zip tech top, compression shorts, shorts, light gloves and hat. I started out pretty fast with a young guy who could run 7:07 pace. He peeled off at Highland Ave. I continued on. I concentrated on my form and just ran hard. My splits were 7:18, 7:25, 7:20 and 6:39. Lately, I have been running really fast lately ... concentrating on my form is paying off.

CJ stayed home with her sinus infection. She had a slight temperature around lunchtime. Hopefully, she will be on the mend soon. I did the dishes and CJ was kind enough to warm up some leftovers.

Later, CJ and I stayed up late to watch Syracuse beat Indiana St in the NCAA first round, link here.

Sat, 3/19/11: Rest day.

I so wanted to go for a long run this morning. But my body so didn't want to. I woke up every hour or so during the night with head congestion. Not so much sleep. Anyway, I headed out to Newark during the day to see my youngest son and gave him a new XP imaged hard drive for his laptop. We found out that their Trendnet G wireless router is dog slow. A lazy, sick night ensued ... both of us were sick and felt like roadkill. Maybe a long, slow run tomorrow ... or not.

Sunday, 3/6/11 to Saturday, 3/12/11

I ran 3 times, 20.5 miles this week.

Sun, 3/6/11: Rest day.

A well deserved rest day. When I went to bed it was 47F and sprinkling. When I woke up it was 24F  and snowing. Unbelievable! I had to put my boots on to get the Sunday paper. I trudged through about 3 to 4 inches of wet snow. CJ and I lazed around. Just a relaxing, romantic day.

Mon, 3/7/11: Rest day.

A Monday all day. It didn't start out so well, 20F outside ... the passenger wiper on CJ's car froze to the windshield forcing a trip to Pep Boys for a replacement. A long day at work ensued. I had a choice of resting or going out for a run. I chose to rest.

Tue, 3/8/11: 6.2 miles, 48:46, 7:52 pace, 36F, clear, calm, no stops, no pain.

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

Another long day at work. I definitely needed to get a run in after three days off. CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet on a beautiful night with a new moon in the sky for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I met up with Bill B who runs the same pace that I do. We ran a bit easy up Monroe Ave, then powered up and down 3 Y's. He pulled ahead a bit on the ups and I caught him on the downs. Then we ran fast down Monroe Ave back to the store. CJ walked up to the gate and back, about 2.5 miles. She was soaked when we met back up at the store. We enjoyed listening to Dean Martin on Legends 102.7 FM on the way home.

Wed, 3/9/11: Rest day.

Just a dreary, rainy, misty day. I decided to stay in for the night after work.

Thu, 3/10/11: 9.3 miles, 1:21:02, 8:43 pace, 46F, dusk to night, cloudy, a bit windy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Zoo trail out to Thomas Ave, road back

It actually stopped raining so I decided that I needed to get a nice and easy run in before Johnny's on Saturday. So I put on my trail shoes and headed out to the Zoo trail. It was muddy and a bit icy in spots. I ran out to Thomas Ave thankful I had not fallen. I took the road back ... just nice and easy. I ran out of energy on the way back, I could have used a Gu or Gel.

After a sub supper from Wegmans, CJ and I settled down to watch the Lakers play the Heat in Miami. The Heat won by 6, link here. I went to bed early, before 11AM. I had a restless night, my lower abs hurt a bit.

Fri, 3/11/11: Rest day before Johnny's on Saturday.

CJ and I headed out to Johnny's on the Green for packet pickup. It was too noisy so we tried the Distillery ... too busy. We ended up at McGinnity's. A nice and cozy Irish bar. We had the Friday night fish fry with some Guiness while watching SU play UConn in the Big East semifinal. SU lost in just 1 OT, not 6 like in 2009 when these two last played in the Big East tournament, link here.

Sat, 3/12/11: 5 miles, 34:35, 6:55 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.

CJ and I headed down to the Blue Cross Arena for Johnny's Runnin of the Green 5 Mile, aka Johnny's. We were there in plenty of time. I stretched a bit, ran around the block, stretched a bit more and settled in about 10 yards from the start line. We were packed in a bit like sardines ... the start was welcomed. I headed out fast, 6:46 first mile. I stayed on Bob H's shoulder until I passed him a bit after mile 2, 7:00 pace. I was running pretty much flat out. I concentrated on stretching out with each stride, pumping my arms and good breathing. I thought I was going to flame out but I just kept going around the turnaround, didn't take water, then past mile 3, 6:57 pace. Mile 4, 6:56 pace, then over the Ford St bridge.

The start ... I was about somewhere 10 yards back

I did pretty well ... I was 133rd out of 1655, results here. I was 9th out of 116 in my 50-54 age group, results here.

  
 I always seem to be grimacing when I run ...

The Fleet Feet Racing Team cheering team about a quarter mile from the finish

The sprint to the finish line!

I kept the pedal down past Ellen and the Fleet Feet Racing crew who cheered me on ... then just floored it to pass another runner. I put it into a full sprint and tried to pass another runner at the line but he heard me coming and held me off. Last mile was 6:43 pace. I examined my Garmin data. Unbelievably, it says I was at 6:08 pace at 34:25 and 4:31 pace(!) at 34:32 ... when I was sprinting for the line! All in all, it was a great race ... very, very sweet!

Oh, I set an unofficial lifetime 5K PR of 21:24 on the way ... now I just have to find a nice, flat 5K so I can make it official!

Thanks to Chris W who suggested that I take off my jacket before the race. He said that I would get too hot and that I needed to keep my core cool so I would run faster. He was right. I probably could have taken another tech shirt off. Many thanks to my girlfriend, CJ, my beautiful, blonde girlfriend, who held my bag with all my spare stuff ... post race sweatshirt, gloves and water.

 

After a nice lunch and nap, CJ continued the Irish theme and made a nice supper of corned beef with cabbage, potatoes and carrots, washed down with some McCormick's Irish Cream. Mmmm! All in all, a very sweet day!

Sunday, 2/27/11 to Saturday, 3/5/11

I ran 3 times this week, 24.47 miles.
I ran 18 times in the month of February, 91 miles, 5.1 miles/run.
Total for 2011 to the end of February: 37 runs, 191 miles, 5.2 miles/run.

Sun, 2/27/11: Rest day.

CJ and I just lazed around. CJ cooked up a 5.7 pound chicken with baked potato, green beans and salad. The chicken that needed 2 hours to cook cost about the same as the 2 pound, 2 ounce rotisserie chicken that anyone can get at Wegmans. Ahh ... the price of convenience!

We watched the Lakers beat the Oklahoma Thunder in OK, 90-87, link here. Later, we watched the Oscars, link here.

Mon, 2/28/11: Rest day.

CJ and I got some stuff done after work. We took my winter coat into the tailors to get a new zipper. Then we took a 100 pack of 100 DVD-Rs back to Staples to get a refund. Then we went to Verizon to get my old phone, a five year old (to me) Motorola e815, replaced by my daughter's old, identical phone. It had stopped syncing to my bluetooth and the charger had trouble. Now, it works fine. Then we went to Six Pockets for supper. We used the $10 for $20 plus a hour of pool coupon that I had bought from LivingSocial.com. A night off from running ... I probably needed it.

Tue, 3/1/11: 6.2 miles, 52:27, 8:27 pace, 32F, cloudy, calm, no stops, mild ab pain

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

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I had mild ab pain at the start which kind of subsided after the 2nd Y. I took it nice and easy but did not stop ... just stubborn I guess.

Wed, 3/2/11: 3.92 miles, 41:29, 10:25 pace, 16F, partly cloudy, windy, walked some hills, mild ab pain.

 

Before the race

Winning the No Snowshoe, Male 50-59 age group award

Nate, the Winter Warriors and Bumble!

CJ and I headed down to Cobbs Hill for the last Snow Cheap, #6. It was cold and windy, I put on 3 top tech layers (1 ls, 1 ss and my FF Racing tank), jacket, shorts, pants, warm hat, warm gloves. The snow was crunchy, sometimes icy, sometimes deep and hard to get traction on. The course was a double loop, I went through the first loop at 20:38. I felt pooped out on the second loop but held at 20:52. I finished 44th overall, 30th out of 87 in no showshoes, results here. 2nd out of 6 in my 50-59 age group, results here. I won my 50-59 age group out of 15 in the no snowshoe category, results here. I won a $10 coupon off toward any Yellow Jacket Racing event. Cold and sweet!

I didn't escape from Snow Cheap #6 unscathed. I had some mild ab pain and the top of my right foot has a twinge when I step just so. But ... the pain every now and then was worth it! CJ helped out by serving cake inside. She made sure I had extra helpings ... thank you, my sweet!

Thu, 3/3/11: Rest day.

CJ made a yummy supper, country chicken stew over garlic parsley potatoes. We so needed to go to bed early but didn't ... like usual.

Fri, 3/4/11: Another rest day.

Rather than heading down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run, CJ and I took it easy. I know I would have pushed instead of running nice and easy. I am running the Run Around the Bay tomorrow morning so I wanted my legs to be fresh. I will be doing the long, hilly route. So CJ and I went to bed early, :-)

Sat, 3/5/11: 14.35 miles, 02:02:51, 8:34 pace, 42F, cloudy, light sprinkles, a bit windy by the lake, 2 tiny walks up hills, some moderate right hip pain.


CJ and I woke up at 6AM for the annual Run around the Bay run hosted by Gold Rush Runners. We got to the outlet bridge at the top of Irondequoit Bay just before 7AM. I didn't have much time to warm up because the group of 100 runners or so headed out just as I got up to them. I moved up in the pack until Bill B found me and we settled into a 8:20 or so pace. We ran well through the flat, then headed for the hills on the west side of the bay. I walked a bit up the two major hills. We got to the water stop at 7 miles with no trouble. Then came the long downhill and long uphill of Empire Blvd. I was able to run down and up easily. CJ met up with me around mile 9 so I could take off my jacket. I continued on up Bay Rd, pulling ahead of Bill B. My right hip started hurting around mile 11 or so, then got worse. I soldiered onward but I did have to stop to walk for a bit twice, slowing to around 8:40 or 8:50 pace. I made the turn on Lake Rd and gutted it out back to the outlet bridge. I was glad to finish, Bill B was about 50 yards behind me. A nice, long run for sure. I estimate that my half marathon was 1:52 ... not too bad.

Afterward ... do I look exhausted?

Bill B invited us down to the Starbucks at the Twelve Corners in Brighton where we met up the Fleet Feet crew who were finishing up their long run. CJ and I had Skinny Vanilla Lattes and talked for a while. A nap ensued afterward, then we headed out to Newark to see my two kids that were home and out to the Wayne County Nursing Home in Lyons to see my father. CJ and I ended up eating supper at Crosspark in Newark with the kids. I had the Baby Back Ribs and CJ had the Italian Salad. Pretty good and a good value.

Sunday, 2/20/11 to Saturday, 2/26/11

I ran 5 times this week, 27.1 miles.

Sun, 2/20/11: 3.1 miles, 23:15, 7:30 pace, 25F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.


CJ and I headed down to our home away from home, Mendon Ponds Park, for Polar Cat #4. The weather had calmed down ... it was sunny and calm. I wore my Yaks because the road was a bit slimy and wet in spots. I ran a bit hard over the rolling hills of Douglas Rd in a double out and back with no stops. I was 18th out of 55, results here. I was 3rd out of 8 in my age group, results here.

After a bit of recovery ... I watched the Daytona 500 with a whole lot of double car bump drafting at 190+ mph. CJ made some nice pea and ham soup, mmmm! Later, I watched the NBA All-Star Game. The West won 148-143 with Kobe winning his 4th MVP.

Mon, 2/21/11: Rest day.

CJ and I did the laundry. We found out that if you leave laundry detergent in a sub-freezing car that it will freeze ... who knew? Plus I did some shopping. I picked up a couple of tech buys ... a 8GB Sandisk flash drive and a roll of 100 Sony DVD-Rs from Staples. The Sandisk flash drive will replace a similar one that I managed to bend about 30 degrees at the connector ... before it snaps!

Tue, 2/22/11: 7.2 miles, 1:01:38, 8:35 pace, 10F, clear, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 4 Y's

Yes, it was cold ... but it was clear and calm. CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. I went nice and easy and added another Y just for fun. CJ walked 2.5 miles.

Wed, 2/23/11: 6.4 miles, 49:49, 7:47 pace, 25F, clear, calm, no stops, no pain.

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

An absolutely perfect day ... a nice stretch before breakfast, 6F when I went to work. The sunny sky was a crystal blue all day, warming up to just above freezing, followed by an extra special stretch after work. Then I went out for a magically sweet run out to the Zoo plus 3 times around the pond. It was crystal clear, calm as a bell, so quiet, I concentrated on my form, stretching out my stride, pumping my arms, pushing to 95%, totally in the zen of the run, sweet!!

Thu, 2/14/11: Rest day ... truly needed.

CJ and I watched DVR'ed episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise and NCIS.

Fri, 2/25/11: 4.2 miles, 38:03, 9:03 pace, 26F, cloudy, calm, walked a bit, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Backward Hapy Hour run

A winter storm came to Rochester during the morning and early afternoon, about 6 inches worth of wet snow. Driving was hazardous, I listened to the jazz of 105.9 to keep mellow while I was out and about during work. But by the evening it was all over and the main roads were all plowed. So CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual end of the month Backward Happy Hour run. I started out slow up Monroe Ave. Once past Winton Rd the sidewalk was not plowed for a bit. I high stepped through it for a bit, then walked for a bit, then ran in the street for a bit until I saw the sidewalk plow coming down Monroe Ave, then I switched back to the sidewalk. The roads down Highland Ave and back to Fleet Feet were snow covered, my Yaks came in handy. CJ walked the entire 3.3 mile loop! Afterward, I joined the Fleet Feet Racing team and signed up for the Spring Forward 15K. I bought CJ a pair of Puma Complete Nightfox Trail Shoes in black, dark shadow, red and dandelion. Snazzy! She says they are very comfortable but just a bit loose in the right heel.

Sat, 2/26/11: 6.2 miles, 45:13, 7:18 pace, 25F, cloudy, light snow, no stops, no pain.

CJ and I headed out to Churchville for Freezeroo #6, a 10K out and back on a slushy road. I ran out fast and slowed just a bit before I sprinted for the finish. Everyone pretty much stayed in the middle in the road or a yard or so on either side, the sides were a bit slushy. I ran pretty well. I finished 46th out of 186, results here. I was 6th out of 25 in my age group, results here.

I was surprised to learn that I was 3rd in my age group overall in the series, results here. I won $10! Thank you, GRTC!

Sunday, 2/13/11 to 2/19/11

 I ran 5 times this week, 22.27 miles.

Sun, 2/13/11: Rest day.

CJ and I woke up in Canton OH. We headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after breakfast. We wandered through the exhibits and took pics. You might think that I am a Buffalo Bills fan and Chris is a Cleveland Browns fan ...

  

 

 

 

Then we headed to Ravenna OH to see her father and brother, Bill. We ate lunch and celebrated his 90th birthday. He told lots of good stories about his WWII days as a supply sergeant in the Pacific. We headed back to Rochester around 4PM and arrived safely home at 9PM.

 

Chris and her father

Chris's brother, Bill, (on the right) and I

Meanwhile, back in Rochester ... kudos to those who braved the 34F waters of Lake Ontario in the Polar Plunge, link here.

Mon, 2/14/11: 5.4 miles, 43:49, 8:07 pace, 32F, cloudy, windy, no stops, no pain.

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

I needed to run and got out after 6PM. I took it nice and easy because it was around freezing. There was a bit of black ice but I just slid a bit. A nice recovery run just to get the joints moving. A nice, romantic Valentine's Day evening ensued.

Tue, 2/15/11: 5 miles, 41:17, 8:15 pace, 22F, clear, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 2 Y's

CJ and I got in some quality stretching when I got home so we got a late start. We went down to Fleet Feet and got a quality parking spot. The Monroe Ave sidewalk was icier than usual. I went nice and easy up, did 2 Y's, then nice and easy back. No worries, nice workout.

Wed, 2/16/11: 2.67 miles, 25:39, 9:36 pace, 43F, clear, calm, no stops, no pain.

Before the start

The start!

The finish!

CJ and I headed down to Cobb Hill for Snow Cheap #5. It was a warm (relatively) night with a full moon. The snow was mushy with just a wee bit of ice up in the woods. I got out fast and got passed a bit by some faster runners. I stayed behind a guy with snowshoes most of the way ... he packed down the snow for me. I ran well, 27th overall. I was 20th out of 83 no snowshoe runers, results here. I was 1st out of 8 in my 50-59 age group, results here.

Thu, 2/17/11: Rest day.

A very much warmer day ... around 50F. A lot of the snow is melting. Winter will return but not right now. CJ and I had a nice supper ... spiral baked ham, baked potato, green beans and salad. Yummmmm!

Fri, 2/18/11: 5 miles, 38:42, 7:44 pace, 42F, clear, windy, 1 traffic stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run plus 1 loop

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run. It was getting colder and quite windy. I ran on my Brooks Adrenaline GTS10s for the first time in a while. I ran easy at first, then harder ... a sweet run. CJ walked 2.44 miles. Afterward, CJ made up cheese ravioli and meatballs for supper. Yummy!

Sat, 2/19/11: 4.2 miles, 35:47, 8:31 pace, 20F, snowy, windy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Backward Kimstock run

Winter returned to Rochester overnight while we were sleeping. In the afternoon I headed out to Newark to pick up my father's mail, Lyons to see him at the Wayne County Nursing Home and then back to Newark to see my daughter.

Then, CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet to participate in Kimstock, Kim running for 24 hours on a treadmill to raise money for the Rochester General Hospital Cardiac Unit. We were there when she passed the 50 mile mark just before 10 hours. But before we headed out for a backward Happy Hour run. Sane people would have stayed in the store but ... out we went! Yes, it was cold, snowy and windy ... perfect weather for a run deep into the cold wind and snow on Monroe Ave, maybe? The turn down Highland Ave and back toward the store was a bit warmer after I got warmed up. I wore my Yaks and took it nice and easy. CJ walked 2.64 miles and got rid of her headache for a bit.

Sunday, 2/6/11 to Saturday, 2/12/11

I ran 3 times this week, 13.0 miles

Sun, 2/6/11: 3.1 miles, 23:11, 7:29 pace, 28F, cloudy, calm, no stops, no pain.


CJ and I headed down to Hopkinton's Point at Mendon Ponds Parkfor the Rochester Roots 5K. I ran well. The road was snow covered and a bit slushy in spots. I finished 8th out of 99, results here. I finished 2nd out of 15 in my age group, results here. CJ walked/ran the 5K also, she finished in 54:42, a PR for her! Way to go!

Sun, 2/6/11: 4 miles, 53:55, 13:29 pace, 28F, cloudy, calm, walked some hills, no pain.

I rested for a bit then put on snowshoes for the first time. I went out and ran the Rochester Roots 4 mile Snowshoe Run, twice around a 2 mile loop. The first quarter mile was congested with trail shoe and snowshoe runners all jockeying for position in foot deep snow ... plus I was trying to figure out how to run in snowshoes. I settled down, remembering that I had to run with my feet farther apart so I wouldn't clip my ankles ... which I still did occasionally. All in all, it was kind of fun ... definitely slower than running in trail shoes. I ran the first loop in 27:30 and the second loop in 26:25. I finished 15th out of 41, results here.

The start ...

 The finish ... I was exhausted and thirsty!

After we got home, a nice lunch and afternoon nap ensued. We got up in time to watch an exciting Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, link here ... the commercials were quite good too, link here. All in all, a very busy and satisfying weekend!

Mon, 2/7/11: Rest day.

CJ and I did laundry, nice to have clean clothes ...

Tue, 2/8/11: 6 miles, 54:05, 8:41 pace, 11F, light snow, windy, 2 traffic stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 4 loops

Yes, it was only 11F out ... but I headed down to Fleet Feetfor the usual Cobbs Hill run. About 40 fellow Winter Warriors were there. The sidewalk up and back from Cobbs Hill was kind of plowed ... I took it easy. I did loops around the reservior instead of Y's just to be different. I dressed warmly ... almost too much but I just unzipped a bit ... sweet!

Wed, 2/9/11: Rest day.

CJ and I chilled. I converted "The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl" album to MP3, then we watched some DVR'ed episodes of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Castle.

Thu, 2/10/11: Another rest day.

I really wanted to run but I just didn't want to fight sub-zero windchills. Good things did happen though. I scored a slot in the Muddy Sneaker on April 16th, lottery results here. I never run it before. Plus the Lakers beat the Celtics in Boston, 92-86, link here. Turnabout is fair play, eh? The Lakers are 3-0 on their 7 game road trip so far.

Fri, 2/11/11: 5.9 miles, 47:30, 8:08 pace, 20F, clear, calm, 1 traffic stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect for FF Happy Hour run + 2 loops

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run. I ran easy at first and added 2 loops. It was kinda of warm, 20F, the warmest it had been for a bit. It's amazing but it seemed warm! I ran by the LED speed sign on Highland Ave and got it cranked to between 8 and 9 mph, lol! The upper Monroe Ave sidewalk was icy but manageable. I had to slow down a bit but I still did OK.

Sat, 2/12/11: 8 miles, 1:01:36,  7:42 pace, 25F, cloudy, light snow, a bit windy, no pain.


I headed out to Greece for Freezeroo #5, an 8 miler. I started out fast, 7:10 first mile. The first four miles are under 7:30 pace. When I hit Edgemere Drive, I ran into a 20 mph headwind which slowed and tired me out. I walked for about 100 feet at mile 6. After a bit I realized that I was near the end and gutted it out to the finish. I was 66th out of 216, results here. I was 8th out of 28 in my age group, results here.

 Along Edgemere Drive ... with at least a 20mph headwind!

Turning for the finish!

After a nice nap, CJ and I went out to Canton OH. By the time we got out here, I was grouchy ... my left hip and knee ached. Tomorrow we will visit the NFL Hall of Fame and visit her father in Ravenna OH for his 90th birthday.