Sunday, 8/21/11 to Saturday, 8/27/11

I ran 4 times this week, 27.91 miles

Sunday, 8/21/11: 13 miles, 2:17:56, 10:37 pace, 70F, cloudy with a light to moderate rain then sunny, walked a few hills, a bit of pain after the run.


CJ and I woke up around 5:30AM and made it down to Fleet Feet around 7:05AM where we left my car so we could carpool with Bill Beyerbach down to Mt Morris and the Letchworth Dam for the start of the 'Dam' Good 14 mile Trail Run. The usual long, trail race types were there ... they know who they are! We started off around 8:30AM. We were told that the rain made the mud slippery. That was very true! I started off pretty well. But I just didn't have much energy after mile 3 or so. Still, I soldiered onward through the roots, mud and slop. I had a couple of GUs at the turn which seemed to help for a couple of miles. On way back, it started to rain. The trees helped to break the rain from completely soaking me and it did feel good. I continued onward. I could smell the finish line. I just put my mind to the task of making my feet continue forward.

I am getting pretty good at stopping my Garmin at the end of races this month!

The bling!

By the time I got to the finish line the sun was out. I was completely exhausted ... if a stiff breeze had come up I would have fallen over. I rehydrated and refueled, then some more.I did OK, 43rd of 89, results here. I was 8th out of 19 in my M50-59 age group, results here.I won a year subscription to Trail Runner Magazine at the raffle drawing after the race.Hours later, I was still tired. Trail running is fun but sure can tucker you out! I also discovered that you need to use BodyGlide in other places besides your nipples ... enough said!

Monday, 8/22/11: Rest day.

A most definite rest day, for sure! CJ and I just relaxed. She cooked up some bacon in the electric skillet and fixed up some luscious BLTs while we watched some DVRed crime dramas on TV. I was tired for some odd reason and went to bed early.

Tuesday, 8/23/11: 3.93 miles, 45:57, 8:34 pace, 72F, sunny, calm, a bit dry, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF speed workout, 10x200m repeats, 200m recovery.

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Tuesday night speed workout. CJ dropped me off at the store while she drove up to the Cobbs Hill reservoir. I ran up nice and easy around 7:50 pace. The workout was down on the rugby field at the base of the hill. The course was your basic 200m loop. I ran each loop pretty hard. I tried to use the lap function on my Garmin but didn't do it correctly. I think I ran most loops in 43, 45, 47 seconds. I think I remember one at 39 when I went all out. A pretty good workout. I ran nice and easy back to the store. CJ was up on the reservoir loop where she walked 3 loops or about 2.1 miles. Afterward, we had the usual pasta dinner ... at 9PM, like usual.

Wednesday, 8/24/11: Rest day in advance of the Tour de Pain

CJ and I just chilled. I made up a Things to Do list and got up the gumption to do all of 11 of them! Most of the things were not very big things but sometimes you have to do the small things just to get them done! Just do it, baby!

I even bit the bullet and ordered a smart phone to replace my ailing Motorola E815 with its busted inside LCD. I have suffered with it for a month (or more according to my darling CJ). Oh, I oould barely still use it for just a phone through direct dialing, voice commands or via Bluetooth. I could not take pics or text.

After much "I don't know which one to pick", "I don't want to pay for a data plan", "Everyone ever loves or hates their smart phone" from reviews and even comtemplating just getting another E815 off Ebay; I picked the Casio G'Zone Commodore through Verizon with my $50 every 2 years that has been waiting for me since 11/2007. It is a ruggedized Android smart phone. It is coming from Verizon via FedEx ... soon. We will see how tough it is, lol!

Thursday, 8/25/11: Tour de Pain!

CJ and I headed down to ... let me guess ... the rugby field below the Cobbs Hill Reservoir for the GVH Tour de Pain, a multiple race event. We got there with time to spare.

 

The list of events ...

 
Before the start ...

 
Trying to chase down Wilt ... it didn't happen!


Bringing it home with the usual grimace!

The 1st race was on the usual XC 5K course. There were no surprises. I ran a 6:54 first mile according to the timekeeper on the hill. I didn't stop at all at the top of the climb to the reservoir. I got passed by Mitch and just was about even with him when we hit the finish. I ran 22:39, a couple of seconds faster than I ran last week. I did OK, 49th out of 154, results here. I was 9th out of 18 in my M50-59 age group. I did notice that I would have easily been first in the M40-49 age group. Anyway, we had about a hour to cool down and get stiff.

 

Again I am trying to catch up to Wilt.

The 2nd race was a mile run up and around the reservoir with a finish down on the sidewalk on Highland Ave and Monroe Ave. The men over 40 were the last to go off. We had to wait for the high school boys, the open men and the women. My start was slow ... I was still chewing an energy bar plus I was stiff. I warmed up about halfway up and started to pick off slower runners. I let it all out when we got to the downhill by the gate and the sidewalk. I ran a 6:27 which I thought was quite good considering the uphill start. We had about a half hour to cool down.


The 3rd race was a 400m sprint up the hill to the reservoir. Again the men over 40 were the last to go off but at least we had a lot less time to wait. Again I started a bit slow then started to pick off slower runners going up the hill. I ran a 1:09. I was glad to get the "I survived the Tour" tank top at the finish. Overall, I was 6th out of 11 in my M50-59 age group, results here.

CJ and I waited around for the awards ... didn't get anything. Then we slowly walked all the way back to her car. We stopped by Little Caesars for pizza and had a very late supper.

Friday, 8/26/11: A most definite rest day.

The pain from yesterday's Tour de Pain was very evident to me during the day. My left hip and knee hurt. The faster I walked the more it hurt so I had to slow down. Unfortunately ... my job required me to do a lot of walking today.

After work, I ordered some smart phone accessories ... like a couple of car chargers and a case. The only thing is that I will get the phone on Monday but won't get the accessories for at least a week later.

Saturday, 8/27/11: 6.63 miles, 1:03:11, 9:32 pace, 75F, sunny, calm, no pain.


CJ and I headed down to Victor for Charlie's Old Goat Trail Run. It seems that anytime we head south on I590 on Saturday morning we have to go through road construction ... but after dealing with it we made it on time.

The start!

 
Just after the start ... 
 
Somewhere in the woods ...

 On the road before heading back into the woods ...

  

Hopping into the creek ...

Somewhere in the latter stages ...

Just before the finish ...

The run started easily. I warmed up on the trail and just enjoyed the ups and downs on nice, easily runnable trails. It was nice and sunny, nice temperatures, not too humid ... just a great time on the trails! Charlie had a great number of raffle prizes but I went home empty. I did OK, 21st out of 97, results here.

Charlie with the post race champagne!

Afterward, CJ and I went shoe shopping at 123 Shoes in Fairport where I picked up a pair of Chaco flip flops and preordered a black pair of Wave walking shoes.

We stopped by the Lobster Trap where we picked up a pair of lobster culls (one legged lobsters) for supper. CJ and I celebrated our two year anniversary of her 'friending' me on Facebook! We met for the first time after 32 years back on 9/5/2009 and have been together since!

Sunday, 8/14/11 to Saturday, 8/20/11

I ran 3 times this week, 16.0 miles.

Sunday, 8/14/11: A run day that turned into a rest day.

I woke up and wanted to run. I thought about running ... and said, "Not so much". I realized that I had a whole lot of running this week though it might not seem it. I plan on running on Monday, take Tuesday off, race the Dirt Cheap #5 on Wednesday, race the GVH XC 5K #3 on Thursday, take Friday and Saturday off and race the 'Dam' Good 14M Trail race on Sunday. 3 races in 5 days ... sweet!

So CJ and I just chilled ... listened to the torrential downpour and thunderstorms during the afternoon, watched The Day The Earth Stood Still on TNT, ate a late supper, did some late grocery shopping and chilled some more. All in all, a nice and romantic day. Though I did leave my car windows open about an inch ... with predictable results the next morning. I had to drive on a towel for a couple of days!

Monday, 8/15/11: Another rest day.

Man, I felt like a slug! I should have gotten up and ran somewhere, anywhere! Instead ... after supper I went out to a couple of Verizon Wireless stores so I could fondle a Droid Pro. It felt nice but didn't have the endorphins of a sweet run, lol!

Tuesday, 8/16/11: 7.3 miles, 1:00:17, 8:16 pace, 80F, sunny, calm, a bit humid, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF speed workout, 10x400m repeats with 165m recovery.

CJ and I headed down to our usual Tuesday night haunt, Cobbs Hill reservoir, for the FF speed workout. I took an easy run up from Fleet Feet. The workout started fast, I followed the lead guy who is quite fast. I stayed with him for the first 400m ... I looked down and saw a 5:20 mile pace on my Garmin! My average mile paces after that were more mundane: 6:00, 6:00, 6:15, 6:45, 6:30. Then I remembered that I have a Dirt Cheap #5 race tomorrow so I tried to slow it down to 7:00 pace and above. Then I ran slow and long back to the store. CJ walked 1.6 miles around the reservoir.

CJ made the usual postrun pasta dinner but I wasn't really hungry. I was very tired so I tried to go to bed around 10:45AM. Alas, the good people in apartment 22 which is kitty corner to our apartment decided to have a party ... complete with a whiny, crying baby. I got to sleep on the couch around 12:30AM. Oh, well!

Wednesday, 8/17/11: 5.72 miles, 50:00, 8:45 pace, 80F, sunny, calm, a bit humid, no pain until after the race.

CJ and I headed out to the Webster Park for Dirt Cheap #5. I ran pretty well for the majority of the race. You have to pay pretty close attention to your footing ... lots of roots to avoid. I did find some mud and splashed through the water during the run in the stream. I did poop out a bit around mile 4 when I walked a bit of one hill. I was dripping wet when I finished! I did OK, 66th out of 264, results here. I finished 6th out of 22 in my age group. All in all, yet another great race put on by Fleet Feet and a great night to hang out with the XC crowd!

Thursday, 8/18/11: 2.99 miles, 22:51, 7:39 pace, 76F, sunny, calm, a bit humid, no stops, no pain.



A Thursday night in August ... what better way to spend it than down at the rugby field at Cobbs Hill running a GVH XC 5K? I ran pretty well, a 7:02 first mile, a 22:51, 36th out of 97, results here, good for yet another 4th place out of 8 in my M50-59 age group.

I finished right behind the 3rd place guy in my age group, Mitch. Thanks to Bill Beyerbach who came down to cheer us on! All in all, a great August night for a sweet run!

Yes, CJ and I had another 9PM supper after a night of running ... it's what we do!

I have noticed that I grimace in almost any picture taken of me while I am running a race. Hey, it's a race ... the clock is ticking so I put out the maximum effort that I can. It's how I am wired ... even during practice runs. I don't really run 'social' or hold conversations while I run. I really don't know how to run easy. Though I do run trail a lot easier than I run road ... you do have to look out for roots and such. Just saying ...

Friday, 8/19/11: Rest day

Most definitely a rest day after three straight days of hard running. CJ and I just relaxed after I got home from work. We did watch our latest NetFlix DVD, True Grit. An excellent flick that was just as good as the original.

Saturday, 8/20/11: Another rest day in advance of the 'Dam' Good Trail Run

CJ and I totally relaxed all day. We finally surfaced to do a bit of grocery shopping. Then we had a silly argument that resulted from a bit of miscommunication that involved a bit of slipped pizza. We kissed, made up and tried to go to sleep early.

Sunday, 8/7/11 to Saturday, 8/13/11

I ran 4 times this week, 19.1 miles.

Sun, 8/7/11: Definite rest day.

A most needed rest day after the Phelps Sauerkraut 20k yesterday. I walked out to get the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle and the usual two donuts from Dunkin Donuts, a marble chocolate for me and a double chocolate for CJ. Mmm! Later, we got sucked into a TNT Falling Skies marathon. This summer series seemed to be set up from a slam bang ending ... but settled for a little boom, then an ET ending! Yuck!

Mon, 8/8/11: 6.2 miles, 1:00:01, 9:41 pace, 78F, sunny, calm, dry, walked a just few hills, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Ponds Park - Blue & Green trail

I knew I needed a trail run after work .... so I headed out to my usual trail haunt, Mendon Ponds Park. I ran the usual Blue and Green trail route. I had a pain in my left hip at the start but kept on going ... it went away. It was a bit hot but I soon got used to the heat. After a warm up on the Blue trail, I settled in an economic pace and just motored up and down the hills on the Green trail where I found my usual running zen. Sweet! CJ made the usual post run pasta dinner. Yum!

Tue, 8/9/11: 6.7 miles, 54:18, 8:06 pace, 74F, cloudy, calm, a bit humid, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Speed workout, 5x800m repeats

CJ was feeling under the weather so I went down to Fleet Feet solo for the speed workout. The run up to Cobbs Hill Reservoir was nice and easy, around 8:00 since I didn't stretch. The workout was 5x800m at 5K pace with 325m recovery. My paces were maybe about 6:30, 6:40, 6:50, 7:00, 7:45. I ran my usual pace. The run back to Fleet Feet was nice and easy, around 8:00. My right calf muscle was a bit tight afterward though.

Wed, 8/10/11: Rest day.

Just your usual rest day. CJ and I watched our latest NetFlix DVD, Red. It was a nice flick with Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, and Helen Mirren.

Thu, 8/11/11: 2.96 miles, 22:27, 7:35 pace, 72F, sunny, calm, dry, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for GVH XC 5k #2

Milling around waiting for the start

CJ and I headed down to the rugby field below Cobbs Hill Reservoir for the GVH XC 5k #2. It was a bit cooler and drier than last week. The course seemed a bit easier, I ended up running 30 seconds faster than last week. I placed 25th out of 106, results here. I placed 4th out of 11 in my M50-59 age group.

I always seem to be grimacing in pain ...

The kid ended up passing me just before the finish.

Fri, 8/12/11: Rest day.

I wanted to give the Bergen 5K my all so I decided to stay in. CJ cooked up a yummy roaster chicken with pasta. Later, I found a treasure drove of 5 movies on TV that I switched between ... much to CJ's dismay of my volume choice. Three that I remember were: Men In Black II, Con Air and Die Another Day. A man has got to do a man has got to do ... when he had the remote!

Sat, 8/13/11: 3.1 miles, 20:31, 6:36 pace, 65F, sunny, calm, dry, no stops, no pain.



CJ and I headed down to Bergen for the Bergen 5K, a RROY race with a fast field. It was a perfect morning for a race. I ran fast and hard, 6:13, 6:31, held on with a 7:02 and 6:01 final tenth. I was passed by a woman around the 2nd mile and hung within 30 feet of her the rest of way. The result was a 20:31, a 30 second PR! Sweet, baby! Many thanks to Fleet Feet for their Tuesday night speed workouts ... I really think they have helped me know that I run faster and hold that speed! Well ... I did tire a bit in the last mile but still a PR, baby! Is a sub 20 5K possible this season?

The gazelles get ready for the start ...

Just after the water stop ... notice the grimace!

Sprinting for the finish ... I saw that the time was under 21:00!

A PR by 30 seconds ... sweet!

The field was indeed fast, news article here. The lead male finished in 14:24, the lead female in 16:29. I finished 92nd out of 260, results here. I finished 5th out of 17 in my age group, results here. An interesting part of this link is that I ran a 17:31 age graded equivalent at 73.66%. I moved up a bit on the RROY leader board in my age group, I am now tied for 7th out of 26, results here.

Later, we just hung out and lazed around. Nothing too special. We heard an awful lot of sirens during the evening ... maybe 3 separate shootings in Rochester on Saturday night explains it, link here.

Sunday, 7/31/11 to Saturday, 8/6/11

I ran 3 times this week, 21.3 miles.

Sun, 7/31/11: Rest day.

CJ and I were still out in OH staying in her daughter and boyfriend's spare bedroom. After a lazy morning, CJ and her daughter went out to a bridal shower for her cousin. I was trapped in the apartment since there was no spare key. I entertained myself with their new 50" LCD HD by watching a bit of V for Vendatta and Death Race.

After the girls came back, her daughter and I got their HP Photosmart b210a wireless printer working. She didn't know her wireless router's WPA2 password but we poked around her Windows 7 laptop and was able to convince the router to give up its password by clicking "Show Characters". We got the printer on her network by pounding the password into its touchscreen. Then we got her laptop to talk to the printer. Victory was sweet!

We headed to her boyfriend's pizza shop, Fat Billy's in Akron, for a great supper of a large supreme pizza with chessey bread. Back at the apartment, CJ and I watched Red Riding Hood via OnDemand on the big screen! Yah, baby!

I ran 15 times during the month of July, 90.5 miles, 6.0 miles/run.
So far this year, I have run 106 times, 664.2 miles, 6.3 miles/run.

Mon, 8/1/11: Rest and traveling day.

I took CJ to help out with her father at a food bank named the Center of Hope in Ravenna OH. I saw my daughter and gave her some maps of OH and the forms that she needed to fill out to declare her residency. Then I hugged her goodbye and picked up CJ for the long ride back to Rochester. It was a long, hot ride with a couple of side trips to Presque Isle Casino in Erie, PA and Heritage Wine in North East, PA.

We unpacked in a rush. CJ took a bath then went straight to bed. I stayed up and watched Transformers ... a movie best enjoyed loud!

Tue, 8/2/11: 5.8 miles, 46:46, 8:04 pace, 80F, sunny, calm, dry, no pain.

I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Tuesday night speed workout. Tonight's workout was 1000m at 5K pace with 400m recovery jog. I did the 1st one with Bill Beyerbach at 6:20 pace, the 2nd at 6:45 pace, the 3rd at 7:05 pace, the 4th was nice and easy. The runs up to and back from Cobbs Hill were a bit hard, maybe around 7:45 pace.

I found out that I had locked my keys in car. Many thanks to Bill B who took me to get my spare keys from the apartment.

Wed, 8/3/11: Rest day.

Just your typical rest day. We didn't do much ... in fact we went to bed early!

Thu, 8/4/11: 3.02 miles, 22:58, 7:36 pace, 80F, sunny, calm, dry, no stops, no pain.

CJ and I headed down to the rugby field beCobbs Hill reservoir for the the Innovative Edge GVH 5K #1 run. It was a bit hot, but racing is what I do. I went out hard, 7:12 1st mile. I held it pretty good, I didn't stop the whole way. I was dripping wet when I got to the line. I finished 24th out of 77, results here. I finished 3rd out of 4 in my age group. Two, three years ago I couldn't have raced a 5K in under 23 minutes, much less a cross country race ... sweet! Though, my Garmin did have this 5K a bit light at 3.02 miles.

About a 1/4 mile into the run.

Was I really moving this fast to the finish or is it just camera blur?

The sway from finishing 3rd in my age group.

I love that CJ goes to my races ... I really appreciate that she watches me!

Fri, 8/5/11: Rest day.

I totally respected tomorrow's Phelps Sauerkraut 20K tomorrow morning. CJ and I did our laundry then headed over to Six Pockets where we used my Dealchicken.com $10 for $20 coupon for supper and hydration. Sweet! Then we watched a Netflix movie, Faster with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton.

Sat, 8/6/11: 12.4 miles, 1:37:07, 7:50 pace, 78F, cloudy, calm, a bit windy, walked a few water stops, no pain during the race.


CJ and I got up at 5:40AM and made it out to Phelps for the Sauerkraut 20K around 7:35AM for the 8AM start. We had to park about 1/4 mile away but made it to the start on time. The start was very low key ... ready, set, go. Off we went! The weather was cloudy and humid. Luckily, the sun stayed under the clouds almost the whole way. I said "Hi" to Laura Church as I passed her ... she didn't stay far behind. I ran a 7:12 1st mile; a 23:01, 7:25 pace 5K; a 48:01, 7:45 pace 10K. My basic strategy was to not carry water, take a GU around mile 4 and drink from almost every water stop. The cows in the barn on the left cheered us on around mile 9. I didn't stop from mile 10 on as I wanted to keep my pace and position. I heard a woman yell, "Go, Church!" as I rounded the last turn. I kept the hammer down as I gritted my teeth for the line ... as you can see Laura Church was just 2.5 seconds behind. She had a light foot fall because I didn't hear her. Later she said that she was trying to catch me for a couple of miles.

The low key start ...

Gritting my teeth for the line ... with Laura Church right behind me!

Just motoring into the finish ...

What Laura was trying to get in front of ... lol!

I ran well ... 49th out of 194, results here. I placed 10th out of 22 in my competitive M50-54 age group, results here. My lifetime PR for this distance is 1:35:48 ... not in jeopardy today, but I put in a solid attempt.

My thanks to my fine and loving girlfriend, CJ, for cheering me on ... and for bringing her car to the finish. My hip joints ached a bit after the race ... as I chowed down on a hot dog laden with ketchup and sauerkraut. Soon it was followed with a hot dog laden with ketchup and baked beans. Yummy!

After a bit and a costume change from my sweat soaked running attire, we made it out to BurgerKing for lunch and ice coffee, Fashion Bug for a bit of 40% off shopping for CJ, the Wayne County Nursing Home to see my father nod off after lunch and to see my youngest son before he went to work at

Sunday, 7/24/11 to Saturday, 7/30/11

I ran 2 times this week, 11.7 miles.

Sun, 7/24/11: Rest day.

I would have liked have headed out to Hamlin to see the Hamlin Triathlon ... but sleep won over. I walked over like usual to get the Sunday paper and get my 2 Apple Cinnamon donuts from Dunking Donuts.

Later, CJ and I watched DVD'ed movies, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman and Under Siege.

Mon, 7/25/11: Another rest day.

CJ and I had a nice pasta dinner then she went to take another sleep study. So ... I watched Transformers with the volume up in the appropriate parts.

Tue, 7/26/11: 6.5 miles, 76F, 51:29, 7:55 pace, 76F, sunny, windy, dry, arch pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF speed workout

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Tuesday night speed workout. I ran nice and slow up to Cobbs Hill. My feet and hip hurt but loosened a bit. A New Balance rep was up there and I tried on a pair of trainers. They felt lighter and didn't have as much support. The workout was 400m repeats with a 170m recovery jog. I started out a bit hard, keeping loosely with the lead group. I felt a bit sluggish. I picked it a bit and did the 8th repeat the hardest. Afterward I got a pair of New Balance socks gratis for trying out the trainers. Then I ran back. My arches really hurt at store. My Brooks Adrenalines GTS10s have 430 miles on them. I really need more cushioning ... maybe it's my crappy work shoes. I just know my feet hurt most of the time. It kind of sucks. Ah, well.

Wed, 7/27/11: Rest day.

I really should have gone out but I got home from work late after messing with a plotter. Plus I really needed to rest my feet.

I finally got my daughter's new address in Kent OH. Now we can do a Google Maps and plot how to there. CJ and I are going to do her move by using her 2000 Chevy Cavalier with a U-Haul 4x8 trailer. She only has a twin bed, suitcases and boxes.

Thu, 7/28/11: Rest day.

CJ and I picked up a UHaul 4x8 trailer during lunch. After work I drove it out to Newark and gave my daughter more boxes for her move on Saturday.

Fri, 7/29/11: 5.2 miles, 40:26, 7:46 pace, 76F, sunny, calm, humid, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + 1.1 miles cooldown

I tried to get CJ to head down to Fleet Feet but she was too hot to think about exercising. So I headed down solo. I ran out nice and easy and picked it up a bit. It was humid so I didn't push. I did the usual 4.1 mile route in 31:14, 7:37 pace ... though some might think 7:37 pace would be pushing. I hydrated for about 4 minutes then headed out for a 1.1 mile cooldown, 9:12, 8:22 pace. I was dripping wet when I got down but felt good for not letting the humidity win. My feet felt pretty good during the run unlike my last run.

Sat, 7/30/11: Rest day ... not!

CJ and I were up at 5:30AM to move my daughter out to Kent OH. We got out to Newark to load the UHaul 4x8 trailer by 9AM, then started to head west at 10:30AM. Some sweat was dripped while loading for sure ... it was sunny, around 80F and humid. The drive was hot and noisy since CJ's car doesn't have working AC. I forgot to put sunscreen on my neck ... with predictable results. The left side of my neck is quite red! Anyway we got to Kent OH around 6PM. More sweat was dripped while we unloaded her stuff. I put together her desk with lots of help from her roommates. Thanks to maps.google.com we made it to CJ's daughter's apartment. We went out to Wing Warehouse in Cuyahoge Falls for a late supper. Sleep came very easy!

Oh, I am signed up for the Bergen 5K just before the price went from $15 to $20. I will sign up for the Sauerkraut 20K and the Dam Good 14 mile Trail Run next week. I think I will sign up the Innovative Edge Sports Summer XC Series plus the Tour de Pain too. It's a series of 4 cross country races on 4 consecutive Thursdays in August and ends with the Tour de Pain. I race ... it's what I do!

Sunday, 7/17/11 to Saturday, 7/23/11

I ran 4 times this week, 32.65 miles.

Sun, 7/17/11: 9.45 miles, 1:35:03m 10:04 pace, 88F, sunny, hot, hazy, humid, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to the lake

I got out late ... it was already in the mid 80s. Which probably wasn't the best of ideas. I ran pretty well up to the lake, 4.8 miles, 39:03, 8:08 pace. I stopped up there for about 5 minutes. Then I started back. I soon found out that I had no energy left. I settled into a run/walk until 7.7 miles. Then I just gave up and walked back. It was just too hot and wasn't worth it.

CJ was more sensible and went out to Planet Fitness where she walked 3 miles.

We watched the Women's Soccer World Cup final ... CJ took a nap during the 2nd half. The US women gave it their all but ultimately not scoring after numerous chances in the first half plus poor clearing in the 2nd half and extra time did them in. Japan beat them 2-2 tie, 3-1 in PK. Links here and here.

Mon, 7/18/11: Rest day.

So far, July has been very dry. Only 0.05 inches of rain has fallen at the Rochester International Airport this month so far. I looked at the weather forecast for the next 10 days ... after a couple of days in the 80s, it will be above 90 the rest of the week! It looks like it will be hot in the bedroom for sure! CJ and I just put fans on ... then grin and bear it mostly!

CJ and I escaped the heat briefly to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 at the Regal Culver-Ridge. It was our first 3D film and it didn't disappoint! The effects were very good and didn't overpower the film. Now that I have seen all the movies I should read the books!

Tue, 7/19/11: 6.1 miles, 78F, sunny, calm, no stops.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF speed workout

I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Tuesday night speed workout. I headed up to Cobbs Hill in a slow jog, maybe 8:30 pace. Mark had us do a 800m run with 200m jog, 6 x 200m sprint with 170m jog, 800m run with 200m jog. I stayed with the lead group. I ran back to the store a bit faster. Then I stayed for a talk about ultra running. It was interesting to hear 4 ultra runners talk about their motivation, prep work, nutrition, DNFs, worst races, etc.

Wed, 7/20/11: approximately 4 miles, 37:11, 90F, sunny, calm, a bit humid, no pain.

A picture taken by Boots somewhere in the middle of the race

Yes, it was hot, hazy and humid! CJ and I headed down to the Devils Bathtub in Mendon Ponds Park for the Dirt Cheap #4. It was run as a time trial since we went down the infamous steps in numerical order every 5 seconds. It was hot so I headed out nice and heat. I didn't believe it possible but we did find ankle deep mud. A part of the course went either in a rather dry, muddy creek or in a twisty path a bit above the creek ... I chose the rather dry, muddy creek. Yes, it still had wet mud that I had to wash off later with a cool shower. I must say it was hot but I had a blast! CJ agreed! I did OK ... 105th out of 239, result here. I counted and I was 9th out of 24 in my age group.

A nice cool shower when we got home helped to wash off the mud and to cool me off. The bedroom was 86F during the night.

Thu, 7/21/11: Rest day.

A definite rest day. The high was 98F ... definitely hot, hazy and humid! Every time I went between buildings during work it seemed to be hotter.

I had a cholesterol test. The results were normal. My blood pressure was 119/71 and my pulse was 44. I guess I am healthy.

Fri, 7/22/11: Rest day.

My youngest son turned 22 today. He celebrated by going up to Niagara Falls for the weekend for a concert. After work I headed down to Fleet Feet to pick up the Shoreline packets for CJ and I. I tried to go to bed early ... the bedroom was hot like usual. Sleep has not come easily this week ... the bedroom has been above 84F all week, sometimes 89F while we are trying to sleep. The fans just blow the hot air around.

Sat, 7/23/11: 13.1 miles, 1:56:13, 8:54 pace, 84F, sunny, hot, humid, windy, no pain.


CJ and I cut it close this morning. I set my alarm for 5:45AM but it was set for Weekday so it didn't go off. CJ woke up at 6:31AM, I woke up at 6:38AM. We rushed around in a frenzy. Luckily, most everything was already in our bags. I had a banana and energy bar for breakfast. We were on the road by 6:56AM and out at Hamlin Beach State Park by 7:35AM.

Where or where is the finish?

Finally ... the finish!

I started out hot like usual. Don't I always? I soon realized that this race would not be a PR ... the conditions were brutal. It was around 84F or so, sunny, humid and windy. The breeze felt nice but it seemed like it was always a headwind. I started taking walk breaks at mile 3 or 4. I walked through every water stop. There seemed to be little shade on this flat course. I ran when I could, walked when I had to ... and endured. The last mile seemed to take forever. I finished in 1:56:13, good for 67th out of 273, link here. I was 9th out of 24 in my age group, link here.

Meanwhile, my darling girlfriend walked the 5K in 57:33, link here. She felt pretty good. Her ankle felt OK at the start but started to hurt after 1/2 mile. She was out there putting in the effort!

Afterward we both walked down to the beach and sat down in the waves of Lake Ontario to cool off ... that was fun and wet!! All in all, a tiring but satisfying way to spend a Saturday morning! Later, my hip joints ached like the dickens!

Later, CJ took me to Red Robin in Webster using her $25 gift card from MyPoints.com. I had the Whiskey BBQ Hamburger with a chocolate milkshake while CJ had the Ultimate Cheeseburger with an iced tea. Yum!

Sunday, 7/10/11 to Saturday, 7/16/11

I ran 4 times this week, 22.4 miles.

Sun, 7/10/11: 6.2 miles, 51:50, 8:22 pace, 86F, sunny, calm, humid, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to Cooper Rd

I finally got out around 11:30AM and was hit in the face by the triple H's; hot, hazy and humid. I started out easy but picked up the pace to 7:48. The heat hit me after mile 3 or so and I stopped 3 times for hydration. I slowed to over 8:30 for the majority of the way. I wore my heart monitor, my average was 146 with a max of 157.

After a cold shower CJ and I headed out to Lyons to see my father at the Wayne County Nursing Home. We met up with my brother and my sister and her husband. We had a good time with Dad. We laughed at this reality show that was on ... 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show. Some of the way they left were nice ... in a car that rolled over and exploded was the best!

Later, CJ made an excellent dinner of leftover chicken from Prime Steakhouse, couscous and salad.

I don't like to run the AC ($$$ to RG&E) but it was awfully hot during the night. It is July and the bedroom was 84F which made for a very restless night.

Mon, 7/11/11: Rest day.

CJ had a sleep doctor appointment that I didn't know about. She did leave a note but I didn't see it ... so I worried until she came home around 8:30PM. She had also gone out to the Finger Lakes Racino where she won some laundry money. She is quite the lucky girl!

Tue, 7/12/11: 6.2 miles, 1:00:41, 9:47 pace, 88F, sunny, a bit windy, dry, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Ponds Park - Blue and Green trail

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet first where I signed up for the Shoreline Half and CJ signed up for the 5K on July 23rd. This is the first year for these two events. The long running Shoreline Triathalon is on July 24th.

Then we headed out to one of our home away from homes, Mendon Ponds Park. Yes, it was hot! I ran the usual Blue and Green trail. I walked some hills like usual. I saw a red fox, doe and turtle along with the usual squirrels and chipmunks. All the animals were surprised ... not sure about the turtle though! CJ walked 2 miles on the Blue trail.

The Hundred Acre Pond is behind me

When we got back to our apartment it was close to 90F inside. We shut the windows and turned on the AC. It cooled down the living room after a bit. We ate a leftover supper ... late like usual! It was 9:20PM by the time we got done. It was midnight before we hit the sack, it was 84F in the bedroom. I always wake up around 6AM so another night of barely enough sleep ... rinse, repeat, ready for a new day!

Wed, 7/13/11: Rest day.

Just your usual rest day. CJ and I did laundry after work. Lots of excitement, for sure! It was cooler so sleep came easier.

Thu, 7/14/11: 5 miles, 37:42, 7:32 pace, 146 bpm average, 80F, sunny, a bit of wind, not as humid, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Remington's Run

I headed down to Remington's to the monthly Remington's Run. I started out slow for a bit then picked up the pace. I held it nice and steady while I concentrated on my form. It was a sweet run! The usual appetizers were tasty!

The Rochester Airshow is this weekend and the Blue Angels were out practicing in the afternoon. I had a birds-eye view of the diamond formation when I was getting on 531 around 3PM. If I had a camera I would have had a great picture! This stock pic I grabbed from the Internet will have to do!

Fri, 7/15/11: 5 miles, 38:14, 7:39 pace, 76F, sunny, calm, dry, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + 1 Loop

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run. Only 2 other runners showed up. I went out easy, caught up to CJ and said "Hi", then turned it up. I ran a bit hard, then added a loop around the Cobb Hill Reservoir. It was a nice, sweet run! CJ walked 2.33 miles.

On the way home we saw an "organ donor" ... err, motorcyclist, in a crouch rocket pull a wheelie at 60+ mph on 104W just as we were getting off our exit. We heard a lot of motorcyclists tooling up and down 104 during the night.

Let me congratulate Fleet Feet on their 7th anniversary which was today! They are a large reason why I am in such good shape right now ... though sometimes my aches and pain disagree! Their store is staffed with employees that care about runners and are willing to work the extra mile (pun intended). I run a lot of their races through their sister company, Yellow Jacket Racing. All are excellent, well run events.

I started running in the mid 2000's when I was still living in Newark NY. At first, I was a fair weather runner ... which didn't last too long. I ran my first race in Newark on Thanksgiving 2005. Anyway, I have been getting Fleet Feet emails since 7/5/2006. After I joined Facebook, I joined their fanpage. Then I started posting my running pics. I moved up to Rochester in November 2008 so I started running from Fleet Feet on a mostly regular basis. My pic of running through the Jensen Stables knee high creek caught the eye of my darling girlfriend, CJ, who contacted me through Facebook. We had dated for a year back in 1977-78 when we attended different colleges in Cleveland ... 33 years ago now. I went out to see her in Cleveland on 9/5/2009 and the rest is romantic history! The power of running and Facebook to bring people together!

Sat, 7/16/11: Rest day.

CJ and I went to the Miller Luau in Penfield. My cousin's daughter got married in Hawaii on New Year's Eve last year. They held a Hawaii-themed reception for all the local relatives and friends as evidenced by our pic. We got to take some of the flowers home.

Sunday, 7/3/11 to Saturday, 7/9/11

I ran 4 times this week, 17.55 miles.

Sun, 7/3/11: Rest day.

Just your usual rest day. I went out and got the Sunday paper and two Apple Cinnamon donuts from DunkinDonuts. The Sunday Democrat and Chronicle recently went up to $2 ... I am beginning to question whether it is worth it. Later we watched our latest NetFlix DVD, The Tourist with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. An unremarkable movie. I tried to go to bed early to rest up for the Brighton 5K but it was a hot and sticky night ... not too great for sleeping.

Mon, 7/4/11: 3.1 miles, 21:01, 6:47 pace, 78F, sunny, calm, ran hard, no pain.


CJ and I made it down to Brighton High School for the Brighton 5K. I wanted to run this 5K because everyone told me it was flat and fast. My Garmin said only 16 feet of vertical rise... flat enough!

I went out hard with a 6:27 first mile. I slowed a bit to 6:56 in the second mile and a bit more to 7:00 in the third mile. I sprinted to the finish over the last tenth in 38 seconds in 6:20 pace but couldn't break 21:00. I set a new PR by 35 seconds! Yeah, baby! My heart rate was pretty constant, around 160 all the way and peaking to 168 in the sprint to the finish.

I finished 81st out of 658, link here. I finished 5th out of 37 in my age group, link here.

CJ and I made it a leisurely day by heading to Starbucks in Brighton, Fashion Bug in Webster, Lane Bryant in Greece and Famous Dave's for lunch.

Tue, 7/5/11: 5 miles, 82F, sunny, calm, ran hard then easy, mild pain later.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill speed workout, 8x200m sprints, 4 loops

CJ and I just headed down to Cobbs Hill reservoir for the Fleet Feet Tuesday night speed workout. Mark had us triple up to do 8x200m sprints back and forth. I had to start out a bit slow since I was not warm yet. It was quite a workout! I cooled down with 4 times around the reservoir and then a bit down Highland Ave to get to 5 miles. My lower abs tightened up afterwards and couldn't go into Wegmans with CJ. I hobbled back to the apartment. CJ made a late supper of pork chops, baked potato and salad. I went to bed early too.

Wed, 7/6/11: Rest day.

Just your average hot, humid rest day. CJ and I were just a bit off all day. I couldn't sleep ... I watched a DVD of Them! for a bit out on the couch with one eye open until 2AM.

Thu, 7/7/11: 5.45 miles, 1:10:20, 74F, cloudy, calm, no pain.

Ellison Park Wetlands, White trail out, got lost, White trail back

I really needed to run tonight. Luckily it was a bit less humid. I headed out to Ellison Park Wetlands which is quite a bit closer than Mendon Ponds Park. I headed out nice and easy. I soon found out that there were some hashers running around too. I ran into them a number of times. I got lost at the end of the White trail ... I had to bushwack a bit until I found the White trail again with some hasher help and ran it to the end. I ran it all the way back without any trouble. I picked up another slash on my right shin for my trail trouble ... oh well!

Fri, 7/8/11: 4 miles, 30:22, 7:35 pace, 78F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run. We met up with the usual Friday night runners plus Ron from Texas was there. I went out easy but turned it on after a bit. What can I say? I just have one speed most of the time when I run road. CJ walked 2 miles. We went to the Otter Lodge after with Anne, Becky and Ron for some rehydration. A nice change of pace.

Sat, 7/9/11: Rest day.

A nice, relaxing rest day. After a good morning we headed to New Nails so CJ could repair her left pinkie nail. They sure do look nice!

Then we headed out to Newark to get my father's mail then out to see 2 of my 3 kids. My daughter is getting ready to move to Ohio at the end of the month. My youngest son was slowly getting ready to work from 11PM to 7AM, then to a poker tournament at noon tomorrow.

After a bit, we headed to Prime Steakhouse to use our Groupon coupon that was going to expire that night ... luckily I looked at the coupon on Friday. Afterward, we listened to the sweet sound of Hard Logic at the Webster Jazz Fest.

Sunday, 6/26/11 to Saturday, 7/1/11

I ran 2 times this week, 12.0 miles.
Month of June: 64.8 miles, 11 runs in 30 days, 5.9 miles/run
2011 so far, 573.7 miles, 91 runs in 181 days, 6.3 miles/run

Sun, 6/26/11: Yet another rest day.

CJ and I spent a most excellent morning and just lazed around. I stayed in and rested my left foot. It hurts a bit when I walk still. It doesn't matter what shoe or sneaker I wear. CJ thinks I have a stress fracture but I just suffer.

I got a phone call from Uncle Bud that Aunt Eleanor was at Strong Memorial Hospital in the Surgical ICU. CJ and I went down and met with her family. The news was not good. She has the C-Diff bacteria and it has caused many problems. I notified my brother and sister and my children. We prepared for the worst.

Later I got on my tech hat and ordered some stuff; a dedicated SD reader and Compact Flash reader from TigerDirect to put pics on my new photo frame along with a Jawbone Bluetooth from www.1saleaday.com for my cell. I will give CJ my old and reliable Motorola Bluetooth. I got some pretty good deals so I pulled the trigger.

Mon, 6/27/11: A sad rest day.

My Aunt Eleanor passed away around 11:30AM surrounded by her family. I last saw her at my father's 80th birthday when we "busted' him out to the Palmyra VFW for a party. I hope my mother, Eleanor and their youngest sister, Shirley, are all gabbing away up in Heaven! I called my children and my ex with the sad news. My ex used to see Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Bud at the Wegmans in Newark every couple of months or so. She would always take time to talk even though Nancy and I weren't married anymore. She was a special lady and will be missed. Calling hours will be Thursday at the Steven's Funeral Home in Marion and the funeral will be on Friday.

I guess I am glad that I am of relatively good health. I know I could do better ... exercising my core, eating a bit better come to mind. Once I get my bicycle up and running (one of these days) ... I plan on cross training. I hope CJ will be able to join me.

CJ made a very tasty roaster chicken, noddles alfredo and brussel spouts. My girlfriend can cook!

Tue, 6/28/11: Another rest day.

I am beyond antsy to run again. I walk around all day at work. My left foot aches. I am trying to be nice to it but I need to run again!

When we went out shopping at our local Wegmans, my darling CJ bought me some shoe cushions to put in my work shoes. Thank you, honey!

Wed, 6/29/11: 5.8 miles, 1:10:36, 12:10 pace, 70F, sunny, a bit windy, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Ellison Park Wetlands, White trail

I needed to run again and CJ needed to walk so we headed down to Ellison Park Wetlands. I ran the White trail all the way to the end and back in a really nice and easy pace. CJ walked 1 mile. My left foot didn't really hurt so I guess a week off from running was enough rest.

We ate and rehydrated at MacGregor's Restaurant and Tap House. We are regulars now ... we even know a couple of the waitresses by name.

I got my SD reader from TigerDirect. I tested it and it works fine. Now I can put pics on it and run them on my digital photo frame. We just have to figure out where we are going to put it.

Thu, 6/30/11: Rest day.

An aside from the working world ... there are some people that email you to ask you to do something with a "please" and "thank you" and then there are some people to tell you to do something with some caps in their email while CC-ing in your supervisor and his boss. Guess which email I got today? The required work got done.

Later, CJ and I headed out to Steven's Funeral Home in Marion for my Aunt Eleanor's calling hours. We gave our condolences to the family, talked to people I had not seen for a much too long time and introduced CJ to my relations. We met up with my brother from Syracuse and my sister from Lexington, KY. A long day with a PB&J and potato chips for a late night snack.

Fri, 7/1/11: Rest day.

CJ and I headed out to the Steven's Funeral Home in Marion again for Aunt Eleanor's funeral followed by her burial at the Marion Cemetery. It was nice ceremony. Everyone placing a rose on her casket was quite moving. Then we all met up at the Marion American Legion for a bite to eat. I only took a half day off of work so I had to go back to work.

Sat, 7/2/11: 6.2 miles, 1:01:02, 9:51 pace, 87F, sunny, calm, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Ponds - Blue & Green trail

I headed down to one of my homes away from home, Mendon Ponds Park, for a much needed trail run. I knew it was hot but hey, I am stronger than the heat. I headed out nice and easy on the usual Blue then onto the Green trail. I considered going around twice but didn't want to push it since it was 87F out. I cooled off then headed home. I wore my heartstrap but it didn't record any data. I re-synced it to my Garmin and it should give heart data next time.

CJ made another scrumptious BLT dinner! Yummy! Then we settled down for the beginning episodes of Battlestar Galactica ... captured on our trusty DVR.

Sunday, 6/19/11 to Saturday, 6/25/11

I ran 2 time this week, 17.9 miles.

Sun, 6/19/11: 9.3 miles, 1:26:41, 9:19 pace, 70F, sunny, calm, 3 stops for Gu and hydration, hip pain after the turn.

Garmin Connect Activity for West and East Zoo Trail up to Thomas Ave

I managed to get out for my long run a bit after 10AM. I started out pretty well. I got passed by a faster runner who snuck up on me just I came off the West Zoo trail up to the railroad track. I had thought of looping the Zoo trail twice but I had hip pain as I got to Thomas Ave. It didn't go away so I just slowed it down, made it up the East Zoo trail and made it home. I am mystified by what is wrong lately.

CJ and I just lazed around the rest of the day. I managed to watch a bit of the Nascar race, the Indy car race and the US Open ... a coronation for Rory McIlroy at -16.

Mon, 6/20/11: Rest day.

CJ and I spent the evening doing laundry. Yay ... clean clothes! Then we watched a NetFlix DVD that had been gathering dust ... We Are Soldiers with Mel Gibson. Quite graphic!

Tue, 6/21/11: Another rest day.

I did want to get out for a run down at Fleet Feet but I got home late from work. Then, I did want to get out for a run anyway ... but I got distracted. I probably needed another rest day anyway!

Wed, 6/22/11: 8.6 miles, 1:25:48, 9:58 pace, 80F, sunny, humid, calm, mild hip pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Mendon Ponds - Blue, Green, Blue Trail

I knew I needed a trail run so I headed down to Mendon Ponds. It was quite warm and humid. I headed out the Blue (1.8 miles), then the Green (5.8 miles). I sweated like a pig but I soon got into the run. I headed out the Blue again (7.6 miles). I then wanted to do another Blue but I cut it short when I saw another shower moving in. I got to my car just as the rain moved in. The fact that my hips started hurting factored into my decision too.

Thu, 6/23/11: Rest day.

Just your usual rest day.

Thu & Fri, 6/23 & 6/24/11: Rest days.

Yes, Friday was a usual run night ... but my left foot hurt most of the day during work. I am sick and tired of my feet hurting. So I decided to rest my foot. I had an idea of heading down to Letchworth State Park on Saturday morning. But I think not ... much as I would have liked to.

So after a bit ... I started to work on my Pandigital Digital Photo Frame that I got it through www.1saleaday.com. It was a pretty good deal ... a 10.4" DPF refurb with touchscreen and remote for $40. I bought a 4GB SD card so I could put pics on my DPF through my card reader ... at least that is what I wanted to do. Which ... didn't work out so well since I guess my card reader doesn't work. Luckily, the DPF has some internal memory so I could just put some pics directly on it from my laptop. It looked pretty cool! Now to put pics on it! What I really want to do is put pics on it so I can show my father when I go seen him at the Wayne County Nursing Home.

Sat, 6/25/11: Yet another rest day.

Saturday dawned a nice cool, windy morning ... a most excellent day to have run Sehgahunda, how I would have loved to. But instead I slept in. What is my complusion with Sehgahunda? Who knows? I just want to do it to prove to myself that I can do it. But yes, I rested my left foot instead.

After a bit I went out for a haircut, then CJ and I spent a little quality time in the bedroom ... we boxed up some of our clothes to donate and I threw away the oldest years of Runner's World, Running Times, PC World and Maximum PC.