Sunday, 8/28/11 to Saturday, 9/3/11

I ran 2 times this week, 15.38 miles

Sunday, 8/28/11: 7.58 miles, 1:34:50, 10:46 pace, 70F, cloudy, windy, multiple stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Durand Eastman Park run

I headed out to Durand Eastman Park for a run with the Fleet Feet Endurance Team. Rochester was feeling minor effects of Hurricane (then Tropical Storm) Irene. Namely, it was cloudy and there was a stiff north wind that really whipped up the waves on Lake Ontario. About 30 runners showed up. I stayed with the lead group. We ran really nice and easy as we explored the many trails. I had an option to run another 5 miles but chose to just head up to the west end of the beach and ran back on the beach to add another couple more miles. There were a couple of wind surfers running on the surf, it looked like they were having fun!

Monday, 8/29/11: Rest day.

CJ and I did laundry after work. My Casio G'zOne Commando came today via FedEx. I activated it, downloaded my contacts using Backup Assistant, set up Yahoo, Gmail and Facebook, and paired my Bluetooth. It will take a bit of getting used to.

Tuesday, 8/30/11: 7.8 miles, 1:04:48, 8:18 pace, 74F, sunny, calm, not so humid, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for 4x1000m repeat with 400m recovery

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual speed workout up on Cobbs Hill Reservoir. I warmed up running up to the hill nice and easy. The workout was 1000m repeats with 400m recovery. I did 4 loops. My times were around 4:00 (I had trouble with the lap button), 4:12, 4:12 and 4:13. I took the long way back. I started nice and easy, then started to push it a bit. CJ walked up to the corner of Monroe and Highland and back. Hopefully she will find her Nike+ soon.

Wednesday, 8/31/11: Rest day.

Just your average rest day. I watched Killers, a NetFlix Instant movie on my new phone. Kinda cool ... I had to hook up headphones.

I ran 100.71 miles during the month of August
9 races, 55.8 racing miles, in the month of August
16 days out of 31 days, 6.3 miles/run.
To the end of August 2011: 122 runs out 242 days, 765 miles, 6.3 miles/run

Thursday, 9/1/11: Another average rest day.

Friday, 9/2/11: 4.2 miles 33:35, 7:58 pace, 85F, sunny, calm, humid, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run

I just had to run so I headed down to Fleet Feet for packet pickup for tomorrow's Summerfest 12K and also CJ's 5K and for the usual Happy Hour run. Only 5 other runners showed up so per usual, I was on my own. I tried to hold back and for the most part succeeded. I was dripping wet when I got done ... it was very muggy.

Saturday, 9/3/11: 1:00:41, 8:09 pace, 82F, sunny, calm, muggy, 4 walks, no pain.

 

The start ...

 

Just after the start ...

 

Just before the turn back onto Douglas Rd ...

Gritting my teeth for the finish!

Christine (henceforth CJ is Christine) and I headed down to our home away from home, Mendon Ponds Park, for the Fleet Feet Summerfest. I ran the 12K. The conditions were brutal ... just like at the Hamlin Half. I went out a bit fast like always, a 6:58 first mile. I was passed by Bill, Wilt and Heather just before the first mile. John passed me when I walked through the water stop at mile 2. I walked through the other two water stops to make sure I stayed hydrated ... I did not handle the heat and humidity well. I soldiered on, Wendy passed me around mile 6 but I kept her in view. I kept on running and crossed the line in under 1:01, a 24 second PR from last year. I had wanted to break one hour but I considered it a good effort considering the conditions. I finished 65th out of 325, results here. I was 6th out of 25 in my age group, results here. Christine walked/ran the 5K in 56:43, results here. She may have finished last but she told herself that she was going to finish. She lapped the people that weren't there!

Ellen, the race director, calling in the racers!

I had asked Ellen, the race director, if I could make a special announcement before the awards ceremony. I had not expected her to hand me the microphone. I managed to ask Christine to join me. I told her (and everyone else) that we had been together since Summerfest 2009 2 years minus 2 days ago after being separated 32 years ago, then I asked her to marry me. She was crying (she said she was sweating) as she said yes! Everyone thought it was so sweet! She was completely surprised that I had asked her to marry me so publicly! I can keep a secret!

Asking Christine to marry me!

  

Putting the engagement ring on her finger!

A post engagement kiss ... after she said yes!

Engaged!

Ellen gave us 2 tickets to tonight's Red Wings game. On the way home we stopped at Starbucks. When Christine mentioned that I had asked her to marry me, they gave us free coffee! She called her 2 kids, father and 2 brothers while she sipped her iced tea. I called my 3 kids, ex, brother and sister when we got home. A nice bath and shower helped cool us down from all the excitement.

Later, we went to Red Wings game. We ate supper there, then settled in the excellent front row seats down the first base side that a Fleet Feet Brooks Racing Team member donated. It was an excellent game. The Red Wings fell behind 3-0 early but rallied to tie in the 7th, go ahead 6-3 in the 8th and win by going 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th, link here. We enjoyed the post game fireworks before celebrating our new status of being engaged!!

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.