Sunday, 2/5/12 to Saturday, 2/11/12

I ran 4 times this week, 20.55 miles

Sunday, 2/5/12: Fleet Feet Gives Back 4 miles trail run, 4.23 miles, 39:38, 9:22 pace, 30F, cloudy, a pretty fine snow, walked the usual hills, no pain.



Christine and I had a couple of pre-race stretches but still managed to get down to Mendon Ponds Park for the Fleet Feet Gives Back. Since there was no snow, it was a trail race. Christine was going to run her first trail race. I was a bit worried since she didn't have any breakfast. I ran the 4 mile (2 loops) trail race, Christine ran the 2 mile (1 loop) trail race. I headed out a bit hard and saw the first three runners ahead of me. I went through the twisty, turny bog area with 2 runners on my behind. They both passed me soon after we got out. I soon got into a rhythm. I ran the flats and downs and walked the steep ups. I went through the finish at 18:55 and started the second loop. Soon after the 2nd time through the twisty, turny bog area I came upon Christine. I stopped to give her a long smooch. The first woman, Jessica, passed me while Christine and I were occupied. We traded positions the rest of the way. She would pass me on the ups and I would catch her on the flats and downs. Soon the race was over, loop 2 in 20:39, she finished 11 seconds behind me.

I took a couple of drinks of water and then headed back onto the course for a cool down run ... and to catch Christine again. I was thinking that the rest of the loop would be easier for her but she still had to get up Cardiac Hill.

Garmin Connect Activity for Fleet Feet Gives Back - Cool down run

I headed out nice and easy. I caught up to her about 50 yards from the finish. She had conquered Cardiac Hill! She was super happy that she had finished. She got muddy since she tripped on a root and fell about 1/4 mile from the finish. I changed into warmer clothes and we hung out a bit before heading home. Christine's muscles might be a bit sorer on Monday! I am proud of her ... her first trail race!

I did OK. I was 6th out of 61, link here. I was 2nd out of 10 in my M50-59 age group. Christine finished in 1:02:45, link here.

We just lazed around all afternoon, waiting for Super Bowl XLVI to start between the NY Giants and the New England Patriots. Christine was amazed at such a long pre-game show (6 hours). She took a nap and still got up before the game started at 6:20PM. We had spare ribs, mixed vegetables and salad for salad while we watched the game. The game was a bit slow at times but it got more exciting. The Giants won, 21-17, links here and here. A Patriots Hail Mary was in the endzone but fell unanswered.

As far as we can figure it, Christine and I first met 35 years ago on either Saturday 2/5/1977 or Saturday 2/12/1977. She was going to Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, OH and I was going to CWRU in Cleveland. I belonged to the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity. We were having a party. She decided to accompany one of her friends who went with one of the brothers. I was tending bar and saw her when she came down the stairs. I served her a Tequila Sunrise and told her that I wanted to talk to her later. We did ... and then we went out for about a year. Years, marriages, kids and divorces separated us. She friended me on Facebook in August 2009 which led to online chatting and phone calls. We met again 9 days later on 9/5/2009 after I ran the Spring Forward 15K. It was like we had never parted ... sparks flew! She moved in two months later. We got engaged on 9/3/11 after we ran Summerfest (I ran the 12K, she ran the 5K). Life has seemed to come full circle and I am so happy!

Monday, 2/6/12: Rest day.

Christine left me to do most of the laundry while she got her nails done. This led me to sort the laundry, load the washers and dryers. Well ... I didn't check her pockets. One of her pants had a tub of lip balm which eventually caused spots on the clothes that were in that washer. Christine did come back and help me fold the clothes.

Tuesday, 2/7/12: 6.2 miles, 46:34, 7:30 pace, 26F, night, calm, 1 stop, some upper right hamstring pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Ridgeway tempo run, 8 loops

Christine and I headed down to Fleet Feet Ridgeway for the Tuesday tempo run. I had never run from Ridgeway on Tuesday night so it was new. It is basically a 3/4 mile run out to a 1/2 mile loop which you can loop as many times as you want. It was a bit chilly so I wore my Brooks jacket. I wanted to do 10 loops but my upper right hamstring started to hurt a bit so I cut it to 8 loops before I headed back. We stayed around for the Sehgahunda Training Program talk. It was quite informative ... I was used as an example several times. After all, Sehgahunda and I do have a history. Year 1 was physical (broken rib), Year 2 was nutrition or hydration (blood chemistry). Year 3 ... I want to finish. I think the Sehgahunda Training Program would help.

Wednesday, 2/8/12: Rest day.

Christine and I just chilled. I watched #2 SU play #11 Georgetown at the Carrier Dome. SU won in OT, 64-62, link here.

Thursday, 2/9/12: Another rest day.

I had thought of doing a long run but ... again Christine and I just passionately chilled. During a late leftover dinner of spare ribs and baked potato, Christine and I watched the LA Lakers play the Boston Celtics in Boston. I had to get a bit creative after the DVR took over both tuners (The Mentalist and Private Practice). I ended looking at the NBA Companion for the game off of NBA.com. Anyway, the Lakers won in OT, 88-87, link here and a look at the retooling coming for both the aging Lakers and Celtics, here.

It was kind of cool to watch replays of last night's Duke-NC game. Duke was down 10 with 2:10 to play ... Austin Rivers had 29 and the buzzer beating 3 to snap NC's 31 game home winning streak. His father, Doc Rivers, the Boston Celtics coach, was there to see it ... link here.

Friday, 2/10/12: FF Ridgeway, 5.3 miles, 42:35, 8:02 pace, 30F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Ridgeway run, Pickdale + Barbara

I have had a bit of trouble finding my running mojo lately. I thought I really needed to get out for a run even the tough Freezeroo #5 was the next morning. So ... I headed out to Fleet Feet Ridgeway for a nice and easy tuneup run. So ... I headed out nice and easy. I certainly did not want to run my usual 7:25 or so. It felt good so I was happy.

Later I watched the LA Lakers play the NY Knicks. It was kind of nice seeing the Lakers play two nights in a row without having to stay up late. Unfortunately, the Lakers on a back to back night ran into the Lin show, link to Linsanity here and here. Lin scored 38 points and the Laker lost 92-85, link here.

Saturday, 2/11/12: Freezeroo #5, 24F, hard, a north wind, no stops and no pain.

Winter returned to Rochester overnight ... an inch of snow and a north wind greeted us. Christine had her first No Boundaries 2.0 workout at Genesee Valley Park at 8AM so we were up early. They timed her on a 2 mile run. I waited around until she was done, then we headed up to Greece for Freezeroo #5.



It was certainly chilly when we got out of the car up at the Greece DPW. I had my doubts about what to wear ... it was about 24F with a north wind plus the route headed up to Edgemere Drive before heading back on Long Pond. I was wearing my tights, heavy gloves and hat, short sleeve tech shirt, long sleeve tech shirt along with my Brooks Racing Team armwarmers and singlet. I thought about wearing my jacket but didn't.


Poor quality from across the street, I very briefly appear at 1:59.

The race started, I started hot ... like usual. Hey ... it was cold! I needed to run fast to warm up!

I hit the first mile up Long Pond at 6:56. The footing was OK. We made the turn east onto Janes Road where footing was a bit loose. I had a bit of trouble with my breathing so I covered my mouth with my neck warmer for a bit. The miles continued, we turned north onto Island Cottage Road, then northwest onto Edgemere Drive. Luckily the wind was from the north so only the right side of my face froze. The footing was a bit variable with bare spots and sloppy spots.

Along Edgemere Drive

Karen Kryder

Charlie Sabatine

Becky Duberry

Bill Murphy

Heather Danielson

Matthew Roberts

Tina

Tom Butler ... with his shirt on!

Wilt Alston

Then we turned downwind onto Long Pond but the footing was sloppy for miles 5 to 7 which brought my pace down. But the group of runners I was with and I could sense the end was near so we picked up the pace a bit. I could tell that I was on a PR pace. I was pretty happy to see 59 and change when I crossed the finish line. I ran a 59:41, 7:28 pace, a PR from last year by 1:55, sweet!

Digging for the finish

Karen Kryder

A determined Charlie Sabatine

Becky Duberry

Matthew Roberts

Tom Butler ... with his shirt off!

So I thought I did pretty well.  I placed 51th out of 196, link here. I was 9th out of 23 in my M50-54 age group, link here.

The post-race growl of Matthew Roberts

Christine and runners

Christine and I socialized a bit before we were kind of chased out by warnings that the roads were getting worse ... which they were. We proceeded carefully home. After a nice nap and lunch, we watched the latest DVR'd episodes of Battleship Galactica, The Mentalist, Hawaii Five O and Private Practice before heading to bed.

Sunday, 1/29/12 to Saturday, 2/4/12

I ran 3 times this week, 15.55 miles

Sunday, 1/29/12: Rest day

After running 3 days in a row, a rest day was welcomed. Christine and I just hung out. We enjoyed coffee and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Eventually, we gave the DVR a workout and caught up a bit with Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Castle. We have fallen behind a bit. Did we go to bed early ... alas, no!

Monday, 1/30/12: Another rest day

The lack of sleep on Sunday night made for a long day. I couldn't run because I had to take care of moving my father's PO Box from Newark up to Rochester. After all, I do live in sight of a US Post Office! I have been going out to pick up my father's mail in Newark for over 3 years ... I doubt if I will miss it. But it sure was a pain to change addresses!

Later after some leftovers, Christine and I settled down to watch the final DVR'd episodes of Chuck. Good-bye, Chuck! It was a great run!

Tuesday, 1/31/12: FF Cobbs Hill run, 7.2 miles, 55:12, 7:40 pace, 51F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Gamin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run

I headed down to Fleet Fleet Monroe Ave solo for the usual Tuesday night Cobbs Hill run. I was dressed in compression shorts, long sleeve tech top, Brooks Racing Team arm warmers and light gloves. I think I went over the top in reflectivity ... headlight, belt along with flashers front and back. About a hundred Winter Warriors were there to partake in the festivities. I mixed it up by going up and back the back way and running 3 loops instead of Y's. All in all, a great night for running!

Christine and I had a nice leftover chicken stew and salad for supper then settled down to watch the latest two Battlestar Galactica episodes off the DVR.

Wednesday, 2/1/12: Snow Cheap #4, 2.35 miles, 23:15, 40F, night, calm, no stops.

What would a runner do on a 2nd Wednesday night other than head down to Riley Lodge on Wednesday night for a Snow Cheap ... so that is where Christine and I went!



It was a warmish night, around 40F, so I wore the usual ... pants, black long sleeve tech shirt, light gloves, my lucky orange hat along with my Brooks Racing Team arm warmers and singlet. Christine gave me a kiss and off I went. The mass start was a bit of a scrum but soon I ran smoothly until the first (and most every other hill) which I power walked. I did not find a rhythm with the constant up and down until the latter part of the race. The most challenging part was the usual mud, rocks and roots section toward the end ... they all look the same color! I finished strong, sprinting for the downhill finish!

I finished in 23:15. I did OK, 38th out of 204 overall ... though initially the time sheet said I finished in 19:39:50, lol! I mentioned it and it was corrected. Anyway, I finished 27th out of 159 in my No Snowshoe category, link here. I finished 1st out of 12 in my M50-59 age group, link here. For those keeping score, right now I am first in the M50-59 No Snowshoe series. Hey ... I run in the dark on trails with a headlight to light the way!

Thursday, 2/2/12: Groundog Day at the Otter!

Christine and I headed down to the Otter Lodge for the Muddy Sneaker lottery. We used the $10 gift certificate that I received for placing 3rd in the 2011 RROY series. I was lucky I got in ... the 144th out of 150 drawn. I saw some familiar names pulled. Hopefully, some of the alternates will get in too.

Friday, 2/3/12: FF Ridgeway run, 6 miles, 44:38, 7:26 pace, 38F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Ridgeway run, Hendrick loop x 2

I headed down to Fleet Feet Ridgeway for their version of the Friday night happy hour run. I ran out a bit slow to loosen up, then hiked it up to 7:25 pace and held it. That's how I roll ... it felt good.

Saturday, 2/4/12: Rest day

Christine and I went out to Newark. I closed out the father's PO box in Newark. We headed out to Lyons to see my father at the Wayne County Nursing Home. Alas, he was asleep watching the SU - St Johns game. SU won 95-70 to go to 23-1. We headed to Newark to see my daughter, Karen, and to Palmyra to see my youngest son, David, before we headed back up to Rochester.

Sunday, 1/22/12 to Saturday, 1/28/12

I ran 5 times this week, 34.87 miles.
Sunday, 1/22/12: Polar Cat #3, 19:44, 6:36 pace, 16F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.

Christine and I did our pre-race stretches (which ran late) and had to rush to get out to Powder Mill Park for the frosty Polar Cat #3. It was clear and cold. Luckily it was also calm. 45 runners lined up for the usual understated Polar Cat start. The 5K course was shortened to 3 miles because of ice in the parking lot. I started out hot because I wanted to warm up. Soon I was 4th, just behind a girl in a brunette ponytail. She slowly pulled away after mile 1. I just kept it going all the way. I heard rapid footsteps behind me in the last mile. Soon Bob Haas passed me. I did well, 19:47, 6:36 pace. I finished 5th out of 45, link here. I finished 2nd out of 3 in my M50-54 age group, link here. I think that my 5K lifetime PR of 20:31 could have been in jeopardy if the race was really a 5K. Alas ... but there will be other 5Ks this year.

After I finished I set out to rerun the race so I could find Christine. I was a bit worried that she would get lost. I was also concerned with how the cold would affect her since she had not ran a race since Polar Cat #2. I found her just before mile 2. She wanted me to run in front of her. She said that was helpful. Though I could not pace her very well. She finished in 53:11. She said that she was determined to finish and finish she did!

Afterward we met up with Bill Beyerbach. He had rushed over from an hour swim at RIT to start the race a minute late. Even so, he ran a 22:54 and won his M55-59 age group. He wanted to treat us to breakfast so we all drove over to the Liberty Family Restaurant. He dines there a lot so all the waitresses knew him.

Later after a nap and shower, Christine and I watched football and ate spare ribs. The AFC championship game was pretty exciting. The New England Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens, 26-23, link here. The NFC championship game was just as exciting.  The NY Giants beat the SF 49ers in OT, 20-17, link here. So the Super Bowl will be a rematch of three years ago when the NY Giants spoiled the New England Patriots run at a perfect season. Later, Christine and I watched the latest Castle off the DVR.

Monday, 1/23/12: 10.3 miles, 1:21:50, 7:54 pace, 47F, night, a bit windy, 1 stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to the Lake

I needed a long run so I headed north to Lake Ontario on a route that I know is good for 10 miles. It was a warm night so I just wore compression shorts, a long sleeve tech top and my Brooks Racing Team arm warmers. I headed north to the Lake which is downhill so I ran the 5 miles at 7:34 pace. I took a couple of seconds to drink some water then headed back slower. I ran the 5.3 miles back at 8:07 pace. All in all, long run ... check! Sweet!

Tuesday, 1/24/12, Wednesday, 1/25/12

Just your usual rest day. My daughter came back from her trip to New York City where she saw Darren Criss twice in the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and went to the Bronx Zoo. We just had to stop at the Barnes and Noble to get the latest magazine with Darren Criss in it, lol!

Karen putting the squeeze on Darren!

A sleepy snow leopard at the Bronx Zoo

A grizzly bear at the Bronx Zoo

A peacock at the Bronx Zoo

She had quite the time and told her mother and I about it once I got her to her mother's apartment in Newark. She also visited Times Square. She bought an Eeyore stuffed animal and mug at the Disney store and lots of candy at the M&M store.

Wednesday, 1/25/12: Another rest day

I really wished I had run. I came home very hungry on Wednesday, ate right away and never got up from the couch the rest of the night. Bummer!

Thursday, 1/26/12: 7.0 miles, 53:19, 7:37 pace, 35F, night, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to Cooper Rd

Today was my darling Christine's birthday. She turned 54 today. I gave a couple of presents before I headed out for a much needed run. Yes, it was dark and there was a real light mist. I just struck a fast, nice and easy pace and ran in the night. I almost had an argument with a SUV ... the usual woman who was looking to make a right turn onto St Paul St. I stopped, she stopped, I went across the crosswalk. I had my headlight on. I think I need a flasher in front too ... not just the back.

Christine made a delicious BLT supper using turkey bacon. She is not a fan. Later we watchedDVR'd episodes of the The Mentalist, NCIS: LA and Grey's Anatomy.

Friday, 1/27/12: 5.15 miles, 38:20, 7:27 pace, 37F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Ridgeway - Hendrick + Weber loop

Christine wasn't feeling up to heading out so I headed out to Fleet Feet Ridgeway solo. I headed out a bit after everyone else. I just ran my usual fast pace and passed everyone. I just run ... it probably is not social but it is what I do. When someone can run my pace I run with them. I did cut the run short and only looped at Weber instead of another Hendrick. After I cooled down I purchased another flasher and a Amphipod Xinglet Pocket. I want to amp up my reflectivity.

Saturday, 1/28/12: Freezeroo #4, 6.42 miles, 47:07, 7:21, 34F, cloudy, pretty calm, 3 stops, no pain.


Christine was still a bit under the weather but still made it down with me to Powder Mill Park for Freezeroo #4, aka the Hearnish 10K. We got there about 40 minutes early so we got a great parking spot opposite the post-race lodge. I was surprised along with everyone else by the black ice that coated parts of the road around the start. We were warned of icy conditions on the roads. I did warm up a bit before the race but not so much.

The obligatory pre-race growl of Matthew Roberts

Just after the start

Taken by Christine from the car as I sped past

Anyway ... I started out a bit slow then cranked it up for mile 1 of 6:43. I got to the long hill before mile 2 before I had to walk for a bit. I just didn't feel good running ... maybe running 3 days in a row? Anyway, I walked again in the housing development off Probst Rd (where Heather Danielson passed me) ... and at the sharp hill just before Fishers Rd just before mile 5. I did pick up the pace carefully on the downhills to the finish. But I always had my eye out for black ice. I just never felt comfortable in the race ... I finished in 47:07.


Both Bill Beyerbach and Chris Washburn told me that it was a minute faster for me than last year. It turned out to be a 1:15 faster. It sure didn't feel it. Which means on a day when I feel comfortable during a future Freezeroo #4 who knows what is possible? Anyway, I did OK. I finished 72nd out of 277, link here. I finished 9th out of 32 in my M50-54 age group, link here.

Chris Washburn and I close to the start

Somewhere during the last 2 miles

Carefully sprinting toward the finish



Chris Washburn



Heather Danielson



Karen Kryder



Charlie Sabatine

Bill Beyerbach

Bob Haas



Tom Butler sans shirt



Wilt Altson

Proof of the slippery conditions ... for cars

 Christine had a headache so we bid a hasty retreat back to our apartment where we just hung out. The GRTC banquet at the Diplomat Banquet Center was at 5PM. We didn't start to get ready until 4:10PM ... so we got there just before 6PM. I was given an award sheet to fill out which I hurriedly filled out with Johnny's as my favorite race and no unusual running moment. We sat with Bill Beyerbach, DebWyspianski along with Tom Butler and his wife, Amy.


Tim Dywer (1st), myself (3rd) and Wilt Alston (5th?) in the RROY M50-54

Plus a $10 gift certificate to the Otter Lodge

Tom (1009.6 miles), Bill (292.3 miles), and I (296.2 miles) all received our 2011 Gold Milestone patches for greater than 200 racing miles. Link to all the recipents here. Then Coach Reif started to announce the Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) awards. I was astonished to place 3rd in my M50-54 age group. Coach announced what I wrote in my award sheet. Bill also placed 3rd in his M55-59 age group. He mentioned that his unusual running moment was when he was getting ready to run the Hospice 5K on Sunday when Deb called to tell him that I had run a PR in the Hospice 5K on Saturday (the day when the race was actually held). Later I corrected my award sheet and asked Coach to announce that my favorite face of 2011 was Summerfest where I got engaged to my darling Christine. Christine was more than a bit embarrassed!

All in all, a pretty good day! I think tomorrow will be a rest day. I upped my mileage sharply this week to 34.87 ... rest is warranted.

Sunday, 1/15/12 to Saturday, 1/21/12

I ran 3 times this week, 14.67 miles

Sunday, 1/15/12: Moving day

A long day. I picked up a 5'x8' trailer from UHaul in Kent OH around 9AM. Then my daughter, Karen, and I helped pack her stuff into the trailer. The day was definitely chilly, about 15F and sunny ... but I did work up a sweat. We packed it about 90% full. The drive was uneventful. We unpacked at her mother's apartment. Then I headed back up to Rochester, dropped off the trailer and headed home for a well deserved evening off. I was done and with my feet up around 7:30PM. Three weekends in a row of moving a kid, check.

Kudos to all those running friends of mine that were out and about with their snowshoes! You know who you are!

Monday, 1/16/12: Rest day.

Well ... I think the snow in Rochester will be short lived. The temp started out cold but it warmed up above freezing and will stay there for a couple of days. Wednesday's Snow Cheap #3 will probably be a Mud Cheap.

Just your average rest day. Christine and I settled in for a pizza and salad. Then we watched just one episode of Battlestar Galactica before we headed to bed ... early for once. We both needed our sleep.

Tuesday, 1/17/ 12: FF Cobbs Hill run, 6.05 miles, 45:54, 7:35 pace, 50F, night, a bit windy, no stops, no pain.

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

Christine had pulled a muscle while she was cross-training, ;-), so I headed down to the Fleet Feet store on Monroe Ave for the usual Tuesday night Cobbs Hill run. The warmth and light rain of the past day has done a good job of melting most of the snow. I couldn't resist wearing compression shorts, a long sleeve tech top and arm warmers. The store was full with at least 100 Winter Warrior runners and walkers ... some were dressed like it was 20F instead of 50F! The sidewalk up Monroe Ave had some puddles in spots but they were easily avoided. I did the usual 3 Y's and headed back. Next time I think I will take the back way up and back to avoid all the congestion and possible accidents waiting to happen as 100 or more runners run up and down Monroe Ave. All in all, a sweet run!!

It was a good thing that this run got done by 7PM. A severe cold front moved in around 7:15PM which brought winds of 40mph with a wind gust of 76mph. The wind howled all night!

Wednesday, 1/18/12: Snow Cheap #3, 2.62 miles, 24:57, 9:31 pace, 18F, night, no windy, no pain.

Christine and I headed down to the Riley Lodge of Cobbs Hill for Snow Cheap #3, which will be better known as Ice Cheap #3. I have learned not to overdress and to be cool at the start. So I just wore pants, a ss and ls tech top, Brooks Racing Team singlet and arm warmers along with a heavy hat and gloves. The rain of yesterday froze and produced lots of ice on the hills and flats of the course. We were warned several times to take it easy and be careful. So I ran nice, easy and was careful. I stayed upright the whole way and did OK. I finished 44th out of 207 raw. I was 32nd out of 171 in the no snowshoe, results here. I finished 3rd out of 14 in my M50-59 no snowshoe age group, results here.

Thursday, 1/19/12: Rest day.

Just your usual rest day. Christine and I watched a DVR'd movie, V for Vengeance with Natalie Portman. I stayed up a bit to watch the LA Lakers get beat by the Miami Heat by 11 (it really wasn't that close), link here. LeBron had a monster game: 31 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals.

Friday, 1/20/12: 6.0 miles, 48:12, 8:02 pace, 18F, night, a bit windy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Ridgeway - Hendrick route + another loop

Christine wasn't feeling up to the cold so I headed out to Fleet Feet Ridgeway solo. I headed out out into the cold. The footing was a bit variable with one inch of snow on the sidewalks so I ran nice and easy. Just another sweet run in the running bank!

Saturday, 1/21/12: Rest day

Just a usual rest day. I got my haircut, drove out to Newark to pick up my father's mail, out to Lyons to see him at the Wayne County Nursing Home and then to Palmyra to see my youngest son, David. My father was alert and talkative. David was tired after working 6AM to 2PM. He was going to take a nap then go back to work 11PM-6AM. Later, Christine and I caught up with 3 DVR'd episodes of Battlestar Galactica and 2 episodes of Chuck. Bedtime came late.

Meanwhile, my daughter in the middle of a road trip to New York City. She saw Darren Criss in the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway on Friday night. She waited in the cold outside the stagedoor for hours on Saturday night and was rewarded with this photo.

"So this happened. He looked me in the eye and smiled at me. Yes, I cried afterwards. Standing in the freezing cold for 13 hours? Worth it." - Her Facebook post.

She is going to see the musical again on Sunday night. She also has tickets to the Bronx Zoo. It does sound like she is having a good time!

Sunday, 1/8/12 to Saturday, 1/14/12

I ran 2 times this week, 14.4 miles.

Sunday, 1/8/12: Rest day.

Another moving day for my youngest son, David. I drove down to Lyons to move him from his grandparents to his new apartment in Palmyra. He only stayed there 8 days. I drove the 10' UHaul truck and provided the muscle. It didn't take long ... he doesn't have much stuff. Hopefully he will keep it organized ... though I am not hopeful.

After I got back up to Rochester, laundry night ensued. We absolutely had to do it by hook or crook. I was out of clean clothes and the dirty ones ... well, begged to be washed. Afterward, a yummy dinner of barbequed spare ribs and sweet potato chips was well deserved. Mmm ... Christine and I love ribs! I love Christine ... even with barbeque sauce on her lips!

Monday, 1/9/12: Rest day.

Christine and I just settled for some down time, getting stuff done and watching 3 episodes of Battlestar Galactica. I think I have her hooked on Syfy!

Tuesday, 1/10/12: 7.9 miles, 1:01:09, 7:45 pace, 38F, night, 1 stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to Cooper Rd

I had another commitment so I couldn't make it down to Fleet Feet for the Winter Warrior Cobbs Hill workout. So I slipped out for a nice night run around Irondequoit. I dressed for the weather and my speed ... tights, long sleeve tech top with arm warmers, light gloves and hat. Just warm enough but not too hot!

After I cooled down, Christine made a yummy BLT supper. We watched the latest Netflix DVD, Fatal Attraction. Kinda scary! Bedtime came late like usual but so enjoyable!

Wednesday, 1/11/12: Rest day.

At long last I junked my 99 Grand Am. It had 254,000 or so miles on it. I think I put on 210,000 of them. My parents originally had it on a lease for my mother (may she rest in peace). When the lease was up they bought it. When I needed a car they gave it to me. When I lived in Newark and worked up in Rochester I put a lot of miles on it. Over the miles it did develop some problems. I hadn't driven it in months. It got atrocious gas mileage, it needed brakes (again, because one of the calibers dragged) and the transmission didn't shift well when it was cold. I am a bit saddened but life goes on.

A long day of work ensued. Christine made a nice supper of marinated fish, sweet potato chips and some type of spinach salad with mushrooms and walnuts that was quite tasty!

We watched a movie off the DVR, Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.

Thursday, 1/12/12: Another rest day.

I really should have gone out for a run. The temp was 45F and just a light sprinkle. But I was very hungry when I got home and we ate some leftover pasta immediately. Then Christine and I just lazed around and sat next to each other on the couch as we just chilled all evening. I straightened up my magazines (Runner's World, Running Times, PC World, Maximum PC, Competitor and a couple of Trail Magazine). I hope I did read all the articles!

Friday, 1/13/12: Another rest day

Finally a snowy day in Rochester. But ... yet another day I wish I had gone for a run instead no matter what. Things have a way of being better if you go for a run but ... no I didn't. Enough ...

Saturday, 1/14/12: A zoo run instead of Freezeroo #3, 6.5 miles, 55:40, 8:34 pace, 18F, light snow, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to the Zoo, 3 loops

A long day. I had wanted to head up to Camp Eastman for Freezeroo #3 but after brushing 4 inches of fluffy snow off my car and thinking of the drive up Kings Highway to Lake Rd, running Freezeroo #3, then heading out to Cleveland by noon and arriving by 6PM just didn't compute. So I since I was already dressed for running I just ran nice and easy out to the Zoo and went 3 times around the pond. Just as enjoyable and cold but a bit more time efficient plus it left more time for saying goodbye to Christine.

Then after packing I was on the road to Cleveland for my trip to pack up my daughter to move back to Newark NY by 12:15PM. The drive grew a bit nervous as I got into PA with light snow, then more intense as I drove into OH. A one point, I was driving around 45 mph in a construction area where we were squeezed together as a tracker-trailer passed me on the left and caused a white out for about 10 seconds before I could see where the road was. An awfully long time!! Then all of a sudden the road was clear and the snow stopped! I got to Christine's daughter's apartment without any further ado. I helped my daughter pack her stuff at her apartment to get ready for the move on Sunday. Though I did miss the 4 touchdowns that the 49ers and the Saints scored in the final 2:11 as the 49ers won, link here.

Sunday, 1/1/12 to Saturday, 1/7/12

I ran 4 times this week, 23.5 miles

Sunday, 1/1/12: Freezeroo #2, 7.5 miles, 53:26, 7:07 pace, 2 stops, no pain.



Christine was still felling poorly with a head cold so I headed down to Mendon Ponds Park solo. I got there about 20 minutes early and got ready. This Resolution race is always well attended.


Coming down Douglas Rd, I appear around 1:00.

I started out hot with a 6:36 first mile as we ran out Douglas Rd, then Canfield Rd toward Clover Rd. I slowed a bit with mile 2 and 3 at 7:02 and 7:17. Mile 3 was announced as 20:50. I took a couple of cups of water around mile 3. I also took a slight walk of 10 seconds around the halfway point. Two people passed me so I kicked back into gear with mile 4 at 7:33. I exchanged pleasantries with Steve Levitsky as he passed me during the hills on Mendon Center Rd. I shortly passed him back on a downhill and kept him behind me on the uphill, mile 5 and 6 at 7:20 and 7:07. I started to "tunnel run" ... just kept it cranked and put one foot in front of the other. The uphill turn up onto Canfield Rd almost broke me. Heather Danielson was amused about how I talked to myself as she passed me. I just gutted out the uphill without giving into the urge to stop, mile 7 at 7:10. I knew the race was almost over. I cranked it up more and finished the last half mile at 6:22 pace. I crossed the line at 53:26 ... about 50 feet behind Heather. I did pretty well, I set a 4 minute PR from 57:24 last year. I was 43rd out of 375, results here. I was 6th out of 43 in my M50-54 age group, results here. The post race grub was excellent. Though I thought I should have gone out for another 7.5 miles after I polished off 2 donuts, bread, pasta and an apple. I met up with Bill Beyerbach and Tom Butler and talked about running and our past exploits before I ended home.

Afterward, I actually thought that the Buffalo Bills, 6-9, had a chance going into facing  the New England Patriots, 11-4. The Bills were playing out the string, the Patriots were playing for a 1st round bye and home field advantage throughout the NFL playoffs. The Bills jumped out to a 21-0 lead by the end of the 1st quarter. The Patriots climbed back to 21-17 by half, then just poured it on in the 2nd half to win 21-49, link here. Why do I root for the Bills, now 6-10? The New England Patriots are now 12-4 with the Bills just a speed bump after spotting the Bills 21 points.

Monday, 1/2/12: Rest day.

Just a lazy day with my darling Christine. We watched a bit of college football, OSU vs Florida (17-24) and a bit of college basketball, SU vs DePaul (87-68). Christine cooked a delicious lamb roast with sauerkraut and potatoes. Later we watched Blind Side before hitting the hay a bit early. A week off from week from work was quite nice ... though I did not get quite done what I wanted to get done. Do I ever?

Tuesday, 1/3/12: Rest day.

A week of vacation between Christmas and New Year's made for a hectic catch-up day of work. I felt run down during the day. I think that I caught the head cold that Christine had. I really didn't try to avoid it ... ;-) Christine went out to Macy's and bought me some dress shirts on clearance. Unfortunately she bought them in 16-16 1/2 neck instead of 15-15 1/2 neck. I love that she tried! Anyway, I declared a rest night and we went to bed at 8:45PM after a late supper.

Wednesday, 1/4/12: Snow Cheap #2, 2.7 miles, 23:07, 8:35 pace, 28F, night, calm, a bit of snow, no pain.

Christine was still feeling sick and so was I. A head cold ... but tonight was a race night. So I headed down to Cobbs Hill solo for Snow Cheap #2. The usual night trail racing types were there, 240 strong. It was 28F, just a bit of snow on the ground, so no snowshoes. I wore just running pants, long sleeve tech top, heavy cap, heavy gloves along with my Brooks Racing Team arm warmers and singlet ... which was just enough after I warmed up. The start was fast on a familiar course ... just backwards. I ran pretty well, I only tripped twice. I think I need a brighter headlight. I was passed by a handful of runners ... mostly I kept up. My Garmin gave me fits trying to upload. I tried a soft and hard reset but it just froze up during the upload. So I ended up just deleting all the data.

Tom Butler, me and Christine

Me, Brendan (Bill's son) and Bill Beyerbach

I did OK, I was 33rd overall out of 240, 24th out of 185 - link here, 1st out of 13 in my M50-59 age group - link here. I thought I tweaked my left knee a bit but when I woke up there was no pain.

Thursday, 1/5/12: Rest day.

Christine and I really have to do several things ... laundry, have her nails done and take the dress shirts she got at Macy's back ... but things just kept popping up to get in the way. I really can't breathe too well ... oh well!

Friday. 1/6/12: FF Greece, 6.0 miles, 44:17, 7:23 pace, 48F, night, a bit windy in spots, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Ridgeway run, Hendrick with another loop

Christine was still feeling down so I headed out to Fleet Feet Ridgeway for the usual Happy Hour run. I went out a bit easy but kicked it up and did the Hendrick route with a loop. My lips were a bit chapped but I soldiered onward.

Christine and I did venture forth to Walgreens and Wegmans after I got home. We happened upon an accident when we got to Walgreens. A truck had just hit a woman pedestrian just outside the door. She was moaning on the ground. Soon a lot of emergency crew were there: an ambulance, fire truck and 3 police cars. We were blocked in for a bit. Hopefully the woman is OK. Then it was onward to Wegmans for food, then a late supper.

Saturday, 1/7/12: Hearnish 10K route, 7.3 miles, 59:23, 8:09 pace, 46F, sunny, a bit windy, 2 or 3 stops, no pain.

Christine and I are not early Saturday morning risers on non race mornings ... so we slept in. But I did have a plan for a practice run in the afternoon.

Garmin Connect Activity for Hearnish 10K + 1 mile

Bill Beyerbach came over and he drove us down to Powder Mills Park. We parked at the Fish Hatcherie, stretched and headed out on the Hearnish 10K course. Just nice and easy ... as much as I could. I am not a nice and easy runner. The major hills were challenges met especially the one at mile 5. We got a bit lost at the end and had to backtrack but all in all, another great run with Bill! Maybe next time we can do a second loop for a Hearnish Half?

Afterward a quick shower and supper Christine and I headed out to get her nails done, exchange the shirts she got at Macy's for three that fit me and hit BJ's for a bit of groceries.

Happy New Year's Eve, 12/31/11

Happy New Year!

What happened running-wise during 2011?

I ran 1136.9 miles, 184 runs in 364 days, 6.2 miles/run.
I ran 53 races during the year with 296.2 racing miles, 5.6 miles/race.

I lowered my 5K PR from 21:58 in 2010 to 20:31.
I lowered my 5 mile PR from 36:44 in 2010 to 34:18.
I lowered my 10K PR from 46:22 in 2010 to 43:48.
I lowered my 12K PR from 1:01:05 in 2010 to 1:00:41 ... when I was engaged to my beautiful Christine!
I lowered my 7.5 miles PR from 1:02:33 in 2009 to 57:24.
I established an 8 mile PR of 1:01:36.
I lowered my 15K PR from 1:17:05 in 2010 to 1:10:20
I lowered my Half Marathon PR from 1:46:43 in 2010 to 1:40:11.
A personal PR ... 131 in 2011 from 124 in 2010.

One might think that all I think about is running and PRs. Well, yes, this year has been a special year. I seem to be getting a bit faster. I basically try to just run as fast as I can as far as I can when I race. Thus pacing was a problem, but I have tried to learn to start slow. I ran a lot more races this year, 53, versus 35 in 2010. I enjoy running, enjoy the competition of racing and competing in my competitive M50-54 age group.

I thank my darling Christine for all her support during this past year. I was so proud of her running this past year in the Fall No Boundaries program. She is trying to become a runner! Yea, baby girl!

What am I looking forward to in 2012? Well, I would like to go sub 20 in the 5K if I can find a fast, flat 5K and latch onto someone to pace with or draft off. Also ... I would like to lower my PR in my only marathon, 4:29:27, set during the hot as blazes Rochester Marathon way back in 2008. However ... I seem to handle anything under a Half Marathon pretty OK. Anytime I have attempted anything greater than 13.1 miles ... things have not turned out so well. Sehgahunda  I in 2010, Mendon Ponds 50K in 2010, Sehgahunda II in 2011 come to mind.

Can I slow down enough to accomplish the greater distance? Well, I DO intend to take on Sehgahunda III in 2012 and the Rochester Full Marathon in 2012 ... come hell or high water

Sunday, 12/25/11 to Saturday, 12/31/11

I ran 4 times this week, 27.3 miles
During the month of December I ran 14 times, 86.2 miles, 6.2 miles/run.

Sunday, 12/25/11: 6.2 miles, 7:42 pace, 32F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Beth's Apt - Out to 303

We woke after a restful sleep and nice morning stretch out in Cuyahoga Falls at Beth and Nick's apartment. I slipped out before breakfast for a nice run. I just run up towards the canal path on Barlow Rd but just get going on Akron-Cleveland Rd to Rt 303 instead which turned out to be 3.1 miles. It was a nice and easy run.

We had a bit of navigation argument on the way to her brother's, Bill, house in Ravenna since my smart phone decided to reboot right when we needed it. The usual folks were over. I slipped out after lunch to see my daughter in Kent. I brought all the boxes I could fit in Chris's car. We had a nice conversation. Later I had to go back so I could give her my Christmas card and the tape gun to put together all the boxes when she needs to pack.

Monday, 12/26/11: Travel day.

We packed and got on the road around 10AM. The first stop was Bob Evan's for breakfast, another chain restaurant that we had a bad experience in. Yes, they had a lot of customers and seemed to be understaffed. But I was starving ... so their blueberry pancakes did fill me up. We paid cash and fled. Their waiting room was full ... poor suckers! The trip home was uneventful ... once I got to the left hand seat. We got home at 3PM. We really should have gone out for a run but we just stretched for a while.

Tuesday, 12/27/11: 6.0 miles, 47:34, 7:56 pace, 38F, night, light mist, no stops, no pain.

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

Christine and I really needed sleep and slept in until 12:22PM. Breakfast was a couple tall cups of coffee and some Cinnamon Toast Crunnch. Later we had pasta around 5PM. Which was a bit of a problem considering we went running at 6PM.

Yes, it was a light mist. Yes, it was just above freezing. Yes, we were Winter Warriors. Yes, we went out anyway! We felt better for it ... but we were still glad when we finished! Just a bit sluggish but still sweet!

Wednesday, 12/28/11: 9.1 miles, 1:21:39, 8:58 pace, 20F, night, a bit crisp, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for East Zoo trail out to Thomas Ave

I really needed to get out for reasons that were obvious to Christine and I. Yes, it was cold, a bit windy and had snowed during the day. But a bit after six out I was. I put on my Salamon XT Wings 2 along with my Yaks and headed to the east Zoo trail. There was about 1 inch of snow when I started. The snow slowly increased the further north I got toward Thomas Ave where there was about 4 to 5 inches. I ran the 4.55 miles down to Thomas Ave, nice and easy, 39:01, 8:35 pace, with no stops. I walked for a bit at the turn, then headed back at a slower pace. I walked a couple more times on the way back. There was a bit of wind at times but nothing too much.

Thursday, 12/29/11: Rest day.

Just a usual rest day. We rented an On Demand movie though, Cowboys and Aliens. It was pretty good with Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde.

Friday, 12/30/11: 6.0 miles, 44:14, 7:22 pace, 45F, night, calm, a real light sprinkle, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Ridgeway - Hendrick loop with another loop

Christine has developed a head cold so I headed out to FF Ridgeway solo. I headed out out a bit slow then picked it up and held it most of the way. I headed out to Pickdale Drive and did the Hendrick. When I got to Dolores I headed back to Pickdale Drive for a second loop. I didn't slow too much on the second loop.

Saturday, 12/31/11: Rest day ... well, maybe not.

I headed out to Newark to help my youngest son move to his grandparents in Lyons. It went OK. He had to go to work at Byrne Dairy in Phelps from 2-9, then 6-2 tomorrow morning. My ex was feeling poorly so I helped my ex vacate her old apartment. We took 2 trips to her new apartment. Some may question how I can help my ex ... I have an amicable situation with her. If she needs help I will help. My 3 kids are still needing help on occasion. Because if I help her she will be more able to help my kids.

Later, Christine and I dined on barbeque ribs, potato salad and sweet potato to celebrate New Year's Eve while watching Marie Antionette with Kirsten Durnst.

Sunday, 12/18/11 to Saturday, 12/24/11

I ran 3 times this week, 12.7 miles

12/18/11: 4.4 miles, 30:21, 7:01 pace, 20F, sunny, crisp, no stops, no pain.


Christine and I headed out to the Webster Town Park at the corner of Lake and Hold Rd for Polar Cat #2. Yes, it was my 52nd race of the year. Yes, it was sunny, cold and crisp ... but it was a race morning so off we went! Some non-runners would have stayed in their beds ... but we are certifiably crazy! We met up with all the usual Polar Cat runners and got our series hoodie sweatshirts. It was Christine's first one so she is quite proud of it.

Christine got an early start around 9:35AM. The rest of us started at 10AM, a two loop 2.2 mile route. I started out kind of hot, passed a few runners, mile 1 at 7:04. Then I just kept it amped, chased a blond ponytail that I never caught, mile 2 in 6:56, the halfway point was around 15:00, mile 3 in 7:09, mile 4 in 6:57. The last 0.4 mile was up an incline in 6:55 pace. I was perfectly dressed and didn't overheat at all. I passed Christine just before mile 3. She was running in good form, she finished in 1:18:14. She was very happy with her effort and knows this course like the back of her hand after practicing on it before and running the Turkey Trot.

Our overall results can be found here, the age group results here. I finished 6th out of 55 and 2nd out of 4 in my M50-54 age group.

We had chicken and rice for lunch, then subs later. The Buffalo Bills lost to the Miami Dolphins, 13-30, their 7th in a row, link here. Thankfully, this home game was not on TV. Later, we watched a DVR'd episode of The Mentalist. Christine watched a TCM classic, Gypsy ... I went to bed.

Monday, 12/19/11: Rest day. Nothing unusual.

Tuesday, 12/20/11: Another rest day. I should have run ... but I just didn't have the energy. I just dragged all day so I just bagged it, went to bed early and got 8 hours of sleep.

Wednesday, 12/21/11: 2.9 miles, 29:20, 10:07 pace, 52F, night, windy, no pain.



Christine and I headed down to Cobbs Hill for the first Snow Cheap of the 2011/2012 season. Christine gave some thought to running this race ... but wisely reconsidered given that it would be her first trail race and it was dark, wet and slippery. Her day will come! It was warm (above 50F) and windy so I wore shorts, short sleeve tech top, my Brooks Racing Team singlet and arm warmers, light gloves and my headlight (of course).

The race was two loops of roughly 1.45 miles. The race started out in a bit of a scrum with some tight quarters when we edged by the tennis courts and up some hills. It took a bit to get into trail racing mode with the lots of ups and downs. I did pick off some runners when we got up to the reservoir loop. Then we headed into Washington Grove when it got muddy, rocky and rooty quickly. Luckily I put the brakes on and stepped wisely. Everyone called out hazards as best we could. I came through loop 1 in 14:27, heard Christine yell, "Go, Doug, go!" and headed back out. I passed Bill Beyerbach shortly afterward. The second loop was more strung out but similar with more of the same ... with wetter mud it seemed. I ended loop 2 in 14:53 for a total of 29:20. Stats ... I was 35th out of 165 in the No Snowshoe category, link here. I was 1st out of 13 in my M50-59 age group, link here.

Afterward, we went into Riley Lodge for the obligatory and always filling post-race grub. I relaxed and talked with fellow runners ... always a pleasure. Over 200 runners took part in the festivities ... we are getting out there! It may be winter according to the calendar but not tonight! It will get colder, hopefully there will be more snow by the next race on January 4th ... but it won't stop us!

Thursday, 12/22/11: Rest day.

I really should have gone out for a run ... but Christmas is coming so I went to my company's get together. Then while watching The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause I worked on my annual Christmas letter. I hope to mail them before Christmas!

Friday, 12/23/11: 5.4 miles, 40:37, 7:31 pace, 24F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Greece run

Christine wasn't feeling it, so I headed out to Fleet Feet Greece for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. It was a bit cold than usual ... but if you dress for 20F warmer ... it's all good! I went out for the Hendrick route, than wrapped back in at Cobbleskill Drive for another 2 miles. I just ran ... sweet!

Then I went out some surgical grocery shopping at Wegmans which resulted in a frozen pizza supper with apple pie for dessert ... though we never got around to eating the apple pie, :-(

Saturday, 12/24/11: Travel day.

I had to go out to Newark to get my father's mail and to see my youngest son. His car was having left front tire issues ... the out of round kind. I tried to pump it up with my mini air compressor but air was going out as fast as it was going in. I couldn't do too much on Christmas Eve plus he had to go to work 2-10 and 6-2 on Christmas.

I have learned that I have to wait for Christine to get ready on her own. Pressuring her to get ready to travel only results in her getting ready slower. We started out for Cuyahoga Falls, OH around 4:45PM and got there sometime around 9:30PM. We used my Google Maps off my smart phone for navigation once we got close ... kind of cool!

Sunday, 12/11/11 to Saturday, 12/17/11

I ran 4 times this week, 19.8 miles.

Sunday, 12/11/11: 5 miles, 34:18, 6:52 pace, 28F, sunny, crisp, no stops, no pain, PR!



I headed out solo for the first Freezeroo out in Spencerport. Christine wanted to sleep in. It was sunny, cold and crisp with just a breath of wind. I wore my tights, long sleeve tech shirt, Brooks racing singlet and Brooks nightlife jacket. I also wore my heavy running gloves and stocking hat. In retrospect I could have not wore the jacket and gone with lighter gloves and just a hat.

I went out easy at the start, sticking with and just ahead of Heather who I heard wanted to run sub 34. The first mile was announced as 6:58, my Garmin said 6:47. I picked up the pace a bit and picked off some runners ... too early, mile 2 and 3 were 6:51 and 6:46. Heather passed me around mile 2.5. I had a lull around mile 4, 7:04. I was running but not flat out. I did pick it up a bit around mile 4.5 until the finish, mile 5 was 6:44. I sprinted to the line at 5:51 pace as I tried to hold off a runner ... who turned out to be 14! I forgot to turn off my Garmin for a bit ... it said 34:50 when I did. So I figured that I was close to my  5 mile PR of 34:35 that I set at Johnny's Runnin o' the Green way back in March.

I couldn't wait so I checked the side of the Fleet Feet van when I left and saw that I ran a 34:18 ... a PR by 17 seconds! Sweet! So ... I was pretty pumped when I got back home and told Christine. I was 43rd out of 240, results here. I was 4th out of 30 in my M50-54 age group, results here.

Christine and I went for what probably is our last ride in my 1999 Pontiac Grand Am with 254K miles on it. That was my mother's car ... may she rest in peace. I have had that car since it had 40K. It needs brakes, has transmission seals that don't really let it change gears when turning left except when it gets warm and gets abysmal gas mileage. We had to jump it to get it started and then drove it out to Williamson and back. I am looking into selling it for scrap. I have heard that you can get about $200 ... which isn't bad.

Afterwards Christine agreed that I deserved ribs ... so she got some when she endured the crowds at BJs. I stayed home to take a shower and wash the dishes. Mmmmm ... ribs and sweet potatoes!

Why do I believe? The Buffalo Bills lost their 6th game in a row to the San Diego Chargers, 10-27, to go to 5-8 and officially eliminate themselves from playoff contention, link here. They might have a bit of trouble selling tickets to the rest of the home games this season at the Ralph.

Monday, 12/12/11: Rest day.

Just your average rest day. After a production pre-dinner stretch, Christine fixed up a nice dinner of leftovers: chicken, broccoli, rice along with macroni and cheese. We spent some time with the TV off before we watched some classic DVR'd episodes of ST:TNG, The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1 and Part 2.

Tuesday, 12/13/11: 3.1 miles, 24:52, 8:02 pace, 42F, night, calm, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Greece run

Christine and I headed out the new Fleet Feet Greece store for the official ribbon cutting ceremony, Winter Warrior kickoff and ... cake! I felt like a rookie runner again ... being handed a sheet of instructions at Fleet Feet and just heading out into the night. I did find all the turns for the 3 mile run OK. Christine headed out for a 2.6 mile run. She said she ran pretty well and didn't overheat at all.

Wednesday, 12/14/11: Rest day.

A busy day at work. I would have loved to go for a run after work but instead headed out to Fleet Feet Greece for Dudes night where dudes hung out, ate dude food, drank dude beverages and played dude games like Tic-Tac-Toe (won a pair of Darn Tough socks) and table pong. Dudes rule! Or as I was corrected ... Girls rule, guys drool! Just as long as we all know and celebrate the differences, ;-)

Christine made a nice late dinner of pulled pork sandwiches and salad. We watched a DVR'd episode of The Mentalist before going to bed ... late, like usual.

Thursday, 12/15/11: 6.2 miles, 45:42, 7:22 pace, 54F, night, windy, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to Cooper Rd

Upstate New York's unusual December weather continues for another day! It was 54F when I went out at 6:22PM for a run. I wore just shorts, long sleeve tech top, hat and light gloves. I had my headlight and flasher on, of course! I just ran ... hard and concentrated on form, flying through the night, sweet!

We caught up on DVR'd episodes of Hawaii Five-O and NCIS. We do like our crime dramas!


Friday, 12/16/11: 5.5 miles, 41:22, 7:31 pace, 34F, night, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Greece run, Hendrick + Barbara Lane

What a difference a day makes! 20F cooler and a cold wind by nightfall!

Christine and I headed down to Fleet Feet Greece for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run ... just in a different location. The new Greece location in the Long Pond - Ridgeway location does have its advantages: an ESL ATM, a bridal shop (that Christine noticed), a pizza shop named Pizzeria 5, a nail salon, a hair salon, a liquor store, a sit down restaurant, a BurgerKing, and a Tim Horton's. All you need in life, I guess.

We got there about ten minutes early. I headed out on the Hendrick route of 3.5 miles, then tacked on an extra 2 mile by looping back to Barbara Lane at a nice and easy 7:31 pace. I kind of like the new Greece Happy Hour routes; a more residential, less business route.Christine headed out on the 2 mile route, I gave her a touch as I passed her on the Hendrick route.

Christine and I got a medium pizza from Pizzeria 5 and ... it was nice and tasty!! We watched a nice DVD that I found ... Battlestar Galactica - The Plan. Awesome!

Saturday, 12/17/11: Rest day.

Christine and I don't like to get out too much on non-race Saturdays. Kudos to all the runners out at Fleet Feet at Brighton and Greece who went out for long runs.

We finally emerged so Christine could go to her nail salon, New Nails. We headed out to Quaker Steak & Lube for a nice supper, thanks to a coupon from Living Social. Then we caught up with DVR'd episodes of Chuck, NCIS: LA and Battlestar Galactica.