Sunday, 1/27/2013 to Saturday, 2/3/2013

I ran 5 times this week, 30.6 miles
I ran 108.32 miles, 20 runs (3 were warmups before races), 5.4 miles/run during the month of January 2013. My first month of greater than 100 miles since July 2012.

Sunday, 1/27/2013: 2 runs of 6.2 and 4 miles

Today was running as transportation. Our 2000 Cavalier's oil needed to be changed and the windshield washers needed to be repaired.

Garmin Connect Activity for Russell's house to home plus extra

So I drove the car up to our auto mechanic, Russell, and ran home with a side trip around the Seneca Park Zoo pond. It was a nice day, 23F, sunny with calm winds. I ran nice and easy on road and crusty sidewalks, 56:26, 9:06 pace, plus a bit of trail fun on the western side of the Zoo trail for about 1/2 mile.

Garmin Connect Activity for Home to Russell's, only 4 miles

Later, Russell called to say that the car was ready to go. So, after I watched the end of the Miami Heat versus the Boston Celtics game (which the Celtics won  in 2OT, 100-98, link here), I headed 4 miles back out to Russell's house via ESL. I forgot to turn off my Garmin when I got to Russell's so I "ran" (drove) home really fast! My time to Russell's was 34:27, 8:37 pace. The weather was a bit warmer, 27F, still sunny and a bit more windy. I ran faster while I was still being careful for water that had melted by the sun but was freezing back to ice. Weird but true. It was sure nice driving a car with working windshield washers! Kind of nice being able to see!

I watched the last quarter of the Oklahoma Thunder (with best record in the Western Conference) - LA Lakers game. It was tied 75-75 at the end of three but the Lakers won 105-96, link here. Kobe was an efficient 8-12 for 21 points, 14 assists and 9 rebounds as 6 Lakers scored in double figures.

Monday, 1/28/2013: Rest day, nothing unusual.

Tuesday, 1/29/2013: 6.2 miles, 51:11, 8:16 pace, 47F, night, warm south wind, no stops, moderate right Achilles ache

Garmin Connect Activity for Warm 10K around the streets of Irondequoit

It was my regular run night so after a bit of Cheerios out I went. Upstate NY is having another January thaw. It was 47F with a warm south wind. I should have worn shorts and a short sleeve T-shirt. Instead I wore my tights, long sleeve T-shirt, beanie and light gloves. I wore reflectivity and my headlamp like usual. I took it nice and easy. My right Achilles had a moderate ache and my right thigh was a bit tight afterward. I did get my running endorphins though!

The "Magic" Kobe showed up for the latest LA Lakers game versus the Hornet. Kobe flirted with a triple double for the third straight game as the Lakers extended their winning streak to 3, 111-106, link here. The Lakers vacate the Staples Center due to the Grammy Awards for 7 straight games ... a long road trip considering their road record is 5-15 so far.

Wednesday, 1/30/2013: Rest day.

I should have run tonight when it was above 60F ... perfect shorts and T-shirt weather in January! But ... it was a rest night after running 3 out of 4 days. My body is still healing itself.

Though ... down at Cobbs Hill, the usual winter trail racing in the dark with headlamps crew were running Snow Cheap #4: snowshoe results for 24 runners here, no snowshoe results for 190 runners here.

Meanwhile, the "Magic" Kobe and the LA Lakers had a 13 point lead early in 4th quarter out in Phoenix but the Suns mounted a comeback and won 92-86, link here. The Lakers road woes continued, 8 losses in a row, 5-16 on the season. Not a good start to a 7 game road trip.

Thursday, 1/31/2013: 6.2 miles, 50:59: 8:14 pace, 26F, night, windy, 1 stop, light right Achilles ache

Garmin Connect Activity for Cold 10K around the streets of Irondequoit

I heard the wind howling outside the windows of our apartment. I dawdled around for a while but ... it was my night to run so out I went. I dressed warmly since I thought the wind chill would be a bit nippy. But it wasn't all that bad. The west winds were worse during the day, 40-50 mph. When I went out around 7PM they were only 20-30 mph when they did kick up. I only felt them if I had an open stretch that faced west. I even stopped once to exhange my balaclava for my beanie because I was overheating. My right Achilles just ached a bit.

My darling wife, Christine, had hot chocolate ready for me when I got back. She also didn't serve leftovers for supper until 8:30PM. She is so sweet!

Friday, 2/1/2013: Rest day.

I was in an income tax filing frenzy after work. I filed our taxes, my youngest son's taxes and my daughter's taxes. I have been using TaxAct for 13 years now.

Meanwhile, the LA Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 111-100, link here. They stopped their road losing streak at 8, won 4 out of their last 5 and pulled to 1-1 on their 7 game road trip.


Saturday, 2/2/2013: 8 miles, 1:06:10, 8:16 pace, 16F, cloudy, SW wind, no stops, light right Achilles ache

Garmin Connect Activity for Cold 8 miles around the streets of Irondequoit

I got out relatively early while Christine was still snuggled in bed. I took it a bit longer with a loop down Chapel Hill Drive. The SW wind almost froze my face ... Brrr! My right Achilles was just a mild ache which is an improvement. After a cup of coffee, I headed out to get some stuff done. A haircut and getting my father's mail soon followed.

Later, Christine and I headed out to Seneca Falls to stay overnight at the Hotel Clarence courtesy of Christine's daughter and her boyfriend and their Groupon.

We found that the hotel was furnished in a very modern style. Our room was very austere, pristine and very white (ceiling, walls, woodwork, bed, sheets, comforter). Their free Wi-Fi worked on three out of our four devices. My laptop wouldn't hook up at all. We both had prime rib for supper which was excellent!

Meanwhile, back up in Rochester, the Rochester Knighthawks beat the Washington Stealth, 7-6, link here. Our defending National Lacrosse League (NLL) champions are now 1-3.

Sunday, 1/20/2013 to Saturday, 1/26/2013 - Freezeroo #4

I ran 4 times this week, 21.72 miles

Sunday, 1/20/2013: Almost run .... err, rest day.

I woke up twice during the night to the sound of howling winds outside. I finally woke up around 8:45AM and gave running a thought. The winds were whipping between 30 to 50 mph. The temperature fell from 48F at midnight to 20F by the evening. Other runners on Facebook ran, I decided to take a rest day after running two days in a row. I still felt like a wuss.

My youngest son called and said that his laptop was telling him that he had a virus and that he had to pay $200 to the FBI via Geenpak. Google helped us to determine that he had the Ukash virus. He downloaded Malwarebytes and killed the virus.

I woke my darling wife, Christine, with coffee, a bagel and the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle. I read it while Christine played with her phone. Later, we (OK, I) watched the NFL Conference Finals games. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons, 28-24, link here. The Baltimore Falcons beat the New England Patriots, 28-13, link here. The away team won both games. Christine cooked up spare ribs for supper. She really knows how to cook 'em ... fall off the bone ... delicious!

Monday, 1/21/2013: 6.2 miles, 49:29, 7:59 pace, 20F, night, a bit windy, no stops.

Garmin Connect Activity for Cold 10K around the streets of Irondequoit

I was a bit on the fence about going out for a run. I could hear the excuses in my head ... "it's too cold, or I'm tired" But Christine told me that she was holding supper until I was back from my run ... so my decision was made. It was 20F ... so I dressed for it and went out for a run. I ran a bit hard since it was a bit cold. I concentrated on my running mechanics and only felt a mild right Achilles discomfort. So ... it was a sweet run!

I stayed up a little to watch the LA Lakers play the first three quarters versus the Chicago Bulls in Chicago. The score was tied but I set the DVR and went to bed. Well, the Lakers lost by 12, 83-95, link here.Their record fell to 17-24 and their road loss skid continued.

Tuesday, 1/22/2013: Rest day.

Some runners ran in the cold, some runners didn't. I was part of the latter group. It was just too cold and windy, 12F and with wind chills below zero.

Wednesday, 1/23/2013: 6.5 miles, 57:15, 8:49 pace, 10F, night, a light wind, no stops.

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to the Zoo and three times around the pond

Christine knew I had a run planned so she let me eat a bit of Cheerios and just chill before I got dressed and headed out.. There had been a light snow during the day so there was about an inch of snow on all the roads. I put on my Yaks and headed out. It was 10F, with a light snow and a slight wind chill of 3F. I headed over to the Seneca Park Zoo and then down to the pond for three loops. The crunch of the snow underneath my Yaks was loud but nice to hear.

Yes, the Lakers lost on the road again to fall to 17-25. This time to the Memphis Grizzlies, 93-106, link here.

Thursday, 1/24/2013: Rest day.

I took Christine to New Nails for her bi-weekly nail appointment while I shopped for groceries at Wegmans. She chose China Glaze's Winter Berry as her nail color ... nice!

Friday, 1/25/2013: Should have been a run day.

Work was an absolute beast today. I walked 11,974 steps during the day ... which was enough for the day. I am running the Freezeroo #4 tomorrow, the Hearnish 10K through the hills around Powder Mill Park. Sounds like fun! Oh, the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz at home,102-84, link here.

Saturday, 1/25/2013: 3 runs for 9.02 miles, 2 runs to warm up and the Freezeroo #4

Christine and I woke up early to snuggle for a bit before getting up to get ready for Freezeroo #4, the hilly Hearnish 10K out in Powder Mill Park. It was 10F so it was frosty too! We got down to the race start around 8:40AM. So I had plenty of time to warm up for not one but two warmup runs.

Garmin Connect Activity for 1st warmup before Freezeroo #4 - 2013
I headed out a long 2 miles warmup at a nice and easy pace, . I didn't really feel warm until after a mile and even then I wasn't really warm until 1.5 miles.

Garmin Connect Activity for 2nd warmup before Freezeroo #4 - 2013
I hung around the lodge trying to decide whether I wanted to ditch my Brooks jacket and just go with a heavier base layer and my Brooks Racking Team t-shirt but I decided to stand pat. Then I took a really nice and easy run from the lodge to the race start.

The 10F cold start of the Freezeroo #4, the Hearnish 10K

Soon after the start, I am still wearing my black balaclova

I lined up next to Bill Beyerbach as I usually do. He started hot and pulled away though I reeled him in before mile 2. I settled in and found a good spot to run and warm back up. The first mile passed in 7:21. This was my third time running this race so I knew the hills were coming. The long gradual hill on Probst Rd at mile 2, the hill at Miles Cutting Lane at mile 4, the beast of a hill on Railroad Mils Rd just before Fishers Rd at mile 5. Though the downhills were sweet when I encountered them. The miles did seem to fly by.

I changed to my beanie ... cruising down to the finish!

Bill Beyerbach cruising to the finsh!

The tank top and shorts clad Tom Butler with the finish in his sights!

The incomparable Charlie Sabatine, 79 years young!

Soon the finish line was in sight. I tried to pass one more person but he held me off. It turned out he was in my age group!

All in all, I did OK. I was 65th out of 208, link here. I was 4th out of 21 in my M55-59 age group, link here. The 3rd guy in my age group held me off and finished  1 second ahead of me. My right Achilles continued to feel better. It was only a minor discomfort. So the race was ... nice!

Christine and I relaxed for a while. Then we got ready for the Greater Rochester Track Club (GRTC) annual banquet. We had pushed our overnight stay at the Hotel Clarence in Seneca Falls that Christine's daughter had given us for our wedding to next Saturday to attend this banquet. Oh, it was also my wife's, Christine, 55th birthday today! She laughingly referred to the GRTC annual banquet as her birthday party.

2012 GRTC Annual Banquet swag

I received my GRTC MILEstone gold patch for racing greater than 200 miles (40 races for 259.9 miles). I was also picked at random to receive the GRTC Consistent Participant Award which included a $100 check (kind of sweet). We sat with Bill Beyerbach and Deb Wyspianski. Bill won his M55-59 age group in the 2011 Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) series. We learned that the 2013 RROY series will include 12 races, 6 of them 5Ks. Maybe I can break my 20 minute barrier in one of them! Lowering my 20:13 5K PR would be ... sweet!

Sunday, 1/13/2013 to Saturday, 1/19/2013

I ran 5 times this week, 27.5 miles

1/13/2013: 2 runs of 4.8 and 5.2 miles

The January thaw continued today. When I finally got out for my at  2PM it was 68F ... in January ... in Rochester NY! I wanted to go for a long run to honor those runners who had done the Goofy Challenge down at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Running a half on Saturday, then running a full marathon ... awesome.

Garmin Connect Activity for North to Lake Ontario
Garmin Connect Activity for South from Lake Ontario

So I headed up to Lake Ontario, 4.8 miles away at a nice and easy pace. It was downhill (about 200 feet) and downwind to the lake so I went at a nice and easy pace, 8:15 pace. I got to the lake and walked around for a couple of minutes while I took a Gel and drank some water. Then I headed back, 5.2 miles,  uphill and upwind at a slower pace. My right Achilles started hurting around mile 2. I slowed some more and just endured the pain and discomfort. When I got back up to the apartment I was a bit cranky when I asked Christine to get me a bag of ice and some coffee. Soon I felt better and apologized to my darling Christine.

Later I watched the last minute of the game between the Seattle Seahawks versus the Atlanta Falcons. The Seahawks scored a TD to go ahead 28-27. The Falcons got the ball back with 0:25 left with 2 timeouts. Two long passes later and the Falcons kicked a FG to win 30-28, link here. Then we watched the New England Patriots carve up the Houston Texans, 41-28, link here.

So ... the NFL Conference playoffs are set for next Sunday: the Atlanta Falcons versus the San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots versus the Baltimore Ravens.

Monday, 1/14/2013: Rest day.

Just your average rest day. Just before I went to be bed I realized that my mother had died 9 years ago on this day. May she continue to guide me and may she rest in peace. I wish I could talk to her.

Tuesday, 1/15/2013: 5.5 miles, 43:38, 7:55 pace, 30F, night, calm, no stops.

Garmin Connect Activity for 5.5 miles across the streets of Irondequoit

I wanted to go out for a run but the couch seemed so warm and inviting so I puttered around. Finally ... the will to run won no matter the temperature. After all, "Now is now" not "Maybe later" which usually becomes "Not tonight". So ... I got out there for a short, up tempo 5.5 mile run. I had to run a bit fast ... it really was a bit chilly out with enough wind to make you feel it. But it felt pretty good after I warmed up. My right Achilles didn't really bother me so I ignored it.

Wednesday, 1/16/2013: Just your usual rest day ... nothing unusual.

Though ... down at Cobbs Hill, the usual winter trail racing in the dark crew were running Snow Cheap #3: snowshoe results for 25 runners here, no snowshoe results for 212 runners here.

Thursday, 1/17/2013: Another rest day.

I had wanted to run ... but Christine had other plans. So ... who was I to disagree, ;-)? Later, I stayed up late to watch the LA Lakers play the Miami Heat out in LA. The game was see-saw. The Lakers tied the game at 90 late in the 4th, then Miami scored the last nine to win, 90-99, link here. My take was that their center, Dwight Howard, learn to shoot some free throws!!! 5 for 13 from the free throw line?? He is a liability late in the game! Opposing teams can and will foul him when he gets the ball, send him to the line and chuckle when he misses both! Kobe was at one point 3 for 17 and finished 8 for 25. He did score 13 in the 4th to try to pull out the Lakers but Ray Allen and Lebron James were too much.

Friday, 1/18/2013: 5.8 miles, 46:54, 8:05 pace, 25F, night, calm, no stops

Garmin Connect Activity for 5.8 miles around the streets of Irondequoit

I had to get out for a run after two rest days. So, I did after a bit dilly dallying. I just did my usual solo run around the streets of Irondequoit. I had to be a bit careful on some of the side streets. Portions of them were a bit icy. But it was a nice run. My right Achilles was merely a mild discomfort so it was all good!

Christine was starving so really soon afterward we were eating salmon, rossetti and green beans for a delicious supper. Then we watched the series finale of Fringe.

Saturday, 1/19/2013: 6.2 miles, 51:52, 8:22 pace, 42F, cloudy, windy, 1 stop, moderate right Achiles discomfort

Garmin Connect Activity for 10K around the streets of Irondequoit

I got out fairly early ... around 10AM. It was a lot warmer and windy than last night. I dressed pretty well for the weather. I felt sluggish compared to the previous night. I was sure that I was running 9:00 miles plus my right Achilles discomfort bothered me. So I dialed my effort back and still I ran 8:22 pace.

Later I took Christine to her MassageEnvy appointment at 2PM. I stayed out in the car and read the Saturday issue of the Democrat and Chronicle. I had made Christine a PB&J sandwich to eat afterward and placed it on the dashboard for her to eat when she got back to the car. She put the sandwich on her lap as we started to head out to Newark to see my daughter. But somehow it disappeared before we got to Pittsford ... believe it or not! We had to make a pitstop at Wendy's as we both were crabby from hunger. We had a nice visit with my daughter. She wanted to shop for workout clothing so we took her to Wal-Mart.

Back at our apartment in Rochester we caught the second half of the Rochester Knighthawks - the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse game off of TWC channel 26. The Knighthawks lost a heartbreaker to go 0-2 as theBandits scored on an over the head shot at 0:11 to win 13-14, link here.

Sunday, 1/6/2013 to Saturday, 1/12/2013 - Freezeroo #3

I ran 4 times this week, 22.4 miles

Sunday, 1/6/13: 7.3 miles, 1:04:45, 8:52 pace, 36F, cloudy, calm.

Garmin Connect Activity for 7.3 miles around the streets of Irondequoit

I felt like a slug so I got out and ran around 11:30AM on Sunday morning. The roads were clear so I settled into a really nice and easy pace and ran my usual route with the Chapel Hill Drive addition. My right Achilles started to ache around mile 4. I endured and cut the run a bit short.

I watched football again the rest of the day. The Baltimore Ravens beat the Indy Colts, 24-9, in Baltimore, link here. Then the Seattle Seahawks beat the Washington Redskins, 24-14, in Washington, link here. I still felt like a slug but at least I was a slug that had gotten out there and ran earlier.

Monday, 1/7/13: Rest day.

Christine and I had pizza from Papa John's again. This time a large pizza with pepperoni, saugage and pineapple. The deal was spend more than $12 and get one free pizza if you order it by 1/20, a win-win! We also watched "Cinderella Man" off of the DVR. A great movie!

I received an email that I had won $100 for the Rochester Runner of the Year's Consistent Runner Award for 2012 from the Greater Rochester Track Club! The only thing is that the GRTC Annual Banquet is slated for Saturday, 1/26/2013. But ... we have a conflict. We received a free Groupon night at the Hotel Clarence in Seneca Falls from Christine's daughter for a wedding present and chose Saturday, 1/26/2013, which is Christine's birthday. Decisions, decisions.

Tuesday, 1/8/13: Another rest day, ugghh!

My right Achilles really bothered me today. I walked over 9000 steps during the day and it ached by the time I got home. I wanted to run but decided that rest and discretion was the best way to go.

I so long for the old days when I could rip off a ten mile run without a care! OK, I would ache and be stiff afterward but it was a good pain that went away! Arrrgggghhhhh!!!!!

Wednesday, 1/9/13: 7.3 miles, 1:04:39, 8:51 pace, 41F, night, cloudy, windy.

Garmin Connect Activity for 7.3 miles around the streets of Irondequoit

I didn't walk as much during the day, only 6000 or so steps. I needed to run so I did. I limped a bit at first but after a 1/2 mile I settled into a nice and easy pace. My pace is slower than it was pre injury but ...it is what it is. The rising temperature had melted a lot of snow on the road so the footing was better than it was on Sunday afternoon. My right Achilles started to ache after 4 miles or so just it did on Sunday. I take what it gives me.

The Wednesday issue of Rochester Democrat and Chronicle had an article titled "Running Alone is Asking for Trouble". I think the article went a bit over the top to describe that running alone is too risky. I run alone, in residential neighborhoods and sometimes in the dark. I know the risks. But I wear reflective clothing, believe that cars don't see or care about me, wear a headlamp at night, carry a cell phone and wear my RoadID. But I am a guy too. I do believe that people would hassle a woman runner sooner than they would hassle me. Unfortunate but true.

Later, Christine and I watched the latest Lakers game. They were down in San Antonio and lost to the Spurs, 105-108, link here. They were undermanned with 3 players out but made a game of it. They were down 16 with 7 minutes to go, got within 3 and had 4 chances to tie. But the 5 game losing skid continued and they fell to 15-20 on the young season.

Thursday, 1/10/13: Rest day

I took Christine to New Nails for her bi-weekly nail appointment while I shopped for groceries at Wegmans. She chose China Glaze's Thunderbird as her nail color ... nice!

Friday, 1/11/13: Another rest day.

Just getting stuff done day. I took down all my 2012 race bibs, medals and plaques down. The wall by my dresser is crying out for some 2013 race bibs.

We watched a bit of the first half of the LA Lakers versus the Oklahoma Thunder out in LA before heading to bed. The Lakers were down by 16 at half after playing "matador" defense. The Lakers ended up losing by 15 to extending their losing streak to 6, link here. Not a good year to be a Laker fan!

Saturday, 1/12/13: Freezeroo #3

Christine and I woke up early and got out on time at 8:15AM. Christine had an appointment with her therapist at 9AM so she dropped me off with my running gear out at Casey Park in Ontario NY at 8:35AM. The weather was warm for a Saturday in January.  I hung around for a while and then went out for a warmup run of 1.6 miles. My right Achilles felt tight so I was a bit apprehensive about the upcoming race.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Freezeroo #3
1.6 miles, 14:04, 8:47 pace, 44F, cloudy, calm, no stops



I hung around a bit more before the race. I started the race next to Wendy Abbott and Bill Beyerbach, fellow Brooks Racing Team members. Wendy and Bill had already warmed up with 10 mile runs. They both wanted to do 16 miles for the day.

At the start, Wendy said she was going to run 8:00 pace so I hung with her. She was really running 7:40 to 7:45 pace but I loosened up and stayed with her until I let her go at mile 3.5. I eased up a bit to 7:50 pace at mile 4 and 8:30 pace at mile 5. I picked my pace back up and started to pick off runners, 7:44 pace at mile 6. I kicked to a 7:31 pace during the last 0.2 mile to pick off a girl wearing a tutu at the finish line.

Wendy Abbott smiling as she comes to the finish!

I kicked to nip the woman in the green tutu.

Bill Beyerbach cruising into the finish.

My right Achilles didn't really bother me much during the race. I could feel it but it was more an ache which was nice. All in all, a nice race  I called up my darling wife, Christine, who soon joined me at the lodge where we talked to fellow runners.

All in all, I did OK. I finished in 49:06, 47 seconds behind Wendy, 105th out of 289, link here. I finished 6th out of 22 in my M55-59 age group, link here.

We headed back home with a side trip to ESL where Christine changed her last name on her bank accounts and we opened a joint saving account. We want to start saving for our major purchases. One thing that come to mind is saving to move to a two bedroom apartment or townhouse where our lease is up in May.

Meanwhile down in Walt Disney World, some runners from Rochester were running in the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. There was a half marathon on 1/12 and a full marathon on 1/13. Some runners were going to do the Goofy Challenge, which is to run both. A whole lot of running in two days!

Later we watched lots of football. The first game was the Baltimore Ravens versus the Denver Broncos out in Denver. It was a very entertaining game with 5 ties on the way to 35-35. The Raven kicked a FG early in the 2OT after a Peyton Manning interception to win 38-35, link here. Then we watched the Green Bay Packers versus the San Francisco 49ers in SF. The 49ers won 45-31, link here.


I did something a bit different while watching the first game. I saw on Facebook that the registration for the Boilermaker 15K had opened at 12:01AM. Running the Boilermaker has always been on my mind but something had always gotten in the way. I think I was injured one year, just didn't pull the trigger a couple of years or forgot about it other years. Well ... this year I pulled the trigger at 2:47PM when 4676 out of 14000 slots in the 15K were already taken. I will be a newbie but it will be a short destination race with 14000 fellow runners from all over.

Sunday, 11/30/12 to Saturday, 1/5/13 - Freezeroo #2

I ran 3 times this week, 20.1 miles.

Sunday, 12/30/12: 6 miles, 57:09, 9:32 pace, 27F, dusk, no stop, just your usual discomfort.

I had trouble sleeping during the night during my left hip bruise. Plus a neighbor decided to play video games at 5AM for a couple of hours. I couldn't sleep on my back so I just went to the couch to kind of sleep and watch "Them!" on DVD. I woke up Christine around noon with the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle newspaper and coffee. Thankfully, the last home game of Buffalo Bills against the New York Jets was blacked out. The Bills actually won, 28-9, to finish the season at 6-10, link here.

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

I did make it out for a nice 6 mile run around 4:30PM. Christine was a bit worried and made sure that I took my headlight. It was just before dusk and she knew how long my runs usually took. I did need the headlight. I spent half of the run on the shoulder of the road and half on the sidewalks. Most of the sidewalks has snow on them so it was kind of like running with snowshoes. A good workout!

Monday, 12/31/12: Rest day.
I ran 37.5 miles in the month of December, 7 runs in 31 days, 5.4 miles/run.
I ran 1179.25 mile in 2012, 228 runs in 365 days, 5.2 miles/run.

Well, the Buffalo Bills fired their entire coaching staff. Now how about some players who didn't play?

Christine and I just spent a quiet evening in. We watched our long-overdue-to-be-watched Netflix DVD. It was a nice feel-good movie named "We Bought a Zoo " with Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannson. Then we had a champagne toast around midnight ... sweet!

Tuesday, 1/1/13: 7.5 miles, 1:02:13, 8:18 pace, 22F, light snow, light wind, no stops.

Christine and I were up and out the door at 9AM to make it down to Mendon Ponds Park for Freezeroo #2 with plenty of time before the race at 10AM.



I really didn't get much chance to warm up before just a tiny 0.35 mile run up from the Beach parking lot and up to the starting line. I met up with fellow Brooks Racing Team runners and got into my usual spot about 50 feet back from the starting line. The conditions were cold with light snow and light wind. I wore my usual garb for winter running along with my running jacket because I figured the wind would be cold when we ran through the rolling hills of Mendon ... I was right!

The snowy start!

I appear in this GRTC YouTube video around the 1:35 to 1:40 mark .. I think!
I warmed up and ran the first mile in 7:45 pace. I just concentrated on running smoothly and in control. I knew I wasn't going to set any PR in these conditions.

I crossed 3 miles in 24:00 and 5 miles in 40:25. I knew I was slowing down so I concentrated on just putting one foot in front of the other.

Turning back onto Douglas Rd with just one more hill before the finish!

The finish line!

The last miles seemed long but I knew we were getting there. When we turned to go back into the park at mile 7 I just concentrated on running up the hill and not stopping ... yes! The finish line was soon in sight. I tried to open it up but I didn't have anything left. I crossed the line in 1:02:13, a full 9 minutes slower than last year's PR of 53:26. I guess I forgot to turn my Garmin off right away. Christine stayed in the car reading the newspaper and her Kindle.

I brought my warm stuff up to Stewart Lodge where I soon had something to eat and swapped stories with fellow runners, always a good time! I ran most of the way back to the car when I left since it had turned colder. Winter running in Rochester ... always a good time!

I did OK. I finished 123rd out of 376, line here. I was 9th out of 33 in my M55-59 age group, link here.

Wednesday, 1/2/13: Rest day.

I did think about heading down to the Snow Cheap #2 down at Cobbs Hill. It was the first Snow Cheap to have snow since February 2011. 48 snowshoers headed out, link here. 194 non-snowshoers headed out, link here.

Instead I accompanied my darling Christine to the DMV office so she could get the name changed on her license. We couldn't find the title to our Cavalier so we couldn't change that yet. Lots of stuff is lost in our apartment.

We watched a nice classic movie off the DVR, "Singin' in the Rain" made in 1952 with Gene Kelly and a 20 year old Debbie Reynolds. They don't make movies like that any more! 

Thursday, 1/3/13: Another rest day.

I thought about going out for a run. But during the afternoon my right Achilles ached worse than usual so I decided that rest was best.

Friday, 1/4/13: 6.6 miles, 1:04:07, 9:49 pace, 33F, night, windy, 1 stop

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

I needed to run. I didn't want to fall so I put on my Yaktrax. I dressed warmly since it was windy. Then I headed out at a really nice and easy pace to just run street by street between St Paul St and Seneca Ave. A few of the streets were clear and most were snow covered. I felt like a rat in a maze. I like getting somewhere I run. The wind felt warm instead of cold so I stopped to take off my jacket. Then the wind felt a bit cooler. I didn't really feel any pain in my right Achilles just discomfort.

Saturday, 1/5/12: Rest day.

I stuck to my usual day of run followed by a day of rest. So Christine and I lazed around all day. We had a "Things To Do" list but we ignored it. I watched football all day. The home teams won, the Green Bay Packers and the Houston Texans. We discovered a new (to us) pizza place, Papa Johns! I ordered a large pizza with pepperoni, bacon and pineapple around 10PM then went out to get it. It was delicious!

2012 Running Review

I had an up and down running year this year. The first seven months up to July 29th were up. Then I hurt my right Achilles by running over a rock on River St up by the Pelican's Nest while out on a long Sunday morning run. The next five months were down as I never really committed to my rehab exercises. 

On the plus side, I ran 1179.25 miles (the most ever) in 227 runs or 5.2 miles/run. I kind of backed into the 1179.2 miles since I only ran 235 miles since July 29th. I ran 40 races for 259.87 racing miles, 19 road races for 116.02 miles and 21 trail races for 143.85 miles. Many thanks for my darling wife (we got married on 11/30), Christine, who accompanied me to most of these races.

2012 Race bibs, medals & plaques

Here are the positive points during the up part of my running year:

1. Freezeroo #2, 7.5 miles - Lifetime PR at 53:26, 7:07 pace

2. Freezeroo #5, 8.0 miles - Lifetime PR at 59:41, 7:28 pace

3. Johnny's, 5.0 miles - Lifetime PR at 33:58, 6:48 pace

4. Spring Forward 15K - Lifetime PR at 1:09:15, 7:27 pace

5. Sehgahunda Trail Marathon - I finished in 6:06:21 (my third attempt)

6. McMullen Mile - First ever mile race, 5:52 pace

7. The Fast and The Furriest 10K - Lifetime PR at 42:59, 6:56 pace

8. Medved 5K to cure ALS - Lifetime PR at 20:13, 6:31 pace

9. Shoreline Half - Lifetime PR at 1:36:21, 7:21 pace

All in all, 2012 was a pretty good running year. I credit the Sehgahunda Training Program held by Fleet Feet for helping me prepare for and conquer my nemesis, the 26.3 mile epic Sehgahunda Trail Marathon. I was running around 158 miles a month for three months before going into this event. It showed me what my healthy body was capable of. 

I have tried to heal my right Achilles without much improvement. I have kept my running volume and intensity down since as much as I could and still keep my running base. Sometimes it hurts to walk, much less run. But sometimes I just run anyway regardless of the pain or discomfort which tends to take the joy out of running. 

Still I hope to completely heal and keep running. I really would like to break 20 minutes in the 5K sometime in 2013. I think this is a mental not a physical barrier. I will have to heal completely before I can even hope to approach it though. Right now, I just want to run for fun. I do tend to race once I hear the word "Goooooooo!!!" though.

Sunday, 12/23/12 to Saturday, 12/29/12

I ran 3 times this week, 16.0 miles.

Sunday, 12/23/12: 7.5 miles, 1:03:10, 8:26 pace, 35F, sunny, a bit windy, no stops, usual discomfort

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

Christine and I were creatures of habit and just lazed around all Sunday morning. Much later ... I did make it out for a much needed run. I just took it nice and easy. I added a trip down and back up Chapel Hill drive to my usual 10K course around the streets of Irondequoit. I could feel the usual discomfort in my right Achilles but just ran onward. The west wind when I was running west on Titus Ave was a bit nippy so I was glad to turn back onto Seneca Ave and be only 1.3 miles away from the apartment.

The Buffalo Bills were losing 3-14 to the Miami Dolphins down in Miami just before I left for my run. I caught the tail end of the game. Just your usual boneheaded play ... the Bills down 10-24 with the ball on the 1 with about 2 minutes to play. Fitz drops three steps and throws the ball to the left ... right into the hands of a Miami player who was more than glad to catch the "gift". Yet another game ending interception ... unbelievable! The usual result, link here.

Christine and I headed out to Newark to hand out the usual gift cards for her and my youngest son. I saw the Terrace at Newark assisted living center where she works. A nice looking place!

Monday, 12/24/12: Travel day.

Another shooting was playing out in West Webster where Christine and I were getting ready to travel west to Ohio. Two firefighters were killed and two more wounded while responding to a fire at 5:30AM on Lake Rd, link here. The shooter was found dead of a self-inflicted GSW later. A total of 7 houses were destroyed while SWAT was securing the scene. I have personally run by this area twice during the yearly Run around the Bay run in early March. Unbelievable!

Christine and I got on the run at 10AM which is quite good for us. The drive to the Country Inns in Cuyahoga Falls OH was uneventful. There wasn't much traffic and the roads were clear. Thank goodness for the Google Maps on my smartphone! We arrived at 3:30PM during the daylight which was nice. I was able to score a 1 bedroom suite for about $46 off the race price by using 5000 of my Club Carlson points. Christine and I settled in for a while, booted up our laptops and relaxed after a long drive. The suite was excellent except the constant humming noise that the refrigerator made ... a nitpick but still a pain!

Later we emerged to head out for a delicious Hawaiian Chicken pizza from Marco's Pizza. We were hungry so we made short work of it. After we digested our supper we headed down to the indoor swimming pool. Christine soon was swimming around ... I took a bit longer before I did the same. She floats well ... I don't at all. Then we relaxed in the hot tub ... sweet!

Tuesday, 12/25/12: Merry Christmas and 4.0 miles on a treadmill

I woke up early enough to make it down to the exercise room. I endured 4.0 miles on the dreadmill ... err, treadmill. The exercise room was hot ... so I was drenched when I got back up to the suite to wake my sleeping beauty, Christine. The breakfast at the Country Inn was excellent as always. Then we packed up and motored over to the home of Christine's brother, Bill, in Ravenna. There we met up with the rest of her relations and enjoyed Christmas dinner. We brought 3 pies (apple, cherry and lemon meringue) that Christine and Danny Wegman had slaved over ... OK, we bought the pies at Wegman's. They were very good .... yummy!

We headed back to Rochester around 3:30AM and arrived back at 8:10PM. There is a winter storm warning for tomorrow but we had no trouble. All in all, a nice overnight honeymoon ... hugs and kisses to my darling wife, Christine!

Wednesday, 12/26/12: Rest day

Just your usual day after Christmas day at work. There was a winter storm warning for Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Christine and I were cold ... so we went to bed around 8PM, snuggled and got a solid 10 hours of sleep. We woke up a couple of times to look outside to see the snow coming down ... solid in the knowledge that apartment living meant that we wouldn't have to shovel in the morning, sweet!

Thursday, 12/27/12: Rest day.

At least a foot of snow fell overnight but I made it to my meeting early out in Victor. After work I could have run and should have  run but I didn't. An argument ensued .. because I like to do things for my honey. I so need to run more.

Friday, 12/28/12: Frustration day, night run = fail, 4.5 miles, 25F, night, icy, 2 falls

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the icy Seneca Pond Zoo pond once - ouch

I took today off so I could take Christine out and about so she could change her name. We got out after much fuss. bother and frustration. We did get down to the Social Security office downtown before it closed so Christine could change her name there. Christine did get to New Nails for her bi-weekly nail appointment. She chose Ruby Pump from OKI as her nail color. We will get her DMV records changed on next Monday or Wednesday, I hope.

Christine went to bed early so I headed out for an ill advised run. I forgot one essential piece of winter running equipment ... my Yaks. I went up Seneca Ave towards Titus Ave and found that the shoulder was not cleared enough for my taste so I headed over to the Seneca Park Zoo. My bright (err ... stupid) idea was to head down to the pond and run around it several times. Well ... the road out to the Zoo was icy, the road down to the pond was even more icy and I fell on my left side bruising my left hip, left forearm and hurting my left wrist. I picked myself up and continued onward at a really nice, easy and cautious (I thought) pace. I made it 95% of the way around and fell again really hard on my left side. I acknowledged defeat and walked up the icy hill out from the pond. My left side hurt but I managed a slow run back to the apartment.  I applied ice to my left wrist and called it a night. I really should have worn my Yaks or stuck to the side streets that were just snow covered and had more traction. In retrospect, I was lucky. I could have knocked myself unconscious or broken a bone down there with the gate closed ... no one would have found me until morning. A lesson learned!

Saturday, 12/29/12: Rest day

I stayed in bed while Christine went out and got her shopping hat on. I was starting to get worried ... she arrived home around 3PM with her booty from the town of Webster. Let's see ... new flatware from Kohl's and a new Droid 4 smartphone from the Verizon Wireless. She has leapfrogged my Casio Commando smartphone ... technologically speaking.

I watched the Syracuse football team manhandle the West Virginia Mountaineers down in NYC in the Pinstripe Bowl, 38-14, link here.  Go 'Cuse!

I definitely called a rest day due to falling yesterday. I have a bruise on my left hip and left forearm plus my left wrist kind of hurt. I had trouble sleeping on my left side which is how I usually sleep.

Sunday, 12/16/12 to Saturday, 12/22/12

I ran 2 times this week, 12.0 miles.

Sunday, 12/16/12: Rest day.

Months ago I would have run two days in a row easily. Now ... not so much. My thighs ached more and more all day. Christine and I lazed around all afternoon. We watched "The American Werewolf in London" and "Splinter" off of the Syfy channel. "Splinter" was quite scary ... at least to me, not so much to Christine.

I started to watch the Buffalo Bills play the Seattle Seahawks at home(?) in Toronto. It was 7-24 when I left for the Finger Lakes Casino and Racetrack in Farmington to meet up with my youngest son. He had invited me to his family Christmas dinner since his girlfriend couldn't make it. He has another promotion under his belt. He is now a Drop Supervisor and an Account Supervisor. He will be getting more hours so he quit his second job at Byrne Dairy. I enjoyed talking with him. His laptop was having troubles turning on so I swapped his hard drive into a similar laptop to get him back up and running. He was pleased. The Buffalo Bills ending up losing, 17-50, link here.

So ... in the span of 8 days I have seen all three of my children. It was nice to see them ... sweet!

Monday, 12/17/12: Another rest day.

I had wanted to run but Christine had made ribs and they couldn't wait! They were overdone, didn't have enough sauce and were not so good ... but still OK. We just chilled and caught up on some of our regular shows off of Primetime OnDemand ... Grey's Anatomy, Last Resort, etc.

Tuesday, 12/18/12: Almost a run day.

I planned on running after work ... but I talked myself into not running. I am getting too good at making excuses for not running ... which sucks.

Wednesday, 12/19/12: 5.8 miles, 49:04, 8:28 pace, 38F, night, no stops, mild achilles pain

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the streets of Irondequoit

Christine and I enjoyed some hugs after work but I still got up and out for a much needed run. I bit off a longer distance, 5.8 miles. I took it nice and easy. I could feel the discomfort in my right Achilles but I continued onward. I have made up my mind to take the month of December off from running races. So ... Snow Cheap #1 (without the snow) was going on down at Riley lodge of Cobbs Hill, results with snowshoes here and no snowshoes here.

Thursday, 12/20/12: Just your usual rest day.

Friday, 12/21/12: 6.2 miles, 50:47, 8:11 pace, 35F, night, light rain/mist, no stops, usual pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for 10K around the streets of Irondequoit

Christine and I enjoyed some hugs after work like usual but I still got up and out in the crisp night while a real light rain/sleet mix came down and reflected into my headlamp. I wore my reflective vest so the Irondequoit drivers could see me. I could feel some tightness in my thighs and right Achilles so I just kept my pace nice and easy. Still ... my pace was faster at 8:11 versus 8:28 on Wednesday with what I considered less effort. Strange but true.

Saturday, 12/22/12: Rest day.
\
The day dawned cold, snowy and windy. I thought of all the hardcore runners who went out and brought it. But ... I decided to stick to my every other day running and stayed in. Really kind of boring ... but it was what it was.

Sunday, 12/9/12 to Saturday, 12/15/12

I ran once this week, 3.5 miles.

Sunday, 12/9/12: Another rest day.

Christine and I cocooned all day. I was up early around 9AM. I let Christine sleep until noon-ish before waking her up with coffee. We were creatures of habit.

We watched the Buffalo Bills lose yet another close game full of inexplicable play calling and another game ending interception by Fitzpatrick though that his arm was hit as he released it. The final carnage was 12-15, link here. Not trying to kick a 52 yard field gold with wind when your team was nursing a 12-7 lead way early in the 4th quarter so you can play field position? Not giving your stud running back, CJ Spiller, the ball not more than 7 times out of 58 plays when he is leading the league in yards per carry?? The coach, Chan Gailey, was playing to lose not playing to win like usual. Almost everyone in western NY is crying for his head.

Monday, 12/10/12: Another rest day.

I am getting antsy to get out there for a run. I am within spitting distance of 1148 miles for the year which is the most I have ever run (back in 2009). But ... I had to do our laundry. Some blockhead left their laundry in the dryer downstairs so I headed out to our local laundromat and did it there. I only lost one Zensah compression sleeve ... which is not too good. Hopefully it will turn up ... yeah, right.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 12/11/12 - 12/14/12: Rest days.

I will run again someday ... real soon now. I can walk pretty soon with a slight nagging discomfort in my right achilles. But I still can't do a full eccentric calf drop on my right Achilles ... something I could do last month. I haven't been to physical therapy for 2 weeks. I got discouraged and just stopped going. Some days were good, some days were a bit worse.

Christine had her bi-weekly nail appointment at New Nails on Thursday. The color she choose was Red Pearl color from China Glaze ... nice!

Friday was a bit of downer day after I learned about the murder of 20 elementary children and 7 adults in Newton, CT. Why couldn't the shooter just kill himself? Forget the murder/suicide and just do the suicide!Why kill his mother ... and then why head to the Sandy Hook Elementary School? How can mentally deranged people get access to weapons? May the fallen find peace!

Saturday, 12/15/12: 3.5 miles, 28:41, 8:12 pace, 40F, cloudy, calm, no stops,

Christine and I are still on our honeymoon ... so of course we spent the morning just lazing around and such ... sweet!! While we were honeymooning ... 1280 runners were out and about at the first Reindeer 5K run, results here.

Christine had a 2PM massage appointment at MassageEnvy so while she was gone I headed out for a much needed run.

Garmin Connect Activity for Around the block in Irondequoit

I set out nice and easy on my first run in 18 days. I didn't know what to expect but just headed out in hope of the best. I limped just a wee lit at first but soon I found the endorphins that I had so long has been seeking.

Christine came home and after a quick shower we headed out to Newark to see my daughter. We learned more details of her trip to NYC to see another 2 concerts of Darren Criss. She was within 10 feet in not one, but two small and intimate concerts. She didn't get much sleep during her weekend down there ... oh, youth! Then we headed out to the Wayne County Nursing Home to see my father. We told him we had gotten married. He seemed more antimated than usual.

Sunday, 12/2/12 to Saturday, 12/8/12

I ran 0 miles this week, no running since 11/27/12.

Sunday, 12/2/12: Travel back to NY day

We are not early risers ... so after a leisurely morning at the Country Inn in Holyoke MA, we headed back to NY around noon. The weather on the way back was weird. Dense fog at noon? Soon we were back on the Mass Pike heading west. We climbed out of the fog and briefly saw the sun as we climbed a 6 mile hill into the Berkshires. Soon it was cloudy. We satisfied Christine's historical bent as we briefly stopped at Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren's home. Everything was closed but we were there and have a picture to prove it.

Soon we were back on the road and were met by rain and mist. A dreary drive indeed! We finally got home around 7PM. We were at odds with each other due to the close quarters and driving in the dark ... which is all I am willing to say.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills unloaded on a team with a worse record than them, the Jacksonville Panthers. They won an untelevised home game, 34-18, link here.

Monday, 12/3/12: Another rest day

Back to work after a day off. I discovered that I could walk without a limp ... but it hurt more and more during the day. My perception of the pain increased from 2/10 to 4/10 during the day. It felt like someone was digging a nail into my right achilles while I walked. I wanted to run but knew that I couldn't. I am seriously considering just packing my running in for the winter season. Maybe if I actually do the exercises for my right achilles during the winter I will actually heal? The good thing is that Christine and I kissed and made up.

Tuesday, 12/4/12: Another rest day

The weather was warm during the day, 70F briefly during the day. But by the time I exited work, it was falling, 55F and raining. I ended up going out in a light misty rain to Little Caesar's to get a sausage pizza and wings for supper. Joy, joy! The good thing is it didn't hurt as much to walk normally. The nail that I imagined to be digging my right achilles seemed smaller.

Wednesday, 12/5/12: Another rest day.

Well ... back to winter. Just your normal December weather ... mid 30s, a stiff wind along with the occasional ice pellet. I walked better. I am on the fence about running Freezeroo #1 on Saturday. It's a 5 mile race out in Spencerport. I may just bag it and try to heal.

My darling Christine didn't feel good this morning. She had swollen glands and just spent the whole day in bed. I went to Skip's Meat Market on the way home and picked up 5 pounds of hamburg and a couple of chuck steaks. Christine whipped together a nice supper with the chuck steaks even though she didn't feel like eating. She is such a darling!

Thursday, 12/6/12: Another rest day.

I walked pretty good today. But I really think I will shut down my running in any more races this year. My darling Christine still on the mead with swollen glands cooked up spaghetti with home made sauce ... yummy!!

Friday, 12/7/12: 1 week anniversary, another rest day.

My right achilles felt worse today. The needle that seemed to be stuck in it seemed larger. Our marriage license still hasn't come in the mail. But that didn't prevent us from celebrating our one week anniversary ... something we hope to do every Friday night! Yeah, baby!!! Much later, Christine cooked up some delicious toasted tuna cheese sandwiches ... yummy!!

Saturday, 12/8/12: Another rest day.

One of Christine's brothers's named Rich and his wife, Jill, gave us a gift certificate to T.G.I. Friday's for a wedding present. So we headed out for the nearest one in Greece. We ran into lots of traffic on 104 and couldn't find it so we headed back out to the one in Brighton. We got there around 5PM ... soon the joint was jumping! I had the Jack Daniel's Sirloin & Shrimp and Christine had the Grilled Salamon with Langostino Lobster. We enjoyed our dinner ... thanks, Rich and Jill!

Meanwhile out in Spencerport, 221 people ran the Freezeroo #1, link here. Later in the afternoon, 2714(!!) people ran It's A Wonderful Run 5k out in Bedford Falls, ... err, Seneca Falls, link here.

Runners crossing the Bridge St bridge in Seneca Falls, NY

Once we got home we went to OnDemand and watched Dark Knight Rises ... an awesome movie! We watched it twice! Though I did fall asleep a bit during our second showing. We were still in honeymoon mode so we went to bed late.