Sunday, 4/12/2015 to Saturday, 4/18/2015 - Cardiac Hill Run, Dirt Cheap #1 and Muddy Sneaker 20K

I ran 7 times this week, 37.04 miles.

Sunday, 4/12/2015: 3 runs of 1, Cardiac Hill Run of 4.8 and 6.2 miles.

Another day, another race. I was up early to do the usual: do the dishes from the night before, have a bowl of cereal and banana, do my duty in the bathroom, check the temperature (36F), get dressed, kiss Christine goodbye and get out the door to a race. I was dressed in my usual: CW-X tights, short sleeve tech, 1/4 zip Brooks pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy gloves. Today it was down to the beach parking lot near Stewart Lodge of Mendon Ponds Park for the Cardiac Hill Run. I was there at 8:10 AM in plenty of time for the 9 AM start.

This race had been run as the RT Trail Run on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for the past 34 years but was moved to try to spark attendance. I had run this race back in 2013. I remember that I ran through ankle deep snow the entire race.

I met up with Prem Kumar and Andy Ciaio before the race. I did get out for a 1 mile warmup run at 9:22 pace, link here. The weather had warmed to 46F, 61% RH, 7 mph SW wind, wind chill 43F and sunny by race start. I pulled off my 1/4 zip Brooks pullover and handed to Jim Glinsky of GVH. I also tucked my Brooks beanie into the waistband of my tights.



There were 30 runners at the start ... not exactly crowded. And ... we were off! It was the same course as I ran 1 1/2 years ago. I just couldn't get going for most of this race. I had to stop for several tiny walk breaks in the first 3 miles. Abby McCarthy passed me and then Prem. I stayed behind Prem Kumar the entire race. I couldn't get closer to him but I didn't let him get away either.

Jeanne Herrick took this picture as I ran up the last 1/3 of Cardiac Hill

I finally got my breath after I ran/walked/ran up Cardiac Hill at mile 3. I settled into a "get it done" pace and kept my position. I could see the finish ... clock close to 40:00 ... put a bit of speed on ... and done 4.8 miles in 39:54, 8:19 pace by my Garmin. I was 11th out of 30, link here. My splits were: 7:41, 8:40, 8:13, 8:45 and 8:13 over the last 0.8 mile. I think the change of temperature affected me between the Saturday race of 4.97 miles at 8:53 pace and the Sunday race of 4.8 miles at 8:19 pace. I thought I ran a lot slower on Sunday ... huh?

I hung around a bit for a plate of pasta and headed out to the Equinox. I did have a bit of change of clothes. I changed into my shorts and my Syracuse Half 1/4 zip pullover. I didn't have another short sleeve tech so I made do with what I had. I headed back up to Stewart Lodge for the awards. I was 2nd in my M55-59 age group and received a mug. Prem won his 35-39 age group with a 39:48. Andy Ciaio finished in a 43:58.

Prem and I went out for another 10K on the familiar Blue and Green trails afterward, map here. The weather had warmed up again to: 57F, 55% RH, 5 mph WSW wind and sunny.



We took it nice and easy. I did walk a few of the hills but did power up the one hill at mile 3 (the one with the gravel at the top) that I usually start to walk halfway up. I was quite happy about that. Prem said that I tend to not do his idea of "nice and easy" ... I guess it's just how I roll. My splits were: 10:25, 10:27, 10:16, 9:14, 9:32, 9:59 and 8:21 over the last 0.2 mile.

Monday, 4/13/2015: Rest day on a hot day in April.

The temperature rocketed it up to 83F during the day. I went to the laundromat to do my tech (and a few other) clothes since our single washer and dryer was occupied ... meanwhile it started to blow and sprinkle rain. Luckily it didn't pour while I was loading or unloading my clothes.

Tuesday, 4/14/2015: Another rest day.

I had hoped to file the last tax return of my father tonight. He died on 3/10/2014. But ... I opened up his 1099-R from his union (that I hadn't opened) and found that they had made a mistake. The jerks had been paying him for 25 years just fine but on the last 1099-R that they had sent me with my social security number, address and that they had withheld 5% to the IRS! Jerks! Now I have to get an amended 1099-R. Truth be told I hadn't filed his taxes for a number of years because there was no reason. His pension and social security income might have been taxable, but he didn't have any federal or state income taxes withheld and his nursing home care expenses offset everything so it was a wash every year.

Wednesday, 4/15/2015: 2 runs of 1 and Dirt Cheap #1 of 4.74 miles, 57F, 26% RH, 7 mph NNE wind, partly cloudy

It was a Dirt Cheap Trail Races Series kind of Wednesday so I headed down to the Devil's Bathtub at Mendon Ponds Park. I had all my gear so I headed there after work. Christine had told Yellow Jacket Racing that she would help out so she was going to meet there and ... bring a dry pair of running shoes for me to change into afterward. I got there around 5:20 PM in plenty to get a parking spot on top of the hill. I got my series bib, pinned it on and then just kind of hung out in the Equinox until 6:10PM.

I got out for my usual 1 mile run to get my legs warm at 8:55 pace, link here. I wore my Brooks shorts, short sleeve tech and light Brooks gloves. It was a bit cool but I knew I would warm up. Everyone was starting at once so I got up near the front.

And ... we were off! I have run this race 6 times before so I knew what to expect. The first mile was rolling hills on a grass meadow before we headed back into the woods for more of the same. I ran well and powered up the hills that came my way and straight through any mud and water.

The bog at mile 2 had some deep mud that I found right away so I avoided the rest by running above it on the twisty trail to the right. We didn't encounter any really deep mud until mile 3. Then ... ankle deep mud or better for a good 200 yards.

My trail shoes and feet were soaked but onward. More mud, more trail ... onward. I saw Amy Lord off to the left around mile 4 just before we got back near Devil's Bathtub. Then the trail led straight through a creek or you could chicken out and take the bridge to the left ... I went straight through. It did help wash the mud off!

Then ... up Cardiac Hill. I ran it a bit and then walked the rest. Onward ... I wanted to stop but I kept going. The trail took us up near the finish. I heard Bill Beyerbach yell "You're doing great!" and then the same to someone behind me. Onward ...I almost missed a turn ... luckily the guy in front of me saw it and took the left turn. I could hear the finish ... my legs were screaming ... up the infamous stairs ... push ... up ... and done with 4.74 miles in 43:27, 9:09 pace! My splits were: 7:30(!), 9:19, 10:16, 8:15 (nice!) and 10:56 over the last 0.74 mile.

I was out of breath and went to the Equinox to get some water. I made my way back to the pavilon and got a hot dog and cookie. I saw my darling wife, Christine, in the kitchen area. She was opening hot dog buns and hot dog packages. I gave her a kiss on her cheek and said "Hi". I had another hot dog and banana ... great post race food!

I did OK. I was 39th out of 353, link here. I was 2nd (Ed Housel was 1st about 4 minutes ahead of me) out of 15 in my M55-59 age group. The guy 2 seconds behind me was Joe Ciecierega. He beats me in road races all the time. I guess the Cobbs Hill workouts are doing me some good.

Thursday, 4/16/2015: 6.2 miles, 1:00:09, 9:42 pace, 55F, 35% RH, 8 mph NNE wind, overcast

Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill workout: 4 Vs, 4 switchbacks and the long way back

I needed hills so I went straight to Cobbs Hill after work. I parked in the Fleet Feet Armory parking lot like usual, stretched and headed out. I did the usual but a bit different. I did 4 Vs on the grass hill, 4 switchbacks and took the long way back. My splits were: 9:45, 9:37, 10:55, 12:18, 8:08, 7:56 and 7:28 over the last 0.2 mile. Soon I was home and my darling wife, Christine, fixed me a nice and tasty (but late) supper. Another running workout in the books!

Friday, 4/17/2015: The usual rest day before a race the next morning ... tis the truth!

Saturday, 4/18/2015: 2 runs of 1 and Muddy Sneaker 20K of 12.1 miles, 55F, 62% RH, 8 mph SSW wind, sunny as a bell

Today was my fifth Muddy Sneaker 20K. I was up at 5:40AM and did the usual: the dishes from the previous night, wake Christine up, check the weather, check directions, have my usual bowl of cereal and banana, get dressed and get a complete change of clothes for afterward. The weather forecast was 55F at race start and 70F(!) by noon. So I wore my Brooks shorts and a Charlie's Old Goat short sleeve tech. I brought along a long sleeve tech just in case. Christine busied herself with getting dressed, getting ready some food and snacks for before or after and probably to quietly find things that I might have missed. We were ready to go and on the road just before 7AM.

The drive down was as beautiful as always. It about 50F, sunny and as clear as a bell. Canandaigua Lake was very pretty as we passed it on the left as we went south on 21. I was a bit worried that I was following no one and no one was following us. I thought I might have had the time. Christine fired up the race website just to be sure that the race start was 9 AM. We got up to the race venue just before 8 AM and found that we were among the first to arrive! We thought we were late but were really early (well by our standards)!

I went down to packet pickup and found lots of running buddies to talk with: Chris Washburn, Chris O'Brien, Tom Butler, Andy Ciaio, Frank Quattrone, Steve Levitsky, Kathy Reardon and Tom Muoio. I hung out for a bit. I did change into calf sleeves and Darn Tough socks. I thought that I might need more protection for my lower legs. I kissed my darling wife, Christine ... several times ... for luck and got out for a 1 mile warmup run up the first hill and back at 9:09 pace, link here.

A topographic map of the Muddy Sneaker 20K course

And ... we were off! The first mile was straight up the hill and then single track into the woods. The trails was not too bad at first and then got muddy, rocky, rooty and twisty for the next 2 miles. I saw a woman being carried out by two guys around mile 2.5. I later learned that it was Katie Ann and that she had a possible torn ligament, :-(. She seemed in good hands so I continued onward. We broke out out the woods at mile 3.

Heather Ostrander (aka HBO) took a selfie with the chicken

The chicken directed us to the left down a jeep trail. There were some long uphills and long downhills to the aid station just before mile 6. I had a HammerGel and water. I was doing a run/walk up the long uphills, running the flats (there were a few) and running the downhills. The chicken directed us to the left again at mile 7. It was back into the woods for more mud, rocks and roots at mile 7.5 for a mile. I had another HammerGel just before the aid station at mile 9. It had warmed up but it was windy so it wasn't hot. The trail went down, down and more down to the creek crossing at the bottom of Parish Hill Rd at mile 10. I saw 1:56 on my Garmin. I thought maybe that I could get up to the finish and maybe finished under 2:15.

The creek crossing at mile 10

The woman at the bottom asked me if I needed anything. I told her that I needed an elevator as I looked up at the steep hill that loomed in front of me. She laughed ... as I started to trudge up, up and trudge up some more. My right Achilles ached a bit. I broke into a run/walk once I could manage it.

I managed to break into a run for Tim Matthews 

Maybe a half mile from the finish ... somewhere up this never ending hill

I knew that the finish line was somewhere up the trail but the trail just kept on going up. I saw the mile 12 marker ...  then a woman ahead called out that she could see the finish ... I broke into a run ... I put my head down ... I heard Mort Nace call me into the finish line ... I saw Christine taking a picture ...and done with 12.1 miles in 2:18:36, 11:27 pace and 2316 feet of elevation change.

The finish line!

Another Muddy Sneaker 20K glass to add to my collection

Muddy Sneaker 20K - Swag

I staggered around a bit as I got some water and food in me. I was beat. I met up with my running buddies and swapped trail stories. Christine walked around with me for a bit. I think she was concerned that I would fall over.

Ron Heerkens Jr. showing off one result of his tumbles.

I had several cups of water and a couple of delicious cookies. I headed back to the Equinox and changed my socks, shirt and into road shoes. We took the scenic route back to Rochester which included a stop at Monica's Pies for a chicken pot pie.

The Muddy Sneaker 20K results were posted to Ultrasignup.com, link here. I did OK. I was 78th out of 184. I was 12th out of 28 in my M50-59 age group. My splits were: 9:32, 11:04, 13:24, 9:37, 9:54, 8:52, 10:54, 10:02, 11:09, 11:35, 17:22, 14:00 and 8:30 over the last 0.1 mile.

A well earned Muddy Sneaker 20K glass to add to my collection.

It was my slowest of my 5 Muddy Sneaker 20K races. But ... it's a trail race. Sometimes it's not about the time but the experience. I finished, I didn't fall. I had fun. My body ached the rest of the day. The good ache from well used muscles. The kind that reminds you when you hobble around for the rest of the day.

Later I started to see Facebook posts and pictures from Muddy Sneaker, runners showing off their bibs in anticipation of the Boston Marathon on Monday, 4/20, and runners from other races.

Chris Patterson and Heather Danielson will run the Boston Marathon together and then will get married on 4/25/15. Too cute for words!

Meanwhile ... Mark Monachino completed the The North Face Endurance Challenge 50K in down in Sterling, VA

Mark Monachino and Stacy Maier from Rochester along with Anzhela Knyaveza (now living in DC) ran the The North Face Endurance Challenge 50K in 6:21:21, 5:55:07 (2nd in her F30-34 AG) and 6:42:38, repectively, Anzhela's sister, Diana, ran the Half in 2:13:45. Impressive!

Meanwhile, Christine and I enjoyed a lazy rest of the day along with a nice nap. The chicken pot pie was our mid afternoon lunch/early supper ... delicious! A day well spent!

Sunday, 4/5/2015 to Saturday, 4/11/2015 - Mess the Dress

I ran 4 times this week, 24.01 miles.

Sunday, 4/5/2015: 6.2 miles, 48:12, 7:46 pace, 34F, 80% RH, 3 mph WSW wind, overcast, light snow

Garmin Connect Activity for A not so easy 10K

Easter Sunday ... I wasn't an early riser or early runner again today ... but I did get a bit before noon. I had done my long run yesterday so I just did a kind of fast 10K on my usual 10K route. Yes, a light snow on Easter Sunday ... it didn't stick but still a bit not so much like spring. My splits were: 7:53, 7:47, 7:46, 7:44, 7:46, 7:47 and 7:16 over the last 0.2 mile.

Monday, 4/6/2015: Rest day .... yada, yada, yada.

Tuesday, 4/7/2015: 6.2 miles, 1:06:20, 10:41 pace, 43F, 42% RH, 12 mph NW wind, wind chill 36F, overcast.

Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill workout: 5 Vs, 2 switchbacks and long way back

It's spring ... 43F does not qualify as spring. Sure I know how to dress for 43F but ... it's April! Enough already! Time to learn how to dress again for 50F and gasp ... 60F!

Anyway, it was Tuesday ... I went down to Cobbs Hill to do hills. This time I met up with Bill Beyerbach who wanted to do some hills before his GVH workout at 6PM. We did 3.5 Vs before he took off. I finished off 1.5 more before I headed over to the switchback and found ... no snow or ice! So I did 2 switchbacks to celebrate ... wow! The switchback was a bit steeper than I remembered. I finished by going the long way back to the Equinox at the Fleet Feet Armory. Nice!

Wednesday, 4/8/2015: Rest day.

I helped my darling wife, Christine, do about 1/2 of our long overdue laundry. My tech clothes will be about a full load all by themselves.

Thursday, 4/9/2015: 6.2 miles,

Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill workout: 5 Vs, 2 switchback and long way back

Another Thursday, another Cobbs Hill workout. I had my running stuff with me, so I changed at work headed straight to Cobbs Hill and parked at Fleet Feet Armory. So .. the usual workout ensued. There weren't too many people on the grass hill or the switchback. Up and down I went. Is it getting any easier? Who knows? When I got home I did see on Facebook that the Sehgahunda Training runners were also on the switchback. They must have started at 6PM. I had already left for the long way back to the Equinox by then.

Friday, 4/10/2015: Rest day.

The usual rest day before a race the next morning. My darling wife, Christine, finished the laundry. Now I just have to do all my tech running gear and all the other work clothes I had not given her.

Saturday, 4/11/2015: 2 runs of 0.5 and Mess the Dress of 4.91 miles,

I was up early like usual to do the dishes of the previous night, had a little breakfast of cereal and banana and then got my darling wife, Christine, out of bed. She resisted but I wanted her to come me run in a dress for my first running of Mess the Dress.

We got out to the race venue, Black Creek Park, around 9AM in plenty of time for the 10AM start. Christine briefly went into the Sunside Lodge but went quickly back out to the Equinox. The indoor noises really bothered her due to her tinnitus. I really like her being with me at races but sometimes it's just easier going by myself ... less hassle, less headaches and fewer discussions. If she would just tell me that she didn't want to go because of a medical issue I would be fine but she usually doesn't.

Anyway, I was dressed in my not so usual gear for running in 41F: my Brooks shorts, black short sleeve tech, light long sleeve tech, heavy gloves, Brooks beanie, Darn Tough socks, my blue Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes and ... a black leapord razorback dress. I had gotten this for Christine about a year ago but it had been too small. It fit me pretty well. Christine was a bit worried but I wouldn't be able to run in it but I tested it out and I thought it was OK. There was plenty of time to wait and also look at what other runners were wearing ... which was a hoot. I did get a few catcalls from other men and women ... lol.

I did get out for a 1/2 mile run to warm up my legs, link here. Soon enough we all walked (I ran) about 1/4 mile to the race start. I met up with Mark Monachino and a reader of my blog, Sarah Hardy. Sarah said that she is reading it for inspiration before she attempts Sehgahunda for the first time this May.

And ... we were off! I settled in near the leaders at first and then ran with Mark for about 1.5 miles before he pulled away. The trail during miles 1 and 2 was very runnable with not so much mud. I stopped to take a breath and let a woman pass me and stayed with her the rest of the way. I later found out that the woman was Katie Ann, 1/2 my age.

Miles 3 and 4 had spots and ankle deep mud and more water. The bottom of my dress got wet and started to stick to my legs so I had grab a bunch of it and hike it up ... lol. I was getting tired and wanted water ... which I didn't have.

Yes, I found some deep mud and water!

The end is soon ... I think!

Onward, onward ... I could see the finish and its roped off chute through a creek and the final hill. Katie Ann missed the chute and I caught up. She ran back and through the chute and passed me like I was standing still as I powered up the final hill. Eric Eagan, the race director, gave me a high five ... done in 44:10!

Katie Ann picking up some speed with me in her sights!

Katie Ann jetting by me at the finish

Eric Eagan and his high five at the finish ... done!

It was a bit cold outside so I went to the Equinox to get my dry clothes and tell Christine that I was done. I changed into a dry top, socks, road shoes and had a bit of a bite to eat. I met up with Sarah and told her about Sehgahunda. I told her: don't fall (done that), don't overhydrate (done that too), good nutrition, good hydration, good pace, good electrolytes and that seeing the finish line twice was sweet. I also told her that I will be doing the Ontario Summit Trail Marathon the weekend after Sehgahunda.

I did pretty well. Officially I finished in 44:31 and was 7th overall out of 117, link here. I was 3rd out of xx in my M50-59 age group. Some fast guys were ahead of me. Mark ran a 43:28. I had a blast and I won $15 gift certificate from RoadID as a door prize. Sweet!

Christine and I stopped at Skip's On The Ridge on the way home for some Western ribs, London Broil and 2 pounds of hamburger. I hung up my wet gear and stuffed my wet trail shoes full of as much newspaper that I could stuff in them. I have another race tomorrow morning and I would like dry trail shoes!

Christine soon was cooking (and making lots of dishes for me to wash) in the kitchen: the ribs, a chili and meatballs. Mmm ... can my darling wife makes delicious ribs!

Sunday, 3/29/2015 to Saturday, 4/3/2015

I ran 4 times this week, 27.2 miles

Sunday, 3/29/2015: 6.2 miles, 49:31 (I think), 8:00 pace, 27F, light wind, sunny

I thought about going big and doing the last Round the Bay run of the season but slept in instead. It warmed up a bit from when I first woke up from 19F to 27F. I dressed for the weather like usual and got out there. I thought about doing my usual 15K on my usual 10K route. I started out pretty well with a 7:42 and 7:41 for the first two miles. The third mile was just as good. But ... then I just tired. My will, my breath just left. I went down to a 8:40 and 8:41 pace for miles 4 and 5. I might have sped up for mile 6. Anyway ... WTH? I can easily run a 10K but I just got tired all of a sudden and couldn't hold my pace?

I tried to upload my 310XT data to Garmin but ... it didn't happen. I tried various things but my run was gone. I have had a run of good luck uploading to Garmin  ... oh well!

Monday, 3/30/2015: Rest day.

After two kind of sucky runs in a row, I just needed a rest day. I felt a twinge that came and went again in my right hip. Am I injured? Maybe I was just tired?

Tuesday, 3/31/2015: 4 miles, 41:12: 10:17, 41F, 48% RH, 7 mph NE wind,wind chill 36F, mostly sunny.

I looked at my racing spreadsheet and noticed that I have 4 trail races coming up in 8 days from 4/11 to 4/19 (Mess the Dress on 3/11, Cardiac Hill Run on 3/12, Dirt Cheap #1 on 3/15 and Muddy Sneaker 20K on 3/19). So I decided that I needed to put on my trail shoes and do some hills.

Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill workout: 4 Vs

I dressed at work and went directly to Fleet Feet Armory. I wore shorts, calf sleeves, Salomon Speedcross 3 trail shoes, a short sleeve tech, 1/4 zip Brooks pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I headed up to Cobbs Hill early around 5:15PM. The switchback was snowy and icy in spots going up so I stayed off of it until I went back. I did not want to fall and hurt myself. So I just did Vs on the grass hill. I tried to attack the hill on the way up and take it easy on the way done. I certainly did breath really hard (OK, really, really hard) when I got to the top! A couple of women said "Hi Doug" when I got to the top at one point when I gasping for breath ... I don't know who they were ... I don't know what they thought of my gasping. I took the switchback back and then over to the Equinox. Done. You gotta do hills to run hills. My splits were: 10:25, 10:29, 11:45 and 8:32.

My stats for the month of March 2015: 20 runs of 116.8 miles, 5.8 miles. 4 runs were warmups before races. I ran 4 races during the month of March: Snow Cheap #6, Johnny's Running of the Green 5 Mile Race, the Syracuse Half and the Spring Forward 15K. I have run 347.4 miles so far in 2015 and run 14 races so far. My streak of 100 plus mile month is now up to 20 months.

Wednesday, 4/1/2015: Rest day.

Spring is here ... April Fools!

Thursday, 4/2/2015: 5 miles, 46:21, 9:16 pace, 66F, 35% RH, 21 mph SW wind, overcast.

Another workout, another need for hills. I had my gear again and headed for Cobbs Hill again. This time spring had sprung ... probably briefly. I parked again in the Fleet Feet Armory parking lot. It's safe there with lots of foot traffic and businesses.

Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill workout: 4Vs and long way back

The switchback on the way up was still snowy and icy on the bottom and top but with less snow and ice than Tuesday but with more mud. I didn't take it on the way back. I powered up and down the grass hill in 4 Vs like Tuesday. I think I did them minutely better than Tuesday. It was certainly warmer! I wore shorts and a T-shirt with no hat or gloves! I took the long way back to the Equinox to add an extra mile. Maybe next time I will find different hills ... maybe, maybe not.

Friday, 4/3/2015: Rest day.

My darling wife, Christine, and I went out to West Ridge Diner and Steakhouse for a nice Broiled Fish Platter (scallops, haddock and shrimp).

Today we gave our notice to Pine Ridge Crossing Apartments. I have lived here in a cramped one bedroom apartment since November 2008 and Christine has lived here (a bit more cramped) since November 2009.

We will be moving to Greenleaf Meadows in Greece on Sehgahunda Saturday which is May 23rd to those not up on the trail running scene. The logistics of the move have yet to be figured out but it will happen. It's a nice 2 bedroom townhouse with washer/dryer hookups in the basement. Heat, water, 24/7 laundry, 24/7 fitness center and seasonal pool are included in the rent. Plus there is a walking/running trail adjacent with the lake 1/2 mile away. I am already mapping out running routes.

Saturday, 4/4/2015: 12 miles, 1:36:57, 8:04 pace, 37F, 44% RH, 17 mph NW wind, wind chill 30F, sunny.

I didn't rise early and certainly didn't get out to run early either. I dragged myself out just before noon. But I got out there, struck up a nice and easy pace and had a good run. I headed out on my usual 10K route with the hill of Chapel Hill Drive and then headed out to the lake and back.

Lake Ontario - no snow or ice here but where is spring?

I stopped there for a HammerGel and water break before I headed back. My splits were: 8:03, 7:58, 7:55, 7:52, 8:40, 7:55, 7:42, 8:35, 8:17, 7:57, 8:13 and 7:52. Nice!

Garmin Connect Activity for Out to the lake and back

Later I watched lots of sports. At one point I streamed the Duke - Michigan State NCAA Final Four game while I watched a DVR of the Rochester Knighthawks -  Minnesota Swarm game from earlier in the night. Duke won by 20 while the 'Hawks (9-4) won 10-2, link here. The win was historic as Matt Vinc, the goaltender, made 39 saves and held the Swarm to a regular season low 2 goals.

Monday, 3/23/2015 to Saturday, 3/28/2015 - Spring Forward 15K

I ran 3 times during these 6 days, 16.62 miles

Monday, 3/23/2015: Rest day ... naturally after running the Syracuse Marathon the previous day.

Tuesday, 3/24/2015: Another rest day.

I thought about going out but I had a strange twinge of pain that came and went in my right hip and leg when I walked. So ... I didn't. Probably a wise move.

Wednesday, 3/25/2015: 6.2 miles, 51:01, 8:13 pace, 43F, 81% RH, 12 mph SSW wind, wind chill 36F, overcast

I needed to get out so I brought most of my running gear to work. That way I could just change at work and go directly to Cobbs Hill for a much needed hill workout. It was a bit cold for shorts that's what I wore. I hoped I would warm up (and I did).

Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill workout: 1 loop, 3 Ys, 1 loop

I got to Fleet Feet Armory around 5:30PM. There was lots of people there already ... probably WalkFit and No-Bo types. I got out before them and headed up Culver Rd, Monroe Ave and Highland Ave to Cobbs Hill like I have done so many times before. I was a bit stiff on the run up and the first loop. Then I decided to do 3 Ys and finish with another loop. The road was soon populated with runners and walkers of various abilities. A few knew me. And ... done! Another 10K in the running journal. Maybe next time I will concentrate on running harder up the hills and resting on the run down the hills.

Thursday, 3/26/2015: Rest day

My darling wife, Christine, and I had a 4:30PM dentist appointment at Dr. Randy Raetz, aka the Running Dentist. We went directly to the Crab Shack for supper as we usually do ... so it was a  rest day.

Friday, 3/27/2015: Rest before a race day

As usual, I rested the day before a race the next morning. I will admit that I watched "Eight Legged Freaks" not once but twice before hitting the sack early. My alarm was set for 5:30AM.

Saturday, 3/28/2015: 2 runs of 1 and Spring Forward 15K (9.42 miles), 18F, 73% RH, 9 mph N wind, wind chill 7F, overcast, real light snow

I was awake a bit before the alarm went off at 5:30AM. My darling wife, Christine, had slept the night on the couch since she wanted me to get my rest. She does have the ability to snore and I am a light sleeper. I got up and did the usual on race mornings: the dishes from the previous night, ate my bowl of cereal with banana, did my duty in the bathroom, checked the temp, dressed appropriately, kissed Christine goodbye and hit the road. I was greeted to slippery roads since about 2 inches of fluffy snow had fallen during the night. The traffic down to Mendon Ponds Park (MPP) was a bit challenging but I handled it. I did pass one car that was doing 35 in a  55. Doing 45 I could have handled. I got down to MPP around 7:10AM. The Beach parking lot near Stewart Lodge was already practically full. I parked on the inbound entrance road up near Douglas Rd. I was getting ready to head down to Stewart Lodge when I noticed a traffic tieup. Cars were trying to get in and out on a 1 WAY road at the same time! About 10 cars couldn't read signs and went out the inbound road ... arrggh!

I mingled down at Stewart Lodge for a while before I got out a 1 mile warmup run at 8:18 pace, link here. It was cold, windy and a light snow was falling. The road conditions were slushy and slippery. I wore my New Balance 860 road shoes so I was a bit concerned about my traction during the race. I kind of wished that I had worn my Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes but I had not brought them ... oops!

I mingled down at the start. I saw Mark Herberger, Prem Kumar, Andy Ciaio and Bill Sandow before the start. And ... we were off!

This race started down the outbound road of the Beach parking lot and goes up Douglas Rd to Pond Rd. I started a bit too fast as I kept pace with Andy Ciaio and Bill Sandow for the first mile. The rolling hills of Mendon were unending as usual. I handled them for the first three miles easily but ... then not so much.

I think this was taken on Canfield Rd. I was trying to maintain a run as best I could.

I just couldn't keep up my pace and had to resort to a run/tiny walk for a lot of the hills. The roads were slippery. We couldn't run on the shoulder and had to find clear tracks in the road or even on the other side of the road. I kept going and finished the race with a sprint down the icy road to the finish line at Stewart Lodge. And ... done with 13.42 miles in 1:15:24. My splits were: 7:21, 7:44, 7:36, 8:05, 8:05, 8:29, 8:34, 8:31, 7:58 and 7:21 over the last 0.42 miles.

I quickly got inside Stewart Lodge and had some water and a couple of bananas. The place was crowded so I just pulled on my Snow Cheap hoodie and left to go home.

My fingertips were getting white as I stripped, hung up my wet gear and headed to the bathroom for a hot shower. It was kind of weird washing and then toweling off while my fingers were tingling as they warmed up. But they pinked up and life went on. Coffee, couch and vegging soon ensued.

Yellowjacketracing.com/results soon had the results up. I did OK. I was 81st of 400, link here. I was 10th out of 29 in my M55-59 age group, link here. Bill Sandown finished in 1:08:49. Mark Herberger finished in 1:11:50. Andy Ciaio finished in 1:14:30. Prem Kumar finished in 1:16:25. I noticed that this was my 9th consecutive Spring Forward 15K ... wow!

3/22/2015 - Syracuse Half Marathon

3/22/2015: 13.21 miles, 1:47:53, xx, 16F, 67% RH, 11 mph NNW wind, wind chill 3F, sunny

This was my first running of the 3rd annual Syracuse Half. I wondered what the attraction was so I had registered back in December for this race before it sold out. There were 3500 runners registered.

The wake up call at our room at the Maplewood Inn where we had spent the night was 6AM.

All the gear laid out the night before .... it was a good idea.

I had laid out all my my running stuff the night before. Good idea! I checked the temp and the weather outside. The temp had fallen from 41F the night before to 18F. An inch of snow had fallen overnight. Yeah ... I decided to go with most of my cold wear gear. My usual: CW-X tights, Sugoi heavy long sleeve tech, a short sleeve tech, 1/4 zip Brooks pullover, full balaclava, Brooks beanie and my ski mittens. I wore my New Balance 860 road shoes and Darn Tough socks. The Maplewood Inn opened up their breakfast early for us, another runner and a basketball team ... which was very nice of them.

We checked out and got on the road at 7:10AM for the short 7 minute trip to the OnCenter. Well ... it wasn't a 7 minute trip. 

Stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on I-81S trying to get off at the Harrison St exit for the OnCenter

We were at a dead stop about 3/4 mile from the Harrison St exit off of I-81S and crawled in bumper to bumper traffic the rest of the way for 30 minutes. We parked at 7:50AM and walked the rest of the way. I walked ahead to get there quickly. The OnCenter was packed inside. Soon I heard word that the race had been delayed for 15 minutes. This was an excellent move by the race organizers. I tried to find an bathroom inside the OnCenter but gave up and went to wait in line for an outside PortaPotty. I gave up on that need about 8 minutes before the race start. I kind of knew I would need one during the race. I saw Christine before the race and gave her a quick kiss for luck.

The Syracuse Half had emailed out two different ways of tracking runners: Xacte and RaceJoy. I had signed up for both. Xacte had timing mats at 5K, 10K, 15K and the finish. You could set up Xacte to email, text, post to Twitter or Facebook your times. I chose to text Christine and my kids along with a post to my Facebook wall. RaceJoy was a bit more involved. It was a Google Play and App Store app. I loaded it to my Iphone and set it up for the Syracuse Half. Then I loaded it on Christine's LG G2 and set it up to track me. I activated tracking about 15 minutes before the race. This was wrong since that threw off its pace and time to finish calculations. I should have activated it at the race start. I didn't do this because I thought that would be a bit more dicey since I would have to start RaceJoy, stow my Iphone, put on my ski mittens and safely start up my run. But ... Christine did like looking at RaceJoy to know exactly where I was on the course ... so Xacte and RaceJoy both worked well.


I got to my usual spot in the race lineup but just a bit farther back. I saw Bill Beyerbach, Heather Danielson and Chris Patterson and said "Hi". And .... we were off! I had not stretched or warmed up (stupid move) so I was stiff and started slow. I had looked at a map of the course and knew that we meandered all over. Right after the first turn or two, we headed up a long hill. The first mile was still on the hill.

Soon after the start - totally unauthorized from T Wellot Photography

Here is what I remember of the race. I ran pretty well for the first 5 miles then I felt a tightness in my thighs. I started to do a run/tiny walk. I tried to do the tiny walk on the many tiny uphills after a turn ... and there were a lot of turns (I heard 31). I stopped at a PortaPotty just after the 3rd aid station at mile 7. I was tying my tights back up when a woman opened the door ... luckily I had already taken care of my business! I caught up to and passed Bill. I told him that I wasn't too well and was doing a run/walk. He yelled behind me, "So when is the walk coming?" and runners around him laughed. Well, I was on a downhill and I didn't walk on downhills. I remember a nice long downhill. Some signs: "As you pass, we're checking out your ass!", "Why do all the cute ones run away?", "13.1 for a banana? and "Your High School Gym Teacher Would Be So Proud". A woman with a blonde ponytail had "Your Pace or Mine?" on the back of her jacket ... I passed her. I was getting tired. I knew I was getting close but could only hold a run for about a 1/2 mile at a time. I could see the finish ... run ... 13 miles ... OK, a sprint is gonna hurt ... a yell that must have been Christine to my left ... time under 1:48 ... finish ... medal around my neck!

Finish line - totally unauthorized from T Wellot Photography

Finished - photo courtesy of Christine

A few seconds later - photo courtesy of Christine

A selfie with the medal!

A better picture with the medal - photo courtesy of a random woman who took the pic using my Iphone

I met up with Christine and we headed inside the OnCenter for a great post-race experience. The grub was the usual along with chocolate milk, Greek yogurt, pancakes, sausage link and bacon! The convention floor was set up with a band and loads of circular tables with 10 chairs each. We sat with Heather and Chris. Heather placed 3rd in her age group and received a plaque!

Heather ran a 1:36:20, 7:22 pace, 3rd out of 198 in her 40-44 age group

We hung out for a long time before we walked back to the Equinox. I fired up the Onstar and it led us on the road to I-81N ... along with everyone else. So ... I pulled a U-turn and drove the other direction until Onstar started to led us to I-690W (which had little traffic) and I-90W toward Rochester. But ... the Onstar expires on 3/28. I haven't decided what level of coverage to get yet.

I wore my sweet Syracuse Half medal and 1/4 zip pullover all day! - photo courtesy of Christine

Soon we were home, the coffee was brewed, our feet up on the couch and we vegged the rest of the day. Another half marathon in my book ... my 16th. The Syracuse Half was very well run and I will definitely be back. Staying overnight in Syracuse was definitely a good move ... though I would definitely avoid I-81S and get to the OnCenter a different way next time.

Later, leonetiming.com had the results posted. I did OK. My gun time was 1:47:53 (my fastest of the 3 half marathons I have run in 2015), 8:15 pace, 432nd out of 2773, 20th out of 89 in my M55-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 8:21, 8:17, 7:50, 7:40, 8:12, 8:28, 8:08, 8:55, 7:30 (nice downhill), 8:03, 8:16, 8:15, 8:20 with a top pace of 6:03 as I sprinted into the finish.

I looked at the times and noted the following from Rochester NY. Bill Beyerbach ran a 1:53:00, 33/89 in our M55-59 age group. Heather Danielson ran a 1:36:20, 7:22 pace, 3/298 in her F40-44 age group. Her fiance, Chris Patterson, also ran a 1:36:20, 7:22 pace, 26/81 in his M25-29 age group. Joe Ciecierega ran a PR, 1:37:53, 16/136 in his M40-44 age group. His girlfriend, Tina Pellegrin, ran a 2:53:52 while suffering from a head cold. Mike Reif, coach of GVH, ran a 1:38:37, and won his M65-69 age group. Steve Levitsky ran a 1:40:23, 15/118 in his M45-49 age group. Bambi Jasmin ran a 1:48:54, 22/298 in her F40-44 age group. Amy Lord ran a 2:48:31.

All in all, a great way to spend a frosty March morning in Syracuse NY!

Sunday, 3/15/2015 to Saturday, 3/21/2015

I ran 3 times this week, 25 miles.

Sunday, 3/15/2015: 7 ... err, 10 miles, 1:19:53, 7:59 pace, 34F, 80% RH, 8 mph NW wind, wind chill 27F, overcast.

I slept pretty well considering that Christine and I were in a strange double bed at the house of her daughter, Beth, in Lakewood OH. I was up around 7AM. I had brought my small gym bag with enough gear for running with temps around mid 30s. I fired up mapmyrun.com and figured out a 7 mile route from 1428 Lakewood Ave. My plan was to head west, then turn north to Lake Ave along Lake Erie, run a few miles, head south and then back west in a rectangle.


So ... I headed out. Well ... I couldn't find my first cross street to head north. I saw a main street and turned north on W Clinton Blvd and then a right onto Lake Ave to Edgewater Dr. I took a tiny detour to take a picture of Lake Erie.

Lake Erie was still frozen as far as I could see

I took another detour through Lakewood Park, then continued on Lake Ave until West Blvd. I turned right onto Detroit Ave and then saw that I had already run 7 miles. OK ... no problem. I did go through Lakewood Park. I saw Lakewood Ave but there wasn't a CVS on the corner. Huh? My Equinox was not at 1428 Lakewood Ave. Huh? I went back to Detroit Ave and continued west. On ... mile 8, on ... mile 9. I looked for the CVS. I didn't carry water and was getting thirsty. Detroit Ave was sure long! I finally saw the CVS on the corner of Lakeland (opps!) Ave. I ran by 1428 Lakeland Ave and stretched the run out to 10 miles. My splits were: 7:49, 7:43, 7:40, 7:56, 7:50, 8:01, 8:03, 8:15, 8:30 and 8:03.

Lesson learned ... know where you are starting before you head out from a new place ... lol!

Coffee and a hot shower soon ensued. Beth made a nice breakfast for us ... scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage patties. Yum! Then it was onward to Ravenna OH to see Christine's father who is 94 years young.

Christine, her father and I - selfie time!

We had a nice long visit. We talked for a while then headed out to visit his wife's grave in Twinsburg and ate a late lunch at the Cracker Barrel. We headed back to Rochester at 6PM and arrived at 10:30PM. I used the cruise control on Equinox for about 95% of the drive.

Monday, 3/16/2015: Rest day ... you betcha!

Tuesday, 3/17/2015: 5 miles, 41:54, 8:22 pace, 34F, 32% RH, 18 mph NW wind, wind chill 23F, mostly sunny.

Garmin Connect Activity for Cobbs Hill workout with 3 Ys

I headed down to Cobbs Hill Park for another whack at a hills workout. I parked at Fleet Feet Armory and geared up. The east side of Culver Rd was muddy so I headed up the other side. I felt a bit stiff during the run up and the first Y but soon loosened up. I held back and just did 3 Ys and then headed back. My splits were: 9:19, 8:14, 8:08, 8:13 and 7:58.

Wednesday, 3/18/2015: Rest day

My darling wife, Christine, has been looking at apartments and townhouses since our lease at Pine Ridge Apartments is up at the end of May. We need to get out of our cramped 1 bedroom apartment with its tiny kitchen. Last week she visited a 2 bedroom apartment at Long Pond Shores (too expensive) in Greece and a townhouse at The Viking Apartments in Brockport (too far). Today she visited Greenleaf Meadows in Rochester. She liked them and suggested that I visit them after work. I did and I think we found the one! I looked at a 2 bedroom townhouse with 2 bedrooms up with large closets, 1 upstairs bath (the only bad point), a bigger kitchen with a window and a full basement (sectioned into a utility room and storage room). A bit pricey but it includes free heat, water and central A/C. It also has an onsite 24/7 exercise room, a seasonal (Memorial Day to Labor Day) pool and is adjacent to a pond and a running/biking trail with Lake Ontario about 1/2 mile away. A Google Maps link is here. The map looks to have some nice and long running loops possible plus nice long roads or multi-use trails for our bicycles.

Thursday, 3/19/2015: 10 miles, 1:18:44, 7:52 pace, 34F, 40% RH, 11 mph NE wind, wind chill 25F, mostly sunny.

Garmin Connect Activity for A not so nice and easy 10 miles

I needed to run to get a last 10 miles before the Syracuse Half on Sunday so I got home, had my usual pre-run bowl of cereal, get dressed and got out there. I stuck to my usual 10K route, struck up a not so nice and easy pace, stuck to it and then extended it to 10 miles. My splits were: 7:44, 7:54, 7:57, 8:00, 7:46, 7:47, 7:56, 7:54, 7:55 and 7:51. Boom!

Friday, 3/20/2015: Rest day.

I felt a bit gimpy with a bit of Achilles tendon tightness and a bit of tightness across my lower abdomen.

Saturday, 3/21/2015: Rest and travel day before the Syracuse Half

I got out and got my haircut cut. I decided to go with a short, aerodynamic cut ... not bald but short on the sides and about 1/2 inch on top. I have had quite enough with the wind blowing my hair all over the place. I might even go even shorter. I have lots of older guys sporting the look and some younger ones like Chris Patterson.

Packet picket up for the Syracuse Half was at Fleet Feet Syracuse from 9AM to 5PM. My darling wife, Christine, and I packed our stuff and made it there by 4:45PM. A bit rushed but we travel well together now. I quickly got my blue 1/4 zip Syracuse Half pullover and race bib. Then we shopped for a bit. Christine found a couple nice looking tech tops in 2XL on sale and I found 4 HammerGels. My impression of Fleet Feet Syracuse was: more stuff to choose from and a better selection. It would be worth the trip if they had a nice sale.

Then it was onward to the Maplewood Inn. A basketball team was just ahead of us at the front desk for check in so ... we went to a nearby Denny's for supper to avoid the crowd. Christine and I had a nice leisurely dinner of haddock for her and spaghetti and meatballs for me ... gotta carboload you know! Back at the Maplewood Inn we quickly checked in and got to our nice room with a king size bed. Sweet! I laid all my stuff out for the next morning and set my alarm for 6AM. Sleep came quickly for me ... not so quickly for Christine. She said that she heard basketball players roaming the halls during the night.

Sunday, 3/8/2015 to Saturday, 3/14/2015 - Johnny's Running of the Green 5 Mile Race

I ran 5 times this week, 20.38 miles.

Sunday, 3/8/2015: 6.6 miles, 1:14:26, 11:24 pace, 34F, 55% RH, 20 mph W wind, wind chill 22F, sunny.

The clocks advanced one hour overnight due to Daylight Savings Time so I woke up a hour later at 8:23AM. There were only three clocks in the apartment to change ... boom, done. Now what? Hmm ... the long range forecast was for temperatures above freezing so ... how about a run/snowshoe/run out to Seneca Park? I had a banana for my pre-run snack, set the timer on the coffee for 11:45 AM, dressed and headed out.

Garmin Connect Activity for Run/Snowshoe/Run

It was a bit windy so I had on my heavy Sugoi long sleeve tech instead of a middle weight under my 1/4 zip Brooks long sleeve pullover on top. I choose the usual CW-X tights and Darn Tough socks on the bottom along with ski mittens, 20 oz water bottle, full balaclava, Brooks beanie and sunglasses. My "go-to" running gear for winter. Those 30 year old (at least) ski mittens are great for keeping my hands warm!

I headed out at a nice and slow pace to the Seneca Park while I held my Dion snowshoes. I got in 1.3 miles before I put them on. Then I did a nice and easy snowshoe walk / mostly run out 2 miles and back 2 miles. I clipped the inside of my right ankle 5(!!) times with my left snowshoe. Man ... did that smart! I knew that I drew blood. Then it was take off the Dion snowshoes and run home another 1.3 miles. It must have looked a bit weird ... but it's what I did. My splits were: 8:59, 12:03, 11:48, 13:03, 12:32, 10:59, 8:20. Kind of easy to figure out what miles were on snowshoes.

My darling wife, Christine, made ribs and sweet potatoes for supper ... mmm! I may be biased but I think she does a better job than Famous Dave's. the Dinosaur or Sticky Lips. Again ... mmm!

Monday, 3/9/2015: Rest day ... almost a workout day. I brought my stuff to work but I was tired and just went home instead.

Tuesday, 3/10/2015: 6.4 miles, 51:55, 8:06 pace, 48F, 50% RH, 6 mph SW wind, most cloudy.

Garmin Connect Activity for Back and Forth on Norris Drive

It was above freezing so I changed into shorts and calf sleeves on the bottom and a long sleeve tech and short sleeve tech on the top along with heavy gloves and a hat. I was a bit overdressed but not by.much. I headed down to Cobbs Hill Park to do hills. The Culver Rd sidewalk was still icy and rutty so I headed down Norris Drive. My plan was to head up to Cobbs Hill the long way. But ... I had a strange pain in the back of my right knee that kind of hurt. I continued on Norris Drive up to Winton Rd N and back to see if it would sort itself out. It kind of did but I didn't want to maybe make it worse by doing hills so I just continued running back and forth on Norris Drive ... avoiding the mud puddles and getting bored to death. My splits were: 7:22, 8:20, 8:17, 8:17, 8:22, 8:09 and 7:46. But a run is a run.

Wednesday, 3/11/2015: Work out!

Yes, I finally made it to LA Fitness to work out! Nothing too special just a set of 12 on the upper body machines mostly.

Thursday, 3/12/2015: A rest day.

Thursday would ordinarily be my day to run. A Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday running schedule works well for me but ... my muscles were still sore for working out on Wednesday.

Friday, 3/13/2015: A rest before a race day.

My usual "don't run the night before a race the next morning" rule. It seems to work for me so I go with it. I went out.

Saturday, 3/14/2015: 3 runs of 2, 0.3 and Johnny's of 5.05 miles, 37F, 93% RH, 5 mph SW wind, wind chill 34F, overcast, a real light mist

I got up around 7AM to do my usual: do the dishes from the previous night, have a banana, get dressed, check the race venue and start time, kiss Christine goodbye. I headed out at 8:28AM. The trip down to the Blue Cross Arena only took 10 minutes.

I was there in plenty of time for my fifth running of Johnny's Running of the Green 5 Mile Race. My lifetime PR for 5 miles was on this course in 2012 at 33:58. I wore my usual running attire for 37F: CW-X tights, medium long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I wore Darn Tough socks and my usual New Balance 860 running shoes. I got out for a real nice and easy warmup run of 2 miles at 8:38 pace, link here. Just before the race I got out for a faster 0.3 stride at 6:57 pace to get my heart rate back up.

The course for Johnny's is a simple out and back. The start this year was at the corner of Court St and Exchange Blvd. I got into the pack in my usual spot about 20 feet back from the front and off to the right. I saw a lot of running friends: some knew me and some I knew (I am somewhat bad with names). Steve Levitsky mentioned that he had taken a 15(!) mile warmup run before the race.

The start! - courtesy of Julie D'Ovidio

And ... we were off! The start went well. I found opening running room as we ran down Exchange Blvd up to Ford St.

Outbound on Exchange Blvd soon after the start - courtesy of Ron Heerkens Jr

Then it was a left onto Ford St, across the Ford St bridge and a right onto Wilson Blvd. Pete called out my time as 7:14 at the 1 mile mark (my Garmin said 7:01). Wendy Abbot and Heather Danielson said "Hi, Doug" as they passed me. I tried to draft them but couldn't keep up. Boots, Ellen and Barb from Fleet Feet were cheering just after the 1 mile mark. I gave me a bit of pep in my step to see them. I could see Mark Herberger just ahead of me but I couldn't keep up. Andy Ciaio passed me and said "Hi". Mile 2 passed in 7:08. I knew that the turnaround was coming soon. I had a bit of trouble with my breathing and took a tiny walk break just before the turnaround. Steve Levitsky passed me for a minute before I passed him and kept him behind me. Mile 3 passed in 7:35. I found my running mojo and kept it in gear the rest of the way. Boots, Ellen and Barb were still cheering just before mile 4 again. Thanks! Up to the Ford St, turn left, over the Ford St bridge and right onto Exchange Blvd. Mile 4 passed in 7:22.

Inbound on Exchange Blvd and grimacing for the finish (as usual) - courtesy of Ron Heerkens Jr.

I was running well but didn't run to start a sprint yet ... still too far to go. I concentrated on keeping my position. I could see the I-490 overpass .. too soon ... crossing Court St, mile 5 in 7:06 pace ... now ... I sprinted into the finish, 36:27, with the last 0.05 mile at 5:35 pace. I was thirsty so I quickly downed a bottle of water. I didn't stick around very long and was soon back home ... places to go.

The sweet Johnny's long sleeve cotton T-shirt

I can beat myself up about this race. Maybe I was too warm or it was too humid. Maybe I'm a wuss. The tiny walk break at the mid point on a 5 mile race ... come on! But ... it's just the start of the spring race season and there is plenty of time to do speed and hill workouts. I did OK officially, 36:18, 7:16 pace, 169th out of 1387, link here. I was 5th out 66 in my M55-59 age group, link here. I was only 11 seconds off the podium.

Wendy Abbot outkicked Heather Danielson to finish in 34:05 and 34:09 respectively. Andy Ciaio finished in 35:57. Steve Levitsky finished in 36:33. I did see that Mark Herberger aged up to the M60-64 age group. He took first with a 35:42.

Soon Christine and I changed gears and were on the road for Lakewood OH. The plan was for a quick trip to celebrate her son, John's, 34th birthday on Saturday night and to see her father in Ravenna OH on Sunday. Our trip to Lakewood OH was uneventful except for a bit of concern when we ran in a 10 mile patch of pea soup fog in PA during the late afternoon. Visibility was reduced to about 1/4 mile. We met up with her daughter, Beth, her finance, Nick and John to have pizza, wings and brownies for supper. We weren't exactly nightowls ... we were all asleep by 11AM.

Sunday, 3/1/2015 to Saturday, 3/6/2015 - Snow Cheap #6

I ran 4 times this week, 32.42 miles.

Sunday, 3/1/2015: 9.3 miles, 1:21:52, 8:48 pace, 18F, 79% RH, calm, light snow

Garmin Connect Activity for A warmer 15K

I slept in more than yesterday but I knew I was still going out anyway. I did the dishes from the previous night and had a bowl of well earned Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It was 20F warmer than the previous morning so I only wore my heavy Sugoi long sleeve tech and 1/4 zip Brooks long sleeve tech on top. I set out nice and easy. My thighs were a bit tight and it didn't go away. It got worse instead. I slowed down, just endured it and didn't walk. I was more than happy to stop. My splits were: 8:27, 8:40, 8:39, 8:58, 8:59, 8:45, 9:12, 8:57, 8:38 and 8:31 over the 0.3 miles.

Soon I was drinking a nice mug of coffee with my feet up. My darling wife, Christine, and I lazed around the rest of the day. We just enjoyed the day.

Monday, 3/2/3015: Rest day ... yada, yada, yada ...

I thought of going to LA Fitness to work on the machine ... but didn't. It felt warm outside ... because the temperature got above freezing for the first time in 20 days according to Accuweather.com.

Tuesday, 3/3/2015: Another rest day ...

The weather during the evening commute sucked. I had all my gear (again) to go to LA Fitness after work. But the weather had other plans. During the afternoon; first it snowed a couple of inches of wet snow ... then freezing rain started. I spent 30 minutes in bumper to bumper traffic going from the Hess station on 104E to the intersection of Lake Ave ... a distance of less than a mile. Why? There was no accident. As soon as I got to where 104E become an expressway traffic sped right up to at least 40-50 mph. I just went home ... whatever.

Wednesday, 3/4/2015: 2 runs of 6 and Snow Cheap #6 of 1.62 miles, 32F, 69% RH, 10 mph W wind, wind chill 24F, overcast.

Tonight was the final Snow Cheap of the 2014-2015 series and also the last time I could wear my Golden Bib that I bought last year. I raced 24 out of 27 possible races with it. Yellow Jacket Racing did not offer it again in 2015 but it was fun while it lasted!

My "Golden Bib" survived 24 races pretty well!

I wanted to get some pre-miles in so I brought all my gear that I could possible need with me so I could go down to Riley Lodge at Cobbs Hill Park right after work. I changed at work and got down there around 5:30PM. I met up with Carl Camillo and Chris O'Brien for a bit and talked running. Carl had to go mentor No-Boundaries and Chris had to get up to run a bit of the course backwards to gauge the conditions. It was 32F and felt warm compared to the weather in the weeks before. I decided to head up to reservoir and run the road around the reservoir to get pre-miles. The sidewalk up the east side of Culver was crap so I headed up the long way at a nice and easy pace but mindful of cars since there was no shoulder due to the snow. When I got up to the reservoir I decided to run loops. I was on my third loop when I saw the driver of a car just dump garbage out the passenger window ... what? I picked up the garbage and dumped it into a garbage can on my last loop. It was getting dark and I was wearing little reflectivity and had no headlamp so I headed carefully back to the Equinox. I took the short way back, down Monroe Ave and Culver Rd. I got 6 miles in, link here. My splits were: 8:50, 9:02, 8:35, 8:40, 8:12 and 9:02 ... just nice and easy to get miles in the tank. Gotta get to 100 miles in March you know!

I had 30 minutes to get ready for Snow Cheap #6. I saw Chris O'Brien and he told me about the snow conditions. He said that the snow was deep and that he was going to run with snowshoes. So ... I went out to the Equinox and got mine too. I had taken a layer off so I was a bit chilly standing around before the start. I took a bit of a run out from the start. Wow ... did I kick up snow! Some of it landing on my back and was it cold! Runners that didn't have snowshoes remarked that they wanted to avoid runners with snowshoes because of all the snow they kicked up ... can't blame them but it was my traction choice of the night.



And ... we were off! It was a bit of a scrum like usual. I tried to run out of the beaten down track for a while but that was strenuous so I got in behind everyone after a couple hundred yards.

A line of runners seen from the start line

Then it was just a matter of running when I could and walking when I had to either because someone was walking in front of me or because I just couldn't run ... which did happen a couple of times. The snow was crusty and a bit icy but deep in spots. The trek up the switchback and along the side of the Reservoir Rd was mainly just walking due to the hill or the deep snow. Later in the race sometimes I could pass by breaking out of the track when the snow bore my weight but other times I just sank and couldn't move so I just went back into the track with everyone else. I mainly tried to get going at a semblance of a run.

Close to the end!

I could hear Ellen announcing at the finish ... push ... deep snow ... push ... finish. And ... 1.62 miles done in 22:20. A bunch of runners passed right me at the finish but I broke the finish before them. I did OK, 41st out of 196 and 6th out of 15 in my M50-59 age group, link here.

I ditched my snowshoes and changed into my Snow Cheap series hoodie before I could get chilled. My fingertips didn't get white this time. The post race pizza party was quite filling ... nice! I stuck around for the Winter Warrior and Snow Cheap awards while I talked running with Amy Lord, Tom Butler and Chris O'Brien.

Soon I was home. I dragged all my gear back in the apartment in one trip ... which was quite an accomplishment. I hung everything that was wet up and stowed everything else, stripped, changed into my sweats and put my feet up ... done for the day.

Oh, today was also my brother, Don, 64th birthday. He said that the warmth today was due to the candles on his birthday cake!

Double Oh! Courtney Wagner, the Canandaigua senior who has brain cancer got to Ellen! Links here from Ellentube, here from the D&C, here from whec10 and here to a fundraiser.

Thursday, 3/5/2015: Date night!

My darling wife, Christine, and I attended the Trail Film Festival at the Little Theatre hosted by Fleet Feet Rochester. We treated it as a date night. We had never been in the Little Theatre. It was an old style theatre with old style,  high school type seats. I still fit though!

The TFF was presented by Rainshadow Running from the Pacific Northwest. Here is a selection of the film lineup with links: 2013 Mt. Marathon, The Traveler, The Barkley Marathon: The Race That Eats Its Young, The Crossing, 2014 Gorge Waterfalls 50K, 100: Head/Heart/Feet, 3022, Around Patagnoia and The Long Haul (had trouble finding a link to this movie about Mike Wolfe and Hal Koerner's attempt on the John Muir Trail). The movies made me want to find a trail!

Friday, 3/6/2015: Rest day

The usual rest day before a long run the next morning ... in this case, the Round the Bay run.

Saturday, 3/7/2015: 14.5 miles, 2:01:21, 8:21 pace, 21F, 58% RH, 7 mph SW wind, wind chill 12F, overcast

I got up a bit earlier than when I go to work, around 5:45AM. Time for my seventh (yes, 7) Round the Bay run. I checked the temp, just 19F. I ate just a banana, got dressed with the usual cold weather gear, kissed Christine and headed out.around 6:30AM. I got down to the west end of the Swing Bridge in Irondequoit around 6:45AM. I geared up with a hand bottle and a HammerGel that I put in a Amphipod tucked in my CW-X tights.


The parking lot was congested and some late arrivals had trouble finding a place to park. There seemed to be around 100 hardcore runners. I recognized some. Then just like that we headed out. The run up Culver Rd was an eye opener and a warmup for the legs. We all sorted out after a mile or so by our speeds as we ran down Culver Rd. I had made up my mind that I was going to do the long route with all the hills so I headed down Bayshore and GlenHaven. Bill Beyerbach said "Hey" as he passed me at mile 4. I kept him in sight as I ran down the hills and walked a bit on the uphills. I would pass a couple runners on the downs and get passed on the ups. I stopped at the impromtu aid station at mile 7 on Orchard Park Blvd and had my HammerGel and some water. Then it was down Empire Blvd and back up the mile long hill on the other side of Irondequoit Bay. I took a few walk breaks for 100 feet or so more than once. Then I turned down Bay Rd and tried to bring it in the best I could. On and on ... 13.1 miles in about 1:50:00. The wind kicked up as I turned onto Lake Rd. It was bone chilling and froze my face but I knew the Swing Bridge was near ... in sight ... over the steel grating ... run until 14.5 miles ... done. I looked at my Garmin for my pace: 8:21 min/mile, not bad. I ended home after downing a few brownies. Soon ... I had a mug of hot coffee and my legs were up. A nice way to start a morning!