Hi All,

Sunday, 3/25 - Saturday, 3/31: 24.3 miles
Month of March: 86.7 miles, I ran 17 out of 31 days

I ran about 9 miles on Sunday around Newark. I finished by going down the Route 88 south hill then back towards home. I carried water and I did have to stop four times. But a good first long run.

I ran 5 miles during lunch on Tuesday and Thursday at work. The big difference was the temperature. It was 60F on Tuesday and I had no endurance, stopping six times. It was 40F on Thursday and I didn't stop once. I think the difference was that I sweat a whole lot more when it's hotter. So I will have to remember to tank up with water before, during and after a warm or hot run. I have gotten used to running during the cold weather when that is not so important.

I cross-trained by taking a 2 mile walk during lunch. I ran the 4.3 mile Happy Hour Run at Fleet Feet on Monroe Ave in Rochester when I picked up my packet for the Spring Forward 15K on Sunday. I ran with the lead pack then broke away when I turned the corner onto Monroe Ave. I think I ran around 31 minutes which is around a 7:20 mile pace. Not bad for a fun run.

I am not running today, resting up for the 15K on Sunday. I want to run 8 minute miles to finish under 75 minutes but the course down at Mendon Ponds is hilly so we will see. The temperature should be relatively cool so that is good.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, 3/18 to Saturday, 3/24: 14 miles

I only ran three times this week, all up at work during lunch. Monday, 4.6 miles, a zoo run on the streets. Wednesday, 4.4 miles, a zoo run on the trail. Friday, 5 miles, a zoo run to the bottom of the hill. The snow has almost all melted! I didn't run on Saturday to rest up for a long run on Sunday. The Spring Forward 15K is coming up on April 1st!

Lots of other stuff happened this week. My father entered the Wayne County Nursing Home in Lyons on Thursday. Hopefully he will respond well to therapy and come back home before summer.

My last dance class was Tuesday. Now I need to find someone to practice my limited dance knowledge with ... if I can.

I attended an 80th birthday party for my Aunt Eleanor on Saturday night. It was nice to get out of blue jeans for once! It was also nice seeing some of my late mother's relatives that I haven't seen for a while. I told enough people that I will be running the Rochester Marathon on my 50th birthday on September 16th that I have to do it. I will sign up soon.

Keep running, Doug

Donate Blood!

Hi all,

I donated blood for the 58th time on Tuesday. My blood pressure was 108/80, my pulse was 50. Only 4% of eligible people donate blood from what I read. It really doesn't hurt except for the needle stick plus you get cookies and juice at the end! Plus sometimes you get stuff ... this time I got a free ticket to a Rochester Knighthawks game during March and April!

So go to http://www.donatebloodnow.org and schedule your blood draw today!

Keep running, Doug

Happy St. Patrick's Day, 2007!

Hi all,

Sunday 3/10 - Saturday 3/17, 19.3 miles.

Rochester weather went from one extreme to another this week. Sunday was around freezing with a 5.3 mile run on the short usual route around my house. Tuesday was around 55F with a 4.6 mile run out to Rochester zoo on the streets since the trail run was still icy. Thursday was around 40F with a run out to the Rochester zoo on the trail, the snow was practically all melted due to the warm weather. Then Friday night and all of Saturday it snowed about 8 inches of the wet, heavy snow that March can bring.

But now the good part. I ran the Johnny Runnin' of the Green 5 mile up in Rochester along with 760 runners crazy enough to run in 20F, snowy weather on St. Patrick's Day. I didn't rabbit and ran a nice 7:38 first mile. I could have sworn that I slowed down after that but when I turned the last corner and got close enough I was amazed to see I was going to beat my PR of 38 minutes. I crossed the line at 37:34 in a 7:31 mile pace ... bettering my PR by 26 seconds! I seem to set all my PRs in cold weather ... maybe I just want to get in out of the cold!

The race results are at: http://grtconline.org/2007Results/JOHNNYGREENORD.HTML

I am the third runner (with the green sweatshirt tied around the neck) in the picture just crossing the line.

I placed 169th out of 760. There was other people that I knew that ran, though I didn't see them: Mike, Eileen and Sara. I stayed for a while to sample some of the usual beverages consumed on St. Patrick's Day and to watch some of the parade. I got more exercise when I got home shoveling the six inches of snow that was in my driveway to greet me. Then more fell after I got done. The snow won't last. The forecast is for 50s and 60s by the end of the week.

I will really need my running in the future to deal with the mounting pressures in my life: work, trying to get divorced, my father in the hospital and other things. It would be nice if someone special could share my PRs. Running helps ... I enjoy it and it's good for me, though while I am doing it I have my doubts!

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday 3/4 - Saturday 3/10: 19 miles.

The cold weather did indeed come on Monday with bone chilling cold and wind and Tuesday. I had to cancel out on going down to Ithaca College to see my son's concert on Monday night. It was just too dangerous. It has warmed up. This afternoon it was 40F. I think spring is just around the corner.

I ran 4 miles on the treadmill on Sunday,Thursday and Friday. The treadmill needs some work. It slipped a lot, especially on Friday. I think I have a lot of time to fix it since the weather has turned for the better.

I ran about 7 miles on Saturday morning, adding on some mileage to my regular route. I think that running just 14 hours after running on the treadmill did affect my performance, I had to stop and walk four times. Also I think my mind was playing tricks on me. I was running a new route so I didn't know the mileage.

Keep running, Doug

P.S. The Runnin' of the Green 5 mile is coming up on St. Patrick's Day!

Hi All,

Sunday, 2/25 - Saturday 3/3: 29.1 miles. February: 83.3 miles, I ran 19 out of 28 days.

The weather broke a little bit this week ... it got above freezing for a couple of days. So I ran outside 4 out of 5 days. I ran 5.3 on Sunday, 6.3 on Wednesday and 5.3 on Friday out at home and 4.6 on Thursday at work. I ran 4 miles on the treadmill on Monday.

The weather is turning back towards winter plus real life is intruding so my mileage will be down next week.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday 2/18 - Saturday 2/24: 24.1 miles.

I have become somewhat obsessed with running of late. I have run 9 out of the past 10 days. This week was another bookend with outside runs on Sunday (Polar Cat #6 5K) and Saturday (5 miles) along with four treadmills runs of 4 miles each during the week after work.

I have a new routine on the 4.0 incline treadmill. It's 2 miles at 7 mph, 1.625 miles at 7.5 mph, 0.25 mile at 8 mph and 0.125 at 9 mph. It's over in 34 minutes plus a cool down of 5 minutes at 3 mph.

February has been a snowy month. I saw a weather report that said that Rochester has gotten 39.9 inches of snow this month which makes it the 4th snowiest February on record. Well, the couple of inches that we got last night will make it the 3rd snowiest ... which is why my treadmill has seen so much use this month.

One thing about running is that I can occasionally eat the "bad" foods without any effect. Over the past couple of years I have gone from 182 pounds down to around 168 pounds. This also means that I have gone from wearing a 36-36 jean on my 6' 3" frame to a loose 34-36 jean. Now if I could convince myself to work out my upper body. All the running magazines say that I should cross-train.

I like running because I can go out and think about nothing at all or "run away from my problems" as one woman put it. Non-runners find excuses, runners run. It doesn't matter how fast or how far, just run. Well, there are worse things I could do with my spare time I guess.

Keep running, Doug

P.S. I have signed up for the Runnin' of the Green 5 Mile on St. Patrick's Day, http://www.johnnysirishpub.com/greenreg.htm, and the Spring Forward 15K, http://www.yellowjacketracing.com/Spring%20Forward.htm, on April Fool's Day. I had better get out for some long runs!

Hi All,

Sunday 2/11 - Saturday 2/17: 18 miles.

The weather relented so I could run two 5 milers on Sunday and Saturday and two 4 mile runs on the treadmill on Wednesday and Friday. I have a new routine: 3.75 miles at 7 mph and a 0.25 mile at 8 mph. It's a good workout.

Plus I got three workouts outside shoveling my driveway. I am not like some people who either have a plow come do it or just drive over it. I like a clean driveway.

Today, the Polar Cat #6 5K was held in Newark. So I braved the elements: 20F, a little snow, a little wind. I ran a 23:32 and placed 7th out of 25. I was third in my age group. The male 45-49 age group is a tough one. The results are at: http://www.grtconline.org/2007Results/2007PolarCat-6.html

I picked up an application for Johnny's Runnin' of the Green on St. Patrick's Day. It's a 5 miler up in Rochester. It will be my next race hopefully. I am also thinking of the Spring Forward 15K on April 1st.

Keep running, Doug

Happy Valentine's Day, 2007!

Hi all,

A Happy Valentine's Day to all the women who read my blog ... Ok, don't all crowd in at once!

It was sunny, cold and relatively calm on Sunday, 2/11, so I did a 5 miler outside. Just up and down Grace Ave twice. It was nice to get outside but a bit nippy!

Today I am taking a snow day. We have gotten 10 inches of snow so far today and it's still snowing. The forecast is for about 6 to 12 more before it's all done tonight. Right now, it's 18F and the wind is starting to pick up.

I have made a things-to-do list and I am trying to check them off. One thing will be a nice 4 mile run on the treadmill.

Well, wherever you are reading this from I hope you are staying warm!

Keep running, Doug

Hi all,

Sunday 2/4 - Saturday 2/10: 16 miles.

Well, it's on the treadmill! I ran 4 times; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I have a new 4 mile routine, all at 4.0 incline: 3.5 miles at 6.5 mph, .25 mile at 7 mph and .25 mile at 8 mph. It's a good workout and it's done in about 40 minutes.

The weather was just too cold and windy for me! Most of the week had temps struggling to get into the teens and wind chill struggling to get above zero! Well, at least there wasn't very much snow ... unlike around Oswego NY which got around 100 inches in a week!

Here is a link to a CNN gallery about the snow in upstate NY:
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/us/0702/gallery.lessthanzero.ireports/frameset.exclude.html. Look at the eighth picture in this gallery. It's taken from the bridge overlooking the Lower Falls in Rochester NY. Well, that bridge is about one hundred yards from where I work. I run over that bridge to and from the Genesee River Trail when the weather is good.

My dance class is one half over and is going well. I can do an OK impression of the swing ... less so the waltz and two-step. The instructors keep on threatening us with the polka, though.

Keep running, Doug