Hi All,

Sunday, June 10th to Saturday, June 16th: 6 miles

Yes, you read that right ... a whopping 6 miles. I ran a slow 5 miler (greater than 9:00 pace) on Sunday to try out my new Pearl Izumi trail running shoes. I felt the usual pain in my right calf but this time it was sharp. I iced it and took ibuprofen. Then I ran a measured mile at Fleet Feet on Wednesday. I ran a 6:56. The same sharp pain was there. Ellen says I have a knot in my calf that needs to be worked out. I did manage to get a massage on Friday. So I am not running for the time being. I think I will try to get my bicycle tuned up so I can crosstrain.

Personally, it was a busy weekend. I hung out with JK on Friday night watching 'Night at the Musuem' and went up the Rochester Jazz Festival on Saturday to listen to the The Capitals and Rusted Root. There were thousands and thousands of people at the Jazz Festival. I was a first-timer and was totally amazed. I also tried a DeCaf Mocha Latte at Spot Coffee afterwards.

My brother and I saw my father at the nursing home for a father's Day party on Saturday afternoon. We took him outside to see the car show in the parking lot. We had some hotdogs and pop for lunch. It was a good day to see Dad, he was 'there'.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, June 3rd to Saturday, June 9th: 21.5 miles

I only ran twice this week. Real life plus a tight right calf got in the way. I took my car in for service at RTR Enterprise in Palmyra on Wednesday for a left wheel bearing, front pads and rotors. Rather than wait around for two hours while it was done I decided to go out for a run. I headed over to the canal trail and headed west out and past Macedon 6.2 miles (49:00, a 7:54 pace), with a 0.2 mile break and 6.2 miles back (total 1:44:21, a 8:20 pace). The weather was perfect, mid 60s and sunny.

Today I ran in the PowerBar 9 mile Trail Race at Mendon Ponds put on by Fleet Feet. This was the second trail run for me ... by far the most difficult. The course was up, down, sideways and a little slippery ... particularly when we have to come down a rather steep hill. I finished 100th out of 136, in 1:29:46, a 9:58 pace. The results are here. As usual Fleet Feet put on a great race with a great post-race party. Afterwards I checked out the Outdoor Expo close by. I tried out a kayak for the first time. It was quite relaxing and fun.

This is Newarkfest weekend. Friday was quite the washout. The weather was initially around 90F. A severe thunderstorm rolled in around 7PM with lightning and high winds. A transformer blew and cut the power in a lot of Newark. I headed over and saw a couple of trees down on Bartle Ave. I tried to get something to eat but just ended up have a couple of beers at the Elks Lodge. Tonight there was quite the crowd ... quite young and perhaps looking for trouble.

My father has been moved upstairs at the Wayne County Nursing Home. He still knows who I am but often doesn't know where he is, where I live, etc. All I can say if that you should cherish your parents while they are alive and aware ... you can never tell when that may change.

Keep running, Doug

P.S. Oh, I signed up for the BoilerMaker 15K in Utica on July 8th.

Please Give Blood, June 7th, 2007

Hi All,

I gave blood for the 59th time today. I have had a drop of my blood spun to check if my iron level was high enough. A first for me.

My pulse was 50, my blood pressure was 118/68. My blood draw took 10 minutes. I was in and out in 45 minutes.

So remember ... please give blood. If you are squeasmish about needles, just shut your eyes ... I do. If you don't give blood, please consider donating money to the American Red Cross. You may not save your own life but you could save someone you care about. Sign up at: http://www.donatebloodnow.org.

Keep healthy, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, May 27th to Saturday, June 2nd: 26.6 miles
Month of May: 120 miles, I ran 17 out 31 days

I only ran three times this week. I ran 6.75 on one of my usual routes in Newark on Monday (Memorial Day), 52:42, a 7:49 pace and Wednesday night, 52:21, a 7:46 pace.

I also ran 13.1 miles, a slow 2:02:05, a 9:16 pace, on a new route around Newark on Saturday morning ... like a dummy. I did carry water though ... a point in my favor. When I started around 9:30AM, it was already 77F. By the time I finished around noon ... running out of water at 10 miles, it was 88F. I was close to my house and drenched myself with water since I was seeing spots. I made it inside and immediately drank a Gatorade and spent some time on the floor with my legs up waiting for the tingling in my hands to go away. Well at least I know the warning signs. I should have run early Sunday morning but I am stubborn.

Things are really starting to pop on the running front. I have signed up for Fleet Feets Long Distance training program to give me some pointers on running the Rochester marathon in September. Race-wise, I am signed up for the Powebar 9 mile trail run in Mendon Ponds next Saturday and will probably run in the Medved 5K at Frontier Field on Father's Day. Janet will be in town from WA and might run. It will be fun to catch up if I see her. I am not going to sign up for many 5Ks so I may run all out. Maybe I can figure out my Forerunner 305s Virtual Runner feature to push myself. Then after that is the Harborfest 10K, the Furry Scurry 10K, the Firecracker 5 Mile and the Boilermaker 15K. Yes, I have signed up the GRTC bus trip to the Boilermaker on July 8th ... now to sign up for the race. I know I said that I wouldn't sign up for so many races ... but I have succumbed to the siren call of the race!

I went up to the Green Lantern on Friday night for a singles dance. I danced some. I hung out with a friend, JK, on Saturday night to watch a movie. I thought ahead and watched the Cleveland Cavs close out the Detroit Pistons to advance to the NBA Finals against the San Antonia Spurs via tape delay. I may have found the motivation that I have needed to get off my ass and starting doing the stuff that I need to get done. Time will tell.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, May 20th to Saturday, May 26th: 30.1 miles

I ran in the Lilac 10K on Sunday in 46:22, a 7:29 pace, and the usual two 4.4 mile runs during lunch on Tuesday and Thursday. I upped the long run on Saturday to 15.1 miles. I finished in 2:10:00, a 8:38 pace. I stopped for a water break at miles 6 and 11.

I had some hi-tech and low-tech help during my long run. I just bought a Forerunner 305 and Camelbak Rogue from Amazon.com.

The Forerunner 305 is way cool, you can look down at your wrist and see your elapsed time, pace and distance. It will really help with my sense of pace during my long runs! If you are serious about your running, run ... don't walk ... and buy one! Plus you can upload to your PC or Mac using the Garmin Training Center where you can see your time and pace or upload to MotionBased.com where you can see your route on a street map plus more. Again ... way cool!

Wearing and using the Camelbak Rogue took some getting used to. First I had to figure out how to bite the mouthpiece to get water out. Then just the sheer fact of carrying about 2.1 liters (almost 5 pounds total) on your back while I ran and listening to the slosh of the water. But all in all, carrying water will help me during the hot summer to come

I must tell you though ... running 15.1 miles tired me out for most of the afternoon.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

I ran my first Lilac Festival 10K today, www.lilacfestival.com. I am the tall guy second from the right. The results are here. I ran a 7:12 first mile, a 22:38 5K, a 29:04 four mile and faded to a 46:22, a 7:29 pace. The course is a gentle downhill for the first mile or so but you have to run back up when you are finishing. I finished 213th out of 931, 22nd in my age group. I stuck around to smell some of the lilacs.

Then I headed out to Williamson to have lunch at the annual Williamson Airport Fly-In Breakfast, sponsored by the Williamson Flying Club. The usually excellent pancakes, sausage and eggs was served.

I am pretty tired now and could use a nap.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, May 12th to Saturday, May 19th: 21.8

I ran my usual 6.8 miles on Sunday. I may go longer on Saturday and shorter on Sunday in the coming months. I ran my usual 4.4 mile zoo run during lunch on Tuesday and Thursday.

I ran the Williamson Appleblossom 10K on Friday night. It was on a new course starting from the middle school. My PR in a 10K was 47:37 ... well, no more. I ran a 6:55 first mile, a 22:20 5K (an unofficial PR), a 29:00 four miles and hung on to run a 45:13, a 7:18 pace ... a PR by 2:19! I was 11th overall out of 50 and got another third in my tough age group of 45-49, receiving another jar of sour cherry preserves. The results are here. I was a rabbit to the first woman to finish who hung on me for a couple of miles before passing me around mile four. The post race feed was pretty good with hot dogs, apples, lots of cookies, yogurt, water and chocolate milk.

Today, I am resting ... if you consider mowing and weed-wacking the lawn resting. The back of my right calf is sore. I am running in the Lilac 10K tomorrow morning. I don't know if I will PR again ... but who knows?

Keep running, Doug

Happy Mother's Day, 2007!

Hi All,

Sunday, May 6th to Saturday, May 12th: 29.8 miles

I found out that my usual running route was not 7.2 miles but actually 6.8 miles, which made for inaccurate pace times. I have adjusted all my previous blog entries.

I ran an easy 6.8 miles on Sunday in 55:00, a 8:05 pace. Then I ran my usual zoo runs on Tuesday and Friday. My Saturday long run of 13.6 miles on Saturday was good. The weather was rather cool, mid 50s with a cool wind out of the north. I ran a first 6.8 miles in 53:30, a 7:52 pace. After stopping for three minutes for hydration and gel, I went out for my second 6.8 miles in 55:34, a 8:10 pace. The total time was 1:52:34, a 8:17 pace.

I went to the Green Lantern Inn, www.thegreenlanterninn.com, on Friday night for a singles dance. It was "m" night .. I danced with three women named Marcia, Marie (who schooled me in the swing and waltz) and her friend, Mary. Marie told me about a dance school in Waterloo on Sundays at 5PM that I may check out.

I went up to the Water City Music Hall, www.waterstreetmusic.com, on Saturday afternoon to watch the Knighthawks, www.knighthawks.net, play the Arizona Sting. The Hawks got screwed out of their right to host the championship because of the circus being in town. So the NLL changed to the venue to Phoenix, Arizona. It was a great game televised on Versus, www.versus.com. The Hawks jumped to a 7-2 lead, led 7-4 at half, 10-6 after 3 quarters, were almost caught at 11-10, then won 13-11 to take the 2007 NLL championship. It was great, hanging with the K'Hawks Krew, and willing the Hawks to the championship!

Next week will be busy. I will be running in the Williamson Applefest 10k on Friday night and the Lilac Festival 10K on Sunday morning.

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, April 29th to Saturday, May 5th: 29.5 miles
Month of April: 98.9 miles, I ran 15 out 30 days

I upped my mileage this week. I ran my 6.8 mile route on Sunday. Then I ran my usual 4.6 mile zoo runs on the street at work on Tuesday and Thursday. I carried my cell phone in my hydration belt and kept a watchful eye out. Today I ran my 6.8 mile route twice for 13.6 miles. My times were 52:01 (7:39 pace) after 6.8 miles and 1:52:18 (8:15 pace). I stopped for 30 seconds on each loop and 3.5 minutes at the turn for hydration and gel.

I went to the Green Lantern in Fairport, www.thegreenlanterninn.com, for their Singles Dance on Friday night. I danced but with no one to write home about. I passed by the new Wal-Mart SuperCenter west of Macedon on Route 31 that just opened. Why do we need another Wal-Mart here? Where are the shoppers going to come from? Just another reason (read: another stoplight) for me to avoid traveling Route 31 up to Rochester. When I go to work in Rochester I head down to Manchester to hop on the Thruway to 490W so I can use my EZPass, www.e-zpassny.com. I don't hit any stop lights until I get off on the Inner Loop at Saint Paul Street.

A word about runner stuff. I have two black toenails (one on each foot) again plus a open sore on the inside of my right ankle where my left shoe clips me occasionally. I need to find something to protect it when I am running. I also put up a countdown clock to the Rochester marathon. Thanks to www.boilermaker.com for the idea and www.bloke.com for the countdown script. Hmmm ... running the Boilermaker 15K in Utica on July 8th.

Another thing ... the Grey's Anatomy episode which introduced Addison's possible spinoff had an interesting moment. One woman said that the reason she ran so much was so she didn't think about not getting any sex from her husband (who turned out to have a tumor, of course). It was hilarious!

Keep running, Doug

Hi All,

Sunday, 4/22 to Saturday, 4/29: 26.2 miles

A lot went on this week ... not all good. My running was good as usual. I did two zoo runs of 4.4 miles on Tuesday and Thursday. I also ran 5.3 miles on Sunday and my usual long run of 12.1 miles (6.8 + 5.3) today. I PR'ed again with a 1:39:11, 8:12 pace. My intermediate splits were 5K of 23:50 (7:41 mile pace) and 6.8 miles of 52:15. I had a PowerBar Performance bar before I headed out. I had more energy today. I stopped only twice for a minute each and three minutes when I went by my house at 6.8 miles. I was definitely in the zone where I felt I could run for a long ways. I clipped my inside right ankle with my left sneaker eight times and ended up with a blood spot on my sock. Cool!

I went out to see the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra at the Smith Opera House on Thursday night. I was one of the younger ones in the audience. The music was very good ... some of it first played before I was born. One of their trumpet players was 82 and Tommy Dorsey was 88. They both can still play very well.

The not so good part. I had been heading out for two mile walks lately during lunchtime at work. Just a walk on the Genesee River Trail to the mile tree and back. Well on Friday I headed a little later than usual. I was walking back on the trail in the area where it dips down where you are isolated. Well, two black males (1 tall, 1 shorter and stocky, both wearing red) were coming the other way. I nodded when I approached and the shorter one just ran up and hit me on the left side of my head, knocking my glasses off. No words were spoken, no robbery attempt was made. I kept on going, they kept on going. If I see them again, I will recognize them. I have seen them before. Last week on a hot day, they were just hanging out in the same area of the trail when I walked by. They were still there when I came back so I took a shortcut up to the street above the trail. This time there was no time, it all happened so quickly. This is the first time I have even been hit while running or walking.

I didn't let this assault stop me from seeing the Knighthawks, www.knighthawks.net, play the Buffalo Bandits in the MLL Eastern conference finals. I parked on the street like usual. It was a very tense game, it seemed that the Hawks were down by two goals all night. They just seemed a step slow all night. They were three down going into the 4th quarter, tied it up late, went up by one, got tied and went into OT. John Grant ended it 26 seconds into OT. The Hawks won 14-13.

I am watching the news right now. There was a homicide on Avenue D on Friday night (a couple blocks from work). Senseless violence at a party. The area where I work on Saint Paul Street is not exactly the safest.

Keep running, Doug