Sunday, 9/19/10 to Saturday, 9/25/10

I ran 4 times this week, 28.8 miles.

Sun, 9/19: 7.7 miles, 65:02, 8:26 pace, 56F, cloudy, damp, 1 stop for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Run to Wildmere Drive and back

I headed out around 9:30AM for a nice, easy run. I headed up Seneca to Titus to Cooper to St Paul. I turned around at Wildmere and headed back down St Paul, side trip on Winona, back to Ridge and home. It wasn't the best run. My left edge of my left foot hurt ... probably due to the old shoes. Oh well!

After a bit, CJ and I headed down to the Palmyra VFW for my father's 85th birthday party. We rented a van and 'sprang' him out of the nursing home for a bit. Afterward, my brother, sister, CJ and I went to Parker's Restaurant in Newark for a bite to eat and to catch up. A good time was had by all!

Mon, 9/20: Rest day.

After a day of work, CJ and I just relaxed ... a good time was had by all :-). The network shows are starting up, we watched Chuck and Castle. Thank goodness, we have a DVR plus you can watch shows on the internet!

Tue, 9/21: 6.1 miles, 51:22, 8:26 pace, FF Cobbs Hill run, 78F, sunny, calm, 1 stop for hydration, no pain.

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

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Cobbs Hill run. It was the last day of summer and fittingly it was warm: 78F, sunny but not humid. I ran up in an easy pace and did 3 Y's. CJ went to the Fleet Feet Walking Program.

After a stop to Wegmans for some supplies, we had our usual pasta dinner. We watched our usual Tuesday shows: NCIS and NCIS:LA off the DVR.

Wed, 9/22: Rest night. Just your old fashioned left-over dinner.

Thu, 9/23: 10 miles, 1:27;42, 8:46 pace, Zoo trail run, 72F, sunny, calm, 1 stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Zoo trail run up to Rourke Bridge and back

I went out for a nice Zoo trail run. I went out to the Rourke Bridge and back. I got there in 4.6 miles, 37:50, 8:13 pace. I hydrated for 2 minutes or so, then headed back: 5.4 miles, about 47:52, 8:52 pace. I built up a nice sweat, it was pretty sweet! CJ went out to Planet Fitness for a 26 mile bicycle ride burning 400-ish calories.

We watched a DVR'ed Fringe and Grey's Anatomy. Nice!

Fri, 9/24: 5 miles, 41:27, 8:17 pace, 85F, sunny, windy, 4 stops for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + loop

CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. Since it was the last Friday of the month, it was backwards. It was hot and somewhat humid, I stopped 4 times for hydration ... still I ran 8:17 pace. I must have been running faster than what I felt, I felt sluggish. But you can't argue with the Garmin I guess. CJ walked 2.7 miles. I was a bit worried when she wasn't back when it started to get a bit dark.

After the run, I spent some money. I signed up for the Fleet Feet Autumn Class Trail Race. I also took advantage of the Expo sale and hooked myself up with a pair of green Brooks Adrenaline GTS10s in size 13 for only $80, a sweet $20 off! I can finally retire my old blue pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS9s with 713.6 miles on them! Yes, they were getting way long in the tooth ... they had definitely lost more than a bit of cushion!

We watched a DVR of Monday's Hawaii Five-O.

Sat, 9/25: A rest day. After a lazy morning, CJ and I headed out to Newark to get my father's mail from his PO Box and to get my hair cut at Mason's. Maybe I should get a barber up in Rochester ... I have only lived up here for almost 2 years.

Supper was exceptional. CJ made a shrimp salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and mushrooms! We washed it down with some Hardy's Riesling.

Sunday, 9/12/10 to Saturday, 9/18/10

I ran 4 times this week, 29.3 miles.

Sun, 9/12: 14.1 miles, 2:01:04, 8:35 pace, 60F, overcast, humid, 2 stops for gel and water, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to the lake and more

I didn't run the Rochester Marathon or Half this year again. So I headed out around 9AM to go at least 13.1 miles. I headed down to the lake as usual. I took a slightly different route. I headed down Seneca to Titus to Cooper to St Paul to Lake Shore to the lake. I ran slowly along the beach. I discovered that I had accidentally stopped my Garmin on the way down. I estimate that I shut it off for 0.9 miles or 7:12 while I was running 8:00 pace. It was not the greatest run. I ran OK down to the lake but not so well back from the lake. I ran faster down to the lake but slower from the lake ... like usual. But a run is always better than no run.

Kudos to all the runners in the Rochester full, half and relay marathon today. Maybe next year ...

Tue, 9/14: 5.3 miles, 44:40, 8:25 pace, 64F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Cobbs Hill run, 2 y's, 1 hill

I went down to Fleet Feet for just your average Cobbs Hill run. I did 2 Y's plus ran down and up the hill on the left hand Y for good measure. I didn't push since Dirt Cheap #6 is tomorrow.

Wed, 9/15: 3.7 miles, 38:02, FF DC #6, 60F, sunny, calm, walked some hills, no pain.


Actually 38:02 ... I forgot to turn off my Garmin!

Taken just before a big downhill that Barb warned us about
CJ and I headed down to Ellison Park Wetlands for the final Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap of the year. The weather was excellent, there was just a bit of mud. I started out too fast and had to let some people pass to catch my wind. I did pretty well actually. I finished 58th out of 174, results here. I finished 5th out of 13 in my age group, results here.

Thu, 9/16: 3.05 mile walk, Benches on Parade, 65F, cloudy, rainy, a bit of knee pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Benches on Parade

CJ and I went down to Henry B's for Fleet Feet's Benches on Parade scavenger run/walk. We headed out to collect a piece of a puzzle from each of 20 painted benches. It was a warm, sometimes rainy night. We were a bit damp when we got back to Henry B's to assemble our puzzle and scarf some appetizers! Then it was back to the apartment to celebrate my 53rd birthday!

Fri, 9/17: 6.2 miles, 49:49, 8:02 pace, FF Happy Hour run, 60F, 1 stop for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + 2 loops

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. I ran a bit hard. I did the usual route plus I added 2 loops around the reservoir. I was dripping wet with sweat when I finished. A nice, sweet workout. CJ baked me a nice chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for my birthday! Yum, yum!

Sat, 9/18: CJ and I took a road trip down to Painted Post near Corning. We met her brother and his wife at an Applebees for lunch. Afterward we made a side trip over to Houghton to try to see my daughter. We learned that she was at the Lower Falls at Letchworth State Park. We tried to met up with her but later learned that she was on the west side and we were on the east side. We were at the Parade Grounds entrance where we saw the south entrance of the Finger Lakes Trail heading north. It was compelling ... just thinking about putting on my trail running gear that I just so happened to have in the trunk and just heading north. I so wanted to do it ... just for the fun. But ... we motored home instead. Some day soon I want to run south from the Dam all the way to the Parade Grounds just to prove to myself that I can do it. It will require a bit of planning though ... and 3 to 4 hours of trail running.

Sunday, 9/5/10 to Saturday, 9/11/10

I ran 3 times this week, 15.6 miles.

Sun, 9/5: A definite rest day for both CJ and I. The most exercise I got was walking to get the Sunday paper. We did get out to pay the rent on the apartment, her storage unit and to the Racino out in Farmington. Lots of people and slot machines. We tried our luck ... entertainment was had, luck was not.

Mon, 9/6: Happy Labor Day! CJ and I lazed around ... celebrating the first anniversary of our first meeting in 32 years on 9/5/09, last Labor Day. So ... we celebrated one day late, we were resting up ;-)! My long long love, CJ, and I are together ... enjoying life together!

Tue: 9/7: 5.5 miles, walked some hills, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Ellison Park Wetlands White Trail

CJ and I didn't want to run or walk on the road. CJ suggested the Ellison Park Wetlands. A good idea since I will be running the Dirt Cheap there 2 Thursday from now. I went out on the White trail and came back on the White and Red trails. CJ walked almost up to the gazebo. She took a tumble just before she turned around. She tripped her left foot on a root and landed on her right side, skinned her right knee and got dirty. I tried to take a pic of her first trail injury but she deleted it because it "didn't look pretty" ... trail running is about the unknown, the mud, the injuries. Yes, I got another blister on top of my left pinkie toe ... I really have to look into how my trail Salamons are affecting my poor toe!

Thu: 9/9: 5 miles, Remington's Run, 58F, cloudy, no stops, no pain.

CJ and I went down to Remington's for a nice bit of exercise. I ran the 5 miles without a Garmin ... I think I ran around a 8:00 min or less pace. CJ walked 2.6 miles. She ran a bit with the pack before walking the rest of the way. A nice after the run spread and conversation.

Fri: 9/10: 5.1 miles, Happy Hour run, 64F, sunny, calm, 1 stop for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + loop

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Friday night Happy Hour run. As usual, I did my usual 4.1 mile run plus a loop around the Cobbs Hill reservoir. I ran a bit hard, 7:57 pace, even up the hills to the reservoir. A nice, sweet, sweaty run. CJ walked 2 miles.

Sat, 9/11: A 'wham-bam" trip to Cleveland to pick up the last of CJ's stuff that didn't fit into the 10' U-Haul truck at the end of June. It just amazed me that the new residents moved her stuff, seemed to have gone through it and then put some of their stuff in her boxes. Words were exchanged between the CJ and the new residents, we were there 30 minutes. But it is done.

On the bright side, on the way back I took the free $10 that the Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie PA gave me as a new player and walked out with $12.50. A long drive with just sandwiches, cookies to eat and coffee, Diet Pepsi to drink all day. We did have apple pie a la mode when we got back to Rochester. Yum!

Sunday, 8/29/10 to Saturday, 9/4/10

I ran 3 times this week, 19 miles
Month of August: 100.4 miles, 14 runs in 31 days, 7.2 miles/run
So far in 2010: 606.4 miles, 97 runs in 243 days, 6.2 miles/run

Sun, 8/29: 11.1 miles, 1:32:20, 8:19, sunny, calm, low humidity, 1 long stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for To the beach via St Paul, Lake Shore Blvd and back

I got out at 9:20AM for my long run. I headed down to the beach via St Paul St and Lake Shore Blvd to the Durand Eastman Beach so I could dip my Brooks in the sand. The split was 5.5 miles, 43:41, 7:57 pace. I stopped for about 5 minutes so I could hydrate and ingest 2 GUs. I was definitely slower on the way back, 5.6 miles, 8:41 pace. The weather was perfect! Sweaty and sweet!

Mon, 8/30: Rest Day.

Tue, 8/31: I moved my oldest son, Michael, out to UMass in Amherst MA. A long drive. The usual misadventures ensued. I had to jump start the UHaul to move it so we could load it easier ... curious. We loaded it quite easily ... a sweaty exercise. Then I tried to start it again ... no go ... even more curious. I tried to jump start it again ... big arc and burning smell. Well, due to the sweat in my eyes ... I connected the cables wrong. I corrected it ... with the usual volley of swear words ... and started the van. I still didn't know why so we went to the Uhaul in Victor where I found out that the dashboard dimmer can cause the back cargo light to be on continuously without the key in the ignition. Who knew? Once I found this out, the move proceeded. We got out to Amherst around 4PM. Michael got his ID and then we unloaded his stuff with the help of his roommate. I also took him to a grocery store, a Super Stop-n-Shop .. a bit expensive compared to Wegmans. I got on my way home around sunset. I realized that my car along with my A/C and badge was sitting at the ex's apartment. CJ drove out to retrieve my car and met me at a rest area. We turned in the UHaul and drove home. I got to sleep very late. Sleep ...

Wed, 9/1: I got 4.5 hours of sleep but made it to work for a full day. I had a splitting headache most of the day. I finally collapsed around 9:30PM and slept a nice 9 hours.

Thu, 9/2: 6.6 miles, 56:29, 8:33 pace, 82F, sunny, calm, humid, some stops to hydrate, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to the lake from Planet Fitness

I wanted to take a run from the apartment but CJ didn't want to walk from the apartment. It was quite hot and humid so I couldn't blame her. We compromised and went to Planet Fitness. She worked out inside on the stepper and recumbent bike. I had researched for a good route and set out for what turned to be a hot, steamy and sweaty run of 6.6 miles. I dipped my Brooks in the lake like usual. As usual, the run down to the lake was faster than the run back ... usually nice!

Fri, 9/3: 5 miles, 41:02, 8:12 pace, 72F, light rain, calm, humid, 1 stop to hydrate, 1 stop for traffic, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + a loop

CJ and I headed down to FF for the usual Friday night Happy House run. It was a light rain but being dedicated we went out anyway. I did the usual 4.1 mile route plus a loop. CJ walked her usual 3 mile route. We both were drenched at the end. The rain stopped, the sun came out and we saw a rainbow over the Irondequoit Plaza.




Sat, 9/4: 7.4 miles, 1:1:05, 8:11 pace, multiple stops, some pain.

CJ and I headed down to Mendon Ponds for the Summerfest 12K. It had turned cooler over night. The temp was 62F, sunny and windy. I wore shorts, a short sleeve tech top and arm warmers. I started out way too fast and paid for it later. I bonked a bit in the middle. I just didn't have it. I developed some mild pain in my left knee and some mild pain near the site of my hernia operation. I toughed it out and finished strong but was definitely not a happy camper. After a bite to eat, I hobbled up to the car while CJ continued volunteering by taking off timing tags. Eventually we made it home for a nap. I did OK though. I finished 70th out of 232, results here. I finished 7th out of 12 in my age group, results here.



The bling ... a plastic mug

After a nap, CJ and I headed down to Newark to pick up my father's mail, out to Lyons to see him at the Wayne County Nursing Home" and then picked up her car from the ex's apartment before heading back up to Rochester. We went out for groceries at Wegmans and then retired after eating some pizza. A very long day.

P.S. I got my Garmin a bit wet underneath the LCD during Friday's run. I had to soft reset it before I could upload to Garmin Connect and RunningAhead. Maybe I should have let it dry out a bit more.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, 8/22/10 to Saturday, 8/28/10

I ran 4 times this week, 29.8 miles

Sun, 8:22: 14 miles, 2:19:52, 9:59 pace, 65F, rainy, some stops for gel and water, no pain during the race.

CJ and I headed down to the Letchworth Dam in Mount Morris for the "Dam" Good 14 Mile Trail Race. It was raining lightly at the start. The trail was muddy and sloppy in parts, just muddy in other parts. The rain stopped for a while mid race and started raining lightly by the end. I ran pretty well ... I fell in with some good runners and just ran. I took in all 4 of my gels by mile 9, and just kept it up. The last mile was most clay and slippery. I finished 42nd out of 89, results here. I finished 8th out out 16 in my 50-59 age group, results here.

The post race feed was nice ... just like last year. I won a $15 RoadID certificate ... so I can replace the one that is playing possum in our apartment. Many thanks to CJ for her support during the day.


Gritting it out at the finish!

The bling!
On the way back we did a surgical strike at JC Penney at MarketPlace Mall for a pair of jeans and a couple of short sleeve shirts. Then onward to Wegmans for groceries. Then I just collapsed and put my feet up for the rest of the night.

Mon, 8/23: Definite rest day ... in fact I took the day off from work. CJ and I watched 2012 from NetFlix. Very good CGI effects!

Tue, 8/24: 7.7 miles, 1:02:23, 8:06 pace, 72F, cloudy, dry, 2 stops for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Speed workout; 3 loops of 1200m hard, 400m easy

I went down to Fleet Feet for the Speed workout. After running up to Cobbs Hill reservoir we did 1200m hard, 400m easy repeats. I ended up doing 4 ... 3 hard, 1 easy. I only caught the last 3 on my Garmin so I kind of added an extra 7 minutes and 1600m (1 mile) to my workout. Yes, I think I ran a 7 min mile in a 1200m hard, 400m easy ... I was running pretty hard. It was good workout, sweaty and sweet!

Wed, 8/25: Rest night.

I gave blood for the 72nd time. My vitals were: temp of 97.9, pulse of 60, blood pressure of 120/70. After supper, I watched CJ bake a loaf of banana bread ... mmmm! Next time, it's my turn!

Thu, 8/26: 3.1 miles, 24:36, 7:52 pace, 68F, sunny, windy, no stops, no pain.


CJ and I headed up to the beach for Aqua Cheap #3. It was a bit cool and windy. I started out pretty good on the path but when I hit the beach and the headwind I felt so tired and sluggish. My loop 1 split was 12:00. On loop 2 I did a bit slower on the path but a bit faster on the beach for a split of 12:36. I did mile laps of 7:02, 8:25 and 7:58.


Preparing to start our Garmins at the beginning of the race

Hopping the water hazard

Trying to find zen on the beach
After the race CJ and I went up to the Lake Shore Blvd spin bridge for a romantic walk out on the breakwater. CJ played tourist and snapped a lot of pictures.

Fri, 8/27: 5 miles on the treadmill

After work CJ and I went down to UHaul in Victor to pick up a cargo van. We drove and parked it down at the ex's apartment. I will use it to transport my oldest son and his stuff to Amherst MA on Tuesday. Afterward, CJ and I felt the need for exercise at Planet Fitness. I ran 3 miles at 8:00 pace, 1 and 1 mile at 7:30 pace. I had to take 2 walks to cool down, it was a bit hot inside and I was sweating up a storm.

Sat, 8/28: Rest day.

I helped my daughter move back to a townhouse at Houghton College. My ex provided the van, I provided the muscle. A long day but not as long as this coming Tuesday when I do the same solo for my oldest son ... who will be attending grad school at UMass Amherst. A nap ensued soon after I got back up to Rochester. I did wake up long enough to eat some pizza.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, 8/15/10 to Saturday, 8/21/10

I ran 3 times this week, 22.3 miles.

Sun, 8/15: 11 miles, 1:31:38, 8:20 pace, 72F, cloudy then light rain, humid, a light wind, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for To the Lake and Back

I got out about 9:30AM for my long run. As usual, I headed north to the lake. As usual, a tale of 2 runs. I ran to the lake, 5.1 miles, 41:17, 8:06 pace. I dipped my Brooks in the water, took in 2 gels and hydrated for about 5 minutes. I ran back 5.9 miles, 50:21, 8:32 pace. It started to sprinkle as I headed north, it turned into a light rain as I headed back, then it went back to real light sprinkle. I tried to run light on my toes and not so much on my heels ... my Brooks have 610 miles on them. I won't be replacing them until next month.Mon, 8/16: Definite rest day.

Tue, 8/17: I wanted to head down to Fleet Feet for a speed workout but was just dog tired. Sometimes you just need sleep ... slept soundly.

Wed, 8/18: Long day. I took my oldest son out to UMass - Amherst to look at a furnished room ... that he might not even get. He has to find a place to live there by September 1st ... hopefully he will. 673 miles to and from. Slept soundly.

Thu, 8/19: 6.2 miles, 48:28, 7:49 pace, 75F, cloudy, calm, humid, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for To Cooper Rd via Winona

Full of energy today. I wanted to head down to Mendon for a trail run but settled for a hard 10K around the neighborhood. I started a bit slow but kept pushing it: 7:50, 7:51, 7:53, 7:53, 7:41, 7:44, 7:50 ... OK, maybe I didn't start slow.

Afterward supper, CJ and I watched "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. A definite "chick flick". The next movie will have a bit more action!

Fri, 8/20: 5.1 miles, 39:34, 7:46 pace, 72F, sunny, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Happy Hour run + loop

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the usual Friday night Happy Hour run. I ran the 4.1 loop with a loop around Cobbs Hill reservoir for 5 miles. I ran easy at first, then pushed it like usual ... I just can't run slow. What's the point? CJ walked the 3 mile loop. Her Nike+ said 3.72 miles ... we so need to calibrate it.

Sat, 8/21: Pre-race rest day.

I got a good 10 hours of sleep and rested all day. CJ and I watched a lot of DVR'ed STTNG and Buffy. It looks like it will be a bit muddy, mid 70s and humid tomorrow for the "Dam" Good 15 Mile Trail Race down in Letchworth.

Sat, 8/21: 10:30PM, CJ checked the Cleveland radar ... rain is on the way for tomorrow!

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday,8/8/10 to Saturday, 8/14/10

I ran 3 times this week, 15.7 miles

Sun, 8/8: A definite rest day.

CJ and I made it out to the JC Penney in Greece Ridge Center where I purchased some navy dress socks and a nice pair of Nunn Bush black dress shoes with the help of 20% off and a $50 gift card from MyPoints. Then we walked the mall ... windowshopping. I immediately threw away my old black dress shoes when we got back home.Mon, 8/9: Another rest day.

My new black dress shoes did not disappoint. They feel a whole lot better!! It was pouring soon after I got home so CJ and I had a restful night. We watched "The Ramen Girl" from Netflix. A nice "chick flick".

Tue, 8/10,: 4 miles, FF - Puma Speed Trap, 80F, sunny, humid, no pain.

I went down to Fleet Feet for the Puma Speed Trap. We ran up to the rugby field below Cobbs Hill where it was set up. We ran 6 200m repeats (1 hard, 1 easy) to warm up. Then we all went through the speed trap one by one. I went through twice at 14.32 mph and 14.54 mph, which put me 16th out 59, results here. I was not even close to the top male who clocked a blistering 18.37 mph! But it felt good to let it all hang out and see how fast I could really go! I ran easy back down to Fleet Feet but cranked it up the closer I got ... I got it up to 6:14 pace just before the store! Speedy, sweaty and sweet! Oh, I was wearing CJ's fluorescent green socks ... all the other tech socks were in the wash!

Wed, 8/11: Rest day.

Thu, 8/12: 6.6 miles, 53:27, 8:07 pace, Remington's Run, 80F, sunny, humid, calm, no stops, a bit of pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Remington's Run #4

CJ and I went down to Remington's for the Remingtons Run #4. I was very stiff and went out for a painful, very slow mile run to loosen up ... man, did my thighs hurt from the Puma speed trap on Tuesday! Then, off on the 5 mile loop. Well ... I got lost and couldn't find one street so I looped back. This put me back a bit so I got to catch up and pass about 20 people which was nice. I just kept a nice 7:55 or so pace during my 5.6 mile run, my first mile was a "getting my thighs to work" 8:25 pace. CJ went out for a 2.2 mile walk. I was dripping with sweat when I got back ... luckily CJ didn't get dripped on when we had our post run water and appetizers.

After a supply run at Wegmans CJ and I watched Avatar from NetFlix finally. Wow! It must have been spectacular in 3-D!

Fri, 8/13: 5.1 miles, 42:17, 8:17 pace, 75F, sunny, a bit humid, calm, 1 stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for FF Happy Hour run + Loop

CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the Happy Hour run. I started out slow with pain in my thighs. I slowly stretched but still was a bit slow. I added a loop around the Cobbs Hill reservior just for fun. CJ went out for a 3 mile walk. Then afterward, we went downstairs for a bare foot running seminar ... interesting!

Sat. 8/14: A definite rest day. I thought about getting out for a long run but decided I needed 10 hours of sleep instead. CJ and I lounged around all day.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, August 1st to Saturday, August 7th

I ran 3 times this week, 24.6 miles

Sun, 8/1: Definite rest day, went out to Planet Fitness for a light workout. I did 7.5 miles on the recumbent bike, 275 calories. CJ did more miles, 11 miles, 200 calories.

Oh, I signed up for the Phelp 20K on 8/7 and the 'Dam' Good Trail Race down in Letchworth on 8/22. Yes ... that Letchworth. The scar on my right arm will help remind me to pick up my feet. Plus I am already signed up for the Dirt Cheap #5 on 7/18 and the Aqua Cheap #3 on 8/26.

Mon, 8/2: The heat and humidity have returned. My job gets me outside when I am driving between buildings so I really feel it ... and appreciate my Grand Am's AC! My Grand Am is still kicking at 241,621 miles!

Tue, 8/3: 5 miles, no Garmin, Fleet Feet Speed workout, 80F, sunny, hazy, humid, breezy, no pain.

CJ and I headed down to Fleet Feet for the Tuesday night speed workout. I ran up to Cobbs Hill where we did 3 person relay races of 556 meters around 1/2 of the reservoir. My team ended up doing 6. It was only 556 meters each time, but it seems a lot longer in the heat plus standing around waiting to be tagged made it seem harder. I am more of a steady pace runner than a run hard, wait around runner. I took the run back to Fleet Feet easy, maybe around 8 minute pace. CJ walked 2 miles in the heat. She had some trouble with the humidity. We had our usual pasta and salad dinner afterward. Ymmm!

Thu, 8/5: 7.2 miles, 59:49, 8:18 pace, 76F, sunny, still humid, a bit windy, 1 stop for hydration, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Up to Seneca Park Ave via Winona Blvd

I ran up to Seneca Park Ave via Winona Blvd and back. I started out a bit under 8 min pace, then eased into 8:25-ish pace. Nothing too strenous but I really needed to get out for a run. Sweaty and sweet!

Our Bath Spacesaver arrived from Overstock.com. I put it together in 5 minutes. It's hard at work holding towels and washclothes. Maybe CJ and I can put some romantic candles on the top shelf!

Fri, 8/6: Another day at work. I picked up my race packet for the Phelps 20K tomorrow.

Sat, 8/7: 12.4 miles, 1:39:12, 8:00 pace, 60-72F, sunny, calm, a few tiny stops, no pain.


CJ and I made it down to Phelps for the 20K. The usual long distance crowd, 200+ strong, were there. The race went off well, 7:48 first mile, did a gel at mile 5, made it up the hills at mile 6 and 7 without walking, started taking 50 foot walk breaks at the water stops, held it together, finished strong. I was pretty consistent, a 49:34 first 10K, a 49:32 second 10K. All in all, a pretty sweet race! Many thanks to my love, CJ, for waiting for me at the end and her support!

The finish!

I finished 85th out of 231, results here. I finished 15th out of 27 in my age group, results here.

Afterward, CJ and I stopped to see my father at the Wayne County Nursing Home. She fed my father his lunch ... I was having a "I am tired" moment and almost fell asleep in the dining room. Then to see my kids at the ex's ... 'nuff said.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 25th to Saturday, July 31st

I ran 4 times this week, 36.9 miles.
I ran 15 times out of 31 days in July, 100.4 miles, 6.7 miles/run
So far in 2010, I have run 83 days out of 212, 504 miles, 6.1 miles/run

Sun, 7/25: 12.4 miles, 1:47:11, 8:38 pace, cloudy, calm, 72F, 80% RH, 2 long stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for 12.4 miles to get the Sunday paper

I got out at 8:23AM for a long run. I went up Seneca to Titus to Winona Blvd to St Paul like usual. After I passed Cooper I turned left on Seneca Park Ave and went down in the flats, came back up to Thomas and across the Roarke Bridge. I went down the River Trail on the west side, down Lake, cross the 104 bridge, up St Paul to Collingwood, down Seneca, down Ridge right to where I get my Sunday paper, 12.4 miles exactly. I stopped to take off my shirt, hydrate and take a gel at mile 6, another gel at mile 8. I slowed a bit but kept it going. I was drenched when I stopped. The run was sweaty and sweet!

Mon. 7/26: Definite rest for me.

Tue, 7/27: It could have been a run night but I decided to bag it because I was dog tired. I didn't sleep well the past two nights so I just went to bed early.

Wed, 7/28: 7 miles, 1:01:13, 8:42 pace, Zoo Trail, cloudy to rain, 72F, humid, a bit windy, 1 stop, a blister.

Garmin Connect Activity for Zoo trail in the rain

CJ and I went out to the Seneca Park Zoo ... even though we both knew that a line of thunderstorms was coming. We parked down below the zoo by the pond so CJ could walk around Trout Pond. I went back up the road so I could break into the east zoo trail by the playground then I headed out to the O'Rorke bridge and back on the west zoo trail. On the way to the bridge it started sprinkle, then rain and wind. I ran on, noticing that my right pinkie toe was starting to hurt. By the time I got back to the car, I was drenched. CJ had walked 2 miles before heading to the car. When we got home, I noticed that I had a large blood blister on top of my right pinkie toe ready to pop. I showered, bandaged it, ate and ready to bed way early. A good run in the rain regardless.

Thu, 7/29: Rest night. After a bit, we headed out to Wegmans for a bit of late night grocery shopping. We saved $16.44 on grocery coupons.

Fri, 7/30: 5 miles, 38:34, 7:43 pace, 72F, sunny, Happy Hour run, calm, no stops, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for Happy Hour with a loop run

CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for the usual Happy Hour run, this time backwards. I did the usual 4.1 but spiced it up with a loop around the Cobbs Hill reservoir. I ran pretty hard, 7:43 pace. CJ walked 3 miles with 2 mini-runs.

The weather has cooled off the past couple of days. We actually have the windows open and aren't running the AC!

Sat, 7/31: 10.5 miles, 1:29:32, 8:31 pace, 72F, sunny, calm, not so humid, 1 long stop, no pain.

Garmin Connect Activity for To the lake and back run

At the lake after 4.75 miles ... not exactly the best pic!
I got out around 9:30Am for a "shortish long run" ... I knew it would be at least 10.1 miles since I wanted to get at least 100 miles for July. So I headed down to the lake ... it is downhill to the lake after all. It really was a tale of two runs. I ran 4.75 miles, 38:30, 8:06 pace to the lake and dipped my running shoes in. I took in two gels and hydrated before I headed back. I took it real easy ... 5.75 miles in 51:02, 8:53 pace. I had my Camelbak on ... filled with the usual ice cubes keeping my water cold. It was really a great run!

One disturbing thing ... I seem to have lost my RoadID. I last saw when I came back from a long run on Sunday. So I am pretty sure that it is in apartment ... somewhere. I have run twice without it ... feeling naked each time.

Keeping active, Doug

Sunday, July 18th to Saturday, July 24th

I ran 3 times last week, 12 miles.

Sun, 7/18: Another rest day out in Cleveland.

We both enjoyed the baby shower / family picnic of CJ's niece in Strongville. I met more of her family. We puttered around Cleveland before we headed back. We drove and walked around the large Lake View Cemetery where CJ has a plot. I marveled at the architecture of the tombstones. We also drove around Case Western Reserve University where I went to school from '75 to '78 and Little Italy. Lastly, we took an impromptu tour of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house where we met way back in February 1977 ... yes, we have pictures to prove it! Then we drove back home to Rochester. A long weekend but very enjoyable.

1976
1977
1978
1978 and today

Mon & Tue, 7/19 & 7/20: Rest days. The left side of my left foot hurts. I think that my work shoes are not supporting my feet. The funny thing is that I can run just fine.

Wed, 7/21: 4.6 miles, 44:11, Fleet Feet Dirt Cheap #4, 75F, cloudy, a bit humid, calm, no pain.

Thunderstorms rolled through all afternoon and there were some rumbles before the race. So ... there was "some" (read lots) mud to be found in the Devil's Bathtub area of Mendon Ponds. We started in time trail fashion every 5 seconds down the steps in reverse alphabetical order so I was 181st to head out. My trail shoes were drenched before I had gone a half mile ... and not just once did I find mud up to my ankles! I just kept on running regardless, didn't fall, had a good race. I did walk some of the hills but not very many. CJ volunteered at the water stop. Her smiling face and words of encouragement were most welcome halfway into the race. I ended up 78th out of 199, results here. I finished 9th out of 19 in my age group, results here.

Thu, 7/22: 3.1 miles (actually 3.3 miles), 24:58, 7:34 pace, Fleet Feet Aqua Cheap #2, 75F, cloudy, humid, 1 stop, no pain.

Crossing the finish line
CJ and I went down to Durand Eastman for Aqua Cheap #2. I went out pretty hard on the sand, had to stop to tie my shoelaces before I got back on the sand, slowed a bit on the 2nd loop but held it together, finished strong. I ran a 24:58, good for 9th overall out of 39, results here. I was 2nd in my age group, results here.

Fri, 7/23: 4.1 miles, No Garmin, Fleet Feet Happy Hour run, 82F, cloudy, 81% humidity, no stops, no pain.

CJ and I went down to Fleet Feet for our usual Happy Hour run. I didn't have my Garmin, so I went out and just ran ... fast like usual. I am pretty sure that I ran sub 8 min pace like I usually do on short runs. CJ came back early from her usual 3 mile run ... she threw in 5 mini runs!! Yahoo! She shouted out to me as I passed Winton ... I did hear something but kept on running. So she did have a faster pace for sure!

Sat, 7/24: A definite rest day for CJ and I. We spent our energy doing other more enjoyable pursuits.

Keeping active, Doug