Sunday, 9/7/2014 to Saturday, 9/13/2014 - Black Diamond Express 15K, Dirt Cheap #3, Stop the Trafficking Stage Race

I ran 8 times this week, 26.64 miles.

Sunday, 9/7/2014: 2 runs of 1.6 and the Black Diamond Express 15K of 9.38 miles, 66F, 60% RH, 7 mph WNW wind, sunny

I was running the Black Diamond Express 15K today but the race didn't start until 11AM so I got to sleep in. I tried to wake up my darling wife, Christine, but she said she needed her sleep so I quietly got ready, geared up and headed out to the race start out in Mendon. I had to Google and print the directions since I had never done this race. I got there about 45 minutes before the race started.

The course was a simple out and back on the Lehigh Valley Trail. There was a 5K which started at 11:05AM. I got out for a nice 1.6 mile warmup run, link here.


The start was signaled by a musket volley ... a first. And ... we were off! There was a mishap at the start. Someone cut in front of Andy Ciaio, he stopped. then someone hit his heel and down he went.

The start ...

I started off cleanly and was 6th and in front of Beth DiCiantis (who took overall female in 1:07:18) for a wee bit. Perhaps I went out too fast with a 7:06 first mile ... I never do that ... yeah sure! Soon she and Andy Ciaio (who won his M40-49 age group in 1:06:38) passed. I ran well for about 4 miles. My feet started to hurt and I started to walk/run during miles 6, 7, 8 and 9. I played leapfrog with a guy. He would run ahead and walk. I would pass him and walk. Then he would run and pass me. He ended up passing me and stayed ahead until the finish. I was happy to break 1:13 with a 1:12:56, 7:47 pace. My splits were: 7:06, 7:23, 7:29, 7:48, 7:40, 8:20, 8:19, 8:17, 7:58 and 6:58 over the last 0.38 mile.

I was tired so I ambled over to where the food was and ate a banana, 4 doughnut holes and had some chocolate milk. I did OK. I was 14th out of 54, link here. I was 5th out of 10 in my M50-59 age group, link here. I always want to go faster ... but that was what I had today.

I really need to buy new road and trail shoes. My current pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS14 road shes which I bought back in 9/1/2013 have 648 miles on them. I am just going to pony up and buy new road and trails shoes. My Salomon SpeedCross 3 trail shoes which I received free from winning a Dirt Cheap raffle way back in 2012 have 652 miles on them.

I checked out the results of the Finger Lakes Triathlon. Here are the results of the people that I know:

http://results.score-this.com/SearchresultsPageMS5split.html?raceid=20140907FLTR


Later Christine and I went out to Scottsville to see my youngest son, David, ... and watch some football on his landlord's 50 inch HDTV. We brought the meat (hamburgers and hot dogs) and he supplied the buns. He turned out quite the grillmaster. The hots and hamburgs were quite tasty! Plus ... the Buffalo Bills won their season opener at the Chicago Bears, 23-20 in OT, link here! Wonders may never cease ... yet the Bills do have a way of swooning in the latter half of the NFL season.

Monday, 9/8/2014 and Tuesday, 9/9/2014: Rest days after and before a race ... gotta rest and conserve my energy.

Wednesday, 9/10/2014: 2 runs of 1.25 and Dirt Cheap #6 of 3.03 miles, 75F, 65% RH, 13 mph SSE wind, overcast.

Today was the funeral of RPD officer Daryl Pierson, links here, here, here, here and here. Ellen Brenner wrote a piece on her Fleet Feet Beat blog page, link here.

Tonight's race was Dirt Cheap #6 of the year down at Lucien Morin Park next to MacGregor's on Empire Blvd. My darling wife, Christine, was on the fence about going and ultimately decided not to go. So .. I geared and headed down solo. I got there in plenty of time for a prime parking spot. I saw lots of trail runners that I knew: Andy Ciaio, Prem Kumar, Chris O'Brien, Joe Ciecierega, Tina Pellegrin, Jim Roche, Jim McLaughlin and many others. I quietly got ready. I headed out for a nice and easy warmup run of 1.25 miles at 9:36 pace, link here. This Dirt Cheap is shortest but the hardest with lots of up and down along with lots of roots, rocks and thorns to look out for.


I had 14 minutes to wait before the start of the race once I came back. I think I cooled down too much but ... off we went! I tried to blast down the stone road until the first left turn into the woods. Bill Beyerbach was ahead ... I lost sight of him quickly.

I was nipping on Todd's heels as we raced down the stone road to the left turn into single track - taken by Kim Smith

Somewhere in the middle of the race - taken by Kim Smith

Then it was up and down, left and right. My legs were going well ... my lungs not so much. I think I lasted about a mile before I had to walk a hill and let some faster runners ahead. Some of them were Chris O'Brien, Andy Ciaio, Joe Ciecierega and Todd Sappen Sr. I do tend to rabbit and pay for it later in races. I settled into a slower pace, then started to just keep in the same group I was in. I walked a few of the steep hills. I did catch Todd on an uphill with about 1/2 mile to go. And done in 31:54! The race was over quickly after just 3.03 miles, 10:37 pace. This race is usually around 3.5 miles. I did OK. I was 31st out of 242, link here. I was 3rd out of 4(?) in my M55-59 age group, link here. Bill finished 15th in 29:36, Andy finished 21st in 30:32, Joe finished 24th in 30:53, Todd finished 37th in 32:04, Prem finished 45th in 32:54, Jim McLaughlin finished 51st in 33:13 and Tina finished 214th in 56:10

I quickly went to the car for some water and a towel. I changed my shirt before I went into MacGregor's for the post race grub and the awards.

I sat with Chris O'Brien and Bill Beyerbach. We talked about the races we had done and were going to do. We all laughed at Chris's CP3 potty break story at this year's Sehgahunda. He had just the right stuff in his running vest to handle the situation, lol! Bill won our 55-59 series age group, I was second, link here.

Thursday, 9/11/2014 and Friday, 9/12/2014: Rest days after and before a race ... more rest and recuperation after and before a race.

My wife and I headed down to Fleet Feet Armory after work to shoe shop. I bought a new pair of New Balance 860 running shoes in size 13 and Christine bought a pair of Asics Gel-Cumulus 16 in size 11. We also bought some running magnets along a pair of shorts and 2 pairs of socks for Christine. Then we went to the nearby Otter Lodge for dinner and refreshments. We were not impressed with the Otter's limited menu but made due.

Saturday, 9/13/2014: 4 runs of 1.2, 6.12, 3.07 and 0.99 miles, 48F, 87% RH, 5 mph ESE wind. overcast with some light sprinkles.

My alarm was set for 5:55AM ... how I didn't want to get out of bed. But ... I was signed up for the Stop the Trafficking Stage Race, a 10K followed by a 5K followed by a 1 Mile race. So ... up I got, had my usual pre-race bowl of cereal and banana and got dressed. I had bit of trouble deciding what to wear and what to bring since it was around 45F which is kind of cool for a mid September morning. I decided on shorts, a long sleeve tech, short sleeve tech along with light gloves, orange hat and calf sleeves. I brought along my burnt orange Sehgahunda 2014 hoodie for later.

The race was held at the Meridian Centre Park on S Winton Rd by the Erie Canal. I Googled the directions and headed out solo. Christine had wished me a "have fun" and went back to sleep. I got there in plenty of time for a 1.2 mile warmup run, link here. I needed to run to warm up my legs and also to warm up my body ... it was cold. I only knew Prem Kumar and Tom Butler at this race. Prem told me that he had run 10 miles the day before.


The first race was the 10K. And .... we were off! The course was bit of cross country through the park, out onto the canal east out to Clover St and then back. Prem left me in his dust when we started at 7:45AM. I started fast with a 7:16 first mile. I was behind Prem at the turnaround and stayed about 200 yards behind him the entire way. The course had us going down 20 steps at mile 1.5 (I went down the bike ramp) and back up 20 steps on the way back. I fought the urge to walk except for just a wee bit after the stair climb. I thought about saving a bit of energy for the next two race but I ran only one way and pushed to the finish line. And ... done in 45:16. My splits were: 7:16, 7:29, 7:19, 7;31, 7:45, 7:10 and 6.01 over the last 0.12 mile, I did pretty well, 9th overall out of 64, link here. I was 2nd out of 7 in M50-59 age group, link here. Prem finished 8th overall in 43:59 and Tom finished in 1:01:56.

I had a couple of doughnut holes and water while I was waiting before the next race, a 5K. It had started to sprinkle so I ditched my long sleeve tech and put on my Brooks jacket.


The next race started at 9:15AM. And ... we were off! More people signed up for this race. I groaned as I got up to speed. Prem lept ahead again but I stayed in sight of him. This course led us west on the canal path for a mile before turning around. I chased Prem but couldn't catch him. And ... done in 22:45. My splits were: 7:25, 7:29, 7:19 and 6:32 over the last 0.07 mile. I did OK. I was 4th out of 95, link here. I was 1st out of 9 in my M50-59 age group, link here. Prem finished in 22:23 and Tom finished in 30:08.

I had a couple more doughnuts and water before the next race which was a short 1 mile race. My gloves were wet so I went back to the car to get a new pair of gloves. It was still sprinkling.



There were only 12 runners in the 1 mile. And ... we were off. I groaned again as I got up to speed. But it was only 1 mile. The course was through the park with just about 1/4 mile on the canal path. And ... done in 6:59 by my Garmin but 7:05 on the official timing. I did OK. I was 4th out of 12, link here. I was 1st in my M50-59 age group (OK, I was the only one). Prem finished 2nd in 6:52 and Tom finished in 9:19.

I ate a bit more after all the races. A long wait ensued while the results were compiled. Then we were told that there were some mistakes so that the medals would be mailed to us.

Soon I was home. I was chilled to the bone. I shivered as I stripped. I jumped into a hot shower and groaned as the hot water tried to warm me up. I was still shivering so I jumped into bed with my darling wife, Christine. She used shared body warmth to warm me up ... though she got cold in the process. Our apartment heat hasn't been turned on yet. A lazy rest of the day ensued.

Sunday, 8/31/2014 to Saturday, 9/6/2014 - Summerfest 12K

I ran 5 times this week, 29.48 miles.

Sunday, 8/31/2014: 2 runs of 1.6 and Summerfest 12K of 7.46 miles, 73F, 89% RH, 10 mph SSW wind, overcast, real light mist.

I was up early at 6:30AM for another Summerfest 12K. I could hear a light rain falling but runners run and certainly race in the rain, wind, snow or sleet. This was my 6th consecutive Summerfest. Five have been 12K, one was the 5K in 2012 when I was coming back from my right Achilles. I quietly did the dishes from last night and let my honey, Christine, sleep. She has had really bad ringing in her ears and/or insomnia as of late. I got dressed, geared up, kissed my darling good bye and hit the road for Mendon Ponds Park around 7:50AM. The traffic was light and I got there around 8:10AM.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Summerfest 12K

The weather conditions were: 73F, 89% RH, 10 mph SSW wind, overcast with a real light mist. I had plenty of time to head out for a 1.6 mile warmup run at 8:36 pace with Chris O'Brien, another holder of the Golden Bib. He told me that he had run 22 miles at 8:30 pace the day before ... wow! I ran back to the car to get a drink of water and to ditch my hat. There was still a light mist falling but my hat was making my head too warm. I carried no water or Gu ... in hindsight maybe I should have carried a 10oz hand bottle so I could have run through the water stops.

I got up to the start line about a minute before the race started. I edged up and started next to Chris and close to the birthday boy, Bill Sandow, who just climbed into my (and now our) age group.


And ... we were off! I said "Bye" to Chris within a 1/4 mile as I started out fast with a 7:04 first mile on the way down Douglas Rd to Pond Rd. Then the rolling hills of Mendon began to chew me up.

Just before mile 2 - the intersection of Pond Rd and Pittsford - Mendon Center Rd - taken by Tina Pellegrin

I walked through the water stops at mile 2 and 4. The light mist continued and then stopped for a while. Then it got really humid. I had trouble between miles 4 and 6 with several tiny walk breaks. It was humid and my legs just didn't want to work. Then at mile 6, I looked down at my Garmin and read 47 and change. I thought to myself that if I kick up a notch I might be able to beat my PR of 59:23 from last year. So I did ... one step at a time, no matter how much my legs didn't want me to run ... I ran. There were hills between mile 6 and the finish but I didn't break to a walk again (that I can remember). I just decided that I was going to  run, gritted my teeth and ran. When I got near the finish line I could see 58 and change. I raised my hand in victory and crossed the finish line in 58:47, 7:53 pace. A PR by 36 seconds ... sweet!! Maybe I should practice the Summerfest 12K course before next year's race! My splits were: 7:03, 7:40, 7:40, 7:44, 8:14, 9:07, 7:48 and 7:14 over the last 0.48 mile.

I can't figure out where this was taken. I look like I am not having a good time ... must be running hard - taken by Barb Boutillier

Crossing the finish line in 58:47 ... PR by 36 seconds! - taken by Barb Boutillier

All smiles ... afterward.

I was drenched with sweat and found water as soon as I could. I did pretty well, 33rd out of 221, link here. I was 2nd out of 3 in my 55-59 age group behind Bill Sandow (16th in 55:48) and ahead of Jim Norris (131st in 1:17:52), link here. Others did well: Jim Roche finished 4th in 50:53 to win his 50-54 age group, Prem Kumar finished 22nd in 56:35 to win his 35-39 age group, Chris O'Brien finished 38th in 59:27, Tom Butler finished in 116th in 1:14:20 and Amy Lord finished 198th in 1:38:37. 187 runners ran the Summerfest 5K, link here.

I stuck around for the awards. The incomparable Ellen Brenner announced the 5K and then the 12K awards. Soon I received my 2nd place 55-59 age group glass plaque ... very cool!

Ellen Brenner ... the voice of so many award ceremonies!

The bling!

Sunflowers on Route 65

I was home, telling my honey about my exploits, along with making the coffee and bagels. A lazy afternoon ensued. Later we went out for supper at the East Ridge Diner. Christine had the Baby Beef Liver and I had the Shaved Steak Philly. Christine was sweet enough to give me her bacon ... mmm! We saw a piece on the Time Warner Cable News about Fleet Feet "No Bo" 5K program. Who should run by on the screen but Chris O'Brien and I, link here (you have to log in with your TWC username and password), link here. Nice!

Chris O'Brien had a different take on the Summerfest 12K, link here.

Other races were going on down south. Down in Geneseo NY, 328 runners ran the Oak Tree Half Marathon, results here: "Kip" Tisia won with a course record of 1:08:27, Matthew Roberts was 7th in 1:23:35 to finish 2nd in his 30-34 age group, Tim Dwyer was 9th in 1:26:44 to win his 50-54 age group, Bob Haas was 25th in 1:39:27, Andy Ciaio was 34th in 1:42:52, Wilt Alston was 73rd in 1:50:11 to finish 4th in his 55-59 age group by 6 seconds, Steve Levitsky was 77th in 1:50:50, Bob Lonsberry (sporting the number 1 bib) was 213rd in 2:13:18 and Annette Brenner was 317th in 2:55;12. 380 ran the Oak Tree 5K, link here: Tom Dutton ran a 22:14 to win his 65-59 age group. Down in Virgil NY, 43 runners ran the Monster Marathon and 68 runners ran the Monster Half, both results here. For the Monster Half, Andy Frank was 8th in 2:01:57 and Mark Monachino was 21st in 2:17:57.

The stats for August: I ran 23 times for 120.5 miles (8 were warmup run of 0.5, 1.8, 1.5, 7, 0.6, 0.7, 2, 1, 1.6; 1 was a cooldown run of 1.4), 5.2 miles/run. I ran 9 races during the month: Phelps Sauerkraut 20K, Young and Wyld 5K, Bergen 5K, Rochester River Chase (11 miles), K-9 5K, Dirt Cheap #5 (~5 miles), James Francis / Andrea Kofahl 5K, Dam Good Trail Race (13.34 miles) and Summerfest 12K. I have run 154 times so far in 2014 for 924.49 miles, 6.0 miles/run.

Monday, 9/1/2014: A lazy day of rest.

My darling wife, Christine, and I just lazed around all day. She made pizza and wings for supper around 5PM. They didn't agree with me and I went to bed around 8PM with an unset stomach and then to sleep around 9PM. A rare early bedtime for me.

Tuesday, 9/2/2014: 8 miles, 1:01:45, 7:42 pace, 72F, 93% RH, 9 mph W wind, overcast, light mist at times.

Another lazy day. I had the day off but I didn't do much of anything until the late afternoon. OK, I did watch "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" off of Popcorn Time on my laptop. Disclaimer, it's illegal.

Garmin Connect Activity for A nice run in this mist

I got up and saw that it was sprinkling. I hemmed and hawed for a bit but I said I was going to run and I did. I got out there into a light mist but it probably looked worse that it felt. If the wind kicked up when I was underneath a tree I got rained on by water coming off the leaves. Yes, drivers probably thought I was crazy but I saw two other runners so who is crazy? Anyway, I concentrated on leaning forward and running on the midsole rather than heel striking. The result was a pretty fast run. My splits were: 7:51, 7:39, 7:46, 7:48, 7:34, 7:38, 7:47 and 7:40. Maybe I should try swinging my arms a bit too!

I heard sirens in the evening. Soon I found what they were for. They were for Daryl Pierson, a Rochester Police Department officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty by Thomas Jefferson III who was just out of prison on parole for less than 3 weeks, link here.

Wednesday, 9/3/2014: Rest day ... so I rested.

Thursday, 9/4/2014: 6.2 miles, 50:52, 8:12 pace, 84F, 45% RH, 6 mph W wind, hot, hazy and humid.

Garmin Connect Activity for A "What am I doing out here" run

I got home late from work. It was a Thursday ... I knew I should run. Plus I knew that it would be even hotter and more humid tomorrow night. I ate my usual bowl of cereal and almost got sucked into watching one of Christine's shows off the DVR ... but I shook it off during a commercial. I got dressed, told her that I was going out for a run and didn't know how far I was going. So ... I stretched and headed out. I had a real, real hard time starting out. My first mile was real slow, it was hot and humid ... I wanted to turn around but my feet kept going forward so onward I went. I slowly picked it up ... and then I thought about doing a negative split run so I picked it some more. I did cut the run to only a 10K. I was drenched with sweat when I got done but I was glad that I went out. My splits were: 8:43, 8:17, 8:20, 8:12, 8:02, 7:46 and 7:29 over the last 0.2 mile ... very, very close to a negative split run.

Friday, 9/5/2014: Rest day and 5th reunion anniversary

A definite rest day plus today was my darling wife, Christine, and my 5th year reunion anniversary. Here is our history.

I attended Case Western Reserve University way back from September 1975 to May 1978 (yes, I didn't graduate from CWRU). I joined the fraternity Phi Kappa Theta in my sophomore year. We had a party one Saturday night in February 1977 and invited some girls from Ursuline College to attend. Christine attended as a favor to one of her friends. I was tending bar when Christine appeared. I made her a Tequila Sunrise. Later I saw her and showed her fraternity house with the last stop my bedroom. We kissed (that's all). She later said sparks flew and I agreed. We went out until around Christmas 1977 (Christine will correct me if I am wrong) when we broke up. Later, we both had separate marriages which unbeknownst to each other started within a week of each other back in 1980. Hers ended after 10 years, mine after 28 years. I thought about her over the years but forgot how to spell her maiden name Wisniewski (and of course didn't know her new name of Ligas). She found me on Facebook in late August 2009. We chatted, then emailed, then phoned and then 9 days later I drove out to see her in Cleveland after I ran the Summerfest 12K on 9/5/2009. I thought I was crazy as I was crossed the OH line but I continued onward and met her around 4:30PM. I made sure that I kissed her at the bottom and at the top of the stairs of her apartment (she said it made her weak in the knees). Well ... sparks flew! We barely remembered what we did besides being in each others arms for that long Labor Day 2009 weekend. We must have ate, drank and took her dog for a walk or two! We had a long distance relationship for a couple of months and then she moved in with me in Rochester in early November 2009. We got engaged after I ran the Summerfest 12K and Christine had walked the Summerfest 5K on 9/3/2011. We got married at the Rochester City Hall on 11/30/2012. Now she is a DeWeaver. So ... we are still newlyweds and the sparks still fly!

Another sad note. A plane which carried the Glazer's (Larry and Jane) was uncommunicative for hours and just flew south at 25,000 feet for hours until crashing just off of Jamaica, link here.

Saturday, 9/6/2014: 6.2 miles, 48:36, 7:50 pace, 66F, 88%, 11 mph NW wind, overcast

Garmin Connect Activity for A cooler and faster 10K

It was a Saturday. I needed to run so run I did. Yes, it was cooler but just as humid as I went out for a nice and easy 10K. My splits were almost a negative split for each mile: 8:01, 7:51, 7:50, 7:52, 7:48, 7:44 and 7:22 over that last 0.2 mile.

Later I watched "Godzilla"" and "Non-Stop" off of Popcorn Time ... yes, illegal I would think.

Sunday, 8/24/2014 to Saturday, 8/30/2014 - Dam Good Trail Race

 I ran 2 times this week, 14.4 miles

Sunday, 8/24/2014: 2 runs of 1 and Dam Good Trail Race of 13.4 miles, 63F (at race start), 88% RH, 5 mph S wind, sunny

I was up at 5:45AM ... not exactly bright eyed and bushy tailed. My darling wife, Christine, had not slept during the race and elected to stay home. I was on the road at 6:45AM just after sunrise. I picked up Bill Beyerbach and south we traveled down to the Mount Morris Dam for the "Dam" Good Trail Race. This was my fourth running of this nice trail race. It was a bit foggy and humid as we got down near Mount Morris. We got there around 8AM. I said "Hi" to the some of the usual trail runners: Andy Ciaio, Chris O'Brien, Bambi Jasmin, Kathy Reardon, Tina Pellegrin and Frank Quattrone.

Bill Beyberbach (402), Chris O'Brien (332) and I before heading out for a warmup run

I remembered to take 2 Endurolytes before I stretched out. Bill, Chris and I got out with just enough time for a 1 mile warmup run at 9:18 pace, link here. I just had a 20 ounce hand bottle and a Vanilla Bean Gu that Bill had given me since I couldn't find any Gu. We got back about 2 minutes before the race started. I didn't even have enough time to lock the Cruze. I worried about that off and on during the race.


And ... we were off! I started towards the front but not as far up as usual since I had to edge in at the last minute. I hadn't been down to Letchworth State Park since Sehgahunda just under 3 months ago. I settled into a somewhat fast trail pace. The course is a basic 6 or so mile out and back with a lollipop turnaround at the far end. I knew Bill, Chris and Andy were ahead.

Just after the start - taken by Michael Meynadasy

I adjusted my pace and let faster runners ahead. Soon I found the mud that this trail is known for ... a slippery mud that really wants you to fall. It's not bad to go straight in but can be treacherous if you are trying to turn if you hit it just right. Mark Monachino said "Hi" as he ran by. Onward through the mud, dodging roots and rocks, I said "Hi" to Tina Pellegrin and Tom Butler who had started early. I said "Hi" to Frank Quattrone and Prem Kumar as I passed them. Frank said he had rode 50 miles the day before and Prem said that he was tired. I was running well and felt good on the way out to the turnaround.

On the way out, just before passing Tom Butler with Frank Quattrone and Prem Kumar behind me - taken by Michael Meynadasy

Later on the way out - taken by Michael Lesher

Onward ... soon I could see the power lines just after mile 5. Soon afterward the lead runners were coming back at full tilt for an added degree of difficulty before the split to head up to the turnaround. The turnaround just before mile 7 was a welcome sight. I had Bill's Gu and some water before heading back. Soon the slower runners were coming at me as I was heading back.

On the way back with Prem and Frank ahead of me - taken by Michael Meynadasy

Prem passed me and said he felt better. He certainly looked better. I caught up with a girl wearing a TrailsROC shirt, grey skirt and grey calf sleeves that was going exactly my pace ... so I ran behind her for two or three miles before I passed her. I knew the finish was about 2 or 3 miles away since I could recognize landmarks but I was hurting and struggling a bit. I talked to myself and I groaned more than a bit. But I kept pushing. I found a girl with a white skirt to run behind for a bit. I passed her, then she passed me just before the finish. And ... done in 2:19:39!

Almost done - taken by Michael Meynadsay

Done! - taken by Tim Holagan

Mud selfie!

I gulped down some water as soon as I could. I saw Bill (finished 44th in 2:13:58), Prem Kumar (finished 48th in 2:17:58) and Frank (finished 52nd in 2:21:09) at the finish line. Frank had passed me at the turnaround when my back was turned. I did OK, 54th out of 144, link here. I finished 10th out of 17 in my M50-59 age group, link here. My splits were: 8:29, 9:47, 9:46, 10:22, 10:08, 11:05, 12:43, 12:00, 12:11, 10:19, 10:19, 12:20, 9:30 and 8:15 (estimate since I forgot to turn off my Garmin right away) over the last 0.34 mile.

Here is how people that I knew did: Andy Frank finished first in 1:46:42, Liz Matthew was first female in 8th at 1:55:02, Andy Ciaio finished 20th in 2:06:14, Mark Monachino finished 45th in 2:15:00, Chris O'Brien finished 46th in 2:16:53, John Muoio finished 51st in 2:20:50, Ron Heerkens Jr finished 79th in 2:30:12, Joe Mcuzynski finished 83rd in 2:31:15, Eric Eagan finished 88th in 2:34:02, Bambi Jasmin and Kathy Reardon finished in 125th and 126th in 2:59:25, Tom Butler finished 138th in 3:20:47 (Tom had run the Green Lakes Endurance Run 50K in 7:49:10 the previous day, link here) and Tina Pellegrin finished 144th in 4:04:10.

The Dam Good Trail Race is well known for its post race food ... and the Fanton sisters (Michele and Doreen) that run this race did not disappoint! Yum! There were plenty of raffle prizes and I was called up. I picked out a Patagonia tech shirt in a Men XL which I gave to Christine. She liked it since it was long sleeve.

I gave Bill back to his house. I had a drink of water while Bill and I talked running and he looked up Michigan race results from Friday, link here to the 2014 HealthPlus Crim Festival of Races. The Genesee Valley Harriers had sent teams out there to compete in the USATF Masters Men and Femela Mile.

Monday, 8/25/2014: Rest day ... also toe day.

I woke up at 3AM to a throbbing toe. The throbbing toe was the one next to the right pinkie toe that has had a split toenail for years. I didn't really look at it. I just ran some water into a plastic dishpan for an hour and went back to bed. I woke up and noticed that it was swollen ... joy. I endured work and tried to do as little walking as possible. It hurt. I couldn't have a cover on it when I went to bed.

My father-in-law's car

We received news from Ohio that Christine's 93 year old father was in a car accident. His car was totaled but he is fine thankfully.

Christine and I did a bit of apartment cleaning ... the oven. I pulled off the door and Christine went to work on the inside. I had a bit of trouble putting the door back on but was successful.

My  headlamp is useful for other things beside running

Tuesday, 8/26/2014: Rest day ... another toe day.

I got up and had just got out of the shower when I heard my darling wife, Christine, on the phone making an appointment to our primary physician, Dr. Lavender. I hadn't seen him in a long while. My blood pressure was 110/62 and pulse was 52.

My infected toe. Yes, my toenails are dirty

The doctor was impressed with my swollen toe. Then he cleaned it, numbed it with an icy spray before he applied a scalpel to the nail bed and squeezed the pus out. He was unimpressed with the amount of pus. I didn't feel the scalpel at all. He applied a bandage, a nurse gave me a tetanus shot and I was sent on my way. I went back to work. I walked a tiny bit better than the previous day.

Wednesday: 8/27/2014: Rest day ... another toe day.

I walked better but was glad to take my shoes off and soak my toe when I got home. The Epsom salts really, really stung though ... wow!

Thursday: 8/28/2014: Rest day ... another toe day

I walked even better. Another day of soaking my foot after work. Progress, I guess.

Friday, 8/29/2014: Rest day .. a "woulda, coulda, but didn't" day

I could have run but I bought Lloyd's Big Ribs for my darling wife, Christine, so ... we stayed in to enjoy them.

Saturday, 9/30/2014: 7.4 miles, 59:38, 8:03 pace, 72F, 61% RH, 11 mph SSW wind, sunny.

I didn't sleep well during the night. I spent a couple of hours on the couch and then tried to go to bed, Christine's snoring drove me back to the couch for a couple of more hours. I was up early and could have gone out early. Others did get up early, ran races or ran long in preparation for the Rochester Marathon in three weeks.

Garmin Connect Activity for Back in the saddle!

But ... I did make it out for a nice, easy and level 7.4 mile run. The weather conditions were: 72F, 61% RH, 11 mph SSW wind, sunny. It felt good after 6 days off from running.

Sunday, 8/17/2014 to Saturday, 8/23/2014 - K-9 5K, Dirt Cheap #5 and James Francis 5K

I ran 7 times this week, 16.94 miles.

Sunday, 8/17/2014: 2 runs of 0.6 and K-9 5K of 3.34 miles

I was up and at 'em early for another race, the K-9 5K. This was a Fleet Feet race so I wore my golden bib. I got to Ellison Park around 8AM for the 9AM start. I got my K-9 5K T-shirt and heard that parts of the course were underwater. I had time so I went home and quickly picked up my Salomon Speedcross 3 trail shoes to wear.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before K-9 5K

I got out for a 0.6 mile warmup run. The weather conditions were: 63F, 77% RH, 7 mph N wind, sunny. My legs and muscles were sore and achy from the 18 miles that I ran yesterday.


Boots explained before the race that the north part of Ellison Park was flooded so the course had been changed to 2 loops inside the park on either road, mud or grass. Since this was a K-9 5K there were 48 dogs among the 119 runners. And ... we were off! I was careful not to get tangled up in any runners or dog or dog leashes for the first 1/2 mile. My legs were sore but it was a 5K so I just kept my legs in gear and ran.

Soon Ellen was calling out to go to the finish chute to the right. And ... done with 3.34 miles, 26.05, 7:47 pace. My splits were good for a cross country 5K: 7:52, 7:37, 8:05 and 7:16 over the last 0.34 mile. I was more than happy to stop though. I was drenched and changed into my K-9 5K T-shirt after I ate a banana and some water. I did OK, link here. I was 9th out of 71 of runners without dogs, 2nd out of 6 in my M50-59 age group.

Later, we headed out to Scottsville for a cookout with my youngest son, David. The backyard of the house where he rents a room was very peaceful. The hamburgers and hot dogs were quite tasty!

Monday, 8/18/2014 and Tuesday, 8/19/2014: Rest days ...

Wednesday, 8/20/2014: 2 runs of 0.7 and Dirt Cheap #5 of 4.8 miles, 75F estimated, sunny

I headed out to Webster for Dirt Cheap #5. I forgot my Garmin Forerunner 310XT so I downloaded Strava onto my Iphone. It took a while since it seemed that the Webster Town Park on Holt Rd has bad data coverage. I noticed that there was standing water in low spots around the lodge when I went out for a short 0.7 mile warmup run, link here. I slipped and had an epic fall onto my left side into a mud puddle ... I was coated with mud! I bounced back up, made sure that all my body parts still moved and ran back ... I now knew that it was slippery and there was going to be lots of mud! I said "Hi" to Andy Frank, Bill Beyerbach, Todd Sappen Sr., Jim Roche, Jim McLaughlin, Joe Ciecierega, Tina Pellegrin, Tom Butler and Andy Ciaio. Some laughed and said it looked like I had already run the race.

Running a muddy Dirt Cheap is just like being a kid again!

Boots gave the pre-race instructions ... it was slippery, muddy, the bridges were very slippery and that he hoped that no one has messed with the flags like last year. I started Strava up on my Iphone ten seconds before Boots yelled "Go"! And ... we were off!

Heading down the first hill after the start ....

and out into the first of many, many, many puddles!

I have run this race enough times to recognize that we were running it backwards from when we ran it three months ago. Soon we were splashing through the mud puddles, dodging pricker bushes, going under low hanging branches, dodging roots, hopping over logs and having a blast! The 100 yard run through the creek was just as wet as ever. It's a bit hard to run with water in your shoes but I managed. I walked a tiny bit but only twice that I remember. I just concentrated on staying up with the runner I was behind.

Heading to the final hill before the finish ...

On and on we ran ... I was beginning to think that more trail was being put in front of me or that Boots was sending us out for a second loop. But ... soon I could hear Ellen calling runners up the hill to the finish. I knew it was the very last hill so I dug down deep and powered up without stopping. And ... done in 50:57 according to Strava. I went to the Cruze for some water. I tried to take a picture of my muddy tech top but my Iphone died. Soon I chowed down on the usual post race food and exchanged mud stories with Tom Butler and Bill Beyerbach. Here is Christopher O'Brien's blogpost, link here.

Officially, I did OK. I finished in 50:50, 42nd out of 241, link here. I was 4th out of 8 (3rd was nine seconds ahead) in my M55-59 age group. Andy Frank finished 3rd in 40:50, Jim McLaughlin finished in 45:52, Andy Ciaio finished in 46:27, Jim Roche finished in 46:43, Bill Beyerbach finished in 47:14 for 1st in out M55-59 age group, Todd Sappen Sr finished in 47:33, Joe Ciecierega finished in 48:23, Tom Butler finished in 1:08:04 and Tina Pellegrin in 1:29:42.

I didn't bring a change of clothes so I had to sit on a towel when I drove home so I wouldn't get the Cruze all mud. Maybe I should pack a change of clothes in the future?

I found a bit more mud than usual!

Christine took a picture when I got home. Then I stripped and took a shower, a bath plus did a load of laundry. All in all, a great Dirt Cheap! A huge thank you to Yellow Jacket Racing!

Thursday, 8/21/2014: Rest day ... time to soothe my aches and pains.

Friday, 8/22/2014: Another rest day the day before a race.

Saturday, 8/23/2014: 3 runs of 2, James Francis 5K and 1.4 miles, 70F, 88% RH, overcast.

My darling wife, Christine, had insomnia all night so I left for the James Francis / Andrea Kofahl 5K (JF/AK 5K) at the Black Creek Park in Chili NY solo. I got there in plenty of time for a nice 2 mile run. My Garmin said "Low Battery" when I turned it on and meant it. It kicked off at 1.16 miles on my warmup run so I guessed 2 miles and 8:45 pace. I was pretty drippy with sweat and cooled down a bit in the 10 minutes before the race. I said "Hi" to the usual crowd: Bill Beyerbach, Wilt Alston, Beth DeCianti and Jim May before the race. I had to use Strava on my Iphone for the race. I am not a fan because I have to start the app and then put the Iphone away just before the start, plus the reported distance of 2.9 miles was certainly off.

The JF/AK 5K cross country course was very well marked with tons of flags: red for mile 1, pink for mile 2 and white for mile 3. After some pre-race announcements ... we were off!


We ran around the pond, up the big hill, down the other side and out the grass paths for mile 1. Bill, Jim, Wilt and Beth were ahead. Wilt stopped to tie his shoes twice but still was ahead. There was a digital clock and timing strip at mile 1, 68th and 7:24 pace, link here. Then it was onto a trail through the woods with white paint painted on any roots in our path. We exited the woods just after the mile 2 mark. Under one mile to go! Across the field and back up the big hill, didn't break to a walk ... I slowed but didn't walk, down the other side and the left turn for the finish! I hit mile 3 and saw a high school girl that I wanted to catch. She heard me coming in the finish chute and sprinted. We sprinted to the line and I edged her according to the results ... nice! OK, so she was 15 years old but I still caught her!

Officially, I did OK, 23:11 (I ran 22:34 last year), 7:29 pace, 62nd out of 217, link here. I finished 7th out of 17 in my wide 50-59 age group, link here. I was 3rd out of 5 in my Rochester Runner Of the Year 55-59 age group, link here. Bill finished in 34th in 21:38; Beth DeCianti finished 40th in 22:05 to win her 50-59 age group, Jim May finished 42nd in 22:12 to win his 60-69 age group, Wilt Alston finished 50th in 22:44. I saw Jeanne Herrick finish 97th in 26:29 to win her 60-69 age group.

I went out with Bill Beyerbach and Bill Clauss for a really nice and easy cooldown run of 1.4 miles at 9:45 pace. I stayed for the awards and the door prizes but went home empty handed. Bill and I are going to carpool to the "Dam" Good Trail Race down at the Mount Morris Dam tomorrow morning.

My darling wife, Christine, had finally fallen asleep by the time I got home. She had made coffee ... so I quietly told her of my exploits and then let her sleep. A nice morning!

Sunday, 8/10/2014 to Saturday, 8/16/2014 - Rochester River Chase

I ran 4 times this week, 43.51 miles.

Sunday, 8/10/2014: 14.4 miles, 2:04:28, 8:38 pace, 61F, 88% RH, 3 mph SW wind, sunny

Prem Kumar told me yesterday that he needed a long run on Sunday. Well so did I. We are both signed up to run the Rochester Marathon in 6 weeks so we made up a plan to run from Fairport to Pittsford and back which is about 14 to 15 miles. I got up early and was getting ready when he chatted on Facebook that he would meet me on the Erie Canal path in Fairport at 8AM. I got there at 7:55AM and was just going to head east to meet up with him when he appeared. He had run from his house and already had 7.7 miles in.

Garmin Connect Activity for Canal path long run

So we headed east on the Erie Canal path at a nice and easy pace ... out for me and back for him. I forgot to turn on my Garmin for 0.3 miles. It was kind of hazy and shady for a while with the sun mostly at our backs. There were a lot of people out. We said "Hi" to most of them, some answered and some didn't. Prem said "Bye" at Schoen Place at mile 5.6 and ran the 1.5 miles back to his house for his 15 miles. I continued onward until my Garmin said 7 miles before I turned around to head back. I picked up my pace a wee bit until my right Achilles started barking. The sun was in my face plus the shade seemed to have disappeared. I was happy to stop at mile 14.4.

A female bicyclist was stopped at a nearby picnic table. I ambled over since I needed to sit down. She had a lot of gear attached to her bike. I stuck up a conversation. I learned that her name was Sheila and that she had started riding east from Washington on June 21 ... about 3000 miles ago. She was riding 80 miles this day to Wolcott and had gotten lost a bit when the Erie Canal path had merged with the Genesee River Trail. Her ultimate destination was Bar Harbor, Maine. Wow ... a coast to coast biker! It kind of makes my 14.4 mile run look a bit tame.

A cross country bicyclist named Sheila stopped in Fairport for a break.

I stopped at the Wegmans in East Rochester for some much needed (OK, maybe desired not needed) donuts on the way home. Soon I woke up my darling wife, Christine, with hot coffee and donuts.

Meanwhile ... the Sodus Point Triathlon was held. In past years I have volunteered for this sprint triathlon (0.45 mile swim, 13.1 mile bike and 3.1 mile run) but not this year. 158 triathletes finished, link here.

Swimmers exiting Sodus Bay

Tim Dwyer ... who has turned 55 and is now in my age group

Barry Cherney

Triathletes that I knew: Tim Dywer finished 10th in 1:10:10 to win his 55-59 age group, Barry Cherney in 1:21:28, Todd Dappen Sr in 1:31:17 and Chuck Traub in 1:34:06.

I watched sports most of the rest of the day. First, the Nascar race from Watkins Glen and next the PGA Open from Valhalla in Louisville KY. Both had lots of drama. The Nascar race had 2 crashes that caused red flags as AJ Allmendinger won, link here. The PGA Open had lots of lead changes until Rory McIlory won by a shot over Phil Mickelson (runner up in a major for the ninth time) in the gathering gloom at 8:43PM, link here.

Monday, 8/11/2014: Rest day ... sure enough!

Tuesday, 8/12/2014: A coulda, shoulda, but didn't day ... got caught up with watching Poirot on PBS and then a thunderstorm moved through.

Wednesday, 8/13/2014: 11 miles, 1:29:23, 8:07 pace, 66F, 83% RH, 10 mph WSW wind, partly cloudy.

I told my darling wife, Christine, that I was going out for a long run ... and did. I dialed in a pace that I would call a bit north of nice and easy but not a lot. I just meandered around my usual 10K route and added in the Chapel Hill Drive hill just for fun. The cool and gusty breeze felt nice and kept me from being totally drenched when I got done. My splits were: 8:04, 7:57, 7:47, 7:54, 8:40 (Chapel Hill Drive hill), 8:04, 8:05, 8:18, 8:07, 8:18 and 8:09. I need to get new tread soon since my Brooks Adrenaline GTS14 shoes have 593 miles on them. But I know I should and getting them are two entirely different things.Plus I have a lot of old shoes to get properly dispose of ... i.e. recycle.

Thursday, 8/14/2014: Rest day ... nothing unusual. I thought about going out for a run ... but not too hard.

Friday, 8/15/2014: Rest day .... before a race along with two loads of laundry.

Saturday, 8/16/2014: 2 runs of 7 and the Rochester River Chase of 11.11 miles.

My darling wife, Christine, has had trouble sleeping of late and this night was no exception. I woke up at 5:45AM and did the dishes and folded the whites from last night. I quietly got ready, kissed Christine bye and was out the door to Ontario Beach Park in Charlotte by 6:45AM and arrived by 7AM. The weather conditions were:

This was my first atttempt at the Rochester River Chase (RRC) put on by GVH at 8AM. This race was a unique idea of seeding the runners so that the slowest start first and the fastest start last so that everyone has a chance of winning depending on how well you run. I was seeded 33rd with a start time of 8:33:33AM.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Rochester River Chase

So ... I had the bright idea of going out for a 5 mile warmup run. I got this idea from Bob Dyjak who planned on running 9 miles to the RRC and then running the RRC. I did see him about 1.4 miles after I started and waved "Hi". I decided to stretch my run out to 3.5 miles instead of 2.5 miles. But .. this had the detriment that I had to rush to get back. I looked at my Garmin and saw that it was 8AM and I still had 2 miles to go! So my "warmup" run of 7 miles was 8:21. My splits were: 8:33, 8:30, 8:24, 8:37, 8:15, 8:03 and 8:09. I saw Tom Butler heading out as I got back.

I had 15 minutes to cooldown, get some water, hit the bathroom and get settled before I headed out. Prem Kumar was scheduled to start 22 seconds behind me and Andy Ciaio was scheduled to start 1 minute or so behind me. Jason "Jmac" McEllorn was to start last since he was the fastest.


The weather conditions had warmed up a bit: 61F, 72% RH, 10 mph SW wind, sunny. And ... off I went! I settled into a kind of fast pace. I followed the cones out and north on Lake Ave and then onto Pattonwood to the O'Rorke Bridge across the Genesee River. Prem passed me just before I got to mile 1.

Thomas Ave just before entering the trail heading up to the Seneca Park Zoo - taken by GVH

Then down Thomas Ave onto the the Zoo trail ... up I ran. Andy Ciaio passed by and then some GVH runners. The run up the Zoo trail to the Seneca Park Zoo and down the pedestrian bridge around mile 5.5 zapped my legs. I thought to myself, "I've almost run a half marathon and I still have 6 miles to go!" After we crossed the Genesee River the course went up the stairs instead of up the ramp ... ugghhh! I walked the stairs and then proceeded south on Maplewood Dr and Lake Ave, past the cemeteries at mile 7, had a Gu at mile 8, into Turning Stone Park, along the river on the Genesee River Trail at mile 9. I said "Hi" to Bob Dyjak and then Tom Butler as I passed them. Jmac whizzed by me, the last runner to start. I was running onward ... getting there surely. Back onto Lake Ave. The GVH volunteers were saying I looked great but I didn't feel so great. I pushed when I got back to Ontario Beach Park. And ... done in 1:35:15, 8:29 pace. I was more than happy to stop after running 18 miles before 11AM in the morning.

Officially, I was 18th overall out of 46 in 1:34:21, link here; 38th in the chase, link here; passed 6 runners and was passed by everyone behind me. My splits were: 8:05, 8:15, 8:18, 8:52, 9:03, 8:55, 8:17, 8:42, 8:35, 8:17, 8:08 and 7:28 over the last 0.11 mile. A long and pleasant race. I have run a very similar route on my "Bridge route" but always in a counter-clockwise direction. It was definitely different to run it in a clockwise direction.

Soon I was back home. I woke up Christine with some coffee. I would have liked to put up my feet for the rest of the day but my Uncle Bud Nevil's 90th birthday party was at 2:30PM at the Williamson Town Park. Uncle Bud married my mother's sister Eleanor VerPlank way back in the late 40s. She just died last year. Christine and I got there around 2:40PM. I met up with my youngest son, David, and my daughter, Karen. My older brother, Don, and my younger sister, Diane, and her husband, Jim, were there ... along with a lot of other people. All of Uncle Bud's four kids were there: Terry (his oldest) and his wife, Linda; Larry (his 2nd oldest) and his wife, Donna; Mary Tack (his 3rd oldest) and her husband, Steve; and Judy Nevil (the youngest). Uncle Elmer (my late mother's brother) and his wife, Aunt Pat, were there and sat with us.

My sister, Karen, and my youngest son, David

My older brother, Don, and my younger sister, Diane DeMent

(l to r) My brother-in-law, Jim DeMent, Uncle Elmer VerPlank, Aunt Pat VerPank and sister, Diane DeMent

The 90 year old birthday man, Uncle Bud Nevil

We said our "Good byes". It had been a long time since so many relatives had been together. I tried to get as many pictures as I could  I was really tired when we got back to Rochester and our cozy 1 bedroom apartment. I was in bed by 7:30PM and asleep by 8PM.

Sunday, 8/3/2014 to Saturday, 8/9/2014 - Young and Wyld 5K & Bergen 5K

I ran 5 times this week, 17.3 miles.

Sunday, 8/3/2014: Rest day ... pure & simple.

The DVR broke so we were forced to watch Netflix with good and bad results. The first movie worked fine, the next two, "Invasion of the Body Snatcher" and "Apollo 18" were interrupted by buffering every minute.

I also crawled the web to find the results of the Cayuga Triathlon down in Ithaca NY. The Intermediate Tri was 1.5K swim, 24.3 mile bike and 10K run with 247 finishers: John Muoio finished in 2:37:50, Barry Cherney broke 3 hours in 2:56:46, Steve Levitsky finished in 3:07:54, Wendy Abbot finished in 3:22:56, Kimberly Levitsky finsihed in 3:32:39. The Short Tri was 750m swim, 14 mile bike and 5K run with 327 finishers: Tom Button was 27th overall and won his M65-59 age group in 1:24:24.

Monday, 8/4/2014: 7.7 miles, 1:02:51, 8:10 pace, 75F, 78% RH, 5 mph ESE wind, mostly cloudy.

Garmin Connect Activity for A sweaty 7.7 mile run

I needed to run I took the day before off and will take the day after off because of a 5K on Wednesday. I struck up my usual nice and easy pace when I headed out. En route I thought about running a 10 mile run but decided to take it easy on my feet and cut it a bit short. When I stopped I was drenched with sweat. It was more than a bit humid!

Tuesday, 8/5/2015: Rest day.

Time Warner replaced the DVR and I occupied myself with two loads of laundry.

Wednesday, 8/6/2014: 2 runs of 1.8 miles along with the Young and Wyld 5K of 3.14 miles, 73%, 44% RH, 5 mph NW wind, sunny.

My darling wife, Christine, and I headed down after I got home from work to Honeoye Falls for something new ... the Young and Wyld 5K. We got there at 6:10PM. Just in time to park 50 feet from the finish line across from the Post Office. The race started at 7PM so I had plenty of time to go out with Bill Sandow and his friend, Jim Werven, for a nice and easy 1.8 miles at 8:42 pace, link here. I said "Hi" to Andy Ciaio and Bob Dyjak before the race.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before the Young and Wyld 5K


I stretched a bit, kissed Christine and waited for the start. And .... we were off! There was no police escort for this race just road marshals. The course is the old PolarCat route and was all right hand turns so we ran with our backs to traffic. Luckily there was not much traffic. I started pretty well and settled in for what I hoped was a fast 5K. There were pockets of cool air in the first mile that felt nice, 6:46 pace. I slowed a bit during mile 2, 7:04 pace. I picked it up a bit on York St as I picked off some younger high school runners, 6:55 pace. I started my sprint as I turned onto W Main St. I heard Christine yell, "Go, Doug!". And into the finish chute ... I was done in 21:36 with a 5:54 pace over the last 0.14 mile.

Taking it easy after the Young and Wyld 5K in beautiful Honeoye Falls!

I recovered with a couple of slices of pizza and a tasty root beer float. Officially, I did pretty well. I was 20th out of 115, link here. I was 2nd out of 6 in my M55-59 age group, link here. Jim Werven finished in 19:41, Andy Ciaio finished with spitting distance of 20 at 20:18, Bill Sandow finished in 20:55 and Bob Dyjak finished in 25:45.

Christine and I finished up our evening out by having a late snack for me and supper for Christine at Salvatore's on East Ridge Rd. An early bedtime soon ensued!

Thursday, 8/7/2014: An unplanned rest day due to lack of communication

Well ... maybe I should tell Christine when I am planning to run so she won't have supper ready and waiting when I come home. I was kind of planning a 10 mile run ... but I ate a nice supper and binge watched "Under the Dome"instead.

Friday, 8/8/2014: Another rest day.

I thought about going out for a run after work but my darling wife, Christine, had other plans ... so I went with them.

Saturday, 8/9/2014: 2 runs of 1.5 and Bergen 5K of 3.16 miles

I woke up early and woke up Christine a bit later. I had wanted to leave at 7AM but didn't leave until 7:24AM for the drive out to Bergen. This was my third Bergen 5K. I ran a 20:31 back in 2011 and a 21:36 last year. I left Christine in the car while I went to get my bib and shirt at registration. I kind of knew the young lady behind the table and she handed me my bib and shirt without my telling her my name. I guess there are a lot of people that know me ... I wish I knew them. I am kind of bad with names.

It was a beautiful morning for a fast 5K. I got out for a nice and easy 1.5 miles at 8:02 pace with the weather conditions: 59F, 88% RH, 4 mph SW wind.

Garmin Connect Activity for Warmup before Bergen 5K

I was stretching here ... not trying to kick the sign over as Bob Dyjak suggested on Facebook, lol!

I saw Bill Beyerbach, Jim May, Bob Dyjak and Mark Herberger briefly before the race. I met up with Prem Kumar and lined up with him. I was a bit farther back than I was used to. The Bergen 5K always attracts a very fast group of runners since it is the USATF-Niagara 5K Open and Master Championship so I let them be in front.




And ... we were off! I got caught behind slower runners a bit at the start but I followed Prem's lead and navigated into the clear.

The start - taken by Tim Matthews

The start from the other side - from the Bergen 5K Facebook page

Another view of the start - taken by Tim Matthews

I was behind Prem by 10 feet at the sharp turn from Parkview Dr onto Buffalo Rd. I passed Mark Herberber for a bit and then he passed me back. Mile 1 passed at 6:44 pace. I settled in and kept my position on S Lake Ave, aka Route 19, and on the turn onto Rochester St. Mile 2 passed at 6:47 pace.

Somewhere on S Lake Ave

I wasn't gaining on Mark or Prem but I wasn't losing ground either. I slowed a bit on mile 3, 7:05 pace.

Approaching the finish chute

I sprinted over the last 0.16 mile as I entered the finish chute, 6:10 pace. And ... done in 21:34 according to my Garmin. I congratulated Prem and Mark on their 21:12 and 21:19. Bill Beyerbach finished in 20:26, a 5K PR! Bill May, a very fast 68, finished in 20:15. Bob Dyjak finished in 25:05. Here is a blog post from Road Kill Racing, link here, about how their team results.

"Kip" Tisia finished in 14:44

Hannah Davidson finished in 16:01

Meanwhile ... Kiplangat Tisia of Rochester finished 1st in 14:44. The first 60 runners were under 17:00! Hannah Davidson of Manlius was the first female in 16:01. I did OK. Officially, I finished in 21:32, 147th out of 365, link here. I finished 7th out of 16 in my M55-59 age group.

I had to leave fairly quickly. My father, Bernard J DeWeaver died back on 3/10/2014. His urn was being buried along side my mother's urn at the East Palmyra Cemetery at 11AM. My mother, Doris E DeWeaver died on 1/14/2004. I changed in my daughter's stairwell in Newark since she wasn't home. We made it there in plenty of time. I met up with my older brother, Don, along with my younger sister, Diane, and her husband, Jim DeMent. Uncle Bud Nevil, the husband of my mother's late sister; Pat VerPlank, the wife of my mother's brother, Elmer and their daughter, Lea Ann, also attended the short ceremony. My sister gave a short eulogy and concluded with Dad's signature goodbye ... "See you later".

My father's urn

My parent's gravestone

My older brother, Don, and my younger sister, Diane

My Uncle Bud Nevil. He is the husband of my late mother's late sister Eleanor.

My Aunt Pat VerPlankand her daughter Lea Ann Sawyer. Aunt Pat is the wife of my late mother's brother Elmer. 

I saw my oldest son, Michael, for a bit at his mother's apartment in Newark before we headed back up to Rochester. A lazy and leisurely day ensued.

Tragic news later from Canandaigua ... Tony Stewart hit and killed Kevin Ward Jr in a racing accident at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park, links here and here. I watched the raw video posted on Youtube. Kevin spun out after getting a flat tire after contact with Tony. Kevin got out of his car and walked down the banked track to gesture at Tony as he came around on the caution lap. A couple of cars missed Keven before Tony's car hit and killed him. I think there will be rule changes for Nascar and all other race car series in the future ... don't get out of your car after a crash until directed by safety personnel unless it's on fire.