Sunday, 12/8/2019 to Saturday, 12/14/2019 - Freezeroo #1

My left IT band appears to be healed. I stretch before and after each run ... usually.
I ran 3 times for 11.01 miles this week.
I took 76,206 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt).
My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

Sunday, 12/8/2019

16106 steps, 45/150 resting/peak HR, 6:58 hr sleep, 168.6 lbs, 9 floors climbed
run: 9.35 miles (estimated), 8:50 pace (estimated), 14F, 78% RH, 5 mph WSW wind, wind chill 10F, sunny

I got up and out. It was cold, chilly, brisk but sunny. I dressed warmly: CS-X tights, long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, balaclava, Brooks beanie and ski mittens. I stayed off the LOSP trail and went off on my 15K route. I forgot to charge my Garmin Vivoactive HR so it died after 8.0 miles. My splits were: 8:43, 8:33, 8:52, 9:13, 8:37, 8:40, 8:45 and 9:20.

I watched the Bills play the Ravens. It was a hard fought game but the Bill lost 17-24, link here. The Bills had a pass on 4th down in the end zone to tie the game at the end ... but it was knocked away. Their record is 9-4 now. The Bills just have to win ONE more game out of the last three to get back into the playoffs for the second straight year.

Monday, 12/9/2019: 9068 steps, 6:22 hr sleep, 167.3 lbs, 5 floors climbed
Tuesday, 12/10/2019: 9740 steps, 7:06 hr sleep, 170.1 lbs, 6 floors climbed

Wednesday, 12/11/2019: 10195 steps, 7:15 hr sleep, 170.3 lbs, 1 floor climbed

Thursday, 12/12/2019: 8091 steps, 6:52 hr sleep, 170.5 lbs, 4 floors climbed

Friday, 12/13/2019: 13960 steps, 37/107 resting/peak HR, 7:09 hr sleep, 170.2 lbs, 5 floors climbed

Why no runs? Why no HR data for 4 out of the 5 days? Well ... lots of work for the first question so I didn't get home until past 5:30 PM every night. A personal cell with a battery that I didn't keep on me while I worked all around the L3Harris CS buildings for the second question. I guess it has to be on your person to record your HR data.

Saturday, 12/14/2019

9046 steps, 47/157 resting/peak HR, 8:08 hr sleep, 169.7 lbs, 5 floors climbed
run #1: 1.85 miles, 17:04, 9:13 pace, 122 avg HR, 155 avg cadence, 39F, 93% RH, 5 ENE wind, overcast with misty rain
run #2: 3.11 miles, 23:29, 7:33 pace, 145 avg HR, 164 avg cadence, 39F, 93% RH, 4 mph NE wind, overcast with misty rain

Today's race with my 8th GRTC Freezeroo #1. My previous seven times were: 5 miles at Pineway Ponds Park, 2010 - 36:44, 2011 - 34:18; 5K at Northstar Christian Academy - 2013 - 22:52, 2014 - 21:41, 2016 - 22:06, 2017 - 22:11 and 2018 - 22:04.

I slept in until almost 7 AM. My weekend alarm doesn't work so well if you forget to turn on the volume or vibration. No matter ... I've run almost 500 races (498 including this one) so I had my usual bowl of cereal and banana, got dressed, got ready, kissed Christine goodbye and got out. It was chilly with a light mist so I dressed in my CW-X tights, short sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves.

I got to the Northstar Christian Academy a bit before 9 AM in plenty of time for the 10 AM start. I met up with my running buddies: Bob Dyjak, Andy Ciaio and Prem Kumar. I got out for a longish 1.85 mile warm up run at 9:13 pace, link here. I was hot so I ditched the short sleeve tech and grabbed a swig of water. Yes, it was misty out but it wasn't enough to really bother with it.

Looking bored before the start and the start ... photo courtesy of Christina Ruhland

And ... we were off! The start was pretty tight so I had a bit of trouble getting up to race pace. Andy Ciaio yelled from behind me "I'm going to draft you, Doug" and then "Don't lead me through mud" as we splashed through some puddles. He passed me soon enough ... as I expected since he is faster than I am.

The course for this edition of Freezeroo #1 is a twisty, turny out and back. We had to be careful of a few bits of ice as we dodged a locked gate and entered a park. We passed the City Hope Church ... it seemed quite busy. I got to "One Mile" Pete as he announced 7:33. I got to the turnaround and headed back. One thing about an out and back course is that you can give and get encouragement from fellow runners. I noticed a hearse in front of the City Hope Church and realized that they were having a funeral while our race was running by them ... oops! Jeanette George passed me with about a mile to go ... I tried to keep up ... push ... around the last building ... timer way past 23:00 ... and done! My Garmin Forerunner HR said 23:29, 7:33 pace.

Straining to the finish ... photo courtesy of Christina Ruhland

I headed inside and downstairs to the cafeteria. There was more than enough food to choose from. I chose: bag of trail mix (Chex cereal, pretzels, M&Ms), 1/2 donut and PB&J wrap along with a cup of coffee and chocolate milk. I talked with Andy and his wife Laura who also ran. Andy hadn't told her yet that he had signed up for the 100K Twisted Branch trail race ... mum's the word!

I headed home after a visit to the Wegmans on Lyell Ave for a bit of hunting and gathering. The race was timed by Egils Robs and Hourglassworks.com. I did OK. I was 41st out of 138, link here. I was 2nd out of 13 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. I was a distant 2nd before Tim Dwyer's sixth place finish time of 19:32. Tim just aged up to the M 60-64 age group and hasn't slowed a step. He runs a 5K under 20:00 and all the way up to marathons like they are candy.

There was the rare opportunity to run 3 5Ks today. The Reindeer Run in downtown Rochester was held on the Runnin' of the Green course at 8:30 AM. There were 982 finishers, link here. The runners who were willing to drive to Seneca Falls could run the the It's a Wonderful Run 5K.at 4:40 PM. There were 3923 finishers, link here. Bill Murphy, a young 71 years kid at heart, was the only one that I knew that accomplished this feat.

Sunday, 12/1/2019 to Saturday, 12/7/2019

This blog post is saved as I write it to avoid the Blogger "Auto Save" feature. I have found (as have others) that if you accidentally delete your entire blog post before you publish it that "Auto Save" will kick in within seconds to take you to a blank page. I have done this more than once! This feature is turned off once you publish the blog post. Then if you accidentally delete your entire post it is not final until you click Update (so you have a chance to realize that you are about to do something stupid).

My left IT band appears to be healed. I stretch before and after each run ... usually.
I ran 1 times for 6.05 miles this week.
I took 70384 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt).
My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

Sunday, 12/1/2019

9884 steps, 52/144 resting/peak HR, 7:02 hr sleep, 169.3 lbs, 6 floors climbed
run: 6.05 miles, 54:13, 8:57 pace, 136 avg HR, 158 avg cadence, 23F, 81% RH, 13 mph E wind, wind chill 14F, overcast with snow pellets

I got a bit late for my fourth run in a row and paid the price. I had heard the wind blow a bit outside but I was surprised to see ice pellets falling with about 1/2 inch on the ground when I peeked outside to verify that my running attire was adequate. Well ... it wasn't. I headed back in and pulled on my balaclava and ski mittens. So ... I was prepared with CW-X tights, Darn Tough socks, 2 long sleeve tech shirts, Brooks beanie and the aforementioned balaclava and ski mittens. I chose "The LOSP trail" route to keep off the road. The paved trail was covered with ice pellets so I dialed back my speed and just got it done. The ice pellets being blown by the E wind stung my face a bit on the way back. It was all good though. My splits were: 9:24, 8:47, 8:47, 8:48, 8:54 and 9:06.

The Buffalo Bills had already played on Thanksgiving (and trounced the Cowboys 26-15) so we watched the Browns lose to the Steelers 14-21, link here.

Monday, 12/2/2019: 9911 steps, 51/115 resting/peak HR, 7:04 hr sleep, 169.7 lbs, 2 floors climbed
Tuesday, 12/3/2019: 7049 steps, 48/119 resting/peak HR, 7:44 hr sleep, 172.1 lbs, 8 floors climbed
Wednesday, 12/4/2019: 11949 steps, 46/96 resting/peak HR, 6:44 hr sleep, 171.6 lbs, 5 floors climbed

Yada ... yada ... yada. All work and no play makes Doug a dull boy ... a "The Shining" reference. No drama ... just work, snow and darkness makes running after work pretty impossible.

Thursday, 12/5/2019

14479 steps, 45/139 resting/peak HR, 6:34 hr sleep, 170.7 lbs, 9 floors climbed
run: 3.0 miles, 27:40, 9:13 pace

I came home cranky. I got out of work a bit late and came straight home. My darling wife, Christine, told me that there was 30 minutes until supper. I told her that I was going to the treadmill for 3 miles. I quickly changed and drove down to the Greenleaf Meadows exercise room. I got on the treadmill and endured 3 miles at around 6.6 mph or 9:04 pace. Three miles of treadmill is better than zero miles outside ... barely. I felt better when I got home. Christine made a "sloppy joe / cheeseburger casserole" ... mmm! She understood that I needed to run, needed to eat and needed quiet. I love her so!

Friday, 12/6/2019: 6687 steps, 48/91 resting/peak HR, 7:07 hr sleep, 170.1 lbs, 3 floors climbed

Saturday, 12/7/2019

10425 steps, 47/140 resting/peak HR, 7:26 hr sleep, 170.6 lbs, 1 floor climbed
run: 6.65 mile, 1:02:40, 9:25 pace, 132 avg HR, 155 avg cadence, 26F, 71% RH, 6 mph WNW wind, wind chill 20F, mostly sunny

I slept in a bit until just before 7 AM. My cell phone alarm doesn't really work if you set it but don't enable the sound. Another inch of snow had fallen over night but I needed to get outside and run. It was cold, sunny and brisk so I dressed in my CW-X tights, long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and ski mittens. I didn't have a route in mind. I headed out to the LOSP trail and decided to take it. I found a fat bike track that I ran in all the way to Island Cottage. I didn't want to just turn around so I decided to hit down Island Cottage to Latta and then ran all the way back to the LOSP trail. I had wanted to run 10 but I was happy with what I ran. Running in the snow for 1/3 of the way was a good workout. My splits were: 9:44, 10:30, 9:49, 8:54, 39, 36 and 9:55 over the last 0.65 mile.

Sunday, 11/24/2019 to Saturday, 11/30/2019 - Race with Grace 10K

My left IT band appears to be healed. I stretch before and after each run.
I ran 4 times for 19.59 miles this week.
I took 63,424 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt).
My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

Sunday, 11/24/2019

1625 steps, 48/95 resting/peak HR, 7:12 hr sleep, 167.0 lbs, 0 floors climbed

Monday, 11/25/2019: 9101 steps, 48/114 resting/peak HR, 8:09 hr sleep, 169.0 lbs, 1 floors climbed

We traded in our leased 2018 Cruze for a 2019 Trax AWD LT. This is the fourth car we have leased or purchased from Willie at Bob Johnson Chevrolet. That's 3 leases for us and 1 car purchase for my youngest son, David. He makes those payments.

Tuesday, 11/26/2019: 11219 steps, 47/103 resting/peak HR, 7:50 hr sleep, 169.9 lbs, 14 floors climbed

Wednesday, 11/27/2019: 7028 steps, 48/99 resting/peak HR, 7:19 hr sleep, 171.8 lbs, 1 floors climbed

No running for the past four days. Sunday was called a "no run" day since my body didn't react well to 2 runs the day before. Monday through Wednesday were no running days because I was tired from doing the Ricoh printer refresh at L3Harris SAS.

Thursday, 11/28/2019

13238 steps, 47/148 resting/peak HR, 7:32 hr sleep, 172.0 lbs, 7 floors climbed
run #1: 1.06 miles, 9:17, 8:47 pace, 125 avg HR, 161 avg cadence, 37F, 79% RH, 17 N wind, wind chill 26F, overcast
run #2: 6.23 miles, 50:11, 8:03 pace, 143 avg HR, 166 avg cadence, 37F, 79% RH, 16 NNW wind, wind chill 26F, overcast

Today's race was my tenth Race with Grace 10K. The race venue was the First Bible Baptist Church. I got up early like usual. I got out to the race venue around 8 AM in plenty of time for the 9 AM start. I went in and got my bib and my newest favorite tech shirt ... a navy 1/4 zip long sleeve Race with Grace 10K tech shirt. But ... I believe that you can't wear the race shirt until you earn it.

The weather was a bit chilly but not like last year's weather of 18F, 73% RH, 9 mph WNW wind, wind chill 7F, partly cloudy. So I dressed in my usual: CW-X tights, shorts, long/short sleeve tech, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I got out for a short 1.05 mile warm up run at 8:47 pace, link here. The breezy wind out of north was chilly and I knew that it would be just so much fun running 2 miles up Manitou Rd into it ... but it's the course and at least it was at the beginning of the race (and would be a tail wind on the way back). I stopped by the 2019 Trax, took off my Brooks jacket and walked up to the start line. I talked with Mark Heberger, who I hadn't seen in years. Truth be told ... I had to look up his name in the results to find out his name. I knew his face after so long but not his name.

And ... we were off! One thing I like about running the Race with Grace 10K and the Newark 5 mile Turkey Day Run that I ran for 5 years before I moved up to Rochester was that these races aren't crowded and does not have more runners than the road can handle (cough ... Turkey Trot ... cough). So I got up to my race pace quickly.

Up to race pace just after the start ... photo courtesy of the Race with Grace 10K Facebook page

I ran near Mark for 1/4 mile or so before he pulled away. I could hear the voice of "One Mile" Pete about 30 seconds before I reached him at 7:40. I just kept on running ... I could have stopped ... but I kept on running ... I love racing. The last mile of the Race with Grace 10K always seems long ... as it did today. I was with a group of runners as we made the last turn into the finish chute. It seemed that we all groaned as one when we saw the digital clock at 49:55 and realized that there was no way we could run the last 100 yards and finish before the clock ticked to 50 minutes. But ... we ran onward as fast as we could. The clock ticked to 50:11 on my Garmin as I crossed the line. A lady gave me a pint of water that I stuffed in my shorts pocket. I stretched before I went inside.

Sprinting for the finish ... photo courtesy of the Race with Grace 10K Facebook page

I was 4th in my age group so I stayed a while, talked a little and then went home. I did OK. My official time was 50:10. I was 153rd out of 682 and 4th out of 30 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. My splits were: 7:39, 8:03, 8:00, 8:20 8:11, 8:15 and 7:30 over the last 0.23 mile.
There were other races on Thanksgiving. The Feast of Burden 2 Miler had 152 finishers, results here. The Feast of Burden 5 Miler had 403 finishers, results here. The Webster Trot Turkey Trot 2.5 Mile run had 1737 finishers, results here. The Webster Turkey Trot 4.4 mile run had 1123 finishers, results here. The Newark Turkey Day Race had 135 finishers, results here. All these races around Rochester are dwarfed by the Buffalo Turkey Trot with its 11912 finishers, results here.

I had a mug of coffee, relaxed a bit, took a shower and then we went to pick up my oldest son, Michael, and daughter, Karen, to take them out to Denny's in Victor. Michael and I had the turkey dinner, Karen had breakfast and Christine had a bourbon burger.

Christine and I made it back up to Rochester around 4:30 PM. Then we watched the Bills play the Cowboys down in Dallas. It was their first game on Thanksgiving since 1994. Well ... the Bills spotted them 7 points, then ran off 26 unanswered points (a missed PAT and FG didn't help) and won 26-15, links here and here. Josh Allen was awesome: 19-25 for 231, 1 TD, 0 INT, 43 yards rushing, 1 TD rushing, 12-12 passing in the second half. Their record is 9-3 which is light years from my (and probably a lot of others) expectations at the beginning of the season.

Friday, 11/29/2019

13091 steps, 46/138 resting/peak HR, 7:10 hr sleep, 171.9 lbs, 6 floors climbed
run: 4.75 miles, 40:55, 8:36 pace, 130 avg HR, 162 avg cadence, 28F, 78% RH, 7 mph N wind, wind chill 22F, overcast

It took a while but I got out around 9:30 AM. I didn't want to run long so I just went out on my "Out to the pier" route. It was deceptively chilly with a wind out of the north. I took it easy. My legs felt a bit sluggish. My splits were: 8:31, 8:33, 8:46, 8:37 and 8:36 over the last 0.75 mile. My Brooks Adrenaline GTS18 shoes have 631.71 miles ... perhaps that's why?

It was Black Friday so I shopped. What did shop for? Well ... races of course! I had gotten tired of running the same races year after year so I have resolved to run different races in 2020. OK, I did sign up a couple of the same: the GRTC Freezeroo Series (with the help of a $5 off coupon) and Johnny's (now just known as Runnin' of the Green). The new race I signed up for was the Fly By Night Du on May 2nd down in Watkins Glen. I have always wanted to do this Du. It is held at the Watkins Glen International Raceway. I signed up for the Classic Duathlon which is a 1.7 mile run, 10.4 mile bike on the race track (3 loops) and 1.7 mile run. I also booked a hotel room in Horseheads for the night after the race so we don't have to drive back to Rochester in the dark.

Saturday, 11/30/2019

13091 steps, 47/144 resting/peak HR, 6:29 hr sleep, 170.0 lbs, 6 floors climbed
run: 7.55 miles, 1:03:20, 8:23 pace, 137 avg HR, 160 avg cadence, 28F, 81% RH, 9 mph NNE wind, wind chill 19F, overcast

I found and broke out my dark blue Brooks Adrenaline GTS19 shoes. It was our 7th wedding anniversary so I headed out to Walgreen's while Christine slept. I had ordered 2 4"x4" refrigerator magnets with our wedding pictures on them on Friday night. I used a BLKFRI75 coupon code for 75% off so they only cost $3.77 in total.

Then ... where to run? Head back home or go elsewhere? I decided to go out to Kelly's Apple Farm to get 6 donuts for my sleeping beauty and I to share after I got home. But ... first a solo Kelly's run was in order. My new shoes ... wow! What a difference! I felt like I was running on a cloud ... well, almost.  It was chilly and breezy with a wind out of the north. I cut the road a bit short by turning onto Maul Rd. My splits were: 8:19, 8:16, 8:33, 8:26, 8:29, 8:33, 8:17 and 8:21 over the last 0.55 mile.

Christine and I only had time to share one donut before we headed out to The Original Char Broil House on Island Cottage to meet up with her daughter, Beth, and her husband, Nick, for lunch. We had an over way too quick lunch before we said our goodbyes.

It's the end of November so it's stat time!

I ran 16 times in November for 77.46 miles, 4.84 miles/run.
I have run 181 times so far in 2019 for 929.16 miles, 5.13 miles/run.
I ran 2 times in November:
 11/2, Grocery 5K, 23:43, 7:34 pace, 123rd out of 99, 4th out of 39 in my M 60-64 age group
 11/28, Race with Grace 10K, 50:11, 8:03 pace, 153rd out of 682, 4th out of 30 in my M 60-64 age group
I took 295,241 steps in November and 3,009,596 steps so far in 2019.

Sunday, 11/17/2019 to Saturday, 11/23/2019

My left IT band appears to be healed. I stretch before and after each run.
I ran 3 times for 18.45 miles this week.
I took 72,858 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt).
My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

Sunday, 11/17/2019

12122 steps, 48/146 resting/peak HR, 9:06 hr sleep, 170.8lbs, 16 floors climbed
run: 7.05 miles, 1:01:07, 8:40 pace, 136 avg HR, 163 avg cadence, 16F, 48% RH, 3 mph SE wind, sunny

I slept in a bit but I got out there for a "LOSP trail & Greenleaf Rd" route. I set a "get it done" pace. My splits were: 8:58, 8:23, 8:29, 8:34, 8:49, 8:43 and 8:45.

Later, Christine and I (OK mostly me) watched the Bills dominate the Dolphins 37-20 to go 7-3, link here.

Monday, 11/18/2019
6451 steps, 51/126 resting/peak HR, 8:21 hr sleep, 170.5 lbs, 3 floors climbed

Tuesday, 11/19/2019
9558 steps, 46/96 resting/peak HR, 7:28 hr sleep, 171.6 lbs, 6 floors climbed

Wednesday, 11/20/2019
9351 steps, 51/97 resting/peak HR, 7:18 hr sleep, 171.3 lbs, 6 floors climbed

My sister, Diane, and her husband, Jim DeMent, were up from Kentucky. They both had vacation time to burn before the end of 2019 so decided to spend a week up in NY. We met up at the Applebee's in Webster since it was halfway between Jim's parent's home in Sodus and our townhouse in Greece. Our cousin, Sandy Bastian, soon joined us. We had a whale of a time catching up. I don't think that we hadn't seen each other since the funeral of Sandy's father. But ... those were sad circumstances not suited for too much catching up.

Thursday, 11/21/2019
6469 steps, 46/153 resting/peak HR, 7:17 hr sleep, 172.3 lbs, 3 floors climbed

Friday, 11/22/2019
10197 steps, 47/108 resting/peak HR, 7:35 hr sleep, 170.8 lbs, 5 floors climbed

Why no runs? Well ... Ricoh started a printer refresh of the 3.5 (or so) printers at L3Harris SAS. I thought that I had the ability to work OT ... so I did ... a whopping 6 (or so) hours over the past 2 weeks. But ... I was told in a text on Friday night that OT was not approved even though I was onlly told that "it was up in the air' and working OT "would destroy our profits". Wow ... I didn't know working my working OT could affect a billion dollar company. I guess that the printers will be deployed on a 40 hour week and will get done when they get done. I know I won't bust my ass.

Saturday, 11/23/2019
18437 steps, 49/142 resting/peak HR, 5:44 hr sleep, 16 floors climbed
run #1: 6.65 miles, 57:17, 8:37 pace, 136 avg HR, 162 avg cadence, 26F, 3 mph SW wind, sunny.
run #2: 4.75 miles, 43:00, 9:03 pace, 134 avg HR, 158 avg cadence, 36F, 17 mph NNW wind, overcast

I got out a bit after sunrise for my first run. It was 26F so I wore my CW-X tights, short sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I took it nice and easy. It was quite the beautiful morning ... crisp, calm and sunny. The pier had a bit of black ice but it was easily avoided. I got it done. My splits were: 8:22, 8:24, 8:44, 8:45, 8:47, 8:41 and 8:30 over the last 0.65 miles.

Well ... in the afternoon I had what I thought was a great idea ... go out for another run. So ... I did.

 I thought a really nice and easy "Out to the pier" run would be OK. It was warmer. I could have worn shorts but I wore my CW-X tights, long and short sleeve tech, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. Well ... my left hip started to have a mild pain about halfway. My splits were: 9:00, 9:22, 8:57, 9:08 and 8:54 over the last 0.75 mile.

I developed a pain in my right knee a few hours after I got back. So .. a second run was not such a great idea.

Sunday, 11/10/2019 to Saturday, 11/16/2019

This blog post is saved as I write it to avoid the Blogger "Auto Save" feature. I have found (as have others) that if you accidentally delete your entire blog post before you publish it that "Auto Save" will kick in within seconds to take you to a blank page. I have done this more than once! This feature is turned off once you publish the blog post. Then if you accidentally delete your entire post it is not final until you click Update (so you have a chance to realize that you are about to do something stupid).

My left IT band appears to be healed. I'm not as fast as I was before though.
I ran 2 times for 12.55 miles this week.
I took 69,345 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt).
My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

Sunday, 11/10/2019

11627 steps, 44/137 resting/peak HR, 8:35 hr sleep, 168.1 lbs, 8 floors climbed
run: 7.55 miles, 1:05:32, 8:41 pace, 130 avg HR, 161 avg cadence, 38F, 60F, 9 mph SSW wind, overcast

Well ... I didn't run the Dirt Cheap Stage Race #3 on Sunday like I've done for the past ten years. Oh well ... what to do? Well ... I ran a shorter version of my "Out to the pier and around" route instead. I was a bit tired but ended up running a bit faster than yesterday ... go figure! It was a bit warmer but breezier than yesterday. My splits were: 9:08 (kicked some branches off the LOSP trail), 8:20, 8:31, 8:34, 8:34, 8:34, 8:43, 8:53 and 8:47 over the last 0.55 mile.

I learned off of Facebook that the color of the coveted 2019 DCSR hoodie was purple. It is and always will be awarded to those who run all three of the DCSR race. I have ten of them. When I wear them ... I wear them proudly. I like to run Fleet Feet / Yellow Jacket Racing races but .... I will probably take a break from most of them next year. I want to run some other races. I want to spread my racing budget around next year.

Monday, 11/11/2019

5939 steps, 46/106 resting/peak HR, 5:56 hr sleep, 169.0 lbs, 2 floors climbed

Tuesday, 11/12/2019

8490 steps, 46/122 resting/peak HR, 6:59 hr sleep, 171.0 lbs, 9 floors climbed

Lots of snow and cold for the next 2 days. 10.1 inches of snow at the Rochester airport (a record for the date), record cold low and record cold high. I thought about running treadmill but I chose to uncover the 2014 Cruze plus I was just plain tired.

Wednesday, 11/13/2019

15067 steps, 46/129 resting/peak HR, 7:40 hr sleep, 171.6 lbs, 5 floors climbed

Another record setting day in Rochester ... a record low (12F and a record low high (either 23 or 26F). But .. I needed to run. I didn't run outside but I ran inside .. well ... sort of. I chose the Greenleaf Meadows exercise room to do a 5 mile R/E/T/E/T where T is treadmill and E is elliptical. I hopped off each after I did a mile ... just to relieve me from boredom. It was a lot warmer inside than it was outside. I was dripping in sweat long before I got done.

Thursday, 11/14/2019

16596 steps, 46/107 resting/peak HR, 171.3 lbs, 7 floors climbed

So ... it begins. Ricoh just started the printer refresh of most of the L3Harris SAS (Space and Airborne) Ricoh printers. Today it was removing most of the printers that will not be replaced. Lots of walking!

Friday, 11/15/2019

9976 steps, 44/100 resting/peak HR, 6:44 hr sleep, 169.4 lbs, 5 floors climbed

Today ... removing the rest of the printers that will not be replaced.

Saturday, 11/16/2019

1650 steps, 43/100 resting/peak HR, 7:51 hr sleep, 169.9 lbs, 1 floor climbed

Christine and I drove out to the Bob Evan's Restaurant in Dunkirk NY to have lunch with her older brother, Bill Wisniewski, and his wife, Patty. Bill & Patty live in Ravenna OH. We have chosen Dunkirk NY because it's 2 hours from where we live and 2:20 hours from where they live. We got there just before 11 AM. We caught up on what's been going on and had a nice breakfast/lunch.

Sunday, 11/3/2019 to Saturday, 11/9/2019

My left IT band appears to be healed. I'm not as fast as I was before though.
I ran 3 times for 23.25 miles this week. I decided not to run the Dirt Cheap Stage Race this weekend.
I took 75,938 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt).
My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives me my weight.

Sunday, 11/3/2019

14162 steps, 45/141 resting/peak HR, 6:58 hr sleep, 168.5 lbs, 15 floors climbed
run: 8.15 miles, 1:10:43, 8:40 pace, 134 avg HR, 161 avg cadence, 43F, 68% RH, 13 mph SW wind, overcast

I went to bed late the night before and set my alarm for 6:30 AM. Well ... the alarm was set for next Saturday not Sunday so I slept in until 7:30 AM. So with the "fall back" time change I slept in until 8:30 AM. Anyway ... I puttered and fiddled around but finally got up, got dressed and got out there for a somewhat of a long run. There was a tree down across the LOSP between Greenleaf Rd and Dewey Ave. It's about a foot in diameter so it won't be going anywhere until someone with a chainsaw comes by. I stepped over it and ran onward. I added a long loop to my "Out to the Pier" round to get the "Out to the Pier and Around" route. I kept it at a steady pace. My splits were: 8:29, 8:31, 8:22, 8:22, 8:27, 8:50, 8:59, 9:23 and 8:34 over the last 0.25 mile.

Later ... after a couple mugs of coffee ... I watched the Redskins - Bills game. The Bills struggled a bit but were able to get another W, 24-9, to go to 6-2, link here.

Monday, 11/4/2019

6855 steps, 46/96 resting/peak HR, 6:36 hr sleep, 169.4 lbs, 6 floors climbed

I don't doubt the sleep stat ... I didn't sleep well. I woke up around 5 AM and couldn't get back to sleep. So ... I went to bed around 9:30 PM. I guess no more burning the candle at both ends ...

Tuesday, 11/5/2019

7387 steps, 44/99 resting/peak HR, 7:45 hr sleep, 171.0 lbs, 7 floors climbed

We went out and voted after I got home from work. Christine and I voted for the local candidates of our choice.

Wednesday, 11/6/2019

14558 steps, 45/140 resting/peak HR, 6:56 hr sleep, 171.5 lbs, 6 floors climbed
run: 6.05 miles, 52:49, 8:44 pace, 134 avg HR, 158 avg cadence,

I needed to run. It was my first run since the "fall back" to EST so it took a bit longer to get ready. My Noxgear Tracer360 vest probably needed fresh batteries (but it still worked) and my eBay headlamp was freshly charged. So .. out the door I went (to paraphrase George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone")!

You need light to see and lights so others can see you!

I decided to just run the LOSP trail to keep out the road as much as possible. So it just an out and back. The tree across the LOSP trail between Greenleaf Rd and Dewey Ave was still there. My splits were: 9:04, 8:40, 8:28, 8:39, 8:46 and 8:40.

Thursday, 11/7/2019

7091 steps, 45/90 resting/peak HR, 5:52 hr sleep, 170.6 lbs, 5 floors climbed

Well ... I decided not to run the Dirt Cheap Stage Race this year. I have run it the past ten years. Why? Well ... it kind of hurts to run. I can still run and will run but one of my right toes just hurts. I didn't do anything to it either. There are other reasons ... my running budget really couldn't stand the strain and I really couldn't take the risk of injuring myself. I have a Ricoh printer refresh of about 200 printers coming up between now and the end of 2019 so I need to be able bodied.

I'm still a runner ... just a runner who doesn't race as much as he is used to racing. I love the thrill of racing and I will be interested in finding out what color the DCSR hoodie will be this year. It's closely guarded secret that for the past ten years I didn't know until I got close to the end of the DCSR #3 race and saw runners with their coveted DCSR hoodies. Man ... I love running races!

Friday, 11/8/2019

9712 steps, 45/121 resting/peak HR, 5:57 hr sleep, 170.1 lbs, 9 floors climbed

I thought as I drove home from work about what I usually do on the 2nd Friday of November for the past ten years ... drive down to Mendon Ponds Park for the Dirt Cheap Stage Race #1. Oh well ... not this year. I won't be running for the coveted DCSR hoodie on Sunday ... :-(.

Saturday, 11/9/2019

16173 steps, 43/135 resting/peak HR, 7:12 hr sleep, 170.5 lbs, 15 floors climbed
run: 9.05 miles, 1:19:17, 8:46 pace, 129 avg HR, 160 avg cadence, 26F, 69% RH, 7 mph SSW wind, overcast

Well ... I didn't run the DCSR #2 out at Devil's Bathtub in Mendon Ponds Park at 9AM. What to do? I ran my "Out to the pier and around" route instead. It was chilly and breezy.
I struck up a steady pace and got it done. My splits were: 8:48, 8:18, 8:34, 8:35, 8:35, 9:03, 8:52, 9:09 and 8:57. The last 4 miles seemed a bit of a struggle as I ran against the wind.

The tree than had been across the LOSP trail between Greenleaf Rd and Dewey Ave for about a week was cut up when I ran by. It had been trucked away when I ran by a week later. Stuff gets taken care of in Greece!

Sunday, 10/27/2019 to Saturday, 11/2/2019 - Grocery Run 5K

This blog post is saved as I write it to avoid the Blogger "Auto Save" feature. I have found (as have others) that if you accidentally delete your entire blog post before you publish it that "Auto Save" will kick in within seconds to take you to a blank page. I have done this more than once! This feature is turned off once you publish the blog post. Then if you accidentally delete your entire post it is not final until you click Update (so you have a chance to realize that you are about to do something stupid).

My left IT band appears to be healed. I'm not as fast as I was before though.
I ran 2 times for 14.8 miles this week.
I took 62,348 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt).
My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives me my weight.

Sunday, 10/27/2019

10092 steps, 49/140 resting/peak HR, 7:44 hr sleep, 172.1 lbs, 20 floors climbed
run: 5.35 miles, 46:21, 8:39 pace, 131 avg HR, 160 avg cadence, 57F, 73% RH, 10 mph SSE wind, overcast

I got out a bit late due to rain in the morning. I gave me time to putter around like usual. It was warmer than yesterday so I wore shorts and a red Charlie's Old Goat Run short sleeve tech shirt. I felt sluggish so my pace was off. I also took back the Redbox DVD to the 7-11 on Lake Ave. My splits were: 8:25, 8:45, 8:52, 8:43, 8:46 and 8:17 over the last 0/35 mile.

I was a bit hungry but waited until the Eagles - Bills games was on before I cooked up a frozen pizza. Sadly ... the pizza and chips I had while I watched the game were more interesting than the play I saw at New Era Field in Buffalo. The Bills lost 31-13.

I read on Facebook the adventures of Rochester runners at the Marine Corps Marathon (also a 10K and 50K). Heather Bailey Ostrander (1:08:54) and Sarah Strossman (1:12:39) ran the 10K. Prem Kumar ran the 50K in 4:35:27 (a PR for him).

Prem Kumar after the MCM 50K ... courtesy of his Facebook page

Monday, 10/28/2019

6410 steps, 45/99 resting/peak HR, 7:22 hr sleep, 171.7 lbs, 3 floors climbed

Tuesday, 10/29/2019

20169 steps, 47/139 resting/peak HR, 7:50 hr sleep, 173.2 lbs, 17 floors climbed
run: 9.45 miles, 1:22:51, 8:46 pace, 134 avg HR, 158 avg cadence, 66F, 60% RH, 3 mph E wind, sunny to dusk to dark

I needed 0.95 miles to get over 100 miles for October. It's been a while since I was north of 100 miles in a month ... March 2019 to be exact. My left IT band has healed. I make sure I stretch before and after almost every run. So ... what route did I choose? Well ... I thought that I would do the "Most of the Rochester Half course" from Herrema's. Why? Well ... it was different (hadn't done it in a while), scenic (lots of leaves to peak at) and long. Well ... I underestimated that amount of daylight I had when I started a bit after 5 PM. So ... I finished pretty much in the dark on the last 2 miles without a handlamp. I could have used a headlamp when I was running down the Genesee Riverway Trail with its slightly uneven paved trail. Luckily I didn't trip ... I made sure to lift up my feet as much as I could. My splits were: 9:15 (up the Thomas Ave hill), 8:43, 8:34, 8:29. 8:56. 8:42, 8:41, 8:22, 9:26 and 8:14 over the last 0.45 mile. My darling wife, Christine, was a bit amazed that I went so long on a weeknight. I guess I should stay packing my lighted vest and headlamp in my running bag for the next 6 months, huh?

Wednesday, 10/30/2019

4182 steps, 48/108 resting/peak HR, 7:26 hr sleep, 171.5 lbs, 6 steps climbed

Thursday, 10/31/2019

7546 steps, 44/97 resting/peak HR, 171.8 lbs, 5 steps climbed

I had thought about a run tonight but the weather had other plans ... it was pouring. I would have been drenched before I made it to Greenleaf Rd. So ... it was Halloween and we had 5 kids come to our door. Boo!

It's the end of October so it's stat time!

I ran 18 times this month for 108.5 miles, 6.03 miles/run
I have run 163 times so far in 2019 for 851.7 miles, 5.2 miles/run
I ran 2 races this month and 24 so far in 2019
 10/13 Empire State Half, 1:53:44, 8:37 pace, 88th out of 429, 7th out of 14 in my M 60-64 age group
 10/19 Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K, 23:36, 7:34 pace, 64th out of 627, 4th out of 21 in my M 60-64 age group
I took 318,919 steps during the month and 2,714,355 steps so far in 2019.

Friday, 11/1/2019

5773 steps, 44/101 resting/peak HR, 7:21 hr sleep, 171.0 lbs, 3 floors climbed

Saturday, 11/2/2019

8176 steps, 42/153 resting/peak HR, 7:18 hr sleep, 170.0 lbs, 9 floors climbed
run #1: 3.13 miles, 23:43, 7:34 pace, 142 avg HR, 166 avg cadence, 39F, 62% RH, 9 mph SW wind, overcast
run #2: 0.5 mile, 5:20, 10:36 pace, 142 avg HR, 142 avg cadence, 39F, 62% RH, 9 mph SW wind, overcast

Today's race was my fifth Grocery Run 5K held at the Third Presbyterian Church at the corner of Meigs St and East Ave. My previous 4 times were: 2014 - 21:13, 2015 - 22:06, 2017 - 21:54 and 2018 - 22:55. It was the 11th out of the 12 GRTC Rochester Runner of the Year races of 2019..

I was up early like usual. I remember seeing that the start time was 8:30 AM not 8:15 AM so I left around 7:30 AM. I got down where I usually park at the Rochester Museum & Science Center around 7:50 AM ... full. So I went up the Memorial Art Gallery to park. I walked up to East Ave and then heard that the wheelchairs had started ... hmm ... they usually start 3 minutes before the runners start ... huh? Well ... I got into the scrum of runners about 50 feet behind the start line about 2 minutes before the race actually started at 8:15 AM. So ... no warm up run but I got there just in the nick of time!

And ... we were off! I had a bit of trouble getting up to my race pace as I sought out clear running room. The course was different this year. It was basically an out and back to lessen the number of road closures (and probably RPD overtime). 5Ks are short but painful and this one was no different. Soon enough I was coming back on East Ave and could see the finish arch ... push it ... clock over 23 minutes ... and done!

The usual post race selfie

I was tired and grabbed a pint of water. The Grocery Run 5K always has an excellent lineup of food after their races. This year was no different ... cookies, pastries, bagels, snack bars, donuts, 10th anniversary cake, pizza, perogies, chocolate milk and coffee. There might have been more hot food since I didn't get any. I had two or three cookies and a couple of pasties. I took a little cool down 0.5 mile at 10:00 run back to the 2018 Cruze, link here.60-64

I did OK. My splits were: 7:37, 7:38, 7:31 and 7:07 over the last 0.13 mile. I finished in 23:33 chip time, 23:45 gun time. I was 123rd out of 999, link here. I was 4th out of 39 in my M 60-64 age group, link here. I guess I am happy to break 24 minutes now ... the joy of getting older. Oh well.

Christine and I got sucked into watching not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 Hallmark Channel Christmas movies when I turned on the first one at 4 PM. Crown for Christmas at 4 PM, Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses at 6 PM, Merry & Bright at 8 PM and Christmas at Holly Lodge at 10 PM. I also got 3 loads of laundry done thanks to the DVR. They were sweet ... like maple syrup. Yes ... we went to bed after midnight.

Sunday, 10/20/2019 to Saturday, 10/26/2019

My left IT band appears to be healed. I'm not as fast as I was before though.
I ran 6 times for 28.3 miles this week.
I took 75,976 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt).
My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives me my weight.

Sunday, 10/20/2019

9638 steps, 44/140 resting/peak HR, 7:23 hr sleep, 4 floors climbed
run: 5.25 miles, 44:59, 8:34 pace, 132 avg HR, 159 avg cadence, 41F, 86% RH,

I had wanted to go longer but I needed to run on Monday too since I can't run on Tuesday due to a Ricoh team-building dinner. I went with my tried and true "Out to the pier" route. It was a bit chilly, calm and very quiet out on the pier. Just a relaxing steady run. My splits were: 8:36, 8:29, 8:35, 8:50, 28 and 7:56 over the last 0.25 mile.

Monday, 10/21/2019

16085 steps, 49/140 resting/peak HR, 8:21 hr sleep, 170.2 lbs, 7 floors climbed
run: 6.25 miles, 53:40, 8:35 pace, 133 avg HR, 159 avg cadence, 52F, 52% RH, 3 mph NE wind, partly cloudy

I got out on the LOSP Trail after I got home. It's 5.9 miles if I get out via the hole in the chain link fence. I added some loops in the parking lot to get up to 10K. I set up a steady pace. It was a bit of a struggle during the last 2 miles. My splits were: 8:58, 8:25, 8:26, 8:41, 8:49, 8:29 and 7:57 over the last 0.25 mile (in the parking lot).

I had a bit of a conversation with a bicyclist who scared me just before I got to Dewey Ave on the way back. We both stopped for a few seconds at Dewey Ave. He said that I couldn't hear him anyway since I have an earbud. I pointed to my other ear and said "Yes, I can. I don't have two earbuds". Plus I don't play my music loud. I ride my bicycle very occasionally (just once this year so far). It HAS a bell that I am not afraid to use when I get to a blind corner or am coming up on a walker, runner or another bicyclist. I do believe that it is a required safety addition to any bicycle. Apparently other bicyclists think that warning other people is not a good idea???

Tuesday, 10/22/2019

4623 steps, 33/99 resting/peak HR, 170.6 lbs, 1 floors climbed

I had a Ricoh team building event for all the Rochester employees after work. It has held at Radio Social at 20 Carlson Rd in Rochester NY.

A bit of history. Stromberg-Carlson at 100 Carlson Rd was a company in Rochester from 1904 (opened in Chicago in 1894) to 1991, wiki here and RadioMuseum.org link here. They made field radios during World War II. They also made commerical radios, phonographs, telephones and switchboards.

Radio-Socia is kind of unique: 34 + 8 lane bowling alley, restaurant, bar and small arcade. Ricoh had reserved lanes 1 and 2 on the 8 lane side from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM along with some appetizers. So ... I got to bowl 3 games. I hadn't bowled in about 20 years ... back when you had to do your score on paper with pencil. I think it was when the boys were in Cub Scouts. I was awkward at first but muscle memory came back to me. The first game was with 2 other bowlers ... a 105 with a strike and 2 spares. The second game with 3 other bowlers ... a 146 with a strike and 6 spares (3 in a row). The third game was by myself (lane 1 was sitting empty just begging to be used). I bowled a 153 with 2 strikes in a row and 4 spares.

Game 2, Game 3 and a lot of Carlson radios

Wednesday, 10/23/2019

6408 steps, 44/91 resting/peak HR, 7:44 hr sleep, 171.0 lbs, 6 floors climbed

Thursday, 10/24/2019

14731 steps, 46/141 resting/peak HR, 8:21 hr sleep, 171.2 lbs, 5 floors climbed
run: 6.75 mile, 57:13, 8:28 pace, 135 avg HR, 160 avg cadence, 55F, 69% RH, 5 mph NW wind, overcast

I headed out to Greece Arcadia High School after work per usual. I chose a different route onto the 390 Trail to Latta and the LOSP Trail to Dewey. I probably won't run this route again. The 390 Trail is a narrow paved trail that needs to be resurfaced. It is rooty and uneven is spots ... so it is a hazard for the unwary bicyclist, runner or walker. My splits were pretty good: 8:17, 8:49, 8:17, 8:25, 8:28, 8:31 and 8:33 over the last 0.75 mile. Just getting it done.

Friday, 10/25/2019

8012 steps, 45/101 resting/peak HR, 7:23 hr sleep, 8 floors climbed

Saturday, 10/26/2019

16479 steps, 48/134 resting/peak HR, 7:12 hr sleep, 172.4 lbs, 6 floors climbed
run #1: 5.7 miles. 48:40, 8:32 pace, 128 avg HR, 160 avg cadence, 43F, 97% RH, 5 mph WSW wind, partly cloudy.

Today's was the second Kelly's Donut Run of the year. It's run that the Bagel Bunch Runners advertise on Facebook where runners meet up in the church parking lot across from Kelly's Apple Farm in Hilton for a run. I couldn't make last week's run due to the Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K. I got there around 7:25 AM. It was a bit chilly but I dressed in shorts, 2018 Empire State Half orange long sleeve tech, orange Fleet Feet hat and light running gloves. A group of around 20 runners showed up. Bob Dyjak, who wasn't running, sent us off after a brief prayer a bit after 7:30 AM. I was worried about our grouping on the busy road into Hilton so I sped up until I was in front. I got passed by 4 faster runners by mile 2 ... young whippersnappers ... lol! I thought I paused my Garmin when I reached Lake Ontario but I didn't. My splits were: 8:48, 8:20, 8:28, 8:22, 8:40 and 8:36 over the last 0.70 mile.

run #2: 3.45 miles, 30:19, 8:47 pace, 132 avg HR, 160 avg cadence, 43F, 97% RH, 5 mph WSW wind, partly cloudy.

I didn't realize that my Garmin Vivoactive HR wasn't clocking my miles until I almost got back to Bennett Rd (about 1/2 mile). Oh well! I turned it back on and continued onward back to Kelly's. My pace was more sluggish compared to the first 5.7 miles. Don't know why. My splits were: 8:46, 8:47, 8:43 and 8:56 over the last 0.45 mile.

I bought 6 donuts (3 cinnamon and 3 powdered). I had brought in a mug of coffee from the 2018 Cruze. I sat down and had 1 of the donuts while I listened and talked running ... always enjoyable after any run!

My lovely wife, Christine, hadn't managed to get out to get her nails touched up for weeks ... :-(. I managed to convince her so we headed out later to her old nail salon, New Nails, in Irondequoit Plaza. The Vietnamese couple welcomed her back with open arms. She chose a starter length ... a pretty sharp set too ... :-)!

I read on Facebook about the adventures of Bill Murphy (3:59:52), Heather Bailey Ostrander (2:35:00) and Sarah Strossman (2:34:57) at the End of the Road Half Marathon down in Waterfall PA. 421 runners finished, results here. It's an out and back half marathon on an old unused (uneven and crumbly) section of the PA Turnpike that goes through 2 tunnels. Headlamps are required for the tunnels!

Monday, 10/14/2019 to Saturday, 10/19/2019 - Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K

My left IT band appears to be healed. I'm not as fast as I was before though.
I ran 4 times for 14.27 miles in 6 days.
I took 55,788 steps in 6 days according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.

Monday, 10/14/2019

7231 steps, 46/118 resting/peak HR, 8:14 hr sleep, 170.7 lbs, 2 floors climbed

Some aches and pains after running a half marathon but they were easily ignored. Christine had a couple bowls of delicious pasta for supper ... mmm!

Tuesday, 10/15/2019

15369 steps, 49/141 resting/peak HR, 7:38 hr sleep, 173.5 lbs (up 2.8 lbs ???), 12 floors climbed
run: 5.75 miles, 49:46, 8:39 pace, 131 avg HR, 159 avg cadence, 47F, 48% RH, 6 mph SW wind, mostly cloudy

I thought about not running today since I ran the Empire State Half on Sunday but the forecast for Wednesday afternoon was rain and wind so I ran. I didn't get out until I got home around 5:20 PM. I was a bit worried about the sun being low so I stuck to the LOSP Trail. I stuck up my normal steady pace. My thighs were a bit tight and I thought about turning around at Dewey Ave but that would have been only 3.5 mils so I kept going to Island Cottage. It was a bit cool and windy but I warmed up ... I always do. My splits were: 9:02, 8:29, 8:33, 8:41, 8:39 and 8:27 over the last 0.75 mile.

Wednesday, 10/16/2019

4829 steps, 46/107 resting/peak HR, 7:49 hr sleep, 172.6 lbs, 5 floors climbed

Thursday, 10/17/2019

14315 steps, resting/peak HR, 7:22 hr sleep, 172.7 lbs, 29 floors climbed
run: 5.05 miles, 44:24, 8:47 pace, 132 avg HR, 160 avg cadence, 48F, 77% RH, 15 mph SW wind gusting to 28 mph, overcast

I had a 4 Season Challenge 52.4 award (1st out of 3 in the M 60-64 age group) waiting for me at Fleet Feet Armory and I needed to run. So ... I picked up the award and then headed up to Cobbs Hill for a "blast from the past" run. It was cool, windy and chilly so I was a bit overdressed: running pants, long/short sleeve tech shirts, beanie and light gloves. I was also sluggish as I made my way up Culver Rd, Monroe Ave, Highland Ave and up the first hill of Cobbs Hill. I slowly got a bit faster but not much. I made it 3 times around the reservoir before I headed out to take the long way back to the 2014 Cruze. My splits were: 9:35, 8:49, 8:34, 8:22 and 8:39. The important thing is that I got my run in ... a run is better than no run.

Friday, 10/17/2019

5434 steps, 48/90 resting/peak HR, 6:47 hr sleep, 170.6 lbs, 2 floors climbed

Saturday, 10/18/2019

8610 steps, 44/152 resting/peak HR, 6:46 hr sleep, 169.7 lbs (below 170 for the first time in a long time!), 2 floors climbed
run #1: 0.35 miles, 3:01, 8:33 pace, 119 avg HR, 159 avg cadence, 34F, 89% RH, 5 mph WSW wind, sunny
run #2: 3.12 miles, 23:40, 7:34 pace, 144 avg HR, 164 avg cadence, 34F, 89% RH, 5 mph WSW wind, sunny

Today's race was my fifth Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K. My previous times for the SCBA 5K were: 2014 - 21:06, 2015 - 21:08, 2016 - 21:46 and 2018 - 22:57. I have also run the Karknocker 5K in July on this same course. My previous times were: 2012 - 20:18 (2nd fastest 5K ever), 2014 - 21:34, 2015 - 21:56 and 2017 - 22:25. So ... I knew the course well.

I was up around 5:30 AM. I puttered around for a bit before I decided to get ready around 7:30 AM. It was chilly and calm so I wore: running pants, a long/short sleeve tech shirt combo+, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I started a bit late but it was only a 20 minute drive. I arrived at the East Rochester High School around 8:15 AM.

My over the ear earbud broke apart again as I was fiddling with it so I ran without music. I am either going to have to see if any of my old earbuds or I will have to bit the bullet and buy a new one. I have gone to the dark side ... I run with music but only in one ear.

I got out for a itty bitty warm up run of 0.35 mile at 8:33 pace, link here. I met up with Andy Ciaio at the start line. He said that he was still sore from the Empire State Marathon last Sunday and that he would draft off me. I laughed and told him that I would draft off him. And ... we were off!

Andy and I ran together for about 100 feet because being pushed apart. He ran ahead. A 5K race is hard to describe ... I usually start too fast, slow in mile, speed up a bit in mile 3 and try to hold on during the last 0.1 mile. My splits were: 7;23, 7:49, 7:29 and 7:08 over the last 0.12 mile. So ... that was exactly what happened. I crossed the finish line in 23:36, 64th out of 627 according to the results here. I was 4th out of 21 in my M 60-64 age group. A cool looking certificate is here. Andy ran a 21:53 to snag 3rd in his M 50-54 age group, nice!

I got a bit of something done later in the afternoon. I put air in all 4 tires of the 2014 and 2018 Cruze. It something that needed doing and I chose a warm afternoon. All the tires were around 30 psi instead of the recommended 35 psi. So ... I hooked up my portable air compressor to each 12 VDC outlet and got it done. Then I got the cell phone holder in each car back in. The 2014 Cruze has one that fits in the CD slot. The 2018 Cruze has a powered one (2 12 VDC outlets and 2 USB outlets) that fits in the cup holder The fuse of the powered one in the 2018 Cruze is blown so I do have to get a new fuse for that one to work. But I did finally figure out how to tighten this one in securely. It has to tightened in counter-clockwise not clockwise! Somebody didn't hear about "Righty tighty and lefty loosey" that my father taught me when I was a kid.

Sunday, 10/13/2019 - Empire State Half

My left IT band appears to be healed. I'm not as fast as I was before though.
I took 55,282 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.

Sunday, 10/13/2019

22650 steps, 46/143 resting/peak HR, 8:22 hr sleep, 4 floors climbed
run: 13.22 miles, 1:53:53, 8:37 pace, 137 avg HR, 162 avg cadence, 50F, 74% RH, 6 mph SE wind, sunny

Today's race was my second Empire State Half. I ran it last year in 1:46:18. My goal coming in today was to run under 2 hours. I considered myself under trained so I thought it was a realistic goal. I have run 37 road half marathons before this one so it wasn't my first rodeo ... lol!

Christine and I had stayed the night at the Super 8 on 7th North St in Liverpool NY so we were only 1 mile away from the race start/finish at NBT Stadium. I got the room cheap since I used my free night at hotels.com that I got after staying 10 nights over the past several years. We had a nice room with a refrigerator (useful for chilling my Hammer Gel flask), a microwave (unused) and a king-size bed (well ... we had to sleep somewhere). We both got a good night's rest. I woke up around 6:30 AM which is a bit late for me but the half didn't start until 9:30 AM (the marathon started at 8 AM and the 10K starts a half hour later at 10 AM). We headed down to a continental breakfast. The only hot food was oatmeal and make-you-own waffles. I chose frosted flakes, a muffin and orange juice.

It was around 40F and clear so I dressed in shorts (with running pants over so I could take them off) and my 2018 Empire State Half orange long sleeve tech. We headed out of the Super 8 around 8:30 AM. Three right turns and we were pulling into the NBT Stadium ... easy peasy!

I stayed in the 2018 Cruze for a bit too long (9:10 AM). I ditched my running pants, put on Body Glide and sunscreen, kissed Christine goodbye and headed off. I found a bathroom for some last minute business but didn't have any time to stretch.

And ... the horn sounded and I wasn't in the start corral yet! Oops! So ... I started after 99% of the runners had already started. I got up to a steady race pace and proceeded to slowly pass runners. I didn't  want to go out and expend all my energy ... I have been known to do that before in my younger days, lol! I just set up my usual steady pace as best I could as I waved between slower runners during the first mile.

This course is just a flat, fast out and back on road or paved trail. It heads out from NBT Stadium, out to the Onondaga Lake Parkway (which was totally shut down for us), into the Onondaga Lake Park onto the East Shore Recreation Trail, go under the NYS Thruway and John Glenn Blvd and out to the turnaround at the end of the Cold Spring Trail.

I don't normally do this but I had decided to dedicate this race to my brother, Don, and his wife, Sherri. Sherri has some health issues. I thought that she would appreciate any positive thought that I could send her way. So ... I thought of them during the race from time to time.

I was behind a couple of girls around mile 4 by about 20 feet. I noticed that the cell phone of the one on the left was about to bounce out of her unzipped cell holster so I quickened my pace to tell her about it. She thanked me. The only rise in the entire race that I can remember was about 5 feet around mile 6 where the trail went underneath the NYS Thruway. It seemed like forever before I got to the turnaround. Now ... just run the course back the way I came.

I tucked in behind a blonde girl that was running my pace or slightly faster just after the turnaround. I took out my Hammer Gel flask at mile 7 and gulped a slug of it and took a big gulp of water on the run at mile 7 ... nice and without tripping! The blonde girl either put on some speed or I slowed down at mile 9. My hips started to hurt a bit so I probably slowed a bit. I didn't get down about it ... I sucked it up and kept going. I checked my Garmin ... around 1:30 with a bit less than 3 miles to go. I could go under 2 hours if I did 10 minute pace. Keep running ... getting there ... keep running ... NBT Stadium in sight ... keep running ... almost there ... 3 digital clocks running for the 3 races ... mine was under 1:55 (gun time) when I crossed the finish line ... done!

The usual obligatory post race selfie with the massive finisher medal

I grabbed a pint of water, a banana and a mini bagel along with samples of Honey Stinger. I was tired and sore but not unreasonably so. I looked around but I couldn't see Christine. I headed out to the 2018 Cruze. She said that she was tired so she had stayed in the car. I stretched a bit before I headed back to the finish line. I wanted to check on how Prem Kumar and Andy Ciaio did in the marathon. Prem finished in 3:38:35 and Andy finished in 3:59:44. They both said that I was the smart one for just doing the half marathon. I guess I'm only half crazy ... lol! Andy's wife, Laura, finished her first maraton in 4:54:13. She later posted on Facebook that she was sore all over and didn't want to take her medal off!

We headed out shortly afterward. We stopped at the Del Lago Casino on the way home to stretch our legs and because we were hungry. It was quite noisy and busy inside. Every TV was tuned to a NFL game since Del Lago allowed bets via Draft Kings, link here. The sportsbook area was quite busy with several HUGE TVs. We split a 12" cheese and pepperoni pizza ... mmm (once it cooled down)!

We got home around 3 PM. Christine went straight to sleep for several hours and I caught up on stuff. So ... I did pretty well. I finished 88th out 429, 1:53:44 chip time, 1:54:38 gun time, link here. I was 7th out of 15 in my M 60-64 age group. My splits were: 7:59, 8:13, 8:20, 8:24, 8:26, 8:31, 8:34, 8:37, 8:50, 8:56, 9:11, 9:10, 8:53, 8:20 over the last 0.22 mile.

I was a bit stiff but unduly so. I have felt worse after many half marathons and certainly after any marathon. I went to bed relatively early .... I was a bit tired.

What did I learn? Well ... I just know how to run a race. I have run 494 races since my first one on Thanksgiving in Newark way back in 2005 almost 14 years ago. One foot in front of the other and repeat until I'm done.

Meanwhile ... I read all the Facebook posts of the runners from Rochester who ventured out to run the Chicago Marathon ... awesome!