The Long Run

6.34@10:28

Out and back run from my house, down the Starkey Gap Trail to about the white house just off the trail.  This will be an abbreviated week for running with some travel to north Georgia and South Carolina to pick up Jessica's girls from camp and take Jacob to tour a couple universities.

1.43@11:55

1.77@10:20

Short on time and some rain, did not want to get caught out in thunder like I had recently.  Went out and just kind of ran up and down the street in Westlake Village.  Got back inside and Jessica said she wasn't going to body combat class.  Break in the rain so went out for a little bit more so I'd at least get in three miles today.

After work, we left for North Georgia but decided to only go as far as Gainesville.  Stayed downtown near UF at a Holiday Inn.  It was kind of like visiting a college.  When leaving the next morning we drove around UF's fraternity/sorority house area.

No  running today.  We drove from Gainesville to Athens, GA to tour UGA.  I had not been to Athens for over 30 years since going to Navy Supply Corps School that used to be located in old Normaltown.  We had the umbrella stroller for the baby which was good because it was easy to navigate stairs if we had to.  After the tour, we met up with a friend of Jessica from her news days in West Virginia who's daughter goes to UGA.   Then , got on the road and headed up to Helen to stay overnight and have dinner there.

No runing again.

Picked up the girls from Camp Coleman, could not stay long as they wanted to keep the cars moving through.  We somehow managed to fit the 4 duffle bags and the two girls without being totally crammed.   Then , headed toward Columbia, SC.  Got there about 4:00, went to the visitor center and then a self guided tour.  Then, back on the road again with a goal of Kingsland GA to stay for the night and then finish up the drive home in the morning.

Last day of travel, one more day off from running.  Didn't get up quite as early as I had wanted to, woke up in the middle of the night with a headache and couldn't get back to sleep for a bit.  So, instead of leaving at 8:00, it was more like 10:00.  Got back and then had to go to the office to catch up on some work.

Tom is running a 5k tomorrow morning in Starkey so I'll think I'll go watch that and try to do some running at the park.

Run 1: 1.33@11:26

I went to Starkey Park to watch Tom race in the "Freakin' Hot 5K".  I had no idea it would be so big, expecting maybe 100 to 150 runners, there were actually 850!  A super fast runner/triathlete named Jeremy was putting on this race along with the people from the BDR series.  Before the race I decided to get a little bit of running.  Saw Joe and Rene who were going to race, so jogged along with them.

Tom was hoping for a time between 16:15 and 16:20.  There were several HS cross country runners as well as recent HS grads including one of Tom's old teammates.   There was a guy named RJ who is super fast.

Saw the runners take off and as it was mainly out and back I mostly just stayed by the starting area.  Before I knew it, 12 minutes had passed alredy, it wouldn't be long before someone was going to head down the homestretch.   With time still way under 16 minutes I caught a glimpse of the first runner.  Tom was wearing his orange Vapor Flys but the shoes on the runner were not orange.  It was RJ, he came in about 15:54.  As RJ was finishing, I could see Tom's orange shoes.  It was just past 16 minutes as he neared the finish chute, time of 16:18, dead center of his 5 second window.  He'd finally broken his time from almost two years ago in senior year of HS at McKethan lake. 

I watched the next fastest runners come in followed by looking out for people I knew.  Saw Jenny, Joe, Renee, Claudia, and many others.

Hung out for a little bit after the race, then drove back to Palm Harbor so Jessica could go to the Y.   After she got back, did run number 2

Run 2: 10.04@9:25

It had been a pretty light week for running so wanted to get in a longish run, at least 10 miles.  Did a few loops inside Westlake Vilage.

6.12@9:55

Monday morning run from my house, basically following the old t-shaped route along the golf course but with a small rectangle added in using a small piece of the Starkey Gap Trail and the ditch along Trinity Blvd.

8.16@9:47

A little farther than yesterday and slightly faster.  Run took me through Eniswood, over to Conservation park and north up the Pinellas Trail, then turn around, head south and cross Alt 19 at the Delaware crosswalk light.

6.06@9:32

Similar run to Monday, but more of the classic t-shaped route from my house, across to Robert Trent Jones and along the golf course.

6.52@9:26

Ran from Westlake Village, down Omaha and then cross over to the Pinellas Trail at Delaware and then north on the trail for a bit before turning around and back the way I came.

6.43@9:35

Ran from my house, out to SR54 and then into Longleaf, down Towne Ave and then a little loop at the end before turning back.

13.15@9:43

Finally, long run at half marathon distance.  Recently had some 10-11 mile weekend runs, trying to get back to 15-18, so this was a good stepping stone.

Ran a short loop in Westlake Village, then cut through Eniswood and over to the Pinellas Trail over by the water treatment plant.  Stopped to use the fountain, then continued north to Klosterman Road which I ran on to Belcher Rd (thus conquering "the Everest of Klosterman" a modest hill that looks higher than it is), turned back and then south down the trail as far as Pop Stansell Park with a water fountain stop (warmish water unfortunately but still water), then return back to the house via Delaware to Omaha to Alderman.

It was right around this time last year that I ran 15 miles on the Saturday after Charlotte Dani was born.

6.33@10:02

Monday morning run from my house, down the Starkey Gap Trail and then turn around a little past the three mile mark and then back the way I came.

Moderate average pace with slowissh (11:55) first mile.

8.28@9:26

A little farther and significantly faster than yesterday.  Ran from Westlake Village, to Omaha, crossed Alt19 at Delaware and then north up the Pinellas Trail.  Brief stop at Wall Springs to use the fountain.  The one right on the trail was out of order so went to the one in the park outside the bathrooms.

7.11@9:36

About the same pace as yesterday.  Ran from Longleaf near the little church, into Starkey Ranch and did two loops around Cannon Lake and enjoyed the nice cold water fountain they have there.  I should come here more often and just do lots of loops.

3.52@9:58

Somewhat abbreviated run, just one big loop in Westlake Village and a little bit of up and donw the street (actually Lakeview Dr).

3.13@10:10

Shorter and slower than yesterday, out and back from my house to a small section of Starkey Gap trail (about to the county line)

Two short runs in Westlake Village -

5.16@9:08

2.02@9:03

Almost dipping below 9:00 pace, not quite yet but will get there eventually.

7.13@9:24

New classic 7ish mile route from my house down the Starkey Gap Trail to the point where it meets Keystone/Tarpon Ave.

I saw a snake when I stopped, it either had red touching yellow or red touching black, it was moving along too fast for me to get a good look while trying to remember the poem.  It was most likely friend of Jack as those seem to be more common.

3.71@9:32

Kind of random squiggles in Westlake Village, maybe a figure eight loop and some up and down the street.

2.42@9:45

Another short run, Westlake Village, figure eight looking loop.  Time constrained due to needing to get to the airport for trip to Rochester and the Thousand Islands to see my brother, celebrate my parents 60th anniversary and fit in a short visit to Syracuse for Jessica to see her old school.

Made it to the airport ok and getting around with Jessica's broken toe wasn't as bad as it could've been.  Flight to NYC's JFK airport, change planes to a smaller plane and shorter flight to Rochester where Jim met us at the airport.

He cooked out for us in backyard, which included at my request some Zweigles hot dogs.  Charlotte Dani loved Jim's dog Flynn.

7.53@9:22

Back in my home town.  Staying at my brother Jim's house before we head up to my parent's cottage in the Thousand Islands.  Ran from his neighborhood, onto Klem Road and then turned right once I got to where the Hojack Trail crossed the road and headed northwest.  First mile felt a little bit clunky and slow and thought I'd be doing ok if I could get at least 6 miles in.

But, after the first mile was feeling better and running on the trail of dirt and packed gravel was nice (it's a rails to trails trail).  Running into the shaded part of the woods felt almost cold even though in the sun it was high 70's.  

Made it past 3 miles and then kept on going, decided to turn around before reaching 4 miles out.  Steady pickup of pace on the way back and ended up with a pretty good average pace.  Glad to get a decent run while on vacation.

Got back to Jim's house and then got ready for the drive.  Jim loaned be his car so Jessica, the baby and myself headed up to my parents place but first a stop at Syracuse University.  We stopped by her old sorority house first.  It was moving in day so pretty busy.  Baby was sleeping so I stayed in the car with her while Jessica went in for some pictures.  Next we parked by the student center and walked around the main quad and then went into the bookstore and bought a Syracuse dress for the baby.

Continued on to the cottage but couldn't relax yet, had to get ready for dinner.   Dinner was held at the St Lawrence Spirits Chateau where they had a private room setup upstairs. 

Back to the cottage after dinner.  Had been texting Andy about his flight.  Things looked touch and go.  Tampa to DC was getting delayed enough to put the DC to Syracuse flight in danger.  They re-routed him through Charlotte on a standby flight.   He made it ok onto both flights and arrived just before 1:00am (exited the airpot about 1:15).  We made it back to the cottage about 2:45 - finally time to relax!

4.12@9:16

It was another pretty good run. Out and back from the cottage and into the parking lot at the marina across from the golf course.  I had slept in this morning due to the late night return from the airport but wanted to get something in so started the run at 5:00 pm just before dinner.

Aunt Margaret made baked ziti.

8.21@8:49

It wasn't a "long run" but would be the longest run all week.  Felt pretty good, with knee stuff pretty much all gone.  Ran from the cottage, a little past the marina where I turned around yesterday and then turned onto the "old road" which runs along closer to the river.  The new island road is straighter and shorter but no view of the river.  Decent 10:34 for the first mile, then a 9:09 and then rest under 9:00.  At some point around the turn around I realized I'd finally get sub-9:00 for the run.  It's been well over two months since that happened.  

Earlier in the afternoon did a kayak paddle with Jim and Andy.  We paddled out to Boldt Castle and around the island it sits on, a little over two and a half miles.

In the early evening went to St. Cyrils in Alexandria Bay where my parents renewed their wedding vows as part of the 60th anniversay celebration, and then after the service had a nice dinner at the Edgewood resort.

Travel day, early morning flight (6:10 am) from Rochester back to Tampa via BWI.  It was pretty uneventful, caught up on some sleep and baby slept most of the way.

5.07@9:27

Did loops inside Anderson Park.  I had to pick up Stella later in the morning and this was on the way.  Also, nice change from some of the usual places and routes.