Rochester Runner of the Year

Amazingly, five members of our gang finished in the top five places in our respective age groups, thereby winning Rochester Runner of the Year awards.

Our running/triathlon/snowshoe group, "Sals" (I've got an old mule and her name is Sal, fifteen miles on the Erie Canal) is doing well. I know the song is, "fifteen years", not miles, but miles fits us better. In years past our typical long run on the canal path was fifteen miles. Aging and injuries seems to have changed that. 

Jan finished third in her age group, Eileen fourth in her group, I finished third in my group, with Mike finishing fourth in the same group and Pete finished third in his group. Not a bad representation. Placing in the top 5 in an age group means you ran at least 4 of the 12 twelve series races and earned points in those races. You have to finish in the top 10 in your age group in a race to earn points. You can race in all 12 events, which range from a 1 mile race to a half-marathon, but only your top 6 races count. 

To me the series serves as another form of motivation to get out there and race, especially as I age, and to be as competitive as possible in each of the races. I can't control who shows up at each race, only my own effort. It's  normally best to run as many of the series races as you can to pick up points, but if you are fast, like EW and MW, you can sometimes get away with only running four of the series races. I typically need to run more of the RROY races to get a decent amount of points. With a few fast people moving up from a younger age group next year to my category I'm going to enjoy this year's accomplishment while I can.

Rochester Runner of the Year

Only two races left in the Rochester Runner of the Year series (sponsored by GRTC). First up is a 5k in downtown Rochester, the East Avenue Grocery Run, held on November 4. The last race in the series is the Race with Grace 10k, held in Greece, NY on Thanksgiving morning.

It took me a long time to learn that competition sometimes comes down to who shows up and runs the race, stays healthy and motivated. Thinking about how you would have finished in a race if so and so competed isn't relevant. You compete against yourself and who is there on that day. In that vein our Sal's group is doing pretty well against Rochester area runners.

Jan has completed five races in the series (4 is minimum, 6 maximum out of 12) and I've done six, so we are eligible for an award if we finish in the top five in our age group. Currently Jan is third and could finish anywhere from third-sixth in her group. I am second and could finish from second to fifth.

Pete is second in his age group, but could finish from second-fifth. Eileen is fourth and if she finishes the next two series races will be at least top five. Mike W is in seventh, but if he runs the next two series races and finishes in the top three or better could possibly make it to a top five spot.

I find the RROY series a nice motivator to measure myself against myself, really. Can I stay healthy all year, since the races run from March - November? There are a variety of distances, from 1 mile to the half-marathon, a good method to discover which distances you are best at. Can I maintain my speed compared to the previous year if the same course is used? Speed is all relative since my 5k per mile pace times are about the same as my marathon per mile pace from ten years ago. But on the other hand, I'm sixty and have been a "runner" since I was twenty-three. Normal society would consider that amazing or weird, depending on who you are talking to. 

And so I continue to run, albeit slower, since it usually feels good and I'm able to.

Sal's RROY Domination!

In spite of an Executive Committee member and her husband being out of state celebrating the birth of their first grandchild, Sal's Racing Team members earned enough points to finish in the top five or higher in the annual Rochester Runner of the Year series.

Mike Weinpress finished second in the 60-64 group and Pete Leonard second in the 70-74 group. Jan was third in the 55-59 group, Eileen fourth in the 60-64 group and I squeezed into fifth place in the 55-59 group. Jennifer Katz (we have to have one youngster) finished fifth in the 25-29 group.

Man we have gotten old. But still kind of fast.

In the last race in the series, Race with Grace 10k, Jennifer won her age group. Jan finished 7th, earning four points. The father/daughter team of Lou and Jennifer finished in third place, winning another award. Jan and I were 7/28 in the husband/wife division. My daughter Andrea finished her first road 10k.

Below are some photographs from the East Avenue Grocery Run, Scare Brain Cancer Away 5k, and the Medved 5k at Frontier Field.

Eileen Grocery Run

Lou - Grocery Run

Mike M Grocery Run

Jan Grocery Run

Mike M Scare Brain Cancer

Mike M Medved 5k

Mike W Grocery Run

Mike W Scare Brain Cancer

Pete Medved 5k

Pete Scare Brain Cancer

Pete Scare Brain Cancer

Rochester Runner of the Year

The RROY series is down to the final two races, the East Avenue Grocery Run 5k on November 5 and Race with Grace 10k on Thanksgiving Day.

Our local Sal's running group is doing quite well in the series, whether intentionally or not. A minimum of four races and maximum six (out of 12) are needed to be included in the final year end standings. The top five finishers in each age group get awards for the series.

Pete Leonard currently leads his age group, but is in a tight race with two other competitors. Mike Weinpress is in second place in his age group. One runner has first locked up and four others are on Mike's heels. In my age group first place is also locked up. The second place runner should at least remain in the top five. Then there are five runners, including myself, who need to run at least one of the next two races to qualify. Any one of us could finish from second-seventh place. I am currently in fifth.

On the ladies side Jan is in a very tight battle for 3-7th place and currently sits in fourth. First and second places are probably locked up. Eileen Weinpress is in fifth place and may be able to move up to fourth.

There are some great competitions in all of the age groups. I do believe, however, that the RROY committee should look at over the winter how to increase the series participation. It seems like running four races out of twelve shouldn't be a problem. Maybe it's the races they pick that count, the prizes awarded at year's end, the cost of attending the banquet (which is far more than the coffee mug or other prize they give AG winners), or advertising?

Jan and I like the series though. It's one method of measuring yourself against similar aged runners, especially after all of these years of running, of training enough to stay competitive and keep motivated.

Dewey, Dew, Do

The Jenny Kuzma Bergen race now has the distinct honor of being the only 5k that I was forced to walk part of in order to finish. At race start, 8:30am, it was already 81 degrees with a dew point of 74. At the second mile water stop I stopped and walked for about twenty seconds. My first mile was a decent 7:35, my last mile must have been around 9:00 and that was a struggle.

I think a lot of runners were suffering in the race. The weird thing is, despite the slow race, I finished sixth in my age group, earning some valuable Rochester Runner of the Year points. Mike W also finished sixth in his age group, Pete was third, Eileen second and Jan sixth. We all moved up in the standings, so it was a good day after all.

Jan has moved up to 8th place (top 5 receive honors in each age group at the end of the year). Eileen is tied for 5th, I am in 6th, Mike in 8th and Pete in 2nd. There are five races left in the series and you must race a minimum of four with the best six counting for points. Personally, I will be skipping the half-marathon as I am not in shape for that distance. I hope the temperatures and humidity levels go down so we can all do some great training and race well beginning in October.

September 4	Oak Tree Half Marathon	13.1 Miles
October 15	Finish Strong 15K	9.3 Miles
October 22	Scare Brain Cancer Away 5K	3.1 Miles
November 5	East Avenue Grocery Run	3.1 Miles
November 24	Race with Grace 10K	6.2 Miles

Fall Racing Schedule

So many races in our area, so little time. The competition for attracting runners is heating up. This Wednesday (Wednesday of all days!) there are three local races. Saturday, August 13, there are 6 races, one of which is a Rochester Runner of the Year Race (Bergen 5k).

I'm not sure how well all of these races do financially, but if they keep holding them year after year I guess the race organizers must be happy with the final results. I know sometimes scheduling of parks, lodges, schools and wherever else a race is held can be difficult. Some newbie race directors just don't know any better or won't listen to people with experience, even the timing companies. Those are the races that usually die after a year or two.

In September there is a 5k race in my hometown. I considered doing it for about 2 minutes. It's $25 to register and prizes are given in only three age groups, to first place only, with the oldest group 40+. That is crazy. I seldom win an age group award, but it's nice to have a chance. Usually there is a big difference between a 40 year old runner and 55+ runner. I also worry about races that don't tell you who the timing company is. One, you don't know if the results can be trusted, will be available fairly quickly or the course is accurate. Two, the race loses out on a lot of publicity the timing company would provide through their web site. It makes no sense.

My tentative racing schedule is;

August 13: The Bergen 5k (RROY race)
September 5:  Maybe? (Summerfest 5k@Mendon Ponds, a Fleet Feet race)
October 15: Finish Strong 15k (RROY race)
October 22: Scare Brain Cancer Away 5k (RROY race)
November 5: East Avenue Grocery Run 5k (RROY race) I skipped this race last year and it cost me a top five finish for the year in RROY.
November 24: Race with Grace 10k (RROY). A tradition in our home. I may also be the youngest runner in a new age group for this race, with a birthday 2 days prior to the race. 

Let's hope we all stay healthy and can race well!

Medved 5k to Cure ALS

Sunday, June 19th, was the 18th running of one of Jan's and my favorite races, the Medved 5k. The course has changed a bit over the years, but is always flat and finishes with running the entire outfield track of Frontier Field and ending at home plate.

At race time, 8:30am, it was already 71 degrees and sunny, but the humidity was low and there was a gentle breeze at a few points in the race so the conditions really weren't too bad for a summer run.

The Medved 5k is always a Rochester Runner of the Year series race and we were hoping to get credit for participating in one of the races, not even really considering getting an age group point for being in the top ten. I've run this race in reasonably fast timea in the past and not gotten a point, so that didn't really enter my mind as anything to be concerned with. This was my first race since November of 2015 after falling while out on a run just before Christmas.  I was basically out of running from January-March, in physical therapy for eight weeks, and ran/walked my first mile in the beginning of April.

My pre-race nerves were out of sight until about five minutes before the start (It must have been the passionate starting line kiss Jan gave me that brought a sense of peace and that calmed me down and made me ready for the race). The race also became a test of Garmins in a non-scientific way, as Jan, Lou, Jennifer and I all wore them and had different distance results. None of us matched the course distance exactly, which would have been weird to do anyhow since no one runs all the tangents the course would have been measured with. I had the highest result, at 3.19 miles. It is a certified course at 3.1069 miles (5 kilometers), obviously usually called 3.1miles. So my Garmin had the course about 140 yards long. 20+ of the yards would have been my starting in the pack before the official line. Not taking the tangents well would account for more distance. The rest, who knows? Jan had 3.15 on her Garmin, I guess she runs the tangents better.

The Sal's team had excellent results at the race! Mike W led the way with a 22:47, 3rd in age group, Jennifer K 23:03, 4th AG, me 24:47, 5th AG, Eileen 25:26 4th AG, Lou K 25:30, 6 AG, Pete L 26:18, 3 AG and Jan 28:40, 4th AG. So we all ended up with mega RROY points! Yay. Complete results may be found at PCR timing.

Race with Grace & RROY

A relatively warm by Thanksgiving standards (47) but extremely windy morning greeted the 1100+ finishers at the annual Race with Grace 10k. The last 1.2 miles, always tough due to its' two small hills and a long incline to the finish, were even harder with a 15-20 mph headwind.

Sal's did well in the races with Eileen finishing 5/19, Jan 8/34, Mike W 4/36, Lou 10/36 (and picking up his first RROY point of the year) and me 17/77 in our respective age groups.

Jan and I finished a respectable 11/50 in the husband/wife team competition, with only one 40+ team and one 50-54 team ahead of us. The other teams that finished ahead of us were at least twenty years younger. Our first time as a husband/wife team the people that made up the winners this year were maybe 12 years old? I guess we've been at this a long time.

Final standings for the Rochester Runner of the Year series also were published yesterday. Jan and Eileen each finished with enough points over the year to end up 3rd in their age groups. I was 6th, one place out of a prize, and Mike W was 7th, which was more by accident than design. If MW cared about the series he would be in the top 2 or 3.

Now it's on to planning our winter training and thinking of goals for 2016.

25 Years of Race With Grace

Race director Bob Dyjak will be completing his 25th and final RWG 10k (as director) on Thursday, November 26. More than 1,400 runners will be at the race. I have had the privilege of completing 22 of those races (assuming I finish tomorrow). Jan will have completed at least 15 of them.

I have never run the race particularly fast, only one year breaking 40 minutes. Usually the race came 1-4 weeks after a fall marathon when I would have a good aerobic base but not the speed. Now my predicted race time won't be much, if any, faster than my marathon pace used to be. Jan is fighting for a Rochester Runner of the Year top 3 spot, so this race, the last in the series, is important to her.

The weather is going to be unusually warm for November, with temperatures between 45 and 50 at the start of the race (9am). We will have a nice headwind of 10-15 mph on the way back up Manitou road for the last 1.2 miles. It's always a pleasure to race into the wind while running on an incline for a mile and being tired from the first 5 miles.

Twenty-two years, that's a lot of races and running. I'm glad to be healthy enough to run the race whether I finish in 47 minutes or 51. I'm not predicting a finish place or beating anyone as so far this year my RROY races have been less than stellar. I do predict I will race, not run, as hard as I possibly can, the Bear will be out and in my mind I'll have the feeling of moving along at a 6:20/mile pace, not the 7:50/mile that it likely will be. In other words, the effort will be there, just in a 59 year old body instead of 39.


2014 RWG start (I am somewhere back there in the masses). 

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Remember when the majority of races were 10k's? If a 5k was being run at the same place it was truly the "fun" run that young kids and beginning runners participated in. Participants in the 5k might have received a ribbon, probably not a t-shirt or award. Now a 10k race is a rarity. Saturday we had the chance to run a 10k, the Fast and Furriest, proceeds of which benefited the Verona Street Animal Society in Rochester. Results.

Sal's runners dominated in the old but not out of it age categories. Mike Weinpress won the 55-59 age group, earning 10 Rochester Runner of the Year points (even though he doesn't care about the series), while I came in 4th, earning 7 points. Jan won her age group and Lou finished 6th in his.

Prizes were awesome, first place receiving $40 gift certificates to Fleet Feet Sports! The course was fairly flat through the city, down the River path of the mighty Genesee towards the University of Rochester and back up the other side.

Please take the ethics poll on the left of the web site, which deals with a situation that occurred after the race while three men were doing their cool down run. To be clear, there were no cars or homes near where the event took place.

Random Thoughts

1. I have a son-in-law, our first. Kind of strange to think of having a new member of our family.
2. Congratulations to our Sal's Rochester Runner of the Year representatives, Jennifer Katz (2nd age group), Jan McCullough (3rd), Pete Leonard (1) and New Roger (4th)!
3. Finding a xmas tree two days before xmas is not easy.
4. Portland Oregon is a neat city, Oregon an interesting state. Someday we will visit there when it is warm.
5. I'm still not into snowshoeing this year, despite our 50" of snow.
6. Stacy and Chris made neat wedding cake toppers.

7. Jan, Amanda and I will try our best to never fly United Airlines again, unless they give us vouchers towards future flights. Short version of story is they canceled our connecting flight from CHI to ROC on the way home, saying it was weather related. Wouldn't get us a seat the next day or tell us when we could fly out for sure. Wouldn't give us food vouchers or a place to stay. Weather related? They flew out to Buffalo, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. We caught the flight to Pitt, not sure what we would do when arriving at 1am, but knew we were closer to home. Lucky for us Avis rented us a car, one-way, for $150 and we drove home, arriving at 6:15am.

Race Updates

A busy week of racing between May 10-17 for Sal's runners and triathletes. I have been unable to locate complete results, but heard that Joanne (training for her MCM 10k in October) completed the race and Eileen W and Jennifer K finished 3rd in their age groups! Almost 1,000 women completed the race.

Special thanks should go to Mike W, Lou K and Dick W, who volunteered at the race.

Saturday, May 16th, is the Rochester Spring Classic Duathlon at Mendon Ponds Park. Dick W. will be racing along with ?

Sunday is the annual Lilac 10k at Highland Park. Mike and Eileen will be adding to their Rochester Runner of the Year points (we hope). Lou, fighting one old age injury after another, may run the 5k, or the 10k, or may be sitting in a tub of ice watching the race.

In two weeks Jennifer K. will be attempting her first marathon, at Buffalo. Lou registered for the race, but when they didn't send him a practice shirt decided not to run. Lou plans to bike along the course grabbing all the water bottles, gels and gatorade that he can, in order to get a good return on his money. He will also be the first person at the post-race party, stuffing his pockets with bagels and filling his water bottles with free beer.