Running with Eric

May 3, 2026

Half a Marathon on Grand Island

On saturday morning I ran the Grand Island Half Marathon in a time of 2:14:15. This was slower than I was hoping for, but I am glad that I got the distance in and finished my first spring half since 2023.

I had planned to stick with a 2:05 pace group to prepare myself for the upcoming Buffalo marathon, but without any pace leaders I was left to run my own race. I felt good for the first two miles, but this probably just implies that I started too fast. By mile four I was already feeling tired, but reached the turn around just under 1:03 which was very close to my goal pace.

I slowed down some in the second half of the race in a way that makes me concerned about running twice the distance at the end of the month. Still I pushed through with a steady pace to the finish.

My next race will be the Vale of Three Falls 10k in Letchworth Park on the 17th.

April 29, 2026

First Trail Race of the Season

On tuesday night I ran the first Run Our Trails race of the year in Mendon Ponds Park. I completed the 3ish mile loop in 35:23 which was a bit slower than I had hoped for and mostly a reflection of not being fully recovered from the racing on sunday.

Mendon Ponds is always very hilly, but the course of this race was even tougher than most. My legs were very much feeling it on both the up hills and the down hills with not enough smooth trail to get into a good grove.

My next race (and third in the same week) will be the Grand Island Half Marathon on saturday.

April 27, 2026

Another trip around Seneca Lake

On Sunday I ran the Seneca 7 relay race around Seneca Lake for the third year. This year I ran leg three, and our team finished the loop around the lake in 10:29:44 which is over 20 minutes quicker than last year.

The third runner has some of the easier legs to run so I went into my first leg wanting to start out strong. The first leg was 4.4 miles of rolling hills and I paced myself as if I was running a 5k. This did start to hurt in the last mile, but I am glad that I gave it my all.

At 4.7 miles the second leg was a big longer, but it was massively downhill. This is the leg I had really been looking forward to. The first mile is fairly flat and uneventful, but then the course heads downhill into Watkins Glen. The twoish miles of downhill were a lot of fun and probably some of the fastest that I have run in years. Then suddenly there is another mile and a half that needs to be run through the town without the assist of gravity and you comparatively find yourself feeling so slow.

The final leg was a single mile and is a ridiculous thing to include in a race like this. I did my best to pretend that I was a sprinter (and actually passed a number of runners), but after the earlier miles and a full day of driving a car my legs had very little raw speed in them.

My next race will be the Run Our Trails race on Tuesday, which will be my first trail race of the year.

March 15, 2026

First Race of the Year

On saturday morning I ran the 5 mile St. Patrick’s Day Runnin’ of The Green. I finished the course in 44:54 averaging just under 9 minutes per mile.

After not getting to any races in January or February, I thought that I was going to avoid any cold weather races this year. While it didn’t snow it was 30 degrees and very windy on the course.

The race was crowded at the start, and I spent the first mile catching up to the 9 mile pace group. I stuck with them until mile three, but they must have been a little fast or I must not have fallen too far behind as I ended the race with an 8:59 overall pace.

Hopefully we have some good weather that allows me to increase my training before the next race.

March 6, 2026

2026 Racing Calendar

With next week’s the Running of the Green kicking off the racing season, here is a look at the races I am planning on running in for 2026. As always this is a soft plan as I hope to add more throughout the year…

December 26, 2025

Running through 2025

In 2025 I ran 22 races (the most since 2019) and set a new Marathon PR. I started the year with a race on January 1st and had a top 5 finish at a 10k in Letchworth.

I returned to the Lancaster 4th of July 10k for the tenth time, and ran my 14th Buffalo Turkey Trot. In October I ran three new races in the Niagara Half Marathon, the Mendon 20k, and Give Cancer the Bird trail run in Honeoye.

I am planning on running many more races again in 2026.

December 14, 2025

A Wonderful Run through the Snow

On saturday I ran the It’s A Wonderful Run 5k in Seneca Falls. This run is more of a party than a race, but I finished in 28:04 on a course that was very cold.

I was shockingly consistent with my pace over the race, finishing mile one in 9:05 and averaging 9:02 across the full race. I was stopping for drinks along the route, but the only thing that really slowed me down was the midrace egg nog from the shotski.

This should be my final race of 2025, with many more races coming in 2026.

November 28, 2025

Trotting with the Turkeys

On Thanksgiving morning I ran the Buffalo Turkey Trot for the 14th time. I finished in 42:56 which is a bit slower than the past few years but with the worst weather conditions since 2018.

The start of the race was crowded as it is every year, with it difficult to get going in the first mile. It was more difficult than usual to get around people as the edges of the street were covered in snow and ice. However, the main road was clear and once I found some space I settled into a steady pace. The wind gusts were more intense than usual but mostly came from the side rather than as a headwind.

My next race is the It’s a Wonderful Run 5k this December in Seneca Falls.

November 9, 2025

Three Races in Three Days

This weekend I ran the Dirt Cheap Stage Race at Mendon Ponds Park. The theme of these races seemed to be that I was spending more effort fighting against the terrain rather than the distance. The hills, mud, and rain slowed me down far more than the millage did.

The friday night race could be best described as being dark and stormy. Half an hour before starting things looked good, but as the race started there was a torrential downpour and it got dark fast. Most of this race was just trying to make it to the finish. There are three steep hills on this course that I had to walk up, and with the dark and the rain I had slow way down even on some of the downhills as I did not trust my footing.

I finished the first leg in 42:05 which is on the slow side, but the past two times I ran this race I had better daylight as the clocks had not yet been moved back.

The weather was much better on saturday morning where I ran the 5ish mile course in 51:50. I got off to a good start, but then lost my footing on a downhill and slid a few feet into a tree. This threw off my pace for a bit, but I got back into a good rhythm by the end of the course.

Sunday was back to rain, and while I felt good running I lost a lot of time being overly cautious on the downhills. Between falling the day before, and injuring myself in this same park two weeks ago I lost a lot of time taking the downhills without any real speed.

I finished the third day with a time of 2:09 which was slower than most of the times I have run this course in the past, but finished strong as navigating the course was more taxing than the actual running.

My next race should be the Buffalo Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.

November 1, 2025

10k in the city

On saturday morning I ran the East Ave Grocery Run in downtown Rochester. I finished the race in 54:58 which felt good, but was well behind my pace from last year.

Coming into the race with an injured foot and not enough sleep my expectations were not too high. It was a cold and rainy day and I made the mistake of starting too far back in the corral. I had to fight crowds all the way to the 5k turn around 1.8 miles into the race.

Once I had room, I opened up the pace a little bit and felt solid running through the middle miles along the river. Perhaps I should have pushed myself even more as I had enough left to go faster for the final mile to the finish.

My next race will be the Dirt Cheap Stage Race next weekend at Mendon Ponds.

October 26, 2025

20k through the woods

On saturday morning I ran a 20k trail race at Mendon Ponds Park. I completed the two laps in 2:22:35 which was a decent pace for a hilly course.

It was a cool morning and most of the race took place on the east side of the park which has lots of hills but very little mud. I was feeling strong from the start, but knowing that I needed to pace myself I was willing to walk the larger steeper hills from early on in the race. I finished the first lap in just under 68 minutes.

With the runners spread out and the 10k racers not doing the second lap, the start of lap two felt a little lonely. In many ways it was the same course that I had just seen, but slightly slower. I eventually found a runner to keep pace with for a mile or two, and then towards the end of the lap I pushed myself a little bit extra knowing that the finish line was near, finishing the second lap in just under 75 minutes.

My next race will be the Grocery Run 10k at the start of november.

October 19, 2025

9k in Honeoye

Sunday morning I ran the Hopson Give Cancer the Bird Trail Run in Honeoye. I ran the 9k course in 50:30 which was quick enough to finish 18th overall and second in my age group.

I went into the race not really knowing the course, and while there were short road sections here and there, it was primarily a trail race. The trails were fun to run and we had beautiful weather for the race. The trails were mostly non-technical and looped around so that we ran with the 5k runners for some sections. Overall, maintaining a nine minute pace on trails is a run that I am very happy with.

Two years ago this same weekend I ran the Many Lite trail race in Letchworth. In that race after running twenty miles, I ran the final mile alongside my friend Sherry. A few months later she was diagnosed with cancer and passed away this spring, so we ran the race this weekend in her honor.

My next race will be the Grocery Run 10k on the first of November.

October 5, 2025

A Mighty Half Marathon

On saturday morning I ran the Mighty Niagara Half Marathon as the first half I have run in over two years. I finished the race in 2:05:43 which was a bit slower than I wanted to be. In fact I was even 5 minutes slower than my first half of the Buffalo Marathon this spring.

My plan for this race was to run with the 1:55 pace group, but the only pacers were at 1:50 and 2:00. I went out too fast and ran the first two and a half miles of the race slightly behind the 1:50 pace group before slowing down a bit. I then found a steady pace to crank out some distance to the 8 mile mark.

Past 9 miles I really started to slow down, and the heat and the sun started to get to me in the final 3 miles of the race. I finished, but had to really push myself at the end.

It was actually a very fun course, but too warm of a day to put up a great time.

My next race will be the Give Cancer the Bird 9k in Honeoye later this month.

October 1, 2025

A Quick Trail Run

Tuesday night I ran the final Run Our Trails race of the year, and finished the 3.2 mile course in 28:45. My legs felt pretty fast, and I was a minute quicker than when I ran a similar course back in April.

It was great weather for a race and the course was relatively flat (at least for Mendon Ponds) and due to the lack of rain this month was very dry. This resulted in what was probably my fastest run ever at this park and I finished the race feeling good.

Finally getting back to the roads, my next race will be the Mighty Niagara Half Marathon on saturday.

August 27, 2025

Another Trail Run

On tuesday night I ran the August version of the Run Our Trail Series at Mendon Ponds Park. I ran the four mile course in 44:06 to finish 38th overall.

The threatened rain waited until well after the race was over, so it was actually a great day for a run. However I was a bit slow and didn’t hold up to my pace from last week. Partially this is because it was a far hillier course, but I also had something wrong on other my rest or nutrition that kept me from feeling fast. Despite my pace it was still a fun course to run.

August 21, 2025

Running through Black Creek

On wednesday night I ran the 4.3 mile Dirt Cheap trail race at Black Creek Park. I finished the course in 43:00 which is an ok pace for a trail run.

The course consisted of a lot of single track running which is fun, but perhaps is not really my strong suit. I got passed a bit on these more technical sections of trail as I perhaps was overthinking my foot placement. Still I had a good time as this was my first race of the summer that had reasonable temperatures.

My next race will once again be on trails as I return to Mendon Ponds for the Run Our Trails series next tuesday.

July 30, 2025

Summer Trail Run

On tuesday night I joined the Run Our Trails race at Mendon Ponds Park. I finished the 5 mile course in 55:47 which was quick enough for 26th place.

As with most of this summer it was extremely warm, but the benefit of trails is that you are mostly running in the shade. I actually felt pretty good about my run, and my pace felt strong and steady over the course.

The first two miles of the race were relatively flat for Mendon Ponds, but the final three miles dramatically made up for it. There were two grueling hills in particular that I (and I assume a majority of other runners) had to walk up. Still I finished the race feeling strong.

July 14, 2025

A Boiling Hot Run Through Utica

On sunday morning I ran the Boilermaker 15k in Utica. I finished the race in 1:29:15, with the warm day leaving me significantly slower than when I ran the race in 2023.

This is one of the biggest races that I run, and starting in a crowd prevents me from going out too fast. I ran the first 5k in 28:09 and felt pretty good on the hills at miles three and four. However, as soon as I was done with that the heat starting catching up to me.

Overall this race felt less like it was about keeping pace, and more like it was about heat management, as I took all the water and ice that I could get along the way. It was very challenging conditions to run in, and I was far from the only one unable to match my time from prior years on this course.

Despite getting worn down by the heat, my splits were fairly consistent with the first 5k in 28:09, the second in 29:41, and the final 5k in 31:25, but this year’s Boilermaker was more about just reaching the finish line rather than having a fast run.

My next race will be a return to the trails, with the July edition of the Run Our Trails series.

July 5, 2025

10k on the 4th of July

On friday morning I ran the 4th of July 10k in Lancaster for the tenth time. I finished the course in 52:58 which was a bit slower than I wanted to be, but not a bad result.

This race is always warm, but wasn’t as bad as last week. I ran my first mile in 8:03 and kept a steady pace for the next two miles, hitting 5k in 24:30. The heat began to catch up with me in the second half, and things slowed down but never really fell apart.

My next race will be a bit longer as I return to Utica for the Boilermaker 15k on July 13th.

June 25, 2025

A Hot Summer Run

On wednesday night I ran the Run our Trails race at Mendon Ponds in 94 degree heat. The temperature led to the course being shortened to threeish miles which I finished in 31:33 which was quick enough for a 27th place finish.

This race was defined by the high temperatures, and I chose to run with water (primary so I could have an ice pack strapped to my back). However once we got going I felt pretty good. Despite the many races I have run at Mendon Ponds this course managed to mostly be in a corner of the park that I was unfamiliar with, but like the rest of the park was shaded and full of hills. I found myself passing other runners a lot on the uphills on this course, the heat was taking its toll but with the course only being three miles I didn’t feel the need to reserve myself at all or to rest.

My next race is the Lancaster 4th of July 10k, which I haven’t run since 2019, but have finished 9 times overall.

June 12, 2025

A muddy run in Webster

On wednesday night I ran in the Dirt Cheap Trail Race at Webster Park. I finished the course in 49:17 which was quick enough to finish in the top third of runners. I last ran this race in 2019 so the course may have changed some since then, but this was my fastest finish in this race.

Webster Park is usually one of my favorite places to run, but the mud made things very challenging in this race. I only fell once, but I was often sliding and having to slow down to maintain balance. There were a few sections where I could run well, but there was also one point about a mile from the finish where I had to walk for almost a quarter mile as the only way to get through the mud.

It looks like my next race will also be on trails as I run the Run Our Trails race at Mendon Ponds at the end of the month.

May 27, 2025

Fastest Marathon Ever

On sunday morning I ran the Buffalo marathon in 4:17:07 for my quickest marathon ever. This was my tenth time finishing the Buffalo marathon and I was able to show a 93 second improvement over my previous PR from two years ago.

Coming into the race I was feeling undertrained and planned to run conservatively staying with the 4:30 pace group and perhaps trying to get a negative split. That plan went out the window as soon as I lined up at the start and wanting to push ahead, so I decided to ignore the pace groups and just run on vibes.

I ran the first 5k in 28:20 and the second 5k in 28:20 (for a 10k time of 56:40). I was feeling very good through the first quarter of the race, and the cool temperatures made the run feel easy.

I reached the half marathon mark at two hours and one minute and was feeling surprised at how good I was feeling. Initially I was concerned at how much my quick start was going to catch up with me, but at this point I was feeling really steady and confident that I could at least hold until 20 miles before anything went too wrong.

I ran the segment from 20k to 25k in a time of 29:02 which is only slightly slower than the pace I had started out the day with. Unfortunately the temperatures were starting to climb, and I began having to focus on keeping my body temperature down. Thirty minutes later I hit the 30k mark and was shocked at how easily I got up the hill just after this checkpoint. At this point in the race I knew I had a very real chance of challenging for a PR.

Around mile 20 I was staring to struggle, but I did my best to maintain a steady pace. Following last year’s Buffalo marathon this was only the second marathon distance I have ever covered without slowing to a walk for at least a portion of the course. This time it paid off. The final two and a half miles were very challenging, but I pushed though and finished with my fastest marathon ever.

I am not sure when my next race will be, but with a course PR in two straight weeks I am feeling good and looking to keep my speed up.

May 18, 2025

Top 5 finish in Letchworth

On sunday morning I ran the Vail of Three Falls 10k in Letchworth park. I finished in a time of 53:26 which was a course PR, and quick enough for a 5th place finish.

The first mile and a half of this course is downhill, and I absolutely bombed down the hill. I was the fifth runner to reach the bottom of the hill, but I assumed that once the course got more challenging that a few other runners would pass me by.

The next mile is rolling hills, followed by a half mile climb to the turn around point. Remarkably I reached the turn around still in fifth position (and close to fourth) with two runners on close behind me.

The return trip was a back and forth with the sixth place runner, but I took the lead at the start of the final climb, and I refused to slow down and fall out of the top five.

This was a course PR, and the first time that I have placed in a race in forever. My next race is the Buffalo Marathon next sunday.

May 5, 2025

A longer run through Mendon

On sunday morning I ran the Medved Madness trail race at Mendon Ponds Park. I finished in 2:28:53 for the long course which was around 14 miles? I last ran this race in 2023, but the course changed significantly since then.

The race had most of the hills right at the front. While it is nice to be able to attack the hills with fresh legs, I probably went out too aggressively. While none of this park is flat, on the middle section where there was a bit less climbing I felt like I was getting passed by many other runners.

The weather was a slight rain, and the trails were significantly worse than my race last week. The main problem I had on the muddy trails was that I had to slow down a lot for the downhills. The worst section of the trail was the northwest corner of the park where I was in mud up to my knees at one point. However I made it through the race without falling which means I was either extremely lucky or too cautious.

With the course having almost no resemblance to the last time I ran this race and the distance of the long course being a bit of a mystery, I never knew when I was approaching the end of the run. The good news is that I felt fairly strong even over the final few miles.

I hope to run one more race before the Buffalo Marathon which will be a 10k on the 18th at either Highland Park or Letchworth Park.

April 30, 2025

First Trail Race of the Year

On tuesday night I ran my first trail race of the year at Mendon Ponds Park. This was the first race of the 2025 Run Our Trails series, and I ran the three miles in 29:57. I came into the race on tired legs, so combined with the many hills that Mendon Ponds always has, I was actually pretty happy with my time.

The race came shortly after it had stopped raining, but the course was in surprisingly good condition. Mendon Ponds is always steep and technical, but knowing that the race was short I tried my best to push the pace. I was more steady than fast, but on trails I will take that. The final mile leveled off a bit, but without knowing exactly how far was left to run it was hard to determine when to kick for the finish.

My next race will be right back in the same spot (but over four times the distance) as I will be running Medved Madness on sunday.