Month: July 2010

by

A Tennis Victory

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3-2 and we thought it would be easier! 

I played doubles and we won the first set easily.  But I was not comfortable and couldn’t find a rhythm. In the 2nd set, I was serving for the match 5-3.  I won ALL my service games…but not this one so then it was 5-4, then 5-5.  We led 6-5, then it was 6-6 and we played a tie-breaker and LOST!! PRESSURE!!!!!!! We had to play a 10 pt tie-breaker and luckily we won 10-6 Phew!!! Everyone was cheering at every winning point.  Little did we know, it was because the 2 teams were tied 2-2 and our match was the clincher.   If we had lost, our team would have lost.  I’m glad that I had no idea!!

I called all my friends and my husband who was waiting for me on a Lake George Island with friends. I then headed for Bolton Landing where my husband picked me up with our boat…

It seemed that he told everyone about my match and that I had won…he was happy because he knew that I would be in a terrible mood for the rest of the weekend if I had lost.

When we arrived on the Island, everyone cheered and then they toasted me with champagne!!!

What a great day…

Next my team plays in Sectionals in Syracuse (Aug 20-22)…and then maybe at Nationals in Tucson (who knows??)

 

by

Tennis, Running Partnership Postponed & 5 Foto Friday

me & Georgette

 

Tomorrow, my tennis team is playing in the Regional Championships against a team from Cooperstown, NY. I’m playing with Georgette (whom I played with in Fla in April).  If our team wins, we go to States and play in Syracuse in August.  I’M NERVOUS!!!!! 

And now for Five Foto Friday, RunningLaur-style. I have 5 cats.  Here they are: 

Jerry

Spooky

Slater

Honey

Billy

As for running…I ran 3.5 miles Tuesday after work and 4 miles yesterday after work.  Tuesday it was very HUMID. Yesterday, the weather was perfect.  Neither run was.  As much as I try, I stop and walk when I get tired. I can’t get motivated to push myself if I am by myself.  I’m debating the 10k option but I’m going to wait til the last minute to sign up for the Great Pumpkin Challenge on Oct 23. It’s a 5k and a 10K. I’m to start training after Aug 22 (unless my tennis team loses tomorrow) & I’ll see if I am capable of running 6.2 miles! 

me & Mary

After my last race, Mary & I decided to be running partners.  We made plans to run today at the Crossings and then race on Aug. 7 together.  She wants to run a half in October.  Unfortunately, she had to go to LA for a funeral and won’t be back til Aug. 14 😦

Happy Running!

by

To Run Faster or Longer…That is the Question

This is my 3rd summer running.  I’m still doing 5Ks!!!! I’m done 37 5k races  and 3 3.5 mile races. The farthest I’ve run  is 5 miles and that was with A LOT of walk breaks!!

Even those who just started are working toward 10ks and even 1/2 Marathons!!!

Should I run longer?

Pros:

  • It’s cool.
  • More prestige
  • finisher medals
  • others are doing it
  • I can use my giveaway prizes (Nathan handheld, GU…)
  • harder as you get older so do it now
  • it would be exciting
  • it would be a CHALLENGE

Cons:

  • there are more 5ks locally
  • I know I can run 5K
  • I can win an age group from time to time in 5k
  • I still want to improve my 5k pace
  • need to have a new training plan
  • need more time to train to run a longer distance
  • more chance of injury
  • don’t have a running partner to motivate me
  • need to carry stuff (water, energy gels, etc)
  • will I have stomach issues?
  • hard to schedule longer training runs (I work, I play tennis, I go boating on the weekend…)
  • 5k is nothing to be ashamed of…better than staying in bed

Any advice would be appreciated…

Happy Running!

by

Monday…Monday…Goals for the Week

Recap of  last week:
My weekly goal was 10 miles. I did 10. (slow running week)
I ran a 5K race!!!
I lost my USTA singles match but MY TEAM WON!!! We go on to play a team from Cooperstown in Regionals on Sat.

This week’s schedule:
Monday – tennis team practice after work (Tech support at Bar exam 7am-5:30 pm)
Tuesday – Tech support at Bar exam
Wed –   tennis after work
Thurs – tennis before work
Fri – DAY OFF
Saturday – USTA tennis Regionals
Sunday – boating on the lake

This week’s running :
 Tues  – 3.5 miles  after work
 Thursday – 3.5  miles  after work
Friday – 5 miles (end of the month)
Sunday – 4 miles while docked at the marina

Weekly Running Goal = 16 miles
Monthly Running Goal = 55 miles
Yearly Running Goal = 300 miles ( I passed it!!)

Happy Running and enjoy your summer!!

by

Silks & Satins 5K Race Report

This was my 3rd year running in this race so I knew where the race was and that it was a flat course. I was pretty excited since I usually run alone but this race I was meeting 2 women — one who I met at my last race and one who I’ve only met online – both started running in their 50’s so we have a connection!!!

It had rained all night and when I left my house it was  very HUMID.  I was surprised that at 6:45 am it was already 72 degrees – Oh No!!

This 5k coincides with the opening of the Saratoga Racetrack which draws people from all over the world. I got there early enough to find parking.  Last year there were about 1200 people but this year only 800 or so…the weather??

I looked for AJH and luckily for cell phones, we found each other before the start.


Then I found Mary, as well.

AJH & I started near the front.  Since the clock starts when the first runners leaves, I don’t like to hang back.  Mary, however, headed toward the back.

I quickly lost AJH.  I knew that I couldn’t keep her pace. My first mile, however, was faster than it should have been in this weather (under 9 min).  I think I continued to get slower each mile, as a result. This is a flat course so I was hoping to PR.  As I approached the finish line, I saw 29… and  I was disappointed.  I wished I had kept my mile 1 pace & didn’t walk at the water stop.  My final time was 29:34.  At least I was under 30 minutes and faster than last year 🙂

There was a lot of food at this race but I was too hot to eat much. I found AJH who had a SUPER race. (26 minutes os so) Her fastest 5k this year!! She is amazing!!!

We hung around for the awards.  There were a lot of  FAST runners at this race (esp. in our age group).  AJH came in 6th and I came in 10th so no awards for us…  I never found Mary but I spoke to her on the phone later.  (She felt sick and was disappointed at her 31 minute time so left right away.)

AJH & I hung around for awhile watching the horses warm up and chatting about running. 

She may even have convinced me to run a longer race some day… Hopefully, we will connect again for another race in NY or VT…(Check out her blog for her race report.)

Mary & I made plans to run together this Friday and she signed up to do the Fasig Tipton 5k with me on Aug. 7.  She wants to do a 5k in under 30 min and I want to run a longer race..so I hope we can help each other.

Happy Running and Have a great Weekend!

by

Rest Day & 5 Foto Friday

No running…No tennis…I slept til 7a.  It was raining so no lunchtime walk.   I’m playing Mah Jongg tonight and going to bed early.  Tomorrow is RACE DAY!

And now for Five Foto Friday, RunningLaur-style. I love flowers.  Here are some I took Monday in my friend’s garden:

Happy Running and Good Luck to all Those Racing this Weekend!

by

3 Things Thursday

 

  1. We had a big storm last night and the rain cooled things down.  I was sick yesterday (headache, nauscea, etc) but I wasn’t going to waste this running weather.  I went out for an easy 3.5 mile run before work.
  2. Tennis is picking up.  My team won both rounds of playoffs and now we play the winner of the Oneonta division in the Regionals on July 31.  If we win, we go to Syracuse to play in the NYS Sectionals Aug 20-22.) Last year our team came in close to last place so the season ended early & I was able to focus on running. )
  3. My next 5k is Saturday. I’m excited because I’ll be meeting 2 other runners before the race and I’ve run this race 2x before. I’m not in peak condition so we’ll see how I’ll do.  Anyway, it should be fun!!

Happy Running and good luck on your weekend races!

by

I played…I Lost…We Won…I Ran

From my captain’s email: Aces Wild were victorious tonight!!!

 We beat the number one team, Alley Cats 3-2 in a fierce competition!!  Darlene was really the unsung heroine who played first singles for our team and although losing, put up a great battle against the toughest player on the 3.0 league.  Thanks Darlene for being such a team player and really getting our team to victory!!

Julia held her ground at 2nd singles and blew away her opponent!! Donna and Nancy crushed the 1st doubles team in 2 sets. Karen and Catalina were the lobbing queens and really met their match at 2nd doubles, although losing they played great!!Annie and I had a tough 2 setter against the captains.. Karen Paratta and Deb Lawson, but won in 2 sets and took a definitive lead in the second set at 5–1- ultimately winning at 7-6, 6-3.

Thanks so much to everyone who brought us to this point.  We are all winners!!!!!!

It’s hard to go out and play knowing that the competition is so much better (My opponent even plays at the 3.5 level also).  I am so glad that the strategy worked and our team won!!! (I’m trying not to feel discouraged in not winning myself.)

This morning I got up and ran 3.5 miles before work.  I was actually running to get the frustation from tennis out of my system.  The weather was beautiful (just a little too humid).  I think it worked…

More tennis after work today, tennis tomorrow before & after work.  (Can I master 2 sports????)

Thursday will be my last training run for my 5K race on Saturday.

Happy Running!

by

Weekend Recap & Monday Goals

It started Thursday with a reunion with some ladies I used to work with.  We had a picnic and then saw a play in the park – so much fun!!

Friday morning we headed to  Lake George to spend the weekend.  On Saturday we had 15 people on our site!!! The weather was perfect..so was the company (our friends and some Polish cousins, etc.)

Saturday evening I went to visit my tennis friends at Schroon River – it was tennis weekend #1 that I had to miss. (There’ll will be another in August.)

 I also missed the Mentors annual pool party and a blogger meetup in Schenectady & 5k.  Everything got scheduled for the same weekend!

On Sunday, my hubby’s sister & husband who were visiting from Florida came up to the lake. Another great weather day – so lucky this summer!!

The forecast for Monday was showers so even though I had the day off, we decided to head home.

YES!!! I did run 4 MILES in Bolton Landing on Saturday & Sunday mornings!!!!!  It was humid and my runs weren’t spectacular but I always enjoy this alone time as well as the scenery.  It’s my favorite time of the day!!!!!!!!!!

I’m looking forward to my next 5k on Saturday.  It’s one of my favorites and AJH from Age Groups Rock may race it too as well as another runner whom I met at the Valley Cats 5k.  I have been focusing on tennis rather than running so I’m not as prepared as I hoped.  This will be a fun race 🙂

Recap of  last week:
My weekly goal was 14 miles. I did 11.5!!! I slacked off 😦
But I won my USTA doubles match!!!

This week’s schedule:
Monday – USTA tennis playoffs after work
Tuesday – tennis after work
Wed –  tennis before work & tennis after work
Saturday & Sunday- boating on Lake George

This week’s running :
 Tues  – 3.5 miles  before work
 Thursday – 3.5  miles  before work
Saturday – 5K RACE!!

Weekly Running Goal = 10 miles
Monthly Running Goal = 55 miles
Yearly Running Goal = 300 miles ( I passed it!!)

Happy Running and enjoy your summer!!

by

Virtual Half & Half Race/Run

Boy am I glad I signed up for G’s Virtual 5k  at http://nofsahmof3.blogspot.com/2010/06/virtual-half-half-racerun.html

I hadn’t run since Saturday.  That’s unusual for me.  I usually run every other day.  But sometimes, life gets in the way. This week, it was tennis.

In fact, yesterday morning I was scheduled to play tennis but my husband gladly subbed for me.

He left to play tennis and I had my breakfast (hot cereal & latte) and some H2O.   It was very humid (95%) but not too warm and there was a light breeze.  I grabbed my iPod and set it to 5k and headed out for my favorite morning route – through my neighborhood and out to a main countryish road (fairly flat with a few hills) and then home.

starting my run in front of my house

I felt really strong (maybe I needed those 4 days off) so I went a little farther than 5k – 3.5 miles.  My lungs felt the layoff but my legs were great.  Too bad I had to go to work. My morning run kept me energized all day!!!

Midway through the day, I remembered that I signed up for this Virtual Race!

So here’s my 5k time – 32.30 – not my usual 5k race pace.  I always run slower by myself. I need  others to motivate me to speed up.

Thanks to G for getting me  racing.

Happy Running!