Month: September 2012

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AMR’s 10 Running Related Personal Questions

The ladies at Another Mother Runner came up with questions for everyone to answer.  Have you answered?  If not, why not do it now?

1. Best run ever: Probably the Mother’s Day 5k 2011.  It was on my birthday and I finished in 25:xx which is amazing for me.  Unfortunately the course was short.  But I felt almost fast for the only time ever.

2. Three words that describe my running: Empowering, energizing, rejuvenating (most of these describe how I feel after I’m done LOL)

3. My go-to running outfit is: Running skirt, sleeveless tech top, compression socks, baseball cap in the summer (Of course, it changes as the weather gets colder to tights under the skirt & a wind shirt on top.)

4. Quirky habit while running: I think I breathe heavy and make noise when breathing.  At least it seems to me that I do that when I am struggling.  I hope that most runners around me are wearing headphones.

5. Morning, midday, evening:  Morning. That’s when I have the most energy but often I have to postpone my runs until after work.

6. I won’t run outside when it’s: Raining.  I’m a wimp.  I don’t like getting wet.

7. Worst injury—and how I got over it: That’s an easy one.  It’s a broken ankle and I am still getting over it.   As with any injury: rest, patience, PT, patience, re-up mileage slowly, patience.

8. I felt most like a badass mother runner when: Recently I chic- ed a guy.  I was behind him almost the whole race and then I passed him near the finish line.

9. Next race is:  This Saturday… a 5k.  I race almost every Saturday.

10. Potential running goal for 2013: A Half Marathon.  I haven’t run one since November 2011. I really want to see if I can do it again.

Happy Running! Feel free to answer these questions on your blog or in a comment here.

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Just Too Many…

There are 14 5ks races this coming weekend according to the Adirondack Sports & Fitness magazine.

and one 5K sponsored by where I work.

That’s 15 5ks in one weekend!!!

Yikes!! I have to do one, right?

None of them I have done before (except for the Arsenal 5k on Friday eve.)

The Color Me Rad is very popular.  But I don’t want to pay to get my clothes sprayed with color. That’s just me.  It could be fun for others. I have several friends who are doing it.

Sept 22 at the Altamont fairgrounds

If it looks like it will be a boating weekend, I may do the one in Chestertown and stay at my friend’s house on Schroon River.

If not, I may do one closer to home or one on Sunday.

So I’m playing wait and see.

In the meantime, I ran 3 miles yesterday am (cold, dark & foggy 😦 ) and played tennis last night.  Tonight I am playing tennis again.  I plan to run again Wed & Thurs.  I also am trying to walk to use stationary bike at lunch (We’ll see how that goes?)

Happy Running?  How do you choose your races?

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From Russia With Love

Where I left off my last post was that I was happy that I ran those 4.4 miles.  Now I had to get to Bolton Landing with Anna (from Russia).  The reason she came to visit me was to go on a boat not to watch a race 🙂

My hubby was waiting on the boat when we got there.

We headed out to get a picnic site so we could have a barbecue.

her first time barbecuing and she made hotdogs

After lunch, we hiked a bit.

Then we left the site and my hubby taught her how to drive the boat.

she loved it…she didn’t want to stop!

We did stop on one of the islands so she could put her feet in the water.


Then we drove to Roger’s Rock before we headed back to Bolton Landing.


We ended the day with dinner & a view.


Unfortunately, Anna returned to NYC the next morning and me & the hubby headed back up to the lake (where the weather was even better than the day before.)
I’ll leave you with one last photo that she sent me from NYC.

isn’t she the cutest?

Happy Running! Hope you had a nice weekend. Did you do anything special?

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4.4 Chase Away Leukemia Race Report


I came so close to NOT doing this race.

  • My week was very hectic and I did not run 5 out 6 days (yes, really!)
  • The highway to get to this race has 4 out 6 lanes closed (a nightmare)
  • My Russian friend Anna changed her plans and showed up last night!!!!!!
  • I went to bed very late and did not sleep well at all
  • Boating days are ending and Anna and my hubby wanted to go on the boat!!
  • I was nervous about running more than 3 miles and about being out of shape…

As a result, my only goal for this race would get it over with and finish standing!  Yes, I admit that is not a good attitude.

So I dragged myself out of bed and dressed in purple running clothes.  I packed a bag so that I could head up to the boat right after the race.  Anna would go up with my hubby and I would meet them there.

At the last moment, Anna decided that she wanted to watch me race.  She had never been to a race. (Great!  Now more stress!)

drinking coffee out of my new Moscow mug

So I rushed her out of the house, she brought her breakfast with her in the car (and she proceeded to spill her tea all over herself & my car!) and I raced to the race.

Fortunately, there was no traffic at this early hour (The race had a 8am start time) and we arrived with plenty of time to spare.

putting on my race bib

My mood changed as soon as I got there and saw my friend. Her family organized this race and she was really glad that I came. It was a popular weekend for races (even had another 5k in the same park and a big half here tomorrow.) As a result, there were not many people…probably about 60-65. It was very well organized except for one thing…the bathroom were locked and no portapotties. (Luckily I was ok.)

The weather was perfect…sunny..cool (in the 50s).

me before the race (in purple for Leukemia)

My Russian friend had no concept about running or racing and thought I wanted to WIN THE RACE!  I tried to explain that I just wanted to finish.  She wasn’t satisfied so I said that I wanted to not finish last.  This still prompted me to say that I wanted to finish under 50 minutes and finally we agreed on that I would at least beat a guy.

waiting to begin

The course was the same as last week’s 5K just longer.  I wanted to run slow and pace myself.  I haven’t run longer than a 5k since the 10K I did on Aug 10.

the course through the park

The truth is that I felt great throughout the whole race.  Either I need to not run very much or I need to run slow.  Neither concept I am satisfied with but it works for now.

In a very small race, if you’re not fast, you tend to run by yourself and this was the case.  I had a guy ahead of me in my sight most of the race.  There was one long uphill (around mile 2.5)  and I saw him walking the whole thing.  This allowed me to get closer.  I could have run up it but at the last moment I decided to walk a little to save energy and finish strong.

I even passed by both water stops and didn’t walk – a first for me this year!!

these were all over the course

Around mile 3.75, I saw Anna.  She had her ipad in her hand and she was videoing me.  I, of course, wanted to run fast for the camera and I did and passed that guy.  In the back of my mind, I was thinking, this isn’t the right time, you need to save it for end.

You can watch it here.

heading to the finish (behind those 2 happy girls)

Well, I slowed down after that but sprinted across the finish line.  Unfortunately or fortunately, it was at 45:32 and Anna missed me.

after the race…everyone got a purple medal

Then she found me and I had a medal.  She thought I won something and I didn’t deny it.

see I beat that guy by 26 sec!

There were lots of good refreshments.  Since it was such a small race, they only gave out awards for the top 5 male and female finishers (They got wine and fleetfeet gift cards!).  But they did raffle off other prizes and I won a box of Luna bars.

First 4.4 race so a PR, right?

my splits

Like with a run, I have never regretted running a race.  I don’t regret this one, either.

Happy Running! Have you ever DNSed a race?

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Healthy Friday

I bet you never thought you’d hear the word HEALTHY here.

But this has been a healthy week.

On Wednesday, my work sponsored a potluck lunch:

I made Broccoli Slaw Salad and I won for “Best Use of a Super Food.”

It was a great idea.  I tasted some great (healthy) food and got some new recipes (which I may or may not use.)  Two of my favorites were Tomato Soup Cake and Veggie Pasta Toss (which also had broccoli slaw in it.)

(Truthfully, I don’t have time to cook  😦  and I just won a FREE week of the Standard Fruit & Vegetable Subscription from FieldGoods)

Anyway, here’s my recipe if you are interested:

Ingredients:

  • 1 package broccoli slaw mix
  • 2 packages chicken flavored ramen noodles (crushed)
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup unsalted peanuts
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup vinegar
  • optional – dried cranberries

Directions:

  1. Combine in a large bowl slaw, noodles, green onions.
  2. Whisk together sugar, oil, vinegar, ramen seasoning packets.
  3. Pour mixture over salad and toss.
  4. Add peanuts, sunflower seeds (& cranberries)

This week also I was selected as a Sweat Pink Ambassador (SPA) from fitapproach.com.

Here is their mission:

We believe that kicking ass is best done in  pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede  that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking  great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick…

in pink

That convinced me (and that I wear pink often to run.)

in pink again

If you are interested too (and like pink shoelaces), check out their website and apply.

Now about my running this week…

Sun – no running but biked
Mon – no running but played tennis
Tues – no running but walked around NYC
Wed – ran 3 miles and walked around the mall
Thurs – no running but walked at lunch
Friday – no running but will walk at lunch

5 days of NO RUNNING and I am NOT INJURED. WTH?

I wonder how that will affect my race tomorrow!!!

Happy Running! Do you eat healthy?  Do you ever get sidetracked and skip running?

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Racing for a Charity


Normally, I sign up for races based on location, course, time, distance, etc.

I signed up for this one only after reading my quilting friend’s (Terry) story on FB of how her son (Jeff) finished the Lake Placid Ironman after breaking his collarbone. (He swam with one arm, biked with one arm and ran 26.2 miles with his arm taped to his body.) Absolutely amazing!!

Jeff approaching the finish line

He and his wife (Mandy) are the sponsors of this race.  His wife is a cancer survivor. I haven’t seen my friend Terry in a while. (I think not since my 2nd half marathon last year.  We used to see each other monthly at quilt meetings.)

So I am running this race because it’s a great cause. “Why 4.4 miles?”.  In 2011 there were 44,000+  new cases of Leukemia.

And all finishers get a medal!

I assume the course will be similar to my last Saratoga race just longer.  It is the same day as many other races.  I hope they get a good turn out.

No big goals since I have never run 4.4 miles but I hope to have fun, feel good and finish between 40 and 50 minutes.

Happy Running!  Have you even signed up for a race just because it’s a good cause?

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Wordless Wednesday


This is my motivation! Six months to go!

Happy Running!  What race are you looking ahead to?

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Guess Who came Back?

My Russian friend, Anna!

with Anna in Albany, NY Oct. 2002

When she last visited the US in 2003, she said that she would be back. I went to Russia in 2002, 2004 & 2006 but she wasn’t able to return until this past May (& I only saw her for 2 days.)

with Anna in Lake George May 2012

She said she’d be back to see the US Open. I thought she was joking.

Nope, she returned to NYC last Friday and went to the US Open on Sat. & Sun.

I couldn’t afford to go to the semi finals at the US Open but said that I would take a day off and go to NYC to see her.

That was yesterday. 9-11 in NYC (What was I thinking?)

Anyway, I took the Megabus to NYC (only $5!!)

We met at Grand Central and took the Metro North to the Botanical Gardens.

She was agreeable and since I love flowers and anything French, this was perfect.

Monet is my favorite and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I think she did too.

The waterlilies were great…I won’t bore you with the tons of photos I took.  Here’s just two:

 

We spent so much time chatting over lunch that we never got to the paintings.

Hopefully she will come visit me this weekend.

So I biked on Sunday, played tennis on Monday and walked on Tuesday…3 days without running!!!

Tomorrow I hope to drag myself 3 miles 🙂

Happy Running! Am I the only one that has life getting in the way of running?

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Back to Tennis

Yesterday I was talking about reconnecting with old friends.  Tonight I reconnect with another old friend.  TENNIS!

It is with mixed feelings.  I like playing tennis.  I love my tennis friends!!! Watching the US Open makes me wish that I was really good at it.

Yes, I was surprised, too.

However, truthfully, it cuts into my running time. I have to schedule running around tennis because you can run at any time and you can run anywhere and you can’t just not show up for a tennis match.

But for tennis, it is different.  I didn’t play tennis for 6 months and it wasn’t that difficult to play again.  I’ve only played a few times this summer and I haven’t played in a few weeks and I know I can just go out there and play. (I wish running were that easy to get back into.)

It’s not that it’s because I’m that good. Pros have to put in the time. I’m pretty mediocre so it doesn’t really matter.  I play doubles and if my partner plays well, it is easier.  If my partner does not, we don’t win even if I play great. (It’s not an individual effort like running.)

I know that when I go out there I will want to win but if I am not playing a USTA match, I don’t get down on myself if I don’t win.

the competitive me in 2010

Before I started running, I was very serious about tennis.  I played all the time, took lessons, practiced, read tennis magazines, bought tennis outfits & shoes, etc.

Now, I just play for exercise and camaraderie and for fun. (They seem like good reasons to continue to me.)

Because it’s take four to play tennis,  you can’t be casual about it. So like last year, I organized a group of 5 women to play on Monday nights for 34 weeks. That means that everyone sits out once every 5 weeks.  I am also part of a Tuesday night group in which I only play once a month.

I try not to play tennis and run on the same day but sometimes I just have to run!

Happy Running! What gets in the way of your running schedule? Should I stop playing tennis?

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Reconnecting With an Old Friend

This was the first weekend since Memorial Day that neither me nor my hubby went boating on Lake George.

With the storm predicted for yesterday, it was out of the question.  But today we should have but didn’t.  The day turned out to be nice weather-wise.

After errands, house cleaning and laundry, I was restless.  I was very tempted to run but I know that after running 6 miles yesterday, it wouldn’t be smart.

So I turned to an old friend.  We haven’t seen each other since May 21.

first post injury ride back in March

During March, April and May – those months when I couldn’t walk or run, she saved me. She was there to comfort me and keep me active.

Ever since I started running, I haven’t given her a second glance.

Today, I decided to dust her off and take her to the Nisky bike path (where I took her on my first ride & coincidentally where I broke my ankle.)

together again

First I headed east.  Without a Garmin, I have no idea how far…maybe 3-4 miles.  I quickly realized that you use different muscles when you ride a bike than when you run.  My quads are very out of shape. I rode very slowly and enjoyed the peace and quiet of my surroundings.

helicopter circling the river

When I got back to where I started, I was tempted to quit but forced myself to ride a few miles west.

view of the Mohawk River looking west

My legs were tired when I was done but in a good way.  Biking is very relaxing and stress-free.  No pressure.  I’m not training. I’m not worried about pace or distance. I just ride.

I am glad I spent time with my old friend.  I hope to do it more often this fall.

Happy Running!  Do you do another sport besides running just for fun?