July 25, 2012 by Darlene

Wordless Wednesday

The waterlilies on Lake George are anxious to bloom.

I feel like those waterlilies.

I am anxious to bloom, too.

Happy Running!

July 24, 2012 by Darlene

TWOsday

Today is day TWO working at the NYS Bar exam. I am tech support for the exam takers using the computer to take the exam. There have been no real problems so I have been catching up on blogs.

Here are TWO photos of me during Saturday’s race:

starting the race – I’m in white top & red skirt

approaching the finish line – trying to catch the young girls in green

Having to be at work by 7:00 am has limited my morning running. After TWO days off, I hope to continue tomorrow and Thursday.

Maybe I’ll run TWO races this month. I am considering one this Saturday in Saratoga.

Happy Running!

July 23, 2012 by Darlene

Jingle Bell 5K Race Report

Yes, me and Montel ran this race at the Great Escape Amusement Park in Lake George.

I got up around 5:30 am and dressed as Christmasy as one could in the middle of the summer and drove about an hour north. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. No humidity and warm but not too warm. (I decided on a white tech shirt, red skirt, white socks…)

where the race began

I tried to tell myself and that I wasn’t in racing condition yet. (My goal for that is Sept.) So I should just try to have fun.

I got there early enough to get my shirt and swag and go back to the car and put it away. I am glad I decided not to wear the shirt. I would have been too warm.

race tee shirt

The atmosphere was pretty festive. Christmas music playing and a lot of excited walkers. (The serious runners were racing in Saratoga at the Silks & Satin 5k.) There were less than 150 participants.

animals cheer the runners on at the start

Montel Williams really did show up. He started the race and then left.

He looks in great shape. Too bad he didn’t run…

I found out the course in advance but wondered how hilly it would be (since it is the Adirondacks!)

course map but it didn’t indicate elevation 😦

The race started at 8:00 am in the park and then went around one side of Glen Lake and then ended at the park.

Glen lake

As I have done before, I started out too fast. The first mile was up and down hills…rolling hills and I ran without stopping.

I was planning to take it slow and walk at the water stops. However, NO WATER!! Very odd for a summer race…even if it is only 3 miles. I did not drink any water before and I was very thirsty.

As a result, I was tired during mile 2. The hills weren’t as steep but it was straight uphill. I started to walk and walked several times..too many times.

Mile 3 had some downhill but when it entered the park, it never seemed to end. We ran up one bridge and down, then another and another and another. My Garmin said we should be done but we weren’t I walked so that I could at least sprint across the finish line if there ever was one.

Finally crossed at 33:20!!! I was disappointed because I wanted to do better than my last one (32:50).

People was complaining that their times were so slow. When I looked at my Garmin, it said 3.21 miles. My last race was 3:12 miles. So actually I did better! YAY!

my splits

I am happy with my first mile. I should have pushed myself more on mile 2 but I am still worried about the ankle.

nothing flat here!!

After the race, I grabbed some refreshments and asked someone to take a picture.

Done and happy!

They posted the results but since it was a small race, they only gave out awards for 1st, 2nd, 3rd overall.

I came in 54 out of 136 and 1st in my AG

After the race, I headed to Bolton Landing (20 minutes away). I spent the rest of day with friends on an island in Lake George.

pooped after the race

Sunday, I went on a quick 2.5 mile run/walk and then back on the lake.

new location for the book & orange chair – West Dollar #3

After some relaxing, we went to Basin Bay to meet friends. The day ended with dinner on the lake.

docking for dinner – Blue Water Manor

So I am very glad I ran a race. It is always so motivating to race rather than just run.

Yes, my time was slow compared to last year but it was better than I expected. (I will not whine about PRing until next year!!!!!)

The course was fun but too long and hilly so I may go back to Silks & Satins (I have done that one 3x in the past).

I haven’t registered for another 5K until August 18 but you never know.

Happy Running! Did you race this weekend?

July 19, 2012 by Darlene

TTT: Heat, Tennis & Running

1. It has been HOT in the Northeast. 90’s!! It has also been HUMID in addition to being hot. I have been feeding my friend’s cat before work while she has been on vacation. So I am been doing my activities outside AFTER work. (Not smart, I know.)

my friend’s car on Tuesday

2. On Tuesday, I played tennis for the 2nd time. Doubles again and I felt a lot more comfortable. (with my tennis not the weather) I even won with 3 different partners. Afterwards. we all went to one player’s house to go swimming in her pool. YAY!

pavillion where we started

3. Yesterday I ran the 2nd Run with Mizuno sponsored by FleetFeet. It was held this time in Central Park in Schenectady. Again, a very small group of runners – ALL FAST!! I tried similar Mizunos as last week but in a different color.

Again, they felt pretty comfy.

We ran the Cardiac Classic / Run 4 Your Life 5K Course which I had done in 2011 and 2009. I ran alone and was way behind all the other runners. My pace is still VERY SLOW but I ran the whole time (but it was a struggle!) I had no idea where I was going and wound up missing .5 miles of it. (I added another .5 mile afterwards to make it 3 miles for the run.)

This park is a beautiful place to run

I love these runs because it forces me to run in a new location and run faster. My time was a 33:xx rather than 29:xx in 2011. I am not going to beat myself up about it. (My ankle was not happy last night…so I have to be PATIENT.)

Today the humidity and temps are down finally.

Happy Running! How are you dealing with the heat?

–

July 15, 2012 by Darlene

A Good Run and a Good Weekend

I ran 3 miles after work on Thursday and it was pathetic. I had to stop and walk almost every tenth of a mile. I’m not exaggerating. Yes, it was hot and humid & I was tired but that’s no excuse.

I took Friday off and went up to the lake.

Saturday morning, I went for a 4 mile run. It was VERY hot and humid (I didn’t get up as early as I should have). I went south on 9N in Bolton Landing which has rolling hills and cut through the cemetery and then ran back to the marina.

through the cemetery

It was not a particularly fast run. But I ran at a consistent pace and had negative splits. There were very few walk breaks and I felt redeemed.

Not sure the reason for this good run …it was in the morning…after a day off…pretty scenery??

So although I want to run almost everyday. My ankle says “You need to rest it.”

Today I rested it again.

Otherwise the weekend was like every weekend on the lake…relaxing and fun.

boats tied together in Basin Bay

my hubby & friends’ son flexing their muscles

a duck who decided to come on our boat

cooling off in shallow Basin Bay

Running plans for the week:

Monday – run before work
Tuesday – Tennis
Wednesday – run after work
Thursday – run after work
Friday – REST
Saturday – 5K race

(This is similar to last week so I hope I have a good run on Sat.)

Happy Running! How was your weekend?

July 15, 2012 by Darlene

Christmas in July

Yes, Christmas in July. I ran this race before but it was in December and in Albany (The Crossings). Easy to dress for… and a familiar course.

This one is on Saturday, July 21… and it’s another new 5K race location for me so I have no idea if it is hilly or not. It’s in Lake George. That’s why I chose it. (I think you know that I love Lake George.) And it should be cool to run in an amusement park.

It starts and ends in

'Jingle Bell Run' comes to Great Escape in July
My runs of late have been soooo slow… I think a race may be what I need!!

I plan to run at least One Race a Month (so far I have signed up for – July 21, Aug 18, Sept 15, Oct 20, Nov 21, Dec 15).

Goals for this Race:

Run most of it
Beat my Strides4Strides time (32:50)
Enjoy it

Now I have to figure out what to wear that is Christmasy but cool.

Happy Running! Any races coming up for you?

July 12, 2012 by Darlene

Run with Mizunos & My First Trail Run

my new Mizunos

No, I wasn’t chosen as part of the Mizuno Run Project.

No, I didn’t win any new Mizunos as part of the Project giveaway.

I paid $115 for my new Mizunos above that I am breaking in.

But FleetFeet and Mizuno are sponsoring satellite runs every Wednesday at different local park.

They let you try out a pair of Mizunos, you go for a group run and then they give away swag.

So yesterday at the last moment I decided to to do one.

the bridge to Peebles Island

It was held at Peebles State Park in Cohoes. I had never been there so I was interested in seeing it.

The group was small..about 6-8. I decided to try out these:

wave inspire 8s

They were instantly comfortable (but they were broken in and I didn’t have my orthotics in…maybe that’s why).

We took off on a trail. It was a 2 mile loop. I had never run on a trail before and it was fun. There were lots of roots and stones so I was very cautious. It was hilly as well. For the most part, I ran slowly except for the downhills…I don’t want another broken ankle!

As in my last race, I was right in the middle and running alone. Toward the end, there were 2 paths…I chose left and then realized that it felt wrong so veered back and went right. That was the correct way to go. As a result, my run was 2.2 miles not 2 miles.

the views were really pretty

I didn’t bring a camera but the sights were pretty…water, wildlife, etc. A nice change from the road or bike trail.

There were water and refreshments afterwards. Mizuno gave away lights and water bottles.

So if you live in my area (Albany, NY), you should check them out.

Schedule of Runs:

July 11 – Peebles State Park 6 pm
July 18 – Central Park Schenectady – 6 pm
July 25 – Saratoga State Park – 6 pm
Aug 1 – Tawasantha State Park, Guilderland – 6 pm

On the way home, I stopped off at the Corning Bike trail and ran a little more. I wanted to do 3 miles (I’m anal like that.)

Happy Running! Do you often do trail runs?

July 11, 2012 by Darlene

Return to Tennis

my attempt in May

I hit the ball a few times while on vacation in Florida but last night was my first time playing doubles since December.

I couldn’t move well but I could move. I wrapped my ankle for psychological reasons and it didn’t hurt or swell any more than usual.

I have a lot of work to do to get back into being competitive shape. But I was able to play!!! That’s what counts now. (I hope to play 1-2x per week indoors starting in Sept.)

I played with 3 different partners…all very understanding. (The scores were 0-6, 4-6, 4-6, my first set was with the weakest player.)

I am glad to be out there playing again…cross-training has been lacking in my routine. And some of my closest friends are those I see playing tennis.

Next up…YOGA??

Happy Running! Do you do any other sport besides running?

July 9, 2012 by Darlene

New Shoes, Boating & Running

Thanks to the SRMs for the gift card. They sent it to me when I was first injured and I saved it until I needed it. I have lots of running shoes but psychologically I needed a new pair. So I went to FleetFeet and tried on all brands. They all felt good but none were pink so I choose these funky turquoise ones (Mizuno Wave Inspire 8s).

Then I was off to spend FIVE days on Lake George. We sleep on our boat at the marina each night. During the day, we hang out on our boat or on the islands with different groups of old friends and new friends. Sometimes we barbecue on the island, other times, we eat on the boat and also we eat in restaurants and cookout at the marina. So far this summer, the weather has been almost PERFECT.

Here are some highlights:

me & my hubby on the 4th

a patriotic boat

view of the lake from our July 4th site

view of the fireworks from our marina

our boat pulling a tuber

view of the lake from Log Bay Is

my first jetski ride on the lake

I am still struggling with my running. But I am trying to be patient and not get depressed. I didn’t have time to run on July 4th but I did run/walk 4 hilly miles on Thursday. SLOW!!! My big toe felt strange in my new shoes (after running.) Not sure with all my foot issues, I can blame the shoes.

running in Bolton Landing (down 9N)

view while running

another view

Thursday night, I decided to go home so I could (believe it or not) run at my leisure (my hubby is always impatiently waiting to go out on the boat) and on a flat shady trail. I chose the Colonie Town Park bike trail and it was so much better!! Even my foot felt better.

I got dressed to run on Saturday but it started to rain so I changed my clothes and then the rain stopped.

Sunday, we left early to get a picnic site and then we went back to the marina so I could run. I only got in 3 miles since it was getting late and HOT.

Today, I had planned to run but woke up exhausted and with a headache. Maybe later….

Happy Running! Congrats to all the Boilermaker racers! That’s on my bucket list too!

July 2, 2012 by Darlene

Newbie vs Returning Runner

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that when you return from a serious injury, you don’t return at the same level as before your injury!!

But where are you in terms of running? And when do you get to where you want to be?

In some ways, it is the same as a “new” runner:

You run slow.
You get out of breath.
You have self-doubt. (Can I really do this?)
You get impatient.
You walk sometimes.
You set goals.
You run a race ahead of schedule.
You “want” to be fast.
You get frustrated.

Then, in other ways, it is so different:

You know you can do it.
You are fearful of re-injury.
You are obsessed with pace.
You rarely run without your Garmin.
You have many types of running shoes (& are totally satisfied with none.)
You get depressed easily (because your expectations are probably too high.)
You are pissed off at having gotten injured.
You whine about it (all the time.)

So I know all this because several years ago I was a beginning runner. I will count my 1st two years as “Year 1” since I ran 6 months the first year & 6 months the 2nd year. I started in the No Boundaries program on April 1, 2008 with the goal of running a 5K in July. Of course, I ran several 5ks before that. I was impatient. I only ran 3 miles because I thought that was all I could do. In these first years, I progressed from being happy to finish to really wanting to get faster. I had the goal of finishing a 5k under 30 minutes.

I did break 30 minutes several times but it wasn’t until year 2 that I did it more consistently and started to think PR at every race. I also started to run longer. By longer, it at most 4-6 miles. I also succeeded in breaking 28 minutes in a 5k.

That meant that I was ready to seek higher goals – run longer races. In year 3, I ran 4 mile and 5 mile races. I even ran 5 half marathons and fell in love with that distance. I even ran a 15 k.

This is currently year 4 for me – the Injury Year.

After 5 months of nothing, I ran a 5k for my first outdoor run. Finishing at 35:39 was a dream because I ran. I didn’t know that I could run.

Now, I am running and the type-A in me wants to know where I am, where I should be and when will I get to where I want to be…

Here’s my invented theory:

Newbie Returning activity

Year 1…………………….Months 1-4 ……………….running

Year 2…………………….Months 5-8 ………………running faster

Year 3…………………….Months 9-12 …………….running longer

If this is true, I will back to where I was next summer… It also means that I will be ready to run a half marathon next March (That’s what I hope since I signed up for one on Mar 17 in Fla.) In addition, I plan to break 30 min. in a 5k by the end of the year.

Back to running…now that I can relax.

Yesterday I ran 4 miles in Bolton Landing. I ran north on 9N for 1 mile which I had never done. It was straight uphill and I walked a lot and I’m ok with that. Then I ran 1 mile south on 9N – rolling hills.

Then I enjoyed the rest of the day. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Sat: