September 22, 2015 by Darlene

Tuesdays on the Run: I Won’t Run Without…

Erika @ MCM Mama Runs hosts Tuesdays on the Run with April @ Run the great wide somewhere and Patty @ My no-guilt life!

This week’s topic is I Won’t Run Without…

A Running Skirt

I don’t like the way I look in shorts or capris. A skirt is so much more comfortable. Of course, when it gets cold, I”ll wear a skirt over tights.

A Baseball Cap

My hair is very thick and unruly so I always wear a cap and in the winter a wool hat.

My Phone

It’s a safety thing. I got burned once when I got injured and didn’t have my phone. So now, I always carry it.

Comfortable Running Shoes

You can’t run when your feet hurt. I know that all too well.

Happy Running! What won’t you run without?

September 18, 2015 by Darlene

Friday Five: Favorite songs to pump up a workout

Every Friday, three DC area bloggers Mar at Mar On the Run, Cynthia at You Signed Up For What?! and Courtney from Eat Pray Run, DC to host the Friday Five linkup. Anyone can join with their own Friday Five post (yes, it must be a Friday Five!!) They encourage you to visit other blogs on the linkup, comment, share and engage!

This week, the theme is 5 Favorite songs to pump up a workout:

Here are my top 5 motivating songs to run to since I don’t work out:

1. Fight Song (Rachel Blatten)

I recently downloaded this one onto my phone. I love these lines:

Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care
If nobody else believes
Cause I’ve still got
A lot of fight left in me

Perfect for those tough miles.

2. Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey)

Any oldies but goodie. At my age, if you want to keep running and even run half marathons, you “gotta believe!”

3. Don’t Stop (Rolling Stone)

Another song to keep you going when those legs want to stop.

4. Running Down a Dream (Tom Petty)

Every race that I enter, I am “running down a dream.)

5. Best Day of my Life (American Authors)

Any day that I am healthy enough to get out there and run is “the best day.”

Happy Running! What are your favorite running or workout songs?

September 17, 2015 by Darlene

Think Out Loud Thursdays: Weekend Plans

Thursdays are for thinking… so I am linking up with Running With Spoons…

So here’s what I’m thinking…

How can I fit it all in this weekend?

My friends have scheduled a Mah Jongg weekend at a house on Schroon River.

Unexpectedly, we have summer weather in mid-September.

So boating season continues. It’s so short and the winter so long that I really want to be out on the lake one last time.

And then there’s half marathon training…3 weeks to go before my race.

I was planning to run 11-12 miles….

I even considered running a local half marathon on Sunday but quickly decided that it was stupid to spend $65 for the company of other runners (and there was also a chance of rain on Sunday.)

So what am I going to do?

All three!!!

Get up early on Saturday and do my long run.
Drive up to the lake and spend the day on our boat.
Afterwards, head up to Schroon River and join the ladies for mah jongg.
Spend Sunday with the mah jongg ladies.

Yup, it should be a busy, fun weekend!

last year’s Sunday group

Happy Running! What are you thinking about this Thursday?

September 16, 2015 by Darlene

Wednesday Word: Cautious

Every Wednesday, the Deb from Deb Runs will be providing a word about which to blog. Kind of like a nice little blog prompt. Posts can be fitness or health related, but don’t have to be, so really anyone can play along. Just be sure to link up with InLinkz on Deb’s main post, and share the love by reading and commenting on other’s participant’s posts.

This week’s Word is CAUTIOUS

According to the dictionary, cautious is someone who is “careful to avoid potential problems or dangers.”

That is not one of my strong points.

I usually do and then think later.

I don’t do crazy things like jump out of an airplane (…yet.) but I have run in ice and snow.

I have traveled to Europe alone several times.

I have taken many race-cations on my own.

in West Palm Beach, FL

In fact, I have 2 upcoming races where I am staying in Air-BNB apartments by myself – one in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan.

And yes, I have raced with a stress fracture – actually twice.

why am I smiling??? it hurts!!

I have completed a race with a broken foot.

post Freihofer 5k

I have run a 5k after being sidelined after ankle surgery and not having run at all for 5 months.

definitely not cautious

Do I stretch for or after a run?? Of course not. Do I use a foam roller or stick? Nope. And yes, at my age, I should be more cautious and think about preventing injuries…

But that’s not me.

I grew up with a cautious Jewish mother who worried about EVERYTHING. Maybe I am rebelling.

Happy Running! Are you “cautious?

September 15, 2015 by Darlene

Tuesdays on the Run: Fitness Trackers

Erika @ MCM Mama Runs hosts Tuesdays on the Run with April @ Run the great wide somewhere and Patty @ My no-guilt life!

This week’s topic is: Fitness/Running Trackers & Watches

I’ll categorize my use of trackers:

For Tracking Miles When Running

I use Daily Mile to keep track of my miles.

You can view them daily and

and weekly

and of course, monthly.

aug2014

You can link to FB or Twitter and comment other people’s posts but I do not.

For Tracking Distance When Running

I used to use Nike+ on my phone when I ran.

This app is easy to use and keeps track of distance, time and pace. But I only care about distance.

It also shows you a map of where you have run.

You can even add pictures.

even on the track

I recently deleted it and its the data because it took up a lot of space and switched to Runkeeper.

Runkeeper is easy to use, as well. It calls out your distance and pace. You can set walk/run intervals. You can also set goals and you can save a route. I only use it for distance and then delete the run. (So it doesn’t take up space on my phone.)

For Racing

I use my Garmin 205.

I know that it’s big and clunky but it tells me distance, time, pace…everything I need to know on one screen during a race.

I love it and I hope it never dies!!!

For Tracking my Steps Daily

I just joined the world of tracking my steps. I bought a Fitbit Flex.

The jury is still out on it since I’ve only used it for one day.

work + 3.5 mile run + walk in the mall

Ideally I would have liked one that showed the steps without syncing to my phone but I didn’t want to spend the extra money until I decided if it was useful.

It can also track my sleep but that would be very depressing.

Right now, I am hoping that it will motivate me to be more active when not running.

Happy Running! Do you use any trackers? Which ones?

September 9, 2015 by Darlene

Wednesday Word: Carefree

This week’s Word is CAREFREE

Don’t I wish…

In life, I am definitely not carefree.

I plan my days and I plan my nights and I plan my weekends. My hubby, on the other hand, is a go with the flow kind of guy. It drives me nuts. But because he doesn’t care, I make the plans and I am in control.

1508071_10153802254859428_8318378114823220880_n

love him and he is “carefree”

My friends are the same way. Nothing would happen if it weren’t for me. I plan our trips to NYC, our dinners out, our annual Florida vacations, etc. Again, I ask for ideas, but they always respond “What ever you choose is fine.” Again, I am in control which is nice but it is also exhausting.

on one of my planned trips to NYC

Another problem about not being carefree is that I have trouble sleeping. I just can’t turn off my problems even if they are minor.

relaxing in the sun at Boca Grande beach

I could be carefree here, I think

But running is a different story.

I run when I can, where I choose, the distance that fits into the time I have and I never care about my pace. I use an app for distance and as soon as I am done, I click “delete.”

running carefree

Yes, I am a “carefree” runner. No tempos, intervals, hill repeats, speed drills …too much to worry about.

Not so much for racing…

I wear always wear my Garmin for a race. I check my pace frequently and then I post my splits in my race reports on my blog. I care about my times for a race because I want to do well and improve. And I am competitive.

Happy Running! Are you Carefree?

September 8, 2015 by Darlene

Tuesdays on the Run: Racing Pet Peeves

Erika @ MCM Mama Runs hosts Tuesdays on the Run with April @ Run the great wide somewhere and Patty @ My no-guilt life!

This week’s topic is Racing Pet Peeves.

I ran over 30 races last year and have run 25 so far this year so I am entitled to a lot of pet peeves.

Gun times not Chip times.

I don’t like to push to the front and start with the speedsters but I don’t want my time influenced by the fact that I don’t start near the front.

So I think all races should have chips that record the start time and the finish times. I know this happens for most big races but I have even run half marathons where this wasn’t the case. And with a lot of runners lining up for a race, this can add several minutes to your finish time.

Cotton Tee Shirts.

Who wears these? At this point, I don’t even care if I get a tee shirt. If the race organizers can’t afford tech shirts, they shouldn’t give out any. Or they could charge extra for those who want a tech shirt.

No Age Group Awards.

Yes, there are some races with no awards or just 1st place. I’ve even been at a race where they were posted but not announced. And please no a group for 60-100. There are many runners over 70 these days and they deserve their own group. At my age, age group awards are my main motivator to run well.

Not enough Porta-Potties.

I think it’s great to host a race with a facility that has regular bathrooms. But if they do, they should make sure they are open. There should always be porta-potties as a back up and if there are no regular bathroom, there should be enough porta-potties for the number of runners registered for the race. Long lines are very annoying, to say the least.

Poor parking.

Parking for races should be marked. It shouldn’t be far away. If it is, there should be a shuttle. There should be enough parking for the number of runners registered for the race. No one wants to be late for a race because they can’t find a place to park.

Unhealthy or little food.

No candy or cookies please. We are athletes and it would be nice to try to offer something healthy. Fruit is good but we are hungry too. So there should be bagels and protein bars. And if you ask me, there should be chocolate milk.

Not enough Water stops.

Believe it or not, I was at a recent race where there was no water after mile 1 for a 10k. And it was hot! And there should be enough water for the slower runners. They paid the same amount to run as the fast runners. And they’ve been out there longer so are probably thirstier.

Expensive race photos.

In this day and age, everything is digital. So all photos should be free and downloadable. Races are expensive enough. Most of the time, the photos are not that great anyway.

No day of race bib pick up.

I recently ran a half where there was none. I contacted them saying that I couldn’t drive 3 hours just to pick up my bib. They said that I had to find someone then. Luckily I did but the next day, they had day of race pick up anyway. Made me so mad. Another half that I am considering charges $25 extra for day of race bib pick up. Really?? Isn’t the race expensive enough? This discourages runners from running out of town races.

Enough whining for now.

I have a 5k this Saturday and I hope it’s a good one.

Happy Running! Any racing pet peeves that I haven’t mentioned?

September 4, 2015 by Darlene

Friday Five: Fall Races to Run

Every Friday, three DC area bloggers Mary at Mar On the Run, Cynthia at You Signed Up For What?! and Courtney from Eat Pray Run, DC to host the Friday Five linkup. Anyone can join with their own Friday Five post (yes, it must be a Friday Five!!) They encourage you to visit other blogs on the linkup, comment, share and engage!

This week, the theme is Five Fall Races to Run:

Here are my top 5:

Oct 10, 2015

1. Brooklyn Rock N Roll Half Marathon – This will be my first Rock n Roll race and my 15th half marathon.

Oct. 31, 2105

2. NYRR Dash to the Finish Line – I am really excited about this one. Finally I will be running a race in NYC. It starts near the UN and ends in Central Park. I will get to cross the finish line of the NYC Marathon (which is the next day.)

November 8, 2015

3. Stockade-athon – This a very popular local 15K. I have run it 3 times. They changed the course last year and I enjoyed it even more.

November 26, 2015

4. Troy Turkey Trot – Last year I ran this 10K for the first time and I plan to do it again. Lots of runners and loads of fun.

October 17, 2015

5. Great Pumpkin Challenge – I ran this 10k for the first time last year. I may just do the 5k this year. We’ll see. I enjoyed running in Saratoga State Park.

Happy Running! What’s on your fall racing schedule? Anyone running any of the above races?

September 3, 2015 by Darlene

Thinking Out Loud Thursdays – Shoes

Thursdays are for thinking… so I am linking up with Running With Spoons…

So here’s what I’m thinking…

Why do I have so many Running Shoes.?????

It’s no secret that I have crappy feet. No other part of my body hurts – not my calves, not my quads, not my hamstrings, not my knees, not my IT band, etc. JUST MY FEET.

I have pain on the sides, on the bottom,… I get blisters. My achilles gets tight. I have bunions.

I’ll use my feet as an excuse to buy new running shoes often.

Here are my latest pair – Nikes. The verdict is still out but I think that will probably keep them for short races and short runs.

The reason for the purchase was the blisters and foot pain from Saturday’s race.

These were Mizuno Inspires that I wore for my last half and that I got on sale.

So far, my most comfortable shoes to date are these Hokas.

They are wide and have lots of cushion and so far, my feet don’t hurt when I run in them.

But look at the bottom after 100 miles or so. The midsole is very worn as well.

Warning.. I will probably buy another pair for my long and recovery runs and half marathon. The Hokas are great for problem feet like mine.

(But they are clunky and I have a hard time getting any speed in them…hence the other pair of running shoes needed.)

These are my most recent purchases. In the past year, I have run in many different pairs of Mizunos.

Mizuno Wave Rider 18s – I got these free as a tester

Mizuno Wave Rider 17s – they were cheap and PURPLE

those same Mizunos Inspires

Mizuno Wave Ride 18s in a different color

Running down the Bump N Grind Trail in CA

a 3 yr old pair of Mizuno Inspires – didn’t want to get newer ones dirty on the trails

Mizuno Wave Rider 17s (that I got free as a tester)

Then there are some others that I may have gotten on sale and are still in my closet from past years.

So do I have a problem?

I need to have comfortable shoes. Shoes that look good are a plus. Shoes that match my outfits a even bigger perk.

So true!!

Happy Running! Do you have a lot of pairs of running shoes? What are you thinking about today??

September 2, 2015 by Darlene

Wednesday Word: Accountability

This week’s Word is ACCOUNTABILITY

According to the dictionary:

Accountability means taking responsibility for something that you are supposed to do.

At work, I am accountable to a lot of people. If I don’t do what I am supposed to do, there may be repercussions that affect people besides myself.

At home, it may be shopping, cleaning up, laundry etc. If I don’t do them, we just don’t eat and have no clean clothes. No big deal. Lucky for me, my hubby is very easy going about most things.

But for running, I am accountable to myself.

If I do NOT run regularly, then I run and get injured, I should hold myself accountable.

Most importantly, if I don’t run regularly or enough miles, when it comes to running a race, I won’t be happy with my results.

So how do I stay accountable?

Set goals and share them. I have goals for each race, each week, for each month, for each year. I post these on my blog. I thinks it helps me be accountable.

Be realistic about your running.

I know that I don’t have the time to run everyday. And for my feet, it would not be a good idea. I know that when I run alone, my pace is slow and I walk a lot. I also know that at my age, PRing is not going to happen often (or maybe never.)

Join a running group or find a running partner.

ladies from the Freihofer’s Training Group

With a group, I have a time, place and people to run with. It also adds specific workouts to my schedule.

Judy, a FB friend

If you arrange to meet someone to run with, you show up and complete the distance. Voila accountability.

Put it on your calendar.

When you work and have a busy life, running may get ignored, skipped or forgotten. I put my runs on my calendars (yup several of them – wall, work computer, iphone, etc.)

Make running a priority.

That means sometimes saying no to an invitation because you have to run. That means rearranging vacations, events around your race or running schedule. You obviously have to have an understanding family and friends.

Always be prepared to run.

I have running shoes and clothes in my car. I never know when my schedule may change and I will be able to run. I also always bring running stuff with me when I travel.