August 13, 2015 by Darlene

Thinking Out Loud Thursday: Why Blog?

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

And here’s what I was thinking on Tuesday…

I was looking at my blog links and realized that so many of the blogs that I used to read when I started running are extinct … meaning, these runners don’t blog anymore.

Is it that they don’t run anymore?

Or is it that they have run out of things to say?

When I first started, you had to be creative and pick a topic.

I often did Two for Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Three Things Thursday or even Foto Friday. And I always recapped my races.

Now linking to other blogs is cool such as Tuesdays on the Run, Wednesday Word, Thinking Out Loud Thursdays, Friday Five, Saturday Coffee Clubs, etc. etc.

So I have switched and link most of my posts to linkups.

Why?

It’s easier than deciding what to write about myself. And you get to connect with other runners who are writing about the same thing. It also attracts readers to my blog.

That’s another thing.

I’ve been blogging since 2008 and I still have less than 200 followers.

I’m ok with that because I work full-time and I don’t have the time to comment on everyone’s blog and push mine out to other readers.

The real reason I blog is personal.

To motivate myself to run
To track my progress toward my goals
To review my races to help plan each year’s schedule.
To inspire others to run

There are so many excellent running blogs that it could be a full-time job reading them all. I read a select few while I eat breakfast. But even if I had more time, shouldn’t I be doing something else? Like exercising? Running? It’s another sedentary activity.

Like now.

I am writing this post. I could be at the gym or running on the treadmill (It’s raining.)

But I’m not.

Instead I’m thinking about if I should continue this blog. And why?

These are all things that I enjoy.

So I guess, I will…

for now.

But I’ll end this post here because I am going to get on that treadmill at work and maybe stop at the gym after too. (Tennis for today is cancelled due to the rain.)

Happy Running! Why do you blog? Do you ever think about quitting?

August 12, 2015 by Darlene

Wednesday Word: Initiative

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 INITIATIVE

So what exactly is initiative?

An initiative is the start of something, with the hope that it will continue. It is also a personal quality. A person with initiative is motivated to do things. If you take the initiative, you’re willing to get things done on your own.

My biggest initiative was to decide to start running. At age 55, I joined No Boundaries and set out on my quest to run a 5K.

2008

But more importantly, when my friends stopped running, I continued. I ran by myself and signed up for race after race after race.

2010

Three years later, I took the initiative to run a half marathon. I told no one and signed up for one in Florida, where I knew no one.

the best day ever

I have made friends from blogging and running races. But for the most part, I take the initiative in my running.

I sign up for races that I want to run whether or not I know anyone. (Of course, it is more fun when you do.)

alone at last summer’s half

Running is important to me so I take the initiative to do it on my own.

I have gotten on a plane by myself many times to run a race – California, Florida, Philly, etc. (If I had more time and more money, I would do it even more.)

running solo in Fla last Jan.

If fact, my next half marathon is in Brooklyn. I don’t know anyone in Brooklyn. I am taking a bus there, I rented an apt for the night before the race, and I will take the subway on race day…by myself. (Wish me luck!)

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it should be worth it!

yup, got that 15k pr!

Happy Running! Are you someone who takes initiative when it comes to running?

August 11, 2015 by Darlene

Tuesdays on the Run: Fall Race Schedule

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

This week, the theme is Fall Race Schedule

Here is my tentative list of races:

9-5-15 – Run for the Horses 5k

I ran this once several years ago – another race in the Saratoga park

9-12-15 – Malta 5k

this will be my 3rd time – a nice local race

9-19-15 – Arc in the Park 5K

this will be my first time

9-26-15 – Helper’s Fund 10K

I ran the 10k last year – hilly but scenic

10-03-15 – Apple Run 5K

my first time was last year – it’s on my list now

10-10-15 – Rock N Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon

This is an inaugural race and my first time too

10-17-15 – Great Pumpkin Challenge 10K

I ran it last year and it was fun.

11-08-15 – Stockade-athon 15K

this will be my 4th time but 2nd on the new improved 15k course

11-21-15 – GOTR 5k

It’s an inaugural race – to raise $ for GOTR

11-26-15 – Troy Turkey Trot 10k

my 2nd time – loved this race last year

Happy Running! What races are on your fall schedule? Any of the ones above?

August 9, 2015 by Darlene

I’ve Been Nominated

Liebster Award

Thanks to Karen @ Running50 for nominating this blog for a Liebster Award. (I think it’s my 3rd time. Maybe I need to recruit more followers. LOL)

Here are my answers to her 11 questions:

1.What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Running my first Half Marathon. I really wasn’t sure I could.

2. Where would you choose to live if you did not have any restrictions on where you were?

Paris, France. It’s my favorite city. I love the language, food, monuments, museums, gardens, etc.

3. Have you crossed something off of your bucket list? If so, what and if not, tell us something that is still on your list.

I have been to the Grand Canyon, Israel, France, Greece.

2004

Many things on my list involves traveling that we’can afford (Alaskan cruise, African Safari, Hawaii..)

But I still want to run a race in NYC.

4. If you could time travel, would you chose to live in a different time? When?

No, I like the time I’m in. I’m a techie and that stuff didn’t exist in other time periods.

5. What was a favorite childhood book?

I used to love those Nancy Drew mysteries.

6. Can you speak a second language? If so, what and if not, which language would you like to be able to speak?

Je peux parler francais.

Y un pocito de espanol.

7. What is your favorite holiday and why?

I’ve always liked July 4th. It’s summer and I love BBQs and fireworks.

8. What would a perfect vacation be?

I’m not sure. Either on a beach or in a place with lots of interesting sites to photograph.

9. Do you have a recipe that you are famous for making?

I make a really good apple pie.

10. I’m also going to ask a question I was asked. What blog post are you most proud of?

A guest post – https://myfirst5k.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/guest-post: You’re Not Over the Hill…Why You Should Run… Advice for women in their later years

11.Who inspires or inspired you?

All those women over 50 who are running.

Now here are 11 random facts about myself:

1. I am an avid Mets fan (even when they are losing which is most of the time). I listen to their games whenever I can.

2. I have been mentoring a young unwed mom for the past 7 years. Her 8 1/2 year old son Richard is a joy! I love Amanda like a daughter. (She also now has 4 year old son named Matthew.)

3. I have NEVER eaten peanut butter. (That means I’ve never had a P & J sandwich. I don’t even eat Reese’s.)

4. I love tennis although I don’t play it much since I started running 7 yrs ago. I used to play tennis everyday now it’s only a once a week. Roger Federer is my favorite professional player. Now I’d rather run!! But some of my best friends are ones that I met through playing tennis. They are the reasons I continue to stick with it.

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my tennis buds

5. I spent my junior year of college in Nice, France and taught French for many many years (until I discovered the world of technology – now I’m a geek). I still love anything French and would move to Paris in a heart beat.

at NYBQ for a Monet exhibit

6. I am addicted to Mah Jongg. I have played it for 6 1/2 years on Friday evenings. It’s a game my mother used to play & no one wants to be like their mother but it’s a lot of fun and it keeps your mind young (I hope).

7. I have seen Les Miserables (the show) at least 15 times and would see it again if it came to town. I have also read the book & seen the movies but it’s the music that I love!

8. I am a certified “cat lady.” I have 4 cats: Jerry, Slater, Billy, Honey. Honey is the only female. (I used to have 5 but Spooky died.) Jerry is my fav but my hubby adores Slater.

9. I am obsessed with photos. I take my camera or phone almost everywhere I go. I post them all online in Shutterfly and many on Facebook. (And of course on this blog.)

10. I love desserts. I would skip dinner and just have dessert. Once I even went to the Mariott’s (in NYC) all you can eat dessert buffet instead of having dinner. Apple pie and creme brulee are among my favorites.

some French patstries – yum!

11. I hardly ever watch TV… I am never am home. I detest reality shows, too. I do DVR Grey’s Anatomy, Downton Abbey, and The Good Wife (but struggle to find the time to watch.) However, my hubby would do nothing else but watch TV if he could. If I am home in the evening, I would rather read a book.

My Nominees are:

Traveling, Running and a little bit of style
See Linda Run
Darlin’ Rae
Adventures of a Middle-Aged Drama Queen
Gramma Goes Running
Running Races Coast to Coast
We Run Disney
Running Over the Hill
Running-Late
A handful of Spinach
Anyone else who qualifies…

Questions My Nominees Need to Answer:

What is your dream job?
Vacation at the beach or the city?
What is your favorite food?
Red or white wine?
What is one thing you have accomplished on your bucket list?
Morning person or night owl?
If you could live anywhere for a year, where would it be?
Favorite race and why?
Favorite TV show?
How do you relax?

Happy Running! If you haven’t been nominated (maybe you have too many followers), answer one or more of my questions in a comment.

August 7, 2015 by Darlene

Friday Five: A Day in the Life

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 A Day in the Life.

Here’s 5 things that happen in my life on a typical Friday:

Social Networking on my iPad

I start every day with the Today show, breakfast and reading e-mail, Facebook, Instagram and Bloglovin on my iPad. I get up extra early to fit it in.

2. One Minute Plank

I sometimes (when I remember) do my plank on the bathroom floor when I am waiting for my shower to heat up.

3. Work

Not the highlight of my day but it is essential – it pays the bills and pays for my races. I work in IT at a law school and help staff and faculty with technology. In other words, I spend a lot of time on the computer.

4. Walking & Running

Yes, I am sitting most of the day. When the weather is nice, I try to force myself to go for a walk…usually to the park.

Usually three times a week, I run after work. If at all possible, I run outside.

5. Mah Jongg & Reading

Every Friday night from 7-11 pm, I play Mah Jongg with a great bunch of women. If everyone showed, we’d have 12 – 3 tables but usually we have only 8 and during the winter, sometimes it’s only 4.

our 6th anniversary dinner

We play, eat, drink and chat… so much fun and “brain” exercise, too.

I cannot fall asleep at night without reading. No matter how late, I go to bed, I read. Sometimes it’s just a few pages and sometimes I read for hours.

So that’s my typical Friday.

Happy Running! What do you do on a typical day?

August 6, 2015 by Darlene

Thinking Out Loud Thursday: Breaking All the Rules

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

And here’s what I am thinking…

You bloggers may hate me, but I don’t follow the rules:

Stretching.

I don’t stretch. If I am at home, I open the door and start running. Otherwise, I drive to my route, get out of the car and start running.

in my driveway and ready to go

After my run, I just hop in the shower and go to work or hop in my car and drive home or to wherever.

done and time to go home

Gadgets and Running-Related Stuff.

Besides not stretching, I don’t even own a foam roller, or a stick or KT tape.

I will use one if it will make my body look like this

Knock on wood, I haven’t needed them yet.

Chafing.

I have never experienced it. So I don’t have Body Glide and don’t use anything like that to prevent chafing.

Running Plans.

I have never really used one. That’s not to say that I don’t plan my runs. I do.

But I don’t use a formal plan which means I don’t do hill repeats, intervals, temp runs, etc.

I run several times during the week, usually 3-4 miles and do whatever I feel like. (It’s usually pretty slow with lots of walking.) If I am training for a half marathon, I try to run longer on the weekend, increasing each week’s distance by one mile until I get to 12. I also run races which tends to mess up my training.

Voila – this got me to a PR

Healthy Food.

I’ve never had a protein shake nor have I made a smoothie.

Before a race, I eat 3 packets of this:

I don’t want to look at the ingredients. I am sure they are all artificial

After a run, I love this:

oh so healthy, I know.

or something similar to this:

is there protein in this?

Electrolytes.

Just plan H2O for me. I don’t add Nuun to my water nor do I drink Gatorade. So far, water works for me.

an old pic like circa 2010. I am thinner and wearing shorts!

Solo Runner.

I usually run alone. It’s easier because I can run wherever and whenever it is convenient for me. I can run at whatever pace and distance I feel like. (I do like to run with others, though.)

getting it done at lunch

Ok, I’m not a total running loser.

I have a Garmin GPS watch. I wear it to all my races and check my paces on it.

I eat Gu as fuel whenever I run more than 4 miles.

I have lots and lots of running shoes.

my latest…still looking for THE pair…

I wear running skirts and love them.

my newest skirt from SkirtSports

I have a race belt that holds my bib and carries my phone.

I read running magazines.

but why do they always wear skimpy running shorts on the cover?

I have joined Running Groups.

I have enjoyed them. Running with others makes the time go by faster. It also motivates you to run at a faster pace.

Freihofer’s training group

I run a lot of races each year.

Last year it was 31. It may be even more this year.

finishing my last 5k

Speaking of races, I have another 5k tomorrow night.

August 7, 2015 6:30 pm Central Park, Schenectady

I’m not a fan of evening races so we’ll see how it goes. Just hoping for NO PAIN and a finish under 30 minutes. Would be extra happy with an Age Group Award!!

Happy Running! What are you thinking about? Are you a rule breaker?

August 5, 2015 by Darlene

Wednesday Word: Commitment

This week’s Word is COMMITMENT

So what exactly is commitment?

An enthusiasm for something and a determination to work hard at it

I’ll be honest.

I am not committed to healthy eating. I do eat well from time to time but not consistently.

I am not committed to exercise. I do that less often than eating healthy.

I used to be very committed to tennis. I played often. I practiced. I wanted to play well and win.

in 2002 at the National championships – very committed

in 2010 – sectional championships – not so committed

2015 – just playing for fun

That lasted for about 10 years but has been replaced by my commitment to running. I still enjoy tennis but I am not committed to it.

Yes, I’d like to think I am committed to running.

Of course, there are times when I don’t feel like running. But I do it because I want to be a better runner.

And sometimes the hard work pays off and the commitment is all worth it.

Happy Running! What are you committed to?

July 31, 2015 by Darlene

Friday Five: Race Day Surprises

This week, the theme is Race Day Surprises

Unfortunately I can only think of bad ones…

1. Power goes out and your alarm clock doesn’t go off

that happened for the Walkway Half

2. You put the wrong address in your GPS and go to the wrong location

at the Betar Byway 5k last year – I put in Glens Falls not South Glens Falls

3. Unexpected pain

my left foot mysteriously hurt for the whole 13.1 miles of the Asbury Half

4. Gastric Distress

severe cramps the last 3 miles of the VCM Relay

5. Bad Weather

sunny and 60s the day before

30s, sleet and freezing rain the day of

Happy Running! What surprises have you encountered on race day?

July 30, 2015 by Darlene

Thinking Out Loud Thursdays: Racing, What Else?

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

I’ve been thinking and I’ve made my decision.

Next year, I will be racing the train.

I just don’t feel ready to tackle 8.4 miles on a hilly trail in the heat. I don’t want to get injured since I have a half marathon in October.

If I weren’t signed up for RnR Brooklyn, I would risk it. It sounds like fun and it’s a challenge that I would like to take sometime. Hopefully, it will fit into my schedule better next year,

Instead, I signed up for a 5k on Sunday.

in Chestertown, NY

Not as interesting as Race the Train but certainly easier. At least, there will be lots of pretty views.

I have friend who lives nearby. I can sleep at her house the night before if I don’t want to sleep on our boat (which is 15 minutes away.)

After the race, I may be able to squeeze in more miles in this beautiful area.

Because I am crazy that way, I signed up for another 5k.

Friday, August 7, 2015 6:30 pm in Schenectady’s Central Park

It’s on a Friday night so it won’t interfere with any weekend plans. I’m not crazy about an evening race especially in the summer. But we’ll see.

Here’s a surprise… I think that there will be no more racing in August.

I have a concert the weekend after…

We’re going on Saturday, August 15 to Xfinity Center in Mass.

and I have to work that morning. Unfortunately, I will miss 2 of my favorite races (that this year have been scheduled on the same day.)

10k

I would have chosen this one if I could run

I will be at my friend’s house on the Schroon River the weekend after that..

We will be playing tennis (though I hope to be able to run at some point.)

Happy Running! So what’s on your mind this Thursday?

July 29, 2015 by Darlene

Wednesday Word: Friendship

This week’s Word is FRIENDSHIP

Besides family, there’s nothing more important than friends. They are there when times get tough. They support your interests and keep you company. You could ask them for a favor because you know they would never refuse. You can’t imagine life without them.

I feel very fortunate to have a lot of good friends.

I am still in contact with a few friends from high school and college. It is great to connect with them and reminisce (about the good old days.) I have also made a bunch of GREAT friends as an older adult from the activities that I do…tennis, boating, quilting, mah jongg, running, etc. And I also have several from work (all 3 of my careers.) All of these people are precious to me.

me, Linda, Don, Sue, Joyce & Nancy 20 years later

still friends after all these years (45 to be exact)…wish I would see them more often

good friends from college…we spent our junior year in France together and when we get together it’s like 1974 again

Molly, whom I taught with for 20 years. We go to the track each summer…this being our our 31st year??

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I taught with Eileen as well…she goes with me to NYC often and is a fellow Lez Miz fanatic

my dear friend and former French teacher, Michele

also 2 friends from my early teaching days

Cheryl was my colleague at my 2nd job- she likes boating, movies & yoga

Sherrie, from my current job, motivates me to walk more

I play mah jongg with these ladies every Friday and we do other things together, as well

my tennis friends are more than for playing tennis. We travel, eat out, knit and do many more things together.

we always take a picture outside this restaurant each year

some great boating friends

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and those wonderful marina buddies who make my summer weekends the best

Judy, on the right is my closest friend. We went to college together and still get together almost weekly to chat. She is the most caring person you could meet.

I know I may have left some people out (Sorry) …. but this post is getting lengthy.

Since this is a running blog, I should mention those runners that I also consider to be my friends…

I met Judy through Facebook. We now run some races together and even weekly training runs

I met AJH in 2010 through her blog. Since then, even though she lives in VT, I think we have run at least one race a year together.

I met Mary at a race in 2010 and we have been friends ever since. Unfortunately, she moved to CA but luckily I have still gotten to see her each year.

You may have noticed that most of friends do not run. There are just a few overlaps.