October 25, 2015 by Darlene

A Walking, Running & Pumpkin Picking Weekend

The weekend started with an hour and half drive to Poughkeepsie to meet my college BFF.

It was cloudy and chilly but the foliage was so pretty that we didn’t mind.

We started by walking over the Walkway Bridge. It is the longest pedestrian bridge in the world.

It goes over the Hudson River and is about 1.5 miles long.

After we walked over the bridge, we continued on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.

It went for about 4 miles and also was very scenic.

We turned around and on the way back, we veered of the trail to have lunch in the town of Highland.

Soup, salad and the dessert above.

The we continued back on the trail and over the bridge again.

The colors were even prettier on the way back.

11.5 miles walked for the day!!!

I really got lucky on Sunday.

I was supposed to take my mentee Amanda and her two sons to Ellms Family Farm for the day.

I wanted to run as well.

I got up early and it was raining. Then Amanda got called into work so I was able to wait to do my run.

I have been on our new rail trail but never gone to the end. I decided that today was the day.

we are losing our leaves in the NE

love this old bridge

under 2 more bridges

still some nice colors here

I think I’ve found a new favorite place to run close to home. 7 miles done!

As soon as I finished, it started to rain again.

Then I found out that Amanda had to work the whole day.

I decided to take one of her sons, the 8 year old, to the farm.

getting ready to do the maze

We did have cider donuts & pick pumpkins (just forgot to take pics)

We were there for about 4 hours – exhausting but so much fun!

Happy Running! How was your weekend?

October 12, 2015 by Darlene

Monday Running Update

Last Week:

Monday– I squeezed in a walk at work and then after work, went to my 3rd Troy Turkey Trot training group run. The hills killed me, as usual. But we varied the route this week to do 1 minute sprints so we only had to run the big hill twice. Afterwards, I met my BFF to walk around the mall and to catch up on our busy lives.

found ONE tree with color

Tuesday – Just a normal work day, but my lunchtime walk to the park was nice. Then 1 1/2 hours of tennis after work followed by dinner out.

waiting for some fall colors in the park

Wednesday – I squeezed in a walk at work. I was planning to run with the STEM program (a Couch to 5k program for survivors of domestic violence.) after work but the client cancelled again 😦 . Instead, I ran on my own (my last one before the race.

no more flowers in the park 😦

Thursday – A busy work day but managed a walk around campus at lunch and then rushed home to pack. (The iffy weather is making me crazy.)

Friday – I took the day off from work and headed by bus to NYC. I took the subway to Brooklyn Bridge and walked over it to Brooklyn, took bus & dropped off my bag at the apartment where I was staying and then took another subway to the expo. After the expo, I took a subway to Prospect Park before I called it a day.

lots of walking (carrying my bag) but it was worth it

at the expo (which was one of the worst I’ve attended)

nice day for a run in the park

Saturday – Half Marathon #15 is in the books! Unfortunately an inaugural race has lots of snafus and so did this one. My race didn’t go as planned since around mile 9, my lower back started to hurt so much that I thought of quitting at mile 12 (but I didn’t.) After the race, I spent a relaxing afternoon at Coney Island before heading home.

2:25:47 – not expecting a PR but was on track to finish under 2:15 until mile 10.

just beautiful

Sunday – Recovery day spent on Lake George, where else?

our last day until next summer 😦

21 miles done with 3 runs and 4 rest days.

This Week:

Monday- 3 mile run (with the Turkey Trot Training group)
Tuesday – tennis
Wednesday – 3 mile run before work, volunteer walk/run with STEM group
Thursday – 4 mile run after work
Friday – rest, mah jongg
Saturday – 10K race
Sunday – rest

I am linking up for the Weekly Wrap hosted by Holly @ HoHoRuns and Tricia @ MissSippiPiddlin. See rules here.

Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?

December 10, 2014 by Darlene

Making a Difference

Now that my STEM experience is over, I can reflect upon it.

This e-mail from the coordinator probably says it all:

They did it! You did it! We did it!

We started with six ladies in our pilot program with the Schenectady YWCA this fall, and four of them crossed the finish line today. We lost one eager runner to surgery midway through the session, and we lost one other whom I’m convinced we can lure back in the spring.

Our ladies did beautifully out there despite having to run the race in freezing rain. All of them finished in under an hour, including our runner who is in her 70s. Our fastest runner finished somewhere in the 37-minute range. As they crossed the line you could see how proud they were, each sprinted to the finish. And they were singing and laughing after the race.

The impact this will have on them will be more tremendous than we can ever imagine. Two former graduates of our Troy program ran the race with them today as mentors and both of them have logged about 10 races since they began running last fall. One who was previously unemployed now works two jobs, and credits running with the tremendous transformation in her life (it took her 10 years to leave her abuser for good, and she says it was running that made her feel strong enough).

For those of you who were able to be there today, you saw the pride in these ladies eyes when they crossed the finish line. For those who weren’t there today, you’ve seen it other times along the way — when 1-minute jogging intervals became 3, then 8 then 20. And it was thanks to all your kind words and encouragement that these ladies began to have belief in themselves.

I can’t wait to see you all at the celebration on December 10 at the YWCA, where we’ll show some pictures. And we hope to be running with you in future sessions. We meet awesome women through this training program, and it’s not limited to the clients we’re helping move from couch to 5K. What an incredible group of women you are to share your time and your passion for the sport.

Lastly, I wanted to share with you this essay, written by a woman who was in our first Troy program (see below). She wasn’t asked to write this for us, it was for a project where DV survivors expressed themselves through art and writing.

Though I couldn’t be there on Saturday, below are some photos from race day:

The clients & volunteers before the race

stem5

stem6

stem4

stem7

stem2

stem3

after the race

You can see that despite the awful weather, they are smiling in every photo.

Yes, running is more than medals and PRs.

I hope to be part of this program again in the spring.

Happy Running! Have you ever volunteered in a Couch to 5K program?

December 8, 2014 by Darlene

Monday Running Update

Last Week: (Week 6 of HM training)

Monday – ~~walk at work,~~ ~~STEM group run + ( 4 miles)~~, 6.5 mile run after work

Tuesday – walk at work, rest, tennis

still indoors

Wednesday – DAY OFF, trip to NYC!!

Thursday – ~~walk at work~~, 3 mile run, hair appt

running on the track at work

Friday- walk at work, ~~gym~~, mah jongg

too cold outside

Saturday – proctor LSATs, (congratulations to the STEM group on their 1st 5k), ~~bake cookies,~~ 5k race at night

very wet but won 3rd in my AG

Sunday – 4 mile run?, paint & sip with my mentee (to celebrate her b-day), ~~dinner out~~, bake cookies

apple cider sangria, 4 kinds of mac n cheese & painting

pumpkin cookies, what else?

This Week: (Week 7 of HM training)

Monday – walk at work, cookie party at work, tennis
Tuesday – walk at work, 4 mile run
Wednesday – walk at work, STEM dinner
Thursday – walk at work, 4 mile run
Friday- walk at work, 3 mile run, mah jongg
Saturday – yoga for runners, rest
Sunday – 15K run, dinner out, lights in the park carriage ride to celebrate my mentee’s son’s b-day

I’m linking this post up with Tara at Running n’ Reading for her Weekend Update!

Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?

December 3, 2014 by Darlene

A Tale of Two Training Groups

I went from being a solo runner to running with TWO groups for 9 weeks.

And they couldn’t have been more different.

In one I struggled to run fast enough and in the other I struggled to run slow enough.

On Mondays, I ran in Troy with the Turkey Trot Challenge group. I was part of the “advanced” or 10K group which meant that these were runners who had run before..some even half marathons, I was probably in the middle, speed-wise but you know me, I wanted to keep up. And I think the drills and hills helped me get stronger and faster.

On Wednesdays, I ran in Schenectady with the STEM training group. These were women who are living in a shelter & are victims of domestic violence. They are out of shape and have never run before. Each of the volunteers usually paired up with one of the clients and started running for one minute up to 30 minutes. The ultimate goal for them to complete a 5K on Dec. 6.

Truthfully, it was hard to run that slow. I did my best, I ran circles, gave them pep talks and walked a lot. I had to forget about my own running and focus on their running. (I couldn’t think about how this 20 min pace is wrecking my training.)

So after each workout, I just ran by myself around the campus using the group run as my warm up. That worked out well.

IMG_4262-0

It was really rewarding to see how far theses ladies had come and the joy it brought them to be successful. I wish I could be there Saturday to see them at the race. (I have to work 😦 )

So both groups were enjoyable and valuable but in different ways.

One group helped and motivated me to become a better runner. In the other, I hope I did the same for others.

I plan to repeat both groups in the spring.

37th this year

There will a training challenge group for the Freihofer’s Run for Women that starts in March. And they hope to repeat the STEM program with the Troy or Albany shelter.

Happy Running! Have anyone of you volunteered in a Couch to 5k group or trained with a running group? If so, have you had similar experiences?

November 30, 2014 by Darlene

November Recap

november

Run 3-4 times each week.YES!

after STEM volunteering

on the track during lunchtime

when the weather is bad

after work

Walk once a day while at work. YES!

indoors when raining or too cold

Participate in Turkey Trot Training Group Runs at least once a week. YES!

Volunteer in the STEM training runs once a week. YES!

Complete my 5k races with under 10 min/mile pace (if I run any.) YES!

5K - 58:16

Complete a 10K race. YES! and a PR!

Complete a 15K race. YES! and a PR!

Do long runs on the weekend in preparation for half marathon #10. YES on most weekends!

Run at least 80 miles. YES!

nov14

Go to the gym at least once a week. YES! Most weeks.
Start knitting hat #3 YES! and finished it.

DECEMBER GOALS:

Run 3-4 times each week (no matter how cold it gets.)
Walk once a day while at work.
Run with a group when possible.
Complete my 5k races with under 10 min/mile pace.
Complete a 15K race.
Do long runs on the weekend to train for half marathon #10 on January 17.
Run at least 80 miles
Go to the gym at least once a week.
Start back at yoga.
Avoid gaining weight (while attending holiday parties)
Spend time with my mentee

Happy Running! How was your November? Anything special planned for December?

October 27, 2014 by Darlene

Monday Running Update

Last Week:

Monday – 2 walks at work, chili cook off at work, 3 mile group run

AM walk

PM walk to walk off the chili

Tuesday – walk at work, rest, tennis

raining today

Wednesday – STEM group run + more (4 miles)

.5 miles, 1.5 group run/walk, 2 miles

Thursday – walk at work, 4 3 mile run on the TM (rain), mall walk with BFF

raining today

watched Nashville but it was still torture

Friday-OFF from work, rest, drive to NJ
Saturday – rest, ferry to NYC, reunion lunch in NYC, walking around Washington Square Park & the High Line

Sunday – 10 mile race! walking around Grounds for Statues

This Week: (Week 1 of HM training)

Monday – OFF from work, rest , visit to a boating friend on the way home, (4 mile group run if I get home in time)
Tuesday – walk at work, rest,gym
Wednesday – walk at work, 3 mile run at lunch, bowling with tennis friends
Thursday – walk at work, hair appt
Friday-walk at work, STEM group run + (4 miles)
Saturday – proctor MPREs at work, rest, gym
Sunday – 8 mile run

Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?

October 22, 2014 by Darlene

Giving Back

I am already a mentor to a young unwed mother of 2 but I also wanted to do something related to running.

I am grateful to all running has given me so it’s time to GIVE BACK.

Thanks to Facebook, I saw a post that said:

This is another call to arms for (STEM) Strong Through Every Mile, my domestic violence couch to 5k group. We’ve expanded to a partnership with the YWCA in Schenectady and need new volunteers! I know this is a tough time of year for racing and training but if you have a couple of hours to spend on a Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday at 9am or 5:30pm to train some well deserving women for the next two months to their first 5k, it would literally mean the world to them (even if they don’t know it yet). Any one day per week, morning or evenings would be amazing (double hugs from me if you can do more but it isn’t necessary).

ALL paces welcome, we just need enthusiastic bodies to bring running to non runners.

We’ve been really successful in Troy and are super excited to work with another organization and would love to have you join in on our expansion

Sounded perfect. I can’t do Mondays or Fridays but although I usually run on Wednesdays, I decided to pass and do this instead.

I signed up and got more info last week:

Hi all —

So we’re getting started on Wednesday this week!
Our 9 a.m. group will meet at the bike path at Schenectady County Community College. Our 5:30 p.m. group will meet at the parking lot by Alexander Field at Union College, and we’ll be running the campus.

We’ll be starting with Day 2 of the Couch to 5K training program. (http://www.active.com/mobile/couch-to-5k-app). You don’t have to download it if you don’t want to. Someone else in the group will surely have it and be able to tell you what the plan is for the day.

This is going to be a great season. It’s hard to explain how powerful this program has been for our past participants. The time you’re taking each week to run with these ladies is truly changing lives.

Best,
Jennifer Gish
Features editor/sports columnist
Times Union -Albany, NY

According to the info I received, there are 4 mentors for each session.

I was not familiar with the Couch to 5k program. When I started running with the New Boundaries program, it was a 12 week program and we basically starting running 1 mile and progressed up to 3 miles. So I looked up the Couch to 5K program online. This is basically the 9-week plan:

So after work last Wednesday, I rushed to Union College and found the meeting location (with some difficulty.)

union

People arrived little by little since no one knew exactly where to go. Without any introductions, I wasn’t sure who was who but there seemed to be 5 mentors, 4 interns/case workers, and 6 clients.

It was unseasonably warm – near 80 (unbelievable!) and humid. Luckily the impending rain held off and we were able to do our workout.

The mentors used the Couch to 5K app and spaced themselves among the clients…giving them encouragement. We did some dynamic stretches, a 5 minutes walk, then alternated 60 sec run and 90 sec walk for 25 minutes and then a 5 minute cool down followed by stretches.

The clients were, of course, skeptical about their ability to run but they did great!

The Union College campus is a great place to run – lots of paths, no traffic and lights! (I plan to run afterwards here each week.)

The STEM goal race is Jingle Bell 5K on December 6. Unfortunately I work at the LSATs that morning and already signed up for a 5k that night. (I’ll have to see how it goes and if I can go cheer them on.)

I am looking forward to tonight’s group run. They will have also run last Friday and Monday. I hope the clients don’t drop out.

It is so rewarding to know that you are making a difference in someone’s life.

Happy Running! Have you ever volunteered in a running group?

October 19, 2014 by Darlene

Day at a duathlon and then a farm

Today was a REST day! No running!
duathlon

This was my third year watching AJH competing in this Duathlon.

2012

The first year, it was raining and I had a stress fracture in my foot. It was not so much fun.

2013

But last year, it was much more enjoyable. It took place near Krause’s restaurant on the Mohawk Towpath Byway and I was able to get in a run during the bike portion of the race.

This is where I ran a few weeks ago. I love this area.

However, this year, they changed the location of the race.

It started at Riverview Orchards. I had never been there so I was excited to explore a new running route (even though I ran a 10K yesterday.)

However, it was so COLD, windy and nasty that I decided to forego the run and just watch.

waiting to begin

The runners started with a 2 mile run on a fast, flat section out Riverview and Droms Road and then back to the transition area.

here she comes finishing the first 2 mile run

Then the bikers left the transition area and traveled 1 1/2 miles southeast on Riverview Road. They rode two 7 mile loops of rolling terrain including Sugar Hill Road, a mile on Grooms, south on Vischer Ferry Road and west on Riverview Road and returned to the transition area with 17 miles completed (set within the historic context of the Erie Canal and against the backdrop of colorful fall foliage.)

heading out on the bike

As I mentioned…it was COLD. I took advantage of the race being at the orchard and stayed inside the store while Andrea was racing.

I had some hot cider and watched them make cider donuts.

finishing the bike portion of the race

The bike route was very hilly and the riders had to finish uphill riding INTO the wind. I was so impressed with how AJH did as well as the others.

The race ended with the same running route as it started. So after that hilly ride, they had to run again!!

almost done with run #2

done!

As soon as Andrea was done, the sun came out briefly and then it started to rain. I was glad that Andrea did well enough to stay dry.

She won 1st in her age group and the grand prize in the raffle.

As soon as the awards were over, I took off so I could pick up Amanda and the kids for our annual outing to Ellms Family Farm.

ellms

The day included all the usual fun stuff: Jumping Pillow, MooMooChooChoo, Chicken Show, Spider Web, animal feed area, hay ride, kiddie mazes, zip lines, pedal carts, barnyard mazes, Bean Bag Toss and more!

60 ft slide – their favorite

Of course, we had cider donuts and picked pumpkins.

Unfortunately, it was COLD and windy…at least I was very cold. We had fun but not as much as we would have had if the weather had been nicer.

It was along day and I had to rush home to make chili for our annual chili cook-off at work.

guess what kind?

Happy Running! How did you spend your Sunday? Resting or Running?

October 16, 2014 by Darlene

Busy Weekend Ahead

last ride

Now that boating is over, you would think I would have some free time…

Nope!

Saturday, I am running this 10K race.

It takes place in Saratoga National Park and it is a race that I’ve wanted to do since I started running but something has always gotten in the way.

photo from last year

They have a NEW flatter 5k course which is very tempting but since I have a 10 mile run in ONE WEEK, I think the longer distance would be wiser.

10K history:

2012 – Camp Chingachgook – 1:09:07 (covering from ankle surgery)
2013 – Hmrrc Winter Series #3 – 1:08:18
2013 – Helper’s Fund – 1:06:10
2013 – Monster Scramble – 1:03:18 (it was short!)
2014 – Spring Run Off -1:00:51 PR
2014 – Camp Chingachgook – 1:04:54

As you can see, I don’t run many 10ks.

I usually train for half marathons by running long on the weekend. With 5Ks, I just wing it. But for 10ks, you want to run fast but not burn out. So who knows how this will go. I will try to go out slow and save some for the second half.

comfort zone

I have been getting better at the 5K distance but I still struggle with anything over that. I know I can win my age group with the 5K… most likely not with the 10K.

A 10K will be out of my comfort zone. Sometimes a good thing.

Goals:

Run most it.
Pace under 10 min/mile for most miles.
Beat my last 10K time (1:04:54). A PR would be a real stretch. A age group award would be a bigger stretch (the speedy older women do this one).
Finish strong and uninjured.
Enjoy the race.

After the race, I hope to run a few more miles before getting home.