April 20, 2014 by Darlene

Good Luck Boston Runners!

I will be following 3 runners:

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I work with Colleen.

me & Colleen at the Race for the Cure 2009

Michele is one of my former French students.

with her sister Laura at the 2011 Boston Marathon

Sheila is a member of the SRMs (a local running group.)

she is front right

Happy Running! Are you or do you know anyone running in Boston?

April 16, 2014 by Darlene

Who Keeps You Healthy?

The American Recall Center is a brand new site devoted to providing health and wellness news in simple, straightforward terms. Their ultimate goal is to help their readers take complete charge of their health by being fully informed!

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This past March, they reached out to a group of other bloggers to create a blog post that included an explanation and photo of who in their life kept them healthy. In other words, who’s their “Health Hero“? Because of the fantastic response and the relatively small number of bloggers that participated, they are running this campaign again for the month of April.

Like they did in March, they will feature a collage of all of the images from every participant in their Community Section.

My Health Hero:

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My health hero is my co-worker Sherri. Where I work, our jobs are mostly sedentary. In other words, we sit at a desk all day and work on the computer.

Sherri, who has severe neck & back problems (that require PT and cortisone shots) and recently had a hysterectomy, is more active than anyone I know.

She arrives early each day so she can walk before work. For her 15 minute morning break, she walks a 1 mile inside when the weather is cold (which his most of the time in the NE) or outside around the track in the nicer temps.

For her lunch hour, she rides the exercise bike or walks on the treadmill.

And for her 15 minute afternoon break, she repeats her morning routine. If that weren’t enough, she has free weights at her desk so she do upper body strength exercises in preparation for kayak season.

Before I met Sherri, I would sit at my desk all day! I even ate lunch at my desk. Now at 11 am, she stops by my office and encourages me to accompany her on her 15 minute walk around the school.

I am a runner but she walks almost as fast as I run. I struggle to keep up but I am so happy that she gets me out of my chair once a day. She may even motivate me to leave my desk for lunch, too.

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Happy Running! Do you have a “Health Hero”?

April 11, 2014 by Darlene

Why Do You Run?

I was running in the first annual Runners World 5k in Bethlehem PA while visiting my best friend from high school & college. Can you tell from this photo that I was in agony? I was running with a stress fracture in my foot. I could hardly walk but I was running AND I was happy. I forgot about my pain. I was approaching the finish line and my friend was there cheering me on.

I am not saying that I was smart to run with an injury. But what I am saying is that when I have problems and things aren’t going well, running boosts my spirits.

strong

I was 60 years old in this photo. I was recovering from another injury. This time, a broken foot. Since I started running, I have felt stronger and more fit. If I have an injury, I know that I will recover. I think that because I am a runner, I recover faster. I also feel younger and healthier. That doesn’t mean that I always eat healthy because I don’t. But running has kept my weight in check, despite my love for all things carb.

proud

When I seriously broke my ankle and needed surgery, the ortho said I may not run again and if I did, not long distances. Well, I did run 3 half marathons after that injury. (The first one is this photo.) And I am proud. I am proud that I tried and proud that I succeeded. There may come a day that I can’t do it. I am proud that I still can.

So on the subject of running, I have another race tomorrow. I had signed up to the 10K and then chickened out. I want to work on speed and the 5K is flatter so I switched. I promise to do a 10K in May.

My goals are similar to my last race’s and will be the same for upcoming short distance races:

run the whole thing without stopping
finish under 30 minutes
keep each mile’s pace under 10 minutes
win an AG award (they’re giving out baked goods!)
have fun!
stay healthy!

Happy Running! Why do you run?

March 9, 2014 by Darlene

A Great Ad Campaign

That’s the question Mizuno Running posed to MBA students at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Kenan-Flagler Business School.

The analysis brought interesting figures to light for the U.S., including:

$130 billion in health care savings
An increase of more than $47 billion to the national GDP, with lost productivity due to sick days reduced by 50 percent, from 2.3 percent to 1.5 percent.
Nearly 2 billion pounds of total weight loss
10 percent increase in household earning potential
5 million fewer hospital visits
7 billion more hours spent outdoors
18.7 percent fewer divorces annually, and 29.3 million happier marriages.
10 percent improvement in self-esteem among kids.
200 million inches lost from waistlines.
116,000 fewer hip replacements annually.
48.1 million fewer cigarettes smoked daily.
63 million happier dogs (because many running dog owners would take their pets for jogs, too).
135 million fewer hours of TV watched each week, and 14 billion fewer hours spent online each year.
135 million more bananas consumed.
$4 billion increase in donations to charities

The “What If Everybody Ran” site – www.ifeverybodyran.com – takes individuals on a running journey to see the potential of a world of runners. The campaign anthem video, “What If Everybody Ran” campaign poster (above) and the analysis white paper further highlight the findings and reasons for Americans to run.

I wish I had these stats when I was on vacation in Florida. My friends whom I love dearly are not very active (well, not active at all) and overweight. When we were waiting for my race to begin, my friend repeated several times: “This just isn’t my cup of tea.” I know she preferred to be out having a drink rather than waiting for me to run a 5K evening race.

My hubby who is not a runner (but plays tennis) normally does not defend my running. In fact, I know he thinks I am crazy but actually said: I MAY TRY TO RUN A RACE!! A SHORT ONE.”

I was shocked. I thought that he was just trying to make me feel better. But he said he would do one with me.

I call this major progress!

At the time, I was a little upset at how unsupportive my friend was but when everyone’s phones were dead, her hubby ran back to the car to get my camera to take this photo:

And then when we got home, she took out champagne to toast my award.

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Happy Running! Are you non-running friends supportive of your running? Does your hubby run with you?

February 21, 2014 by Darlene

Foto Friday

lots of icicles

clock in my town – and it’s the same time as it is now!!

snow and a little blue sky

just trying to remember the feeling…

or so they say???

I have lost my running mojo this week…Snow..slush..sleet..rain…oh no.

I haven’t run in 2 days….

Tomorrow is another day!

Happy Running! What do you have planned for the weekend?

February 5, 2014 by Darlene

Snow Day and Winter Running Mojo

It is definitely not as rewarding as when I was teaching but it still is awesome.

Though I was meeting my bff for dinner last night, I had to squeeze in a run before today’s big storm (who knows when I’ll be able to run outside again?)

I tried out the Nike+ app..not bad for fun but during a race or long run, I like the Garmin on my wrist.

Today I had the whole day free (and my hubby had to work). I got so much done:

did a plank (woo hoo!)
did my taxes (not happy about how much we have to pay 😦 )
worked on my knitted sock
read a bit
watched the last episode of Downton Abbey
made a casserole for dinner (I don’t cook much)
went to the movies (This month’s RW magazine made me want to see this Bruce Dern movie. Did you know he was a serious runner?)

it was good!

Quite a productive day. The snow has stopped…we have at least 12″ and tomorrow I will be back at work. I’ll probably opt for the treadmill and venture out on the road on Friday.

This weekend I have a long run planned…will the bike path be plowed?

so will it feel like 18 miles instead of 9?

So how to you stay motivated to run in the winter?

Buy proper winter running clothes – tights, hat, gloves, jacket. It is not fun running when you are too cold. Also, dress for warmer than it is. It is also unpleasant to run when you are overdressed. Wear layers so you can shed one if you are warm. New clothes that are fun and bright are motivating, as well.

my tights, jacket, hat & gloves were bought at Target

Run somewhere scenic – a park, a bike path. Vary your routes. Running on the same road gets boring.

love this bike path along the Hudson R

Grab a running buddy or join a running group. Chatting makes the miles go faster. Having to meet someone gets you out the door.

some new running partners that help get me out there

Put some new music on your phone or iPod. Playlists gets stale. It’s nice to have some new tunes to motivate you on those cold days.

music

Join a challenge such Run with Jess’ Winter Miles Challenge. They are free. You can also win prizes.

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Sign up for a spring race. I signed up for a half marathon on March 30. Knowing that this race is coming up pushes me through these cold months to stay in running condition.

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Have a plan B. I always bring outdoor clothes to run after work but I also have clothes there to run indoors on the treadmill. So I have no excuse. I can do either. So if the roads are too slippery, I run on the treadmill.

Use the treadmill for short runs only. Go outside no matter how cold to do your longer runs. More than 4 miles on the treadmill makes me go insane. The hardest part about running outside in the winter is the first step out the door.

Buy Yaktrax or something similar if you live somewhere where it snows a lot and often. They really work. You can run on snowy roads and you won’t slip.

Rewards work too. How about a hot Caramel Flan Latte at Starbucks and a cake pop after a cold run.

Yes, I ate both cake pops

Happy Running! Did you have a snow day? How you stay motivated to run in the winter?

January 28, 2014 by Darlene

The Alchemist and Running Dreams

Paulo Coelho‘s book is currently one of my favorites.

Here are some quotes:

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”
“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”
“Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.”
“I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now…
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
“When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.”
“Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.”
“If you start by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it.”
“making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”
“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him.”
“There is only one way to learn. It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.”
“At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
“People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.”
“Never stop dreaming.”

Awesome stuff, right?

My dream is to continue to be able to run for a very LONG TIME!

My dream to run in fun and scenic places.

My dream is to run my longer races faster!

My dream is to have my 5K speed come back!

dream big

Happy Running! Have you read The Alchemist or any of Coelho’s other books? What is your running dream?

January 22, 2014 by Darlene

Wordless Wednesday

That is why I signed up for a 15K race this weekend…

Happy Running! How do you get motivated to run?

December 27, 2013 by Darlene

Winter Miles Challenge 2014

Run with Jess has created the Winter Miles Challenge to help keep us all on track through the toughest 8 weeks of winter (January 6 – March 2) so that we have a successful spring!

All you have to do is pick a goal and then at the end of every week, report back your completed mileage. If you hit your weekly goal, you are entered into the weekly prize drawing.

These are the goals:

Beginner: 10 miles each week

Intermediate: 20 miles each week

Trainer: 30 miles each week

Advanced: 40 miles each week

Ultra: 50 miles each week

Every week that you hit your mileage goal, you earn one entry into that week’s prize drawing sponsored by these great companies…

Week 1 (Jan.6-12) – YakTrax
Week 2 (Jan.13-19) – ProCompression Socks
Week 3 (Jan.20-26) – Milestones Jewelry & Apparel
Week 4 (Jan.27-Feb.2) – Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Bonus week! There is an opportunity to earn TWO entries into the prize drawing)
Week 5 (Feb.3-9) – Fitsok Socks
Week 6 (Feb.10-16) – FlapJacked Protein Pancakes
Week 7 (Feb.17-23) – 110% Compression Socks
Week 8 (Feb.24-Mar.2) – Hydrapak & GU Energy

Best of all, the Winter Miles Challenge is FREE to participate so REGISTER HERE!

I signed up. I’m all into FREE and motivation to run in the winter.

I chose the Beginner goal of 10 miles per week. I am not a beginner but I don’t usually run 20 miles each week. I am actually going to try for at least 15 miles each week.

Happy Running? Are you up for this challenge?