July 1, 2013 by Darlene

Mid-Year Report Card

We’re halfway through 2013 so it is a good time to take a look at those goals to see how I am doing.

I must say that things were looking up until June 1.

already more miles than all of 2012

Run 3-4 times a week ALL YEAR (use the treadmill when it is too cold or slippery or raining outside)- YES, until June 1.

even ran 3 times while on vacation

Continue fitting in tennis and yoga at least once a week (as cross-training) – Yes, until June 1.

Finish my 5K races under 30 minutes and not stress about a PR (though getting one would be super!) – Sure I stressed but finished Ice Breaker, Lake George, Mother’s Day and the Freihofer’s all under 30 min.

Ice breaker 5k – 28:47

Get an Age Group award (in May I will be entering a new AG!!) – Yes, in the correct AG, I finished 1st at Lake George 5K and 1st in my new AG at the Mother’s Day 5K.

Lake George 5K – 1st in 50-59

Mother’s Day 5K – finished 1st in 60-69

PR in a 10K race (I have only one injured 10K under my belt.) – Yes, HMRRC #3

Run a 10 mile race (the one from Lake George to Bolton Landing is on my bucket List) – Nope (broke my foot on June 1).
Run at least one half marathon (a spring and a fall one) – Yes, I ran the Sarasota Half Marathon in March (the fall one may not happen.)

Run at least 12 races (one per month, if possible) – Yes, at least one per month and 11 total races already!! (However, there will probably be no races in July and August 😦 I hope to resume racing in September.)

at least I am smiling! (J. Berkeley photo)

one of 3 April races

Run a race in another state – Yes, I ran in Florida (Vermont was planned for next month but that one is doubtful)

Florida racing

Run a NEW race (hopefully one in NYC) – Yes, I’ve run 5 new ones so far – Hmrrc #3 & #5, Ice Breaker 5K, Lake George 5K, Mother’s Day 5k, ( NYC hopefully next year)

Mother’s Day 5K in Schenectady

Listen to my body and slow down when necessary (In other words, do not get injured…) – I broke my foot but I cannot blame overuse on that one.
Continue blogging regularly (to keep track of miles, as a motivator, to meet new runners…) – YES!

So I think I did pretty well during my 5 healthy months.

Let’s hope my foot heals quickly and I can add more miles and races during the rest of the year.

Happy Running! How has your 2013 been?

May 10, 2013 by Darlene

A Belated 5th Blogoversary

March 25, 2013

I’ve been blogging for FIVE YEARS!! That means I’ve been running for FIVE Years!

Year 1 – starting to run for the first time and completing many 5ks
Year 2 – after taking the winter off, running again and completing even more 5ks (Anniversary post)
Year 3 – running through the winter, completing 5ks (and a 5k PR), 4 milers and a Half Marathon (Anniversary post)
Year 4 – completing some 5ks, a 5 miler, 15k and FOUR more half marathons (plus an achilles injury and a broken ankle 😦 ) (Anniversary post)
Year 5 – recovering from a broken ankle, running my 1st 10k and some 5Ks, suffering a foot stress fracture, running my 6th Half Marathon

Freihofer’s 5K

Camp Chingachgook 10K

Sarasota Half Marathon

Year 6: ???

Optimistically speaking, I am hoping that this next year brings NO INJURIES and lots of running and racing…

Happy Running! Thanks for stopping by!!! How many years have you been blogging?

April 24, 2013 by Darlene

U is for US (as in racing in the US)

I don’t plan to run a half or a marathon in every state but wouldn’t it be cool to run a race in every state?

As you can see that I am very far away (45 more to go) and to complete this goal, I think I would have needed to start running at a younger age!! (At my previous job of 8 years, I went to conferences annually all over the country…but I wasn’t a runner back then 😦 I remember how long the line was for signing up for the 5k race at NECC conferences and that they always filled up so quickly. I thought people were crazy. Now I know why… )

I guess it will be fun trying…

Happy Running! How many states have you run races in?

April 17, 2013 by Darlene

O is for Old races vs new ones

Freihofer’s 2010

There are fun races that I love and will try to do EVERY YEAR such as the Freihofer’s Run for Women and Albany’s Last Run.

Here they are before the Albany Last Run 5k

Last Run 5k 2011

And ones that I run every year because I support the charity such as Breast Cancer and Juvenile Arthritis.

Race for a Cure 2011

Jingle Bell Run 2012

Of course, there are races that I run every year just because friends are doing them.

Sean’s Run with Mary

Polar Cap with AJH

But I am always looking for New races. Here are some that I am considering (the ones in bold I have already signed up for):

3-30-13 – Ice Breaker 5K
4-21-13 – Lake George 5K
5-12-13 – Mother’s Day 5K
6-23-13 – Adirondack Distance Run – 10m
7-28-13 – Biggest Loser Run 15 K (in Killington, VT)
8-03-13 – Race the Train (8.4 mi)
10-13-13 – Mohawk-Hudson Half Marathon
10-19-13 – Great Pumpkin 10K
11-02-13 – Fall Frun 10K

Old or New…I will thinking of Boston!

Happy Running! Do you do the same old races each year or do you look for new ones?

April 1, 2013 by Darlene

A is for April goals

GOALS

Start back at weekly yoga (now that half marathon training is over)

Play tennis once a week

Try to eat healthy (now that half marathon training is over, there is no need to eat a lot and eat often)

Do Planks (I hate to exercise so maybe I can do this for one minute everyday.)

Lose some weight. (not a lot – 5-8 lbs – my clothes are tight and it is bugging me.) Even signed up for this challenge from Slowing Tri-ing.

thinner in 2009 or these shorts shrunk?

Run at least 3 times per week. (at least 3 miles for each run)

Run longer on the weekend (4-6 miles)

Try to get some speed back in my upcoming races (have 2-3 planned: 5 miler & 2 5Ks).

April 21, 2013

Do the A-Z Blogging Challenge (it seems pretty easy since you can schedule posts in advance….)

Pay attention to my body and do not get injured. (That means not running if there is a sign of injury)

Happy Running! Any interesting goals set for April?

March 22, 2013 by Darlene

Spring Training

But I don’t mean baseball! Here are the races that I hope to run in the next few months.

A new race. It’s on my familiar bike path along the Hudson. I ran its route frequently last summer and for my 8 mile training run recently.

April 14, 2013

It’s run in the Delmar neighborhoods that I have run all winter. I ran this in 2011 (before all my injuries…)

5k at 8am, 10k at 9am – $20 for both or one

Not sure about this one but maybe. I have run races in this park many times.

I haven’t signed up for this one but Mary & I usually do it together (and they have ice cream cones!!)

May 5, 2013 9am

Another maybe. I did run this 5K several years ago.

I ran this race 3x when it was held in Delmar. The last 2 years, I was on vacation. Now it has moved to Schenectady’s Central park. There’s another 5K in Clifton park. I will definitely run a 5k on this holiday.

This will be my 6th time running this race – I haven’t missed it since I started running in 2008.

I haven’t signed up yet but this race has always been on my bucket list. Hope to finally do it this year (as long as I am healthy.)

Happy Running! What races are you training for this spring?

February 1, 2013 by Darlene

January Update

The Highlights:

6 weeks of Half Marathon training completed (with 6 weeks to go.)
ran 4 days in a row while vacationing in Florida
67 total miles run (despite 2 missed runs during my bout with a cold/flu)- YAY!!

ran a 10K race (even PRed)
bought a new pair of Brooks
played tennis twice
did yoga once

Running over Granada Bridge

Running on Nisky Bike Trail

I just realized that I didn’t set any goals for January so I will for February:

Run regularly (at least 3x per week)
Train for my March Half Marathon (one long run per week)
Play tennis (at least once per week)
Do yoga (when I can, at least once per month)
Run a race
Stay healthy!!!!

Happy Running! How did your January go? Anything new planned for February?

January 12, 2013 by Darlene

A Productive Saturday

Sometimes life takes precedence over running.

I really wanted to run with the SRMs in their Virtual 5K for Sandy Hook. I haven’t seen those runners in a long time!!

I was there in spirit – Thanks Felice for organizing!

Today is also my long run (according to my training schedule.)

But with last weekend being spent in bed, today I needed to:

sleep late (working all week & being sick has taken its toll)
go grocery shopping (the fridge is empty)
do laundry (my hubby has no undewear)
clean up the house (clutter, clutter everywhere)
get my nails done (about a month overdue)
return books to the library
return a Christmas present
buy stuff for my foodie penpal
take down the Christmas decorations (finally)
cook dinner (haven’t done that all week)

Believe it or not, I DID IT ALL!

I even went on a purging rampage – got rid of old cookbooks, old computer books, about 20 coffee mugs, old medecines, old expired food and more.

Now I can relax and plan my next run

Tomorrow I am going to do the HMRRC Winter Series Race – the 10k and it’s at 10am, close by and FREE!

I missed my 5 mile run last weekend but I am going to try to run 6.2 miles anyway to stay on schedule.

I know it’s just a training run but if I said I just wanted to finish I’d be lying.

So here are my goals:

A. Run the whole thing.
B. PR (under 1:09)
C. Not finish last.
D. Finish upright.

Happy Running! Do you ever put running second? Do you have goals for every race?

January 11, 2013 by Darlene

Bad Runs Happen

I felt like this but I was on the road…

Sometimes a run just sucks. Sometimes life just sucks. But we all have to move on right? Yesterday after work, I had a no good, very bad, awful run.

I was still very congested from my cold, I hadn’t been sleeping and I had eaten a large late lunch.

I tried to get myself in the mood to go for a run but that was just not happening. I just wanted to go home and crawl into bed with a book.

But I had missed 2 runs while being sick so I just wasn’t going to let it happen again. On my way to the neighborhood where I have been running lately, I decided that I was going to run at least 3 miles (if it killed me) but I really wanted to run 4 or 5.

Once I actually got on the road though, I realized this run was going to be tough, mentally and physically.

My legs felt like lead. My chest hurt. My stomach was too full. I wanted to quit after 2 miles. I dragged myself to 3 miles and then I willed myself to do 4.

Yeah, I walked some but got it done.

Usually I get down on myself and question my running ability. I wonder how I am ever going to 13.1 miles if I can’t run 3. My pace is 12-13 min/mile. How embarrassing is that? I’m not fast but I could run 9-10 min/miles. Maybe I should give it up. Wah wah wah…

Instead, the type A me analyzed the situation:

You’ve had 2 injuries. The 2nd one before you totally recovered from the first.
You’ve been sick. It’s hard to run when you can’t breathe.
Running on a full stomach — stupid!
You always run better in the morning. Gotta do an AM run soon.
Even when you raced well, you had BAD training runs. You need to run a race!
What about music…gotta charge that iPod and listen to some tunes!
4 crappy miles are better than zero miles
Get over it… bad runs happen!

Thanks Ryan. I don’t mind if you do!

So today is a rest day (and it is raining/sleeting)!

I haven’t decided about the weekend. I signed up for a virtual 5K tomorrow with friends and a 10K on Sunday.

I will either do the 5k & add 3 miles afterwards or the race but not both.

I know both will be fine — running with others is always motivating.

Happy Running! How do you deal with bad runs?

January 3, 2013 by Darlene

2013 Running Goals

This may be cheating but I had some great goals for 2012 but with two injuries, I didn’t get a chance to see if I could accomplish them.

So here they are again:

Run 3-4 times a week ALL YEAR (use the treadmill when it is too cold or slippery or raining outside)
Continue fitting in tennis and yoga at least once a week (as cross-training)
Finish my 5K races under 30 minutes and not stress about a PR (though getting one would be super!)
Get an Age Group award (in May I will be entering a new AG!!)
PR in a 10K race (I have only one injured 10K under my belt.)
Run a 10 mile race (the one from Lake George to Bolton Landing is on my bucket List)
Run at least one half marathon (a spring and a fall one)
Run at least 12 races (one per month, if possible)
Run a race in another state
Run a NEW race (hopefully one in NYC)
Listen to my body and slow down when necessary (In other words, do not get injured…)
Continue blogging regularly (to keep track of miles, as a motivator, to meet new runners…)