5k

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It’s Monday and My Birthday!

Yup, I am 58 years old today!!

If you asked me 5 years ago if I would run in a 5k race, I would have laughed in your face.  If you asked me one year ago if I would run a half marathon, I would have done the same.   I am thankful that I am healthy and have friends and bloggers that support my craziness.

my proudest moment

 

 

Finishing is Winning‘s Brain Exchange #35:

This Week’s Topic: Handling Set-Backs

This Week’s Question: What kind of set-backs have you experienced when it comes to your sport?  Have you had an injury, financial issue or other stress that has interfered with your training and how did/do you handle it?

I am pretty lucky to not have had major injuries.  I have had a slight knee issue and a foot problem. In both cases, I just cut back my running and paid more attention to icing & stretching & ibuprofen. I know if I had to stop running for any length of time, I would be totally bummed.

Both boating and tennis have greatly impacted my running time. My hubby has so far been agreeable to let me work around our weekends on the boat & I have been able to squeeze in my training runs and my summer 5ks. I will also try this summer to schedule my long runs on Thursdays.

Tennis is another story.  I try to not run & play on the same day so my body doesn’t fall apart.  But sometimes I have to.  I also don’t play on many teams anymore and I have to explain to my friends why I want to run rather than play on their team.

My husband was forced to retire before we were financially ready so I have been conscious about the cost of races. Racing is important to me so I try to cut back on other things.

Last week update:

My goal was 13  miles and I ran 4 times for a total of  13  miles. YAY!!
I ran  a 5K race.(actually it was 3 mi) and had a BIG PR!!
I played tennis twice.

Goals for the next 2 weeks:

This week’s schedule:

Mon – tennis after work
Tues – tennis after work
Wed – leave for Naples, Fla
Thurs – tennis, beach
Fri – tennis, beach
Sat – tennis beach
Sun – tennis, beach

Next week’s schedule:

Mon – sightseeing
Tues – tennis, beach
Wed – return to Albany, NY
Fri –  mah jongg
Sat – my hubby’s b-day
Sun – my belated B-day dinner w/BF

This week’s running:

Tues – 3 mi before work
Thurs – 3  miles before tennis
Sat – 3  miles before tennis
Sun – 3 mil before tennis

Next week’s running:

Tues – 3  miles before tennis
Thurs – Workforce Challenge 3.5 mi Race
Sun – SPAC 5k race 
 
2 Week Running Goal = 21.5 miles 
May Monthly Running Goal = 60 miles, a race or 2 or 3 or 4

Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles

Happy Running! Florida here I come!

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Mother’s Day 5k Race Report

This is the 4th year that I have run this race.  That’s the most for any race!!! It is near my house and they give out great gifts!! It is a flat course, too.

My times have steadily improved – 40:43, 37:40, 33:08… but before this year, it was a 3 1/2 mile race. 

After I registered, they changed it to a 5K.  That’s odd. So I didn’t know how they changed the course. 

I was looking forward to this race since I know several women from the running group who were planning to run as well as my tennis friends.

Felice, Amanda & me after the race in 2010

with my tennis friends after the race in 2008

You can see from the photos that sometimes the weather is cold (2010) and sometimes it is hot (2008).

This year, the weather was beautiful – not too hot and not too cold!!

My goal was to beat my time from last week which was 29:45!!

My hubby dropped me off and went to visit his mom.  Iimmediately I bumped into my 2 tennis friends & snapped a pre-race pic.

me, Mary Pat & Pat

Then I found my running/blogging friends and took another pic.

Bridget, me, Felice, Amanda & Tami

Finally I found my running buddy, Mary and we headed to the start.

This was a flat course and the weather was perfect so this was my chance to have a great race. I decided to listen to Felice & just go for it the first mile and not worry about crashing & burning.

So I did.  My first mile was 8:49 and that’s with stopping to tie my shoe (yes, I do double knot them!!!)

They called out my time as 7:07 and at that point I was wondering if the course was correct…

looking strong

I slowed downed my 2nd mile & stopped for water so it was 9:04 which is still fast for me.

Still going...

I was ahead of Amanda & Bridget until the shoe lace incident and then was behind them for a long while. 

I passed them during mile 3 when I decided to pick up the pace and this mile was at 7:57.

Here we come!

According to my Garmin, I crossed at 25:51 but the clock said 25:54.

The problem is that it was NOT a 5K, the course was short – only 3 miles!!! (Now they’re saying 2.9 😦  )

Boo! Hiss!! Do I still get a PR??? My fastest 5k before this was also in Delmar – 27:30.

I am thrilled!! In my book, it’s a PR!!

Everyone else did great!! Especially Felice who came in 5th overall!! Amanda & Bridget PRed too.  Mary returning from injury finished 5 minutes faster than last week.

Bridget & Felice after the race

MaryPat & Pat after

After the race, I rushed off to pick up my mentee, Amanda & her son.  I really wanted to spend time with them today (since I don’t have kids of my own.)

 
We spent the rest of the afternoon in Washington Park for the Tulip Fest – admiring the flowers, playing on the rides, riding a pony, petting the goats, etc.
 

When I got home, my hubby & I went out for a light dinner & a drink to celebrate my birthday (with work & tennis tomorrow, no time!)

What a busy day!  I loved it all!

Happy Running! Happy Mother’s Day all!

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Diva Night

 Last night, Fleet Feet held its 4th annual Diva Night. I think I went to the lst one and wanted to reconnect with some running friends so I went this year, too.  I also feel a sense allegiance to the store because they gave me my start to running with the No Boundaries program.

I had a hair appt so I arrived an hour late. I had signed up on Facebook instead of rsvping via email so I wasn’t sure they’d let me in.  (A lot of people were turned away!!)

Well, I was on the list.  Phew!

They had champagne and healthy food – cheese, crackers & fruit.  Everyone who came got a Brooks makeup bag when they arrived and a bouquet of fresh flowers when they left.

I immediately bumped into Felice & Suzy, 2 local bloggers & runners.  I haven’t seen them in person since the running group ended its runs.  We had all done a half marathon since then & chatted about our experiences and future running plans.

Felice & I are chatting, Suzy is looking at the camera

I met my new “Fan” Liz in person.  She is excited about running her 1st race – the Freihofer’s in less than one month!

Throughout the evening, the called names of those who rsvped and you spun the wheel to win a prize.  I won 2 containers of Nuun.  (I’m a Gu fan so I’m a little skeptical about drinks. Anyone use Nuun???)

Felice wins a Brooks Shirt

I felt a little bad that they were so strict about rsvping because many who said they were coming and didn’t.  Several of my friends wanted to come and when they called, FleetFeet said it was full.

As far as running goes this week, I ran 3 miles after work and before tennis and the rain (without my garmin 😦 ) on Monday, 3.5 miles  and an episode of “Off the Map”on the treadmill at work (because it was raining) on Wed and this morning, I took my 1st pre-work run (3.5 miles) since we turned the clocks ahead. I have had a hard time getting out of bed & have been running after work. 

This run felt GREAT – it was in the 30’s so a little chilly at first but the sun warmed me up.  I need to get back in the habit of running early as the temps rise.

Next race is Sunday, a 5K!! I’m looking forward to it!!!!!!! It’s supposed to be dry… YAY!

Happy Running! TGIF!! 3 days until my B-day!

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Sean’s Run 5K Race Report

Another new race. There were several to choose from yesterday that were closer to my house (and flatter) but I thought that an extra day of rest for my legs would be a good thing.  Also my friend Mary promised to be there and run.

My race goals:

  • Run the whole thing
  • Finish under 30 minutes
  • Have fun!

The weather was predicted to be nice.  But you never know:

However, the weather report was right again.  Yesterday the weather was perfect. We hung out on Lake George with friends.

first boat ride of the season

 

where last weekend's half was held

 

Today was also a  beautiful sunny day and even warmer than yesterday.  I decided to wear my Half Marathon outfit!

The race was schedule to start at 1 pm.  (I prefer an early morning race!).  By 11 am, I was hungry but didn’t want to eat too much.  I had a Honey Milk & a banana.

I left early because I knew that it would be crowded. There were supposed to be about 1500 runners.

I got there around 12:30.  Just in time to watch Meghan’s Mile, a kids race. Boy were these kids fast.  The boy who won finished under 6 minutes and the girl winner just a little over 6 minutes.

Mary arrived around 12:45 and we snapped a pre-race photo.

She is recovering from a stress fracture & pneumonia and I warned her to take it easy!

It was very crowded.  We started in the middle of the pack but I started my Garmin when I crossed the starting line. 

cool pic from the Register Star

I immediately started weaving in and out of the crowd.  This was not an easy course and it was hot!  I tried to keep a good pace and was doing great until the steep hill after mile one. I starting slowing down, and was very warm & thirsty.  As a result I stopped for every water stop and there were like 5 or so.  I even had to stop and tie my shoe . UGH! I tried to run a little faster the last mile but again, it ended with a hill.  At least, I sprinted through the finish line. (watch me at 3:24 below:)

 

 

Garmin Time – 29:24

Splits:
Mile 1 – 9:14
Mile 2 – 9:43
Mile 3 – 9:27
.14 – 7:37

The official time was listed as 29:45.  I came in 4th in my Age Group (50-59).  Darn if I didn’t have to stop to tie my shoe, I may have gotten an award.

Anyway, I waited for Mary to cross so I could take her picture. I was so proud of her. She did great…she is on the road to recovery!!

They had a lot of food – apples, bananas, bagels, cookies, Greek yogurt but we opted for the free Stewarts ice cream cones. YUM!!!

All in all, I enjoyed this race.  I didn’t expect to PR and it was so nice to run outside in the warm weather.  I even got some sunburn.

On the way home, I took a detour through Washington Park.  Although the tulips will be in peak bloom for next weekend, the weather was so gorgeous (and rain is predicted for most of the week), I decided t stop to take some pics. And I took about 40!!

Happy Running! Hope you had a nice weekend of running!

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Welcome May!!

Rainy April is over tomorrow! YAY!!

Here’s the recap:

My Goals for April were:

  • 80 miles  – SUCCESS– I ran 83 miles!
  • a 5 mi race (my first) – SUCCESS ! (My longest non-walking run so far.)
  • Run my 2nd Half Marathon!!! – SUCCESS – It was cold and raining and I had a PR and won 2nd in my AG award

I also ran in 3 virtual races, won a case of Honey Milk and a My Run headband. I did yoga almost every Wed and played tennis 1-2x per week.

Now it’s time for May Flowers and my Birthday!!! And my annual spring tennis trip with the girls to Naples, Florida!!!

Goals for May!

  • 60 miles (hm training is over)
  • running 3-4 times per week (hm training is over)
  • a 5k race (finishing under 30 min. – hm training is over)

Yes, the consistent message is that my half marathon training is over for 2 months and I can run for pleasure and I can work on 5K speed.

Happy Running! Did I tell you my birthday is May 9?

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Back to 5Ks


Since last October, I have been training for 2 half marathons.  That means distance not speed.  I never thought I’d like it but I do. This comes from someone who has run about 50 5k races and said she would never run farther.

Since last October, I have only run five 5ks:

  • 11-11 -Valatie Veteran’s Run – 28:59
  • 11-25 -Bethlehem Towne Turkey Trot – 27:30 PR
  • 12-4 -Jungle Bell Run – 29:31
  • 12-18 -Albany Last Run 5K – 29:15
  • 3-26 -Run 4 Your Life 5k – 29:22

Look what’s coming:

  • 5-1 – Sean’s Run 5k – TOMORROW!!!
  • 5-8 -Mother’s Day 5K
  • 5-19 -CDPHP Workforce Challenge 3.5 m
  • 5-22 -SPAC Rock & Run 5K
  • 6-4 -Freihofers Run for Women 5k
  • 6-11 -Kinderhook OK 5K
  • 7-23 -Silks & Satins 5K*
  • 8-13 -Jailhouse Rock 5K*
  • Fasig Tipton 5K*
  • 9-10 –CRSS 5K*
  • 9-15 Schenectady ARC 5K*

*Then it’s back to half marathon training for my third on 9/25 and fourth on 11/6.

So how do I adjust?  How do I not succumb to PR pressure?

Happy Running! Good Luck to all those racing this weekend!

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Two (races) for Tuesday

1.


Finally my job has decided to enter this race. It is 3.5 miler and the course is similar to the Freihofers and Susan Komen races.  It’s on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 6:25 pm. (The day after I come back from my 8 day tennis vacation in Florida!!) There were 8,654 runners and 449 participating companies/organizations in the 2010 race!! Wow!

2.

There are so many 5k races this weekend – 4 on Sat and 3 on Sun, at least.  It was hard to choose. But I’ve registered for Sean’s Run that takes place this Sunday at 1:00 pm.  It’s a great cause, a big race numbers-wise (close to 2000) and my friend Mary may walk it.  (It has hills so this is good practice for me.) And I’m hoping for sunshine.

Happy Running!

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Jelly Bean Virtual Race

I signed up for the 5K which was perfect because my taper runs this week were scheduled to be 3 miles.

I am glad I am not a teacher because it is school break week and the weather has been horrible…cloudy, cold, rainy everyday!!!!!!!

Today was no different. It was nasty and raining on and off all day. 

I wore my usual capris, long sleeve shirt, windbreaker, cap and ran my after work loop.

Splits:

Mile 1- 11:08
Mile 2 -10:55
Mile 3 -10:28
.1 – 8:49

Time – 32:33

This was LAST taper run before my Half Marathon on Saturday so I tried to run at the same pace as I hope to during that race.

I was happy that my splits were negative and I didn’t get too wet.

Then off to yoga class I went.  I ❤ Yoga!!!!!!!!!

Happy Running! Still praying for good weather on Saturday!

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Virtual and Non-Virtual Races – Gotta Love Em!

Virtual Races

I love to compete in Virtual Races.  They are FREE!  It is motivating because once you sign up, you feel like you are accountable to run that distance. There is no pressure.  It doesn’t matter what your finishing time is.  You can fit it in whenever you have time. You discover NEW blogs.  And sometimes you can win a random prize just for entering. Below are two Virtual Races coming up:

 

CantaffordVM

Non – Virtual Races

I love to compete in Non Virtual Races even more.  They are not free but most of the entrance fees do go to charity and you get a teeshirt.  It is motivating because once you sign up, you feel like you have to TRAIN to run that distance. There is  pressure.  But that’s a good thing.   Under pressure is when I do my best running. They are scheduled so you have to organize your life and rearrange things. You meet other runners. You feel like you are part of a community that shares the same interest – racing.  And sometimes you can  even win some bling.  Below are some of the Non Virtual Races that I may run (the purple ones are definites):

  • 4-10-11 Delmar Dash 5mi
  • 4-23-11 Lake George  Half Marathon
  • 4-30-11 Great Mom’s 5-K Fun Run or YMCA 5k or St. John’s/St. Ann’s Center Spring Run-Off 5k/10k or Brink 5k  or 5-01-11 Sean’s Run 5k or Literacy 5k ??
  • 5-08-11 Mother’s Day Race (3.5 mi)
  • 5-19-11  CDPHP Workforce Challenge 3.5
  •  5-22-11 SPAC 5K Rock & Run
  •  6-4-11 Freihofer’s Run for Women
  •  6-11-11 Kinderhook Bank OK 5K
  •  6-27-11 35th Annual Adirondack Distance run (10Mi)???
  • 7-23-11 Silks & Satins 5k
  •  Fasig Tipton 5k –
  • 8-13-11  Jailhouse Rock 5K
  • 8-20-11 – New Visions 5K
  • 9-10-11 Capital Region Special Surgery Race for Hope 5K
  • 9-15-11 -Schenectady Arc 5k or Get Your Rear in Gear 5k
  • 9-23-11 Arensal City 5K   ??
  • 9-25-11 Adirondack Half Marathon
  • 10-01-11 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 
  • Falling Leaves 5K
  • 10-22-11 Great Pumpkin Challenge 10k
  • 11-11-11 Valatie Veteran’s Run
  • 11-24-11 Bethlehem Towne Turkey Trot 
  • 12-03-11 Jingle Bell Run
  • 12-17-11  Albany Last Run

    • Happy Running! Sign up for some races!!!

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    Run 4 Your Life 5k Race Report

    Another new race but in a location where I have run a 5k before (Cardiac Classic on Thanksgiving 2009). I haven’t run a 5K since December and I have had problems running with any speed. (Longer distances do that to you!!) I was lazy about my runs this past week. (I cut my 3.5 mi  to 1.5 and my 3 mi  to 2) So I had no idea how this would come off.  Unfortunately it was colder than it should have been this time of year too.


    I had the same dilemma as my last race.  Do I try to PR or do I save some energy to run 8 more miles after the race????????????

    So I did the same thing as my last race – run my fastest but be realistic about the results…

    It was 23 degrees when I left the house. I tried not to over dress because it was sunny.  I left behind my thermal gloves & hat and wore thin gloves, baseball cap, tights, shorts, a turtleneck, vest and a red fleece .   Red because this race was to raise money for heart disease.

    I got to the race about a 1/2 hour early. It was freezing!!!! It felt a lot colder because of the WIND! Luckily the pavilion in Central Park had 4 fireplaces where everyone was huddling to keep warm.

    Then we had to walk almost a mile (at least it seemed that way) to get to the start of the race and wait in the freezing cold.  There were  almost 600 runners in the race – a lot of firemen and a lot of young runners.

    I started out fast.  The first mile wasn’t as hilly as the 2nd & 3rd.  The course is pretty scenic but the hills weren’t fun and the WIND was a killer.  My hands didn’t thaw out til the 3rd mile.

    I wanted to run a good race but also I wished that I could PR.  However, I ran out of steam at the end. When I saw 29 minutes on the clock, I was disappointed but I ran as fast as I could — I did  not want to finish over 30 minutes!!

    Official time: 29:22  Pace – 9:27
    Place – 270
    2nd in AG (55-59)
    6th in AG (50-59)

    Splits (according to my Garmin):
    mile 1 – 9:16
    mile 2 – 9:54
    mile 3 – 9:33
    .1 – 6:48

    Not even close to a PR but on this same course in 2009, I finished in 30:12.

    I hung around for a little while.  There was soup, pizza, bagels, fruits, etc. They only gave awards (trophies) to first place in each 10 year age group. No hope there!

    after the race

     I was debating on where or not to add more miles to make today my long run day but I was too COLD!!!  It was still 23 degrees when I left.

    I called my hubby and we decided to go take pics of his plane (the one that was destroyed when the hangar collapsed from the snow).

    before

    Now

     To cheer ourselves up, we went to a boat show and then to Lake George and out to dinner.

    Tomorrow am I am subbing in a USTA tennis match. I hope to win this time.

    Then I am going to do my long run.  I haven’t decided if I am going to run 11 miles or just 8 (since I ran 3 today).  Maybe  it will be warmer and less windy!! One can hope!!!

    Where is spring???

    Happy Running!