May 30, 2013 by Darlene

May Update and June Goals

Unfortunately, this was a low mileage month.

MAY GOALS UPDATE —

Continue to run regularly (outdoors unless it is raining then on the treadmill at work). YES! 3-4x each week for at least 3 miles

one of my favorite routes = Washington Park

Continue to fit in tennis & yoga in my schedule (once per week). YES (did yoga weekly except when on vacation & then I played tennis)

played tennis for 7 days in a row!

Take a lunch break – we get an hour but I eat at my desk – now that the weather is nice I should go for a walk – Not exactly but I have been walking 1 mile in the morning and 1 mile in the afternoon with a co-worker (on some days). She is diligent about taking her breaks!

Get up early and do some runs before work. YES I have been running once or twice a week before work – prefer it, too.
Eat healthy & keep a reasonable weight. Not exactly – birthdays, vacations, etc.
Don’t let my running schedule take over – make time for family and friends (and mentees). YES.

Add longer runs on the weekend with the goal being a 10 mile race in June. Not exactly – I only ran more than 3 once and that was last weekend (6 miles).
Run at least one race. YES. Ran two 5ks.

Mother’s Day 5K

Run several times during my tennis vacation in Florida. YES, Ran 3x!!

during one of my 3 mile runs

De-clutter the running gear – go through clothes and get rid of those tops & shorts that don’t fit or I don’t wear. Yes. I could do some more but it was a start.

My goals are getting pretty boring but I want goals that that are achievable and relevant so here they are my GOALS for June:

Continue to run at least 3 times per week.

Go for at least 5 walks per week while at work

Get up early and do some runs before work.

Return to doing a plank a day.

Lose some of those vacation pounds.

Run longer (at least 5 miles) once per week.

Run at least two races.

Run more total miles than in May.

Happy Running! How was your May? Any interesting goals set for June?

May 29, 2013 by Darlene

My Next and Favorite 5K

2013 shirt…I think it goes with the skirt I wore for the Sarasota Half

Will I be on the first page of the sports section again?

that’s me 2nd from left (2010)

me again in the purple (2012)

I should be running long and not racing a 5K. (I have a 10 mile race is a few weeks and am going to NYC on Sunday.)

But for the 6th time, I am running this race. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

The Freihofer Run for Women is my favorite race:

It is ALL women – all ages – all sizes – veterans – newbies – elites – walkers
It is a real USATF race with Olympic runners in it.
It feels so good to be a part of its excitement.
The results are printed in the local newspaper and even though I finish around 2000, I am happy if I finish in the top half.
You always meet someone you know.
Running it in 2008 made realize that I that I could be a runner.
Being part of other runners’ first 5k in 2010 made me proud.
2011 was my FRW PR year.
Finishing it in 2012 helped me believe that I could be a runner again.
It ends with a downhill 🙂
Maybe I’ll make the newspapers again…

In such a crowded race, it is impossible to have time goal. But finishing under 30 minutes would make me happy.

Happy Running! Do you have a favorite race?

May 28, 2013 by Darlene

Back on Track

Because I work, I need to schedule all my runs to make myself accountable. I used to each Monday post an update of the previous week and then plan the current week. I have not done that since APRIL 7!!

I got off track during the A-Z blogging challenge and then my birthday and of course, vacation but now I am back…..

week-in-review11-1s6ozv2

Last 2 Weeks’ Update:

8 day tennis vacation starting Wed!

Mon – rest
Tues – 3 mile run
Wed – rest – fly to Naples
Thurs – tennis
Fri – 3 mile run, tennis
Sat – rest
Sun – 3 mile run, tennis

running on vacation = hard to fit in

Mon – tennis
Tues – tennis
Wed – 3 mile run, tennis, fly home from Naples
Thurs – rest
Fri – 4 miles (TM), mah jongg
Sat – rest
Sun – 6 mile run

2 1/2 of tennis = ?? miles

This coming week:

Monday – rest, boating
Tuesday – 4 mile run
Wednesday – 3 mile run
Thursday – 3 mile run, Mother Runner party at Fleetfeet
Friday – mah jongg
Saturday – 5K race (+ 4??)
Sunday – trip to NYC

Happy Running! Do you schedule your runs?

May 13, 2013 by Darlene

Lacking the Long Run Motivation

Ever since my March half marathon, I have been trying to get my speed back. As a result, I have been racing 5Ks and mostly running 3 miles with an occasional 4 or 5 miler thrown in.

I definitely feel more confident about my speed (although it isn’t or may never be totally back).

So now, I need to run longer.

And I can’t find the motivation!!

I have a 10 mile race on June 23 and a 15K on July 28. I also have a Half Marathon on October 13.

The problem is that I can’t find the time on the weekends!!

It is easy to squeeze in 3 miles and then do other things. Long runs take time!

can only spend time with Amanda & her sons on the weekend.

the boating season is too short and too expensive not to take advantage of it every weekend that the weather is nice (it is the one thing my hubby & I do together …)

I guess that’s why I usually run 5ks in the summer and train for long races in the winter.

In the meantime, I am going to have to get creative about fitting in the long runs this summer – take mornings off from work, run after work, etc. (and the weather better cooperate!!)

But I will not get injured by running a long race untrained.

Happy Running! Anyone else have the long run motivation blues??

May 12, 2013 by Darlene

Mother’s Day 5K Race bRUNch Report

This race was advertised to have chocolate fountains and mimosas – can’t beat that!

photo from last year’s

As I mentioned before, it used to be held near my house and they gave out phenominal bling but when attendance declined they moved to Schenectady. Last year, I wasn’t running so this is my first year running this race in its new location.

Felice, Amanda & me after the race in 2010

Felice, Amanda & me in 2010

me, Mary Pat & Pat in 2011

I have run two 5k races in this park so I know that it has some hills but nothing too bad. I finished one in 2010 at 30:13 and one in 2011 at 29:22 so I had hoped to be in this general range. My tennis friend MaryPat said she would run it with me (but she’s not that dependable). I have a mah jongg friend, Bev, also who planned to be there. Originally rain was in the forecast but that has changed. It was cloudy and cooler.

cooling trend

I must admit that I felt very sluggish when I got up in the am. I definitely should have gone to bed earlier and skipped the creme brulee at dinner last night.

I had picked up my race shirt and bib yesterday so there was no need to rush to the race.

I had my usual breakfast and decided to wear the race shirt since it was the same color as the shirt I was going to wear and grabbed a jacket (just in case).

The race was in Central Park and there are a lot of places to park but I followed someone in and wound up parking in a new great spot (right across from the start line) that I never knew about.

ready to run!

I immediately found my friend MaryPat.

Then I bumped into Bev and introduced her to Mary.

Soon the race began. At this point the sun was in and out and it was warm. But there were ominous clouds overhead.

As usual, I started near the front but quickly the fast ladies sped by me. My legs felt really heavy and I thought I was running very slow but I actually wasn’t.

at the beginning

passing the pond

The course was pretty nice, you ran around the duck pond and through the woods and ended back at the pavilion. (It was different than the course I ran here previously.)

cute mile markers

As was my last race, this race was a long 5K – at least 3.2 miles. Oh well. As with the my last race, I really tired during mile 2 and then got some energy back at the end.

pretending not to be tired

happy to see the end

According to my Garmin, I finished at 29:37. I think the official results said 29:38. Under 30 minutes – I was pleased. After you crossed, they handed you a rose:

By this point, the wind had picked up, it was starting to drizzle and the temps had dropped almost 10 degrees – brrrr!

a fire in May but a welcome site

I grabbed my jacket and went back to watch Mary cross.

we are done!

Then we went to get food…the best post-race food I have seen lately. In addition to cookies, bagels, bars, pastries, bananas, chocolate milk, etc

mimosas (minus the champagne)

chocolate fountain with pretzels and fruit for dipping

donuts

As I was about to leave, I glanced at the race results and saw that I had won first in my Age Group! Hooray for a new age group!

I won a potted rose bush

I was happy! What a surprise!

Race Stats:

finished 51 out 148

Splits:

mile 1: 9:09
mile 2: 9:40
mile 3: 9:24
.2: 8:13

Now I am taking a race break … my next one is’t until June 1 – the Freihofer’s Run for Women.

Happy Running! How did you spend your Mother’s Day?

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?

May 9, 2013 by Darlene

New Age Group

So that’s one good thing about getting older!

Love this quote too:

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Mark Twain

And this:

Also this Jimmy Buffet song:

As far as running goes, over the past 5 years, I have run:

over 70 5K races
several 3.5, 4 and 5 mile races
one 10K race
one 15K race
6 half marathons

(Even a strained achilles, broken ankle, foot stress fracture didn’t stop me… well, at least not for long)

first half marathon

Half marathon #6 (2 years later)

I’m growing older but not up.
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck.
So let the winds of change blow over my head.
I’d rather die while I’m living then live while I’m dead.
~Jimmy Buffet

I don’t plan to stop running any time soon! My 5k times may get slower but I still think I can improve my Half Marathon times. I will run until it stops being fun. (Check out this article on Kathy Martin, age 61)

yup. that’ll be me (but not for a while!!)

So…

#60

Happy Running! Thanks for stopping by! How do you feel about getting older?

May 5, 2013 by Darlene

Literacy 5K Race Report

I need to run long.

I love to race.

I shouldn’t spend the money.

Races make me run better.

I could sleep late.

I won’t have to run alone.

These are the thoughts that run through my brain every weekend.

So I had decided that since I raced 3 Sundays in a row and I have a race next Sunday that I would skip this one.

Then someone posted in Fb asking if anyone was running this race.

And you can guess the rest of the story.

I ran this race 3 years but don’t remember much about it other than it was a little hilly (and a very hot, humid day) and I finished in 30:45 (despite walking many times).

My goal for this race was to reverse this trend:

28:49
29:17
30:31

That means I hope to finish faster than 30:31 and then maybe run some more miles after on the bike trail.

The weather was perfect …warm and sunny. I didn’t have any Mexican looking outfit but I wore what I could find with red, white & green (the shirt from my Santa Clarita Half in Calif.)

The race started at 10 am but I arrived early to get parking and my bib. I was also hoping to see someone I knew. None of my friends were there but I did see a few familiar faces. It was a little chilly but I knew I would warm up as soon as the race began (and I was right.)

There were about 200 runners and the course was quite winding – in and out of the cul-de-sacs of the Rensselaer Tech Park. It started with a downhill but after that it seemed that you were running up hill – not steep hills – just long ones.

There was one water stop but though tempting I passed it by. I barely glanced at my Garmin but I knew that my first mile was too fast and that I was slowing down.

I finally looked at my watch when it beeped for mile 3 and saw that my time was really good… so I sped up.

The problem was that it took longer than I thought to cross the finish line. I am sure the clock said 29:58 when I crossed and I stopped my Garmin which said 29:59.

But the course was long – 3.22 miles. Everyone agreed. Most of the runners were complaining. My time was posted as 30:01.

I was still pleased and felt I ran a good race.

After the race, they gave out those ugly cotton tee-shirts and the only refreshments were orange slices.

Although I am still 4 days away from the next age group, that’s where I was put and this time I did better in this group. I came in 2nd (missed first by 1 second.)

They, however, only gave out awards for 1st in each AG.

Oh well, at least I met my goal of finishing faster than my last race and at the correct distance I did finish under 30 minutes.

Race Stats:

finished 80 out 195
2nd in AG (6th in correct AG)

Splits:

mile 1: 9:01
mile 2: 9:56
mile 3: 9:33
.2: 8:30

As always, I love to race and am glad I did but I don’t think I’ll do this one again.

I had hoped to run more miles afterward but I was tired and I had plans to spend the rest of the rest with my mentee and her sons.

Happy Running! Do you have the Run vs Race dilemma?

May 3, 2013 by Darlene

A-Z is Over … Back to Whining … I Mean Running

I loved doing the A-Z Challenge – so much fun trying to think of something to post about each day. Most of the time I naturally related the post to running. But sometimes not.

So now it’s back to race goals, training updates, 2 for Tuesday, 3 things Thursday, etc.

This is what I currently need:

In December, I finished a post-injury 5k in 35:25. Then in March, I shocked myself (and my new Newtons) in finishing a 5k in 28:49!! (A confidence booster for sure.)

So in my mind I was back and I would be getting faster with each race.

WRONG!

I finished the Lake George 5k in 29:17 (ok, it was hiller) and then Sean’s Run in 30:31 (ok, I had a nose bleed).

So my 5K times has gotten SLOWER not faster:

28:49
29:17
30:31

I know I said that my times wouldn’t matter as long as I could run again. But they do!!

Happy Running! Are you speed-obsessed?

May 2, 2013 by Darlene

Running is About Community

I am fortunate to be part a Running Group (Strong Running Mamas).

It started as a small group by The Happy Runner who wanted to encourage some friends to start running.

Janis, Jen, Bridget, Jen, Felice, Lisa & me after the run

May 2010

Boy did she! They started running for 1 minute and 2 years later they completed a marathon!!! (They even motivated me to run a half marathon!)

June 2011

The group keeps growing! Now it is on Facebook and I think there are about 120 members. Women in this local running community seek advice, plan runs together, etc. But more importantly, they support each other.

When I broke my ankle last year, they chipped in and sent me a gift card. I was so touched!

with Amanda – June 2010

Recently, a group of us all pooled money together to pay for one of the SRM’s entry into the NYC Marathon. This runner has had some physical & emotional setbacks this past year which had prevented her from running.