November 3, 2012 by Darlene

Vitamin D Needed

With 2 broken bones in my ankle and a stress fracture within 9 months, I questioned my doctor about why this happened? He first asked: “Have you had a bone scan?” I replied that I had and it was normal. Then he said: “No one in the Northeast gets enough Vitamin D.”

Since then I have started taking a Calcium with Vitamin D supplement every morning.

However, sunshine is my preferred source of Vitamin D.

Blue Tree resort in Orlando Fla.

A tennis friend won 8 days at this Orlando resort in December (Dec 8-15) and invited 3 of us to go. Unfortunately, it is during exam week at the law school. But I am going to try to go for 4 days (if my boss oks it.)

Daytona Beach, Fla

Last year our best boating friends moved to Daytona Beach. My hubby & I may visit them for a few days in January (around Martin Luther King Day).

Sarasota Fla

Last summer one of my close tennis friends moved to Sarasota. I also have 2 mah jongg friends that vacation there in the winter. I am definitely going March 12-18. And if things work out I will run a half marathon there on March 17!!

Naples Fla

For the 8th spring, 10 of us are spending a week playing tennis in Naples. The projected dates this year are: May 15-22.

So there you have it … my plans for an increased source of Vitamin D until boating season starts in June.

Happy Running! Do you worry about getting enough Vitamin D?

November 2, 2012 by Darlene

Five Foto Friday

I am still basking in the glow of my last 5k race. Hopefully it won’t be my last 5K race.

the Runners World 5k is about to begin…

And we’re off…

Uh oh…this may hurt…

Happy to be running inspite of the pain

sprinting to the finish …hoping to break my wounded 5k PR

Happy Running! Enjoy your weekend!

October 26, 2012 by Darlene

DNSing

I have never DNFed a race. (Knock on wood!)

I have DNSed several times. The first time in Oct 2008, I was too sick to go. The 2nd time in Oct 2009 because it was raining and the 3rd time in 2010, I arrived at the race and was too sick to run. All were for the Great Pumpkin Challenge in Saratoga. (This race was last weekend so I may have had a 4th DNS.)

I have since then become tougher. Or maybe more stubborn. Or maybe I have a higher pain threshold. Or just plain stupid!

When I broke my left ankle last December, I had only registered for one future race – the Freihofer’s and I DID IT (against the advice of all drs, pts & friends).

Freihofer’s – 1st run 5 mos after broken ankle

When my right foot started hurting, I had already registered for FIVE races. I have run two of them (Susan Komen and the Runners World 5ks). Both took place before the actual diagnosis.

5k finisher with a stress fracture

So I have three left that I have already registered for:

Fall FRUN 10K on November 4

Albany Last Run 5K on December 15

First Watch Half Marathon in Sarasota, Fla on March 17

Obviously, my boot will make me DNS for the Fall FRUN 10k (but I will show up to grab my $25 shirt.)

I was planning on the Stockade-athon 15K but since I didn’t sign up, I think I will volunteer.

I am really hoping that I can run/walk the Last Run (that’s 10 wks post injury) and I am really really really hoping that I can run/walk the First Watch Half.

I HATE TO DNS!!

Happy Running! How did you feel about DNSing? Have you done it much?

October 21, 2012 by Darlene

Runners World 5k Report

Oct 20-21 in Bethlehem, PA

On a rainy Friday, I left on the Megabus for NYC. Unfortunately we got stuck in traffic and I arrived there late. Then I had to quickly walk almost 20 blocks to Port Authority to catch a second bus to PA.

Ouch…ouch…achy foot. It’s fine unless I walk on it. Yeah, right. How can I race?

I missed the bus that I planned to take but there was one a half hour later. My friend’s hubby picked me up at the bus station and I thought it rude to ask to take me to the expo to pick up my bib.

During a delicious dinner, we planned the next day. Despite my achy foot, I wanted to do the race. I wanted to finish under 47 minutes and get my medal.

pot roast – yum! I wasn’t carb loading so I didn’t need pasta…

So the plan was to get there at 7 am, get my bib and do the race. I said would walk it but run enough of it to finish under 15 min miles.

My friend hates getting up early but her hubby was supportive. As it turned out, they both dropped me off and then they went out to breakfast.

line for the bibs…still kinda dark out

I must say that the race atmosphere was electric. There was music, lots of famous racers and RW folks.

a view near the start

I immediately bumped into runningskirts.com ladies and took a photo with them since I was wearing my skirt.

me feeling short with the Running Skirts ladies

There were about 1500 runners but it was so well organized. Lots of signs, volunteer staff, even real bathrooms.

another view near the start

The weather was perfect for running …sunny, no wind, temp in the 50s. I was chilly in my short sleeve pink top (honoring breast cancer awareness day) but as soon as I started the race, I immediately got warm.

Am I ready for the race!?

waiting…

And we started. I was in the middle and of course I started running immediately. My plan was to take it slow and not have pain and I continue to run. I did walk a little. The first mile had a big hill but after that the course was nice. I took in all the sights and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I knew that I could finish under 47 minutes.

there were over 1500 in this race – 6000 total for the weekend that also included a 10k and a half marathon (800 did all 3 races)

And I did. I wasn’t last. I even sprinted through the finish. My friend was waiting there. And everyone got a medal.

5k finisher!

Yes, my time was sloooow. 5 minutes slower than my wounded 5k 2 weeks ago. But I did it and I was happy that I did.

the swag – 1st time with my name on my bib!

My foot hurt a lot after but again when I don’t use it, the pain disappears. I would have liked to go to the expo but I just picked up my shirt and limped to the car.

I know that I have to find out what is wrong even it means NO running for a long time.

The rest of weekend was totally relaxing. My friends were wonderful hosts. We chatted, laughed, even got some reading done (finished The Weird Sisters). We drove around the area to show me the sights, we went to an Amish farmers market, saw an awesome production of Gypsy, ate great food, even went to a wine tasting festival at a country club.

picking out dessert at the Amish bakery at the Allentown Farmers Market

beautiful foliage at the Bear Creek Mountain Resort

enjoying the wine tasting festival

I left this morning by bus. I had 3 hours to kill in NYC. Normally I would be excited since the weather was great but I couldn’t walk well. I wound up doing some shoe shopping (like I really need shoes??), had lunch in Bryant Park and slowly limped to my bus.

Bryant Park in NYC getting ready for Christmas

Now back to real world. Tomorrow I have an appt with my foot doctor!!!

Happy Running! Hope you had a nice weekend!

October 17, 2012 by Darlene

Newton, the Foot & the Weekend

Yesterday, FleetFeet offered a workshop on Running Naturally sponsored by Newton. If you were injured and not running, would you go to a running workshop?

Well, I did!

I bumped into fellow SRM, Melissa, there too. It was nice to see her. They gave us Newton running shoes to try on. They felt very weird at first. But soon got very comfortable.

I actually tried the orange Motion Performance ones

The Newton rep explained about the shoe and why they are different.

Newton Running shoes are designed with a minimal “drop” – or height difference – between the height of the heel and the ball of the foot. A more level-to-the-ground platform positions you to support a natural running motion.

Our feet are sensitive and brilliantly designed to ensure that we step efficiently and lightly. Unfortunately, highly cushioned shoes often obstruct this communication with the ground. Enter our biomechanical sensor plate, which allows you to sense the ground so you can stride more efficiently and lightly – some might even say intelligently, the way nature intended.

Then we went out to run…yes, run!!

I hadn’t run since the Komen race. My foot hurt a lot this past Sunday but amazingly, it stopped hurting Sunday night. In fact, I was walking normally and even wore shoes to work yesterday. My achy foot was replaced by a painfully tight calf muscle (from biking, perhaps???) But I haven’t run…the real test for the foot.

The Newton rep gave us some cool running drills…many making us lift our knees high. I was nervous but did them. Luckily we only had to run across the parking lot and back. Yes, I realized that my foot wasn’t 100% and it is not healed but it is definitely better than before.

They gave us all tee-shirts and many folks then bought some Newtons. I definitely like them… A lot. Though, I may try the stability ones rather the neutral ones. However now, it seems ridiculous to buy new shoes when you are injured. If I am going to spend the money, I want to be able to run with them.

Now about the upcoming weekend.

Oct 20-21 in Bethlehen, PA

In a weak moment when I was injured, I read about this in a RW magazine.

Why Bethlehem, PA?

From its role in shipbuilding to its pioneering work on that staple of skyscraper construction, the I-beam, to its supplying armor plating during both world wars, the significance of Bethlehem Steel cannot be overstated. Because of this, it seemed natural to choose the refurbished Bethlehem Steel Mill and ArtsQuest SteelStacks campus as headquarters for our inaugural Half & Festival. That’s where you’ll find our Health and Fitness Expo, our seminars, and our film screenings. And of course, the 5-K, 10-K, and half-marathon races will all finish under a flaming arch right in the thick of it, alongside Bethlehem Steel’s huge, awe-inspiring blast furnaces.

And my high school BFF Nancy lives nearby. So I signed up!!! I wanted to do the half marathon but I cautiously registered for the 5K. I almost switched to the 10K after I ran one in August. (Glad I didn’t.)

So right now, I shouldn’t be running yet. It would be stupid to try. So I emailed my friend to see if she even remembered that I was coming. Maybe I would just not go.

Well, she said that she was looking forward to my visit and even bought tix for us to see Gypsy on Sat eve and to go to a wine tasting on Sunday. So Allentown, Pa, here I come (by bus!)

Nancy is the one on the left.

The race??

Saturday, 6:30–7:30 a.m. – Race-Day Bib Pickup at the Expo
8 a.m. – Race Start

It starts at 8am…and it looks like a very crowded event!!! My friend is not a runner nor is she a morning person. Yikes!

But I can walk it, right? You get a medal for just finishing! Guess what?

Course Time Limit – The 5-K course will be open for 47 minutes (15-minute miles). Runners who are traveling with a clock time of 47 minutes or longer will be asked to move to the sidewalk.

Walking a 5k usually takes me about 60 minutes and running 30 minutes. This means if I do it, I’ve got to run/walk it. And hope my foot doesn’t get any worse….

Here’s the description of the course:

The 5-K course takes runners through Bethlehem’s eclectic South Side, packed with cool eateries, coffee shops, and music houses. With a fast start along 1st Street, the course makes a 90-degree turn up Webster Street. This begins the only significant hill on the course, which ends at the gates of Lehigh University and runs past the gothic 1929 Packard Laboratory, named after James Ward Packard, one of the inventors of the Packard automobile. A quick downhill brings you back to 3rd Street, and you will drop into the Bethlehem Steel complex and pass by the company’s former headquarters. There is a quick downhill turn past the Sands Casino, which has the only remaining massive ore cranes at its front door, then it’s on to the finish just past the flaming arch in front of ArtsQuest—a modern movie and music venue that promotes arts and culture, nestled in the heart of the former Bethlehem Steel complex. You’ll hit the only significant hill in the 5-K course about a mile in. After that, it’s all downhill!

As it stands now, I plan to take the Megabus to NYC on Friday & then the bus to PA. (I hope to talk my friend into stopping by the Expo to pick up my bib.) If my friend is cooperative, I will do the 5K to the best of my ability. If not, I will ~~brood~~ enjoy the rest of the weekend with a good friend and return home by bus on Monday.

Happy Running!

October 14, 2012 by Darlene

Spectating At a Duathlon

I encouraged AJH to do this because I could go watch. I didn’t know at the time that I would be injured. I just planned on racing on Sat and spectating on Sunday.

According to the website, this is the course:

Athletes will begin with a 2.2 mile run on a fast, flat section of Canal Rd., then turn left on Whites Lane to climb the run course’s one big hill. At the top of the hill, runners turn left to continue on a flat and downhill course back to the transition area. The same course will be repeated after the bike. Bikers turn left out of Krause’s driveway onto Canal Road to warm up their legs on the flats before a right turn onto Clamsteam Road, a steep incline. At the top of the hill, they turn left on Riverview Road, crossing over the interstate and putting down a few flat, fast miles on Riverview Road. They then continue on a scenic loop of rolling hills, river views, and beautiful countryside for a total of 16 miles

I have run that course and am familiar with the area. I wasn’t sure that my achy foot would handle what I had originally planned but I decided to give it a shot.

The forecast was for cold and rainy. And it was rainy. It varied from a drizzle to a downpour. For once, I didn’t have runner’s envy. I hate running in the rain.

I found AJH immediately after I arrived. She was with a friend (they drove 3 hours for this race!) and she was deciding what to wear.

with AJH before the race

There were about 90 racers. I’m sure there would have been more if the weather cooperated. Believe it or not, some people actually signed up today.

In addition to AJH, I bumped into a friend’s son who was racing, the one who did the Ironman Lake Placid with a broken collar bone.

Ironman Jeff

I waited until the race started before I left the starting/finish area.

AJH is waiting for the race to start

Then I slowly walked (limped) out to the road.

off they go

Yes, my foot hurt when I walked on it. (A dr visit is on tap for this week.) But I wanted to watch the racers on the course. Unfortunately, when I zoom in on my camera, it turns off. So my pictures are not close up.

AJH is finishing her lst 2.2 mile run

I was appropriately dressed with a raincoat, gloves & umbrella. I felt sorry for the WET racers.

AJH did great. She was 73rd after the first leg. Unfortunately, it was raining the hardest during the bike leg.

finishing her 16 mile ride in the rain

But she seemed to gain ground. There were even more bikers coming in after her than runners.

Finally the last stretch was a run and I walked toward the finish area to see her come in.

Here she is heading to the finish line

She finished around 1:50:00. Pretty impressive!

Too bad the weather was so awful. The course is very scenic. And if AJH does it next year, I hope to be able to get some running in in addition to spectating.

After the race, it was still raining so we went our separate ways. I am sure she headed to Target and I stopped at the grocery store to buy the ingredients for chili (chili cook-off at work tomorrow).

Happy Running! Anyone have a race this weekend?

October 7, 2012 by Darlene

Injury Update, Race Spectating and Quilting

Last week, Dr Google said Extensor Tendonitis, this week, it says Metatarsal Stress Fracture.

I need to get off the computer or I will go nuts.

Anyway, it felt worse this morning but the more I stay off of it, the better it feels. At least I still have my boot & crutches, if I need them.

I got a sub for my Monday tennis and my Tuesday tennis. I do not plan to run all this week. I will not race next weekend.

If it still hurts next week, I will go to the doctor. So that’s the plan. IT SUCKS!!!

This morning, I went to watch the runners finish the Mohawk Hudson Half marathon. I stood about a 1/2 mile before the finish line. I saw quite a few people I know. I was too busy screaming at them to take photos. I did see the winner of the full marathon.

he finished in 2 1/2 hours !!!

It was perfect running weather and this is a great course. I so wanted to be running. My hubby thinks I should quit as do my non-running friends. I WILL NOT!!!

Then I headed up north again. I stopped off at our marina. My hubby was there putting our boat away for winter (so sad… but now my weekends are free for long runs… 😦 )

After that stop, I continued to Chestertown. Several weeks ago, after a race, I signed up for a quilting class. (Did I have ESP that I would soon have lots of free time…)

Anyway, it took my mind off things for a few hours.

this is the lst of 12 applique blocks (I hope mine looks like this…)

Afterwards, I got myself a pity treat.

pumpkin ice cream – yum!

The plan had been to do a long run on the new loop that I discovered last weekend. Instead I drove it.

Schroon River

and stopped for a few pics. I won’t be back till next year.

Happy Running! Send some quick healing vibes my way!!

October 6, 2012 by Darlene

Komen Race for the Cure Race Report

This my 5th time running this 5K race. My times have been: 32:49, 31:15: 29:10 and 29:49.

But really, who cares? It is such an emotional race. Everyone there knows someone who has had or died from breast cancer. Many are survivors themselves.

the official tee shirt

I feel foolish worrying about my foot. Tendonitis is not life threatening. I am fortunate to be healthy.

The weather was pretty dreary when I left my house. Being on a team, I had to wear the team heavy cotton tee shirt (ugh!).

this is the back – it is blue with pink lettering

I parked my car at work (to avoid the crowds) and walked the mile to where the race began. After resting my foot since Tuesday, it felt pretty good – not 100% but hopefully it would not get worse.

But as I walked, my foot started to hurt…not a good sign. It also got warmer and even the sun was peeking out.

I got there early to meet my friend, MaryPat and her niece Courtney.

before the race

We then headed out to the start. I moved to the front (out from under the overpass) trying to get a signal on my Garmin. It took a long time and finally got one seconds before the race started.

I have run this same course 9x. It starts uphill and ends downhill with many inclines around and through the park.

I felt uncomfortable from the start. I was hot. My foot was hurting. But I just kept going.

In fact, I didn’t stop at all. Not even for water. This is the first 5k since returning from my ankle injury that I didn’t stop.

I wanted to. My ankle hurt. My good foot hurt more. I saw a friend that I used to work with who has CF and is in and out of the hospital. She cheered me on in the park twice. So I kept running. I ran for her in hope that she will find a match for a lung transplant.

Finally I saw the finish line and I had little left. I crossed around 30:50 or so. Not bad considering…

my splits

I waited for my friends to cross. I didn’t get their pics but got one of someone else from my team.

someone from the AHN team (in blue) heading to the finish line

This is the first race that I have run injured. It is the first race that I regret running. After the race, I could barely walk and I had to limp over a mile to my car…ugh! (The only good thing was that it didn’t start raining until I got to my car.)

Ice and ibuprofen have helped and I feel better but am still bummed about being injured!!!

finished 654 out of 1496 and 12th in my AG

Happy Running! Good luck to all those racing this weekend! Anyone else stupidly run a race while injured?

October 5, 2012 by Darlene

Weather, Injury and Race Goals

It rained all last weekend and most of this week (except today.) The forecast for this weekend is no better.

weekend forecast

Normally, I would be so annoyed … especially since I never run in the rain. But it has actually been a blessing. I was not tempted to run. I rested Wed & Thurs and normally I would have run 3 miles each day.

Today my foot feels much better…maybe because I have not run on it.

Oct 6, 2012 in Albany, NY

I am still on the fence about tomorrow’s race (it is supposed to be rainy and cold!). But most likely, I will do it. (I joined a team and I am meeting a friend there.)

At this point in my ankle recovery, I would have hoped to run faster… to finish under 30 minutes, etc.

Now with my new injury, I am hoping to run it without pain, not to aggravate my right foot so I can continue my running next week and after that.

So we’ll see how it goes.

Happy Running! Any racing this weekend? Good luck to all those SRMs running in the Mohawk Hudson Marathon or Half Marathon on Sunday!!!