Races

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What’s the Plan, Stan?

Gotta have a plan, right?

  • June – WALK
  • July – RUN
  • August – RUN MORE
  • September – 5K
  • October – 10K
  • November – 15K
  • December – RUN LONG
  • January – Half Marathon!!!

January 13, 2013 or 1-13-13 (lucky 13?)

Well I may be overly optimistic since I haven’t started running outside yet. But my 6 month injury anniversary is June 29 and I’ve had enough!!!

 The worst case scenario is that I walk the races.  Even the Palm Coast allows walkers (if you can finish under 4 hrs).

Happy Running!  Do you plan ahead?  How far?

 

 

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Recovery Monday

Not from running … but

  • from a day in NYC
  • and a day on the lake….
  • from nervously tracking my marathon running friends (and THEY ALL DID GREAT!! WooHoo!)
  • and from trying to get things done at work so I can leave tomorrow for my 8 day vacation

Here are the highlights from the weekend:

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Happy Running!  How was your weekend?

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An Exciting Weekend Coming Up

No –I am not racing. (Now that would be beyond exciting.)

I know many local runners racing this marathon: Felice, Tami, Melissa, Elisa, Bridget, Janis, Karen, Gail and Mary.  For Bridget & Janis, this will be their first. SO EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!

Felice & Elisa

Tami, Janis & Bridget

Mary B.

 GOOD LUCK GIRLS!! I’ll be tracking you!

I won’t be racing but I will be spending the weekend with my favorite Russian – Anna.

me & Anna

 On Saturday I am taking the Megabus to NYC to see her. She has been working in NYC this past week. We have plans to eat lunch at Gordon Ramsey‘s restaurant, the Maze. (Anna works in real estate in Moscow and is a Master chef).

I always look at the desserts first

After lunch we are going to see Ricky Martin on Broadway in Evita.

 Anna is coming home with me and we will spend Sunday together.  My plans for her stay will not be elaborate as the day in NYC but it will be fun.

cruise on Lake George is planned

Happy Running!  Any exciting plans for the weekend?

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My First Un-Race

Right before my injury, I paid for this race:

The normal registration price is $40 so I wanted to take advantage of the early discount of $25.  And since this is one of my favorite races, I decided to splurge and buy the medal.

This would have been my FIFTH Freihofer’s Run for Women – the race that I’ve run the most.

the 2011 running group and then some

So…… I hope to be walking without pain by then… (21 weeks post surgery…maybe even running a few steps?????)

Do I bite my tongue and do it as a WALK or Un-Race?? And get my first Freihofer’s medal for a finish of more than 60 minutes?? (Last year the slowest was 75 min so I hope to beat that.)

Suzy wearing last year’s tech shirt

Sure…why not?  I paid for it and I ‘ll get a cool tech tee-shirt and chocolate chip cookies.  Next year I will try to beat my 28:14 finish time.

Happy Running!  Have you ever walked a whole race?

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Things Happen For a Reason

When I planned our annual tennis trip last fall, I thought Mother’s Day was May 6 so being away May 8-15 wouldn’t be a problem.

On Mother’s Day:

  • I run one of my favorite races: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008
  • I celebrate my birthday.
  • I go to the annual Tulip Fest in Washington Park.

Guess what?  I am missing Mother’s Day this year.

Not to worry…

They moved the race. It is no longer run nearby.

  • I am injured and not running 😦
  • The race is not in Delmar as it had been for 31 years.  They used to give away awesome schwag but the sponsorship has changed also.
  • I will celebrate my birthday with Anna & my hubby on May 6 and then on May 9 with my friends in Florida.
  • Due to the warm winter, the tulips will most likely be gone by May 13.   I have already seen them several times in full bloom last week:

So things happen for a reason…

(Maybe I broke my ankle so that _(fill-in-the blank: I could start knitting, cook dinner every night, spend more time with my hubby, become a biker, do some cross training, spend my race entrance fees on PT co-pays OR come back a stronger runner!)

Happy Running!

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Spectating at Sean’s Run

I was on this year’s race brochure so of course, I would have run this race.

me on the front of the mailing

I decided that the race was late enough (1 pm) to be able to drive to Chatham and watch my friend Mary run this race. 

Mary & I enjoying a post-race ice cream cone last year

Friday’s RW quote also came to mind:

Running is not, as it so often seems, only about what you did in your last race or about how many miles you ran last week. It is, in a much more important way, about community, about appreciating all the miles run by other runners, too.–Richard O’Brien

The last 17 weeks have been all about me.  I have been feeling sorry for myself cuz I can’t run.  I have been jealous of everyone running, training and racing. Everday I wake up and curse Dec 29 and wish I never went for that run.

So yesterday was a perfect running day (just a little too windy) but cool & sunny.  I got to the race early enough to wish Mary luck before the race.

She's ready!

Then I was able to do what I have never been able to do.  I watched the runners start.

They're off!

I got to see all the runners go by.

I even watched the winner (at an amazing time) cross the finish line.

Chuck Terry wins for the 3rd time!

Mary, who is tapering for her marathon next weekend, did great.

Here she comes!

Of course, we had to have our free ice cream cone together again.

the spectator & the runner

I think it’s supposed to be a reward for racing but it still tasted good.

So my first spectating experience wasn’t half bad.  It’s fun if you know someone racing.  Of course, I prefer to be in the race….and I will be next year!

Afterwards we went out for coffee and talked about my comeback –whenever that may be.  Hopefully we will race together in the near future.

Happy Running!  Have you ever spectated at a race when you’ve been injured?

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Change or No Change

I thought things had changed a lot since last April and then I went to the hairdresser.

Change:

Last April, I was getting excited to run my second half marathon (13.1 miles).
This April, I am excited to run 2 minutes on a treadmill and I look forward to biking on the weekends.

April 2011

April 2012

 

Last April, my hair was long (and then I cut it.)
This April, I have continued to keep it shorter.

April 2011

April 2012

No Change:

I got my hair cut before going on my annual Florida vacation.
I am wearing the  SAME OUTFIT. (What are the odds of that??)

Happy Running!  What has changed with you since last year?

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The Weekend of Almosts

I almost lost my wallet…I almost bought a new bike…I almost couldn’t file my taxes…I almost volunteered at a race…I almost got to see my mentee and her sons.

Saturday was a gorgeous day.  My hubby & I decided to go for a bike ride on the Nisky Bike Path.

getting to ready ride

Almost immediately I spotted some running friends who had just finished running 20 miles –  their last training run for their May 6 Marathon. We hugged and wished each other well – me to recover & them to complete their FIRST marathon.

Here they are before the Albany Last Run 5k

Then my hubby bumped into someone he plays tennis with and we rode the first half of our ride with someone who boats on Lake George like us — small world!

my hubby riding & chatting with our "new" boating friend

When we were done, we stopped off to get some lunch.

yum!

In my haste or absentmindedness, I left my wallet on the table. I realized it halfway home.  We went back & someone had turned it in and everything was still in it – PHEW!!!

One problem I have with biking is that my butt hurts!! So I decided that I wanted to buy a new bike seat.  We stopped off at a bike shop and I bought a cruiser seat (I saw some cool cruisers there which were tempting.) Then we heard that another shop was having a tent sale on bikes.  I fell in love with a purple cruiser.

kinda looks like this but prettier

It was $349 – on sale for $319 & they said I could have it for $300…pretty tempting but I decided that biking is temporary until I can run.

My hubby was drooling over this in the parking lot:

an Italian-made motorcycle - Ducati...good thing it wasn't for sale

Finally on this April 14, it was time to file our income taxes. I’m not a procrastinator but since we have to pay a lot why give the IRS my money early.

I was done and hit e-file, and an error popped up about a missing payer id – Great, the banks arer closed Sunday & I have to work Monday & Tuesday.

It turns out that my stepson has an account in the same bank & had the payer ID so I was able to file today!!  Yay!


Two years ago I volunteered at a 15K race & really enjoyed it. Last year, I got selfish.  I ran all the races that I was able t and didn’t volunteer at all.

I also ran THIS race for the first time last year. I loved it…it was nearby and flat and my first  and only 5 mile race.

April 10, 2011

Truthfully, if I weren’t injured, I wouldn’t be volunteering.  I would be racing.

I had planned on helping with packet pickup at 7am.  But that greasy cheese burger & fries that went down so good, kept me up all night so volunteering this morning didn’t happen.

By 11 am, I felt better and I had planned on going to the park with Amanda & her sons.  My cell phone rang and Amanda said that she & her sons were sick 😦

park play re-scheduled for next weekend

My hubby was out playing tennis so plan B – test out my new bike seat and go for a ride.  I decided to go to the Corning Bike trail.

headed south this time - toward the city & the port

tulips close up

It was a cloudy warm day but there were plenty of bikers and boats on the Hudson – mostly fishing.

this view is looking north

This time, I took the path as far north as you could go. It ends and then you have go into town and eventually can pick up the other bike trail. (I think)

my bike is resting - like my new seat?

I finished my ride before the rain and headed to Target!

Happy Running!  Anyone have a cruiser? Should I get one?

 

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(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday – The Brochure

Guess what just came in the mail – the brochure for 2012 Sean’s Run –  http://www.seansrun.com/pdfs/2012Flyer_spread.pdf

ME on page 2

2011 was the first year I ran this race.  This year, I can’t run in it because of my injury.

The funny thing is that the 2011 brochure had my friend Mary’s photo in it (from the first year she ran the race.)

Mary in the 2010 race and on the 2011 brochure

 

And then last year at race time she was coming back from a serious injury.

So I think it is bad luck to have your photo on the Sean’s Run brochure!! It leads to injury LOL!

Happy Running!

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Two for Tuesday and My Epic Comeback

1.  From wheelchair to running a 5K – check out the story HERE. In 10 months, Kimberly Sheerin went being a paraplegic to running 3.1 miles.  AMAZING!!

2.  This past weekend, I put on a running shoe and I kinda walked (walk is a loose term – I moved slowly and didn’t fall).

Those two events prompted me to start planning my running future!!

  • 2 months – bones healed – CHECK!
  • 3 months – walk without crutches
  • 5 months – walk in a race
  • 6 months – start to run
  • 9 months – race in a 5k
  • 12 months – run a half marathon

So there you have it…my planned comeback!  More details to come!

Happy Running!