Races

by

Eight Days Out

That’s means it’s time to stress out about the Weather and the Outfit:

I have no control about the weather.  I’m fine as long as it doesn’t rain.

Santa Clarita forecast

But do you see a trend??? California must know that an Upstate New York girl is coming West. What they don’t know is that it is cold in the Northeast & I HATE it!!  I like warm weather…. 

The outfit? 

Definitely compressions socks and a cap.  Those are a given. Possibly the outfit that got covered up during the rainy cold Lake George Half last April.

Maybe this outfit instead:

However, given that the temps will not be the 70’s or 80’s that I had hoped for…I will  have to bring  a short-sleeved shirt…either white, pink or green and a jacket. (I know will over pack!!)

Other important things:

book to read on the plane

 

new toy for blogging

Happy Running! Any advice in packing for destination races?

by

Last Week in Review & an Impromptu Half

Monday –  5 miles (on Jones Beach boardwalk)
Tuesday – 3 miles (after work)
Wednesday – 2 miles on treadmill, Yoga 1.25 hrs
Thursday – REST
Friday – 2 miles (after work)
Saturday – REST
Sunday – 13.1 miles – Fall Foliage Half Marathon in Rhinebeck

2 weeks to go… until Half Marathon #5!

Happy Running!

 

by

Mentoring & HM Goals

I’ve kinda been an absentee mentor.  I’ve been working, running or boating & have seen Amanda very infrequently since May.

So today I decided to take her & her 2 sons to Ellms Family Farm. We went there 2 years ago and had a lot of fun.

It was chillier than I would have liked.  Probably walking around a farm all day was not the besy way to rest but we had a good time.  There were a lot of fun things to do:  corn maze, zipline, rides, hayride…cider donuts, etc.

Can one have goals for a half marathon that is only a training run? Sure.

  • Finish.
  • Do not get injured.
  • Beat my last (untrained one) time of 2:45.
  • ENJOY it.

Happy Running! Enjoy this fall weekend!

by

The Impromptu Half Marathon

Yeah, so where did this come from?

  • Last Saturday, I passed through Rhinebeck on my way to LI and I remarked to myself that “the foliage was really BEAUTIFUL here!”
  • On Tuesday, my friend said to me: “I went to the Sheep & Wool Fest in Rhinebeck last Sunday.  Rhinebeck is such a nice place to visit.”
  • Yesterday, I was on Facebook and an ad for the half marathon above appeared on my screen.
  • I clicked on the site and you could still register until tomorrow.
  • I checked weather.com and Sunday is supposed to sunny & in the high 50’s.
  • I have to run 12 or 13 miles for my last long training run this Sunday.
  • I hate trying to find a scenic place to do a long run. 
  • I also hate to carry water.

Voila! 

Half Marathon #4, a (expensive)  training run (with water stops) for the Santa Clarita Half Marathon in Cali on Nov 6 (which is now Half Marathon #5).

Just think, a year ago, I had never run more than a 5K and had no plans to do so ever.

Happy Running!  Have you ever signed up for a race on a whim?

 

 

 

 

by

Update on Half Marathon #4

This year the Santa Clarita Marathon Race Committee will be using the newly open trails along the San Francisquito Creek to be part of the 2011 Half Marathon. The new trail system will be used for the majority of the race and will reduce the amount of street closure on McBean Parkway.

Uh oh.


I’ve never run on trails! Will that be a problem?

Happy Running!

by

Last Week in Review

Monday – Tennis 1.5 hrs
Tuesday – 4 miles
Wednesday – 3 miles on treadmill, Yoga 1.25 hrs
Thursday – 5 miles
Friday – REST
Saturday – 12  miles
Sunday – REST

3 weeks to go… until Half Marathon #4!

(Will post about my High School Reunion tomorrow 🙂 )

Happy Running!

 

by

Random Things on a Thursday

Since I work in a law school, the image above seems appropriate.

1.  I have my high school reunion this weekend (my 40th cough cough).  Thanks to Facebook for planning this event and that there’s no hiding how we’ve aged…  I will not post our high school photos but here’s one of the 6 of  us at the last (20 year) reunion:

 

2.  My diet isn’t going so well.  First I had to carb load for my 3rd half Marathon and now I have to carb load for my 4th Half Marathon.  What’s a runner girl to do?  Wear loose clothing, I guess.

3. I hate being sick!! I’m not real ill but just have that annoying stuffed nose, sneezing, sore throat, itchy eyes kind of cold.  It makes it hard to run when you feel crappy.  But better now than on Nov. 6, I say.

4. Thanks to all those slow runners who commented on my last post.  I’m glad I’m not alone.  Don’t get me wrong.  I enjoy reading blogs by those runners who want to PR every race, run the NYC Marathon, qualify for Boston, etc.  Unfortunately it’s not me.  I’m jealous, of course.  But we, penguins, still go out there and run and compete at our own pace.

5. I can’t believe it’s mid October.  The end of 2011 is right around the corner. Almost time to think about racing in 2012.  Unless Nov 6 goes horribly, I will want to do another Half Marathon. I definitely want to try a 10k and maybe get back some 5K speed (speed is relative here).

6. The running community where I work is growing!!!  Two more just completed their first half marathons last weekend.  YAY!  There are quite a few casual runners but now we have at least 7 serious runners.  It’s fun to talk running with them and have something in common beside work.

Happy Running!  Happy Thurday!

by

Santa Clarita Half Marathon Recap

FOUR WEEKS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!

Here’s what some people say about this race:

This is a great race.  The start of race is at the Mall, so there is plenty of parking.   Access from the 5 FWY to parking lot is also fast and efficient.  A big plus is that there is  access to Hyatt Hotel’s convention hall bathrooms before the race starts, which is definitely an upgrade waiting in a long line in the cold for portable toilets.  There are water stations every mile, and the volunteers that are working are plenty enthusiastic.  Size-wise, it’s definitely smaller than Long Beach, Surf City and other SoCal Marathons.  This means everyone starts at once, and the course is definitely not crowded.The Course winds it’s way thru some commercial areas before spending several miles on a trial besides the dry riverbed.  There are a few minor hills, but nothing major, a pretty fast course.  Santa Clarita is a well-planned city, which is well highlighted in the course.   The PA announcer at the end of the race was one of the more enthusiastic announcers I’ve heard. He made sure every racer got their due applause by the crowd, especially the seniors. Finally, the tech T-Shirts included are not loaded with ads like other races, so that’s plus. Overall, one of the best half marathons in SoCal, both operationally as well as the overall race experience.

One of my favorite half marathon experiences.  The parking was easy and it was easy to get to the start line.  The Hyatt restrooms near the start line were a big plus.  The course was mostly flat.  Somehow, impossibly, it felt like there was more downhill than uphill.  Maybe this is because the uphills were very gradual, while the downhills were a little steeper.  Anyway, the course felt fast and energizing.  The spectator support was a little sparse, but this was compensated by the fact that the course was mostly narrow and the runners energized each other.  The spectator support that was out there was much appreciated — especially the cheerful kids and a dude playing guitar outside his apartment.  The water and gatorade stations were excellent.  You know what else was great?  The “Whole Foods Market Recovery Zone” didn’t interfere unduly with my ability to get to my car.

This is my second time running the half-marathon here and I loved it!!! A little rain at the beginning was encouraging but it got really hot after mile 8 😦 Great water and gatorade stations throughout the course and visible mile marks. It can get lonely on the trail but its also very relaxing. If you feed on the fans energy, this is probably not the race for you….lol

This was the 2nd time I have run this race. Last year I hit a new PR on this course. The half marathon had about 1300 people start the race. The race is run on some city streets but mostly on the Santa Clarita Trail, which is a paved path that runs along the dry river bed. Lots of course support and spectators cheering you on. Post race food and drink is average. All in all, a fun race to run…very hometown feel.

FOUR WEEKS TO GO!!!!!!!!

Anyone else ever run this race?

Happy Running!

by

End of the Boating Season & Last Long Run in BL

Today was bittersweet.  We have had the best weather this summer (& fall) for boating.  But you never want it to end…Do you think the sign above was for me??

I got up this morning very tired…not enough sleep but the weather was perfect…(well, maybe a little warm for this time of year, but who’s complaining?)

breakfast at the marina before my run

I was planning 11 miles but would settle for 10.

I decided to do the first half around the Sagamore Hotel.

view from the bridge heading to the Sagamore

 

waiting for customers...I was tempted

 

view of the lake & a little fall foliage

 

View from the Nature Trail at the Sagamore

With only one frost, most of the leaves were GREEN.  Definitely not peak colors…

Then I ran through the town of Bolton Landing which was very CROWDED…garage sales…crafts fair, etc. I did stumble upon some interesting sights.

Yes, he's real

 

a bufferfly among the mums

As I passed the marina, I was pooped already and it was hot…I ate some gu & took a swig of water and continued down 9N south for the rest of my run.  I was running SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.  I told my hubby I’d be done in 2 hours… oh no…

I ran down through the cemetery and then headed toward the lake.  It was beautiful, as usual.  I just had no energy.

along my running route

 

me running in one of the neighborhoods on the lake

 
The time forced me to head back to the marina as not to be late.  Unfortunately, it is UPHILL on the way back. 
 
I did 10.5 miles instead of 11 at a snail’s pace but got it done!!
 
My hubby was waiting so I hopped on the boat and we spent the rest of the day on Commisssion Pt Island with a whole group of friends and friends of friends.
 
 

the gang toasting our last island picnic of the season

And I was able to drink, finally.  I discovered a way to add alcohol to my Root Beer Float addiction.

whipped cream vodka & root beer

Awesome!! You can use orange soda & it tastes like a creamsicle..

We hung out as late as possible … I have to work tomorrow 😦

view of the Sagamore & the moon from our marina

Of course, we stopped on the way home for a  real (ice cream) Root beer Float!!!

Until next year….

Happy Running! Happy Columbus Day!

by

TTT: Tennis, Orthotics, Racing

This week, I was scheduled to play tennis both Monday & Tuesday.  As a result, I did not run those days.  I’m okay with that since I put in 14 miles over the weekend. I am trying to put my heart into tennis.  Tennis used to be everything to me.  Now all I can think about is running.

I got my orthotics last Friday.  They were pretty uncomfortable at first but are getting better.  I’m supposed to wear them for one hour and then add one extra hour each day.  Today I’m up to 7 hours so that means I bring them to work & wear them all day at my desk. The Dr says it’ll take a month to get used to them!!! I may try to run in them after work & see if they cure all…

After my race on Saturday, I just wanted a re-do.  I didn’t do poorly.  It’s just that I have done better in the past and others who are usually slower, ran faster than me.  It’s an ego thing. 

I’ve been wrestling with running a race every Saturday (there are at least 4 possible 5ks this Sat) until my Half Marathon…

Pros:
Races make me feel good.
Races are good speedwork.
I could do my long run on Sunday.
I could add on miles after the race on Saturday.

Cons:
Races cost money.
I should focus more on my Half Marathon training.
I could re-injure my heel.
I’ll be depressed if I don’t do well.

Right now, I’m leaning toward fitting running in with my hubby’s plans…he may have to work, we may go up to the lake…we’ll see.

Happy Running! Do you do short races while training for a long race?