Races

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Brain Exchange #11 & Monday Goals

Click HERE to participate.

Topic: Summer Fun and Training

Question: With the warmer weather brings BBQ’s, vacations and summer holiday fun…how do you manage a balance between training and fun?

This is a tough one. I try to run as many 5k races as possible during the summer.  This also means that I need to train during the week.

We have a boat on Lake George and my husband likes to go there as often as the weather allows.  Sometimes, we sleep on the boat and reserve a dock on an island for several days. This means that my understanding husband has to dock the boat in Bolton Landing each morning so I can run around town.  So far he hasn’t complained.  It also means that if I have a race on Saturday, he has to wait to go up to the lake or we take 2 cars & I meet him there.

I also play mah jongg on Friday nites and if I have a race, I have to leave early and also not drink a lot.

I would be having a lot more fun with my friends and family if I didn’t run. But running is important to me so I make the sacrifices.

Recap of  last week:
My weekly goal was 13 miles. I did 13– YAY!!
I ran a 5k race!!
(I made the cover of our local paper )

I'm the 2nd one on the bottom left

This week’s schedule:
Monday – tennis am
Tues – tennis after work
Wed – Census job after work
Friday –  tennis before work, mah jong after work
Sunday – on the boat

This week’s running:
Monday –  3.5 miles
Tuesday – 4 miles
Thursday – 3.5  miles
Saturday – 3.1 miles  (RACE)

Weekly Running Goal = 14 miles
Monthly Running Goal = 54 miles (already 9.5)
Yearly Goal = 300 miles (already 244.5)

Happy Running!

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Freihofer’s Run for Women

Training with the New Runners Group has made me more excited than usual about this race. This is my 3rd FRW. (I actually know someone who has run all 32.) The lst 2 I ran with 2 of my tennis buddies.  This year Pat is injured but MaryPat (she is lucky to be able to run without training) planned to run.

My husband picked up my bib & chip yesterday and ate ALL my chocolate chip cookies.  I stopped the Expo after work and bought a perfect top to wear (and on sale) and a BondiBand.

I woke up early to the sound of rain.  By the time I was ready to leave, the rain had stopped and was replaced with sun & HUMIDITY!!!!

I decided to not park in the crowded parking lot and I parked at work and walked to the race.  It was way farther than I thought – about a mile and a half so I arrived late for our meet up and I was already HOT! I also left my iPod in my car and LOST my BondiBand on the way.

I arrived  to find MaryPat waiting as well as the running group.

me with Jen & Bridget (Bridget's FB photo)

We took a pre-race photo and wished each other luck and agreed to meet up again at the same spot to take another photo. Felice gave us all a pink wristband that said “Strong Running Mama.”

Me, Jen, Melissa, Janis, Felice, Jen, Bridget (Bridget's FB photo)

MaryPat & I headed to the starting line and squeezed in among the over 4,000 women.  This year for the first time, the chips were on our bibs and measured our exact running time so it didn’t matter where we started.

I looked to the right and saw 2 professors that I work with. The race started with an uphill climb that you were forced to take slow because it was so CROWDED.

at the beginning (Bridget's FB photo)

There was finally some breathing room when we got into the park.  It was strange to run without my iPod music but I just looked at the scenery and the women around me.

The first mile timer said around 12 minutes when I passed which was really 11 minutes (SLOW!!).  I stopped briefly for water and then passed the 2nd mile marker at under 20 minutes (TOO FAST!!). I stopped again briefly for water and then during the 3rd mile, I was out of gas.

I crossed the finish line and heard them call my name around 31 something. (31:18)

I bumped into a friend from my Mah Jongg group and we chatted for awhile and then I headed to our spot.  All the new runners had finished and they had done WELL!!

Back: Melissa, Amanda, me, Felice, Jen, Janis, Jen, Lisa; front: Bridget, Suzy (Bridget's FB photo)

We took a group photo and gave Felice a thank you gift (a photo book).  She cried as did many of us.  I think this won’t be the last race for many of these women.

Felice getting her gift (Bridget's Fb photo)

I got some food and hung around awhile for some of the awards.  The winner finished the race in HALF my time.  I was happy that Liz Maloy, a local runner & a graduate of AHN where I taught came in 10th. I checked the results and saw that my net time was 30:39! (Results are listed here.) I was happy!

I then walked back to my car and guess what I found along the way–my BondiBand.  YAY!

I got back to my car and realized that I hadn’t take any photos so I snapped one. I love the timer!

after the race

Recap of the Goals:

A– finish in under 30 minutes
B– finish in less time than my 1st 2 Freihofer’s (2nd=35:05, 32 my time, lst=33:29)
C– finish

I accomplished B & C.  I missed A by 39 seconds  (2 waterstops, too fast during mile 2, the humidity, blah blah…)

Click Here for some photos from the race.

Video of my finish (clock time 31:17).

Happy Running and congrats New Runners!

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No Exercise Today

I declare today “No exercise Friday.”

I am not playing tennis this morning.  I am not walking at lunch.  I am not running after work.

All of the above, I did yesterday!

I am taking the today off.

Tomorrow is race day!!

Happy Running and a nice weekend! Good luck FRW racers & Seattle Marathoners!

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TINF & 2 days till the “Race”

By the “Race”, I mean the Freihofer’s Run for Women. It’s important because it has gotten so much press here in Albany.

Benita Willis (3-time winner) spoke yesterday at a local school:

Changes in this year’s race:

Fox 23 TV Promo:

It’s also important because our New Runners Group is running in their FIRST race!! I am so excited for them.

I also signed up for Run Courtney Run’s lst Annual Virtual 10k/5k  benefiting LLS.  So I will use the Freihofer’s as my real race and virtual race.

504 is also my number for the Freihofer’s Run.

I decided to have 3 goals this year:

A– finish in under 30 minutes
B – finish in less time than my 1st 2 Freihofer’s (2nd=35:05, 32 my time, lst=33:29)
C– finish

Happy Running!


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National Running Day

It’s today so I signed up for Long Legs on the Loose’s Virtual 5k/5mile Race. I did the 5k, of course,  in preparation for Saturday’s big race.

It rained on and off all day yesterday but this morning when I dragged myself out of bed at 6am, it was beautiful: sunny, cool and breezy.

I was VERY tired and if if it weren’t for this commitment, I would have stayed in bed. I gulped down my coffee & hot cereal, scanned the newspaper, and out I went.

The first K, my legs felt like they were filled with concrete. But things got better as I continued but it also got warmer and less breezy.  I walked once during each of the next 4Ks but still finished with a respectable 31:55.  I always run slower when not in a race.

I used my camera & timer to snap of photo at the end:

Also, I just found out that I came in 2nd place in Running Diva Mom’s Girls on the Run Virtual 1 Mile Race. I won a GoLite Hydroclutch Water Bottle and 2 Gu Gel Packets.

Happy National Running Day!


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Monthly Recap and Juneathon Week 1 Goals

My May Goal was 50 miles.  I ran 53 miles. (I tied my high) YAY!!

Jan-May 2010

I ran THREE 5ks and a 3.5 mile race (and a virtual 1 mile race) .
I had  a 5K PR and a 3.5 mile PR.  DOUBLE YAY!
I won a giveaway. (I wore the necklace for my 5K PR)

Recap of  last week:
My weekly goal was 9 miles. I did 13.5– YAY!!

This week’s schedule:
Monday – on vacation
Tueday – on vacation –  pm  movie
Wed – Census job after work
Thurs – tennis before work
Friday –  mah jong after work
Sunday – NYC

This week’s running et al:
Monday –  3.5 miles
Tuesday – 45 min walk
Wednesday-  before work  – 3.1 miles
Thursday – 1 hr of tennis before work, after work – 3.5  miles
Friday – 45 min walk
Saturday – 3.1 miles  (RACE)
Sunday – 45 min walk

Weekly Running Goal = 13 miles
Monthly Running Goal = 54 miles (a new high?!)
Juneathon Goal – walking, tennis or running each day

Happy Running!

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Monday Brain Exchange #9

Visit Finishing is Winning to participate.

Topic:  Summer Racing

Question:  What are your summer race plans?  Are you trying anything new this year?  What race are you looking most forward to?

I LOVE racing in the summer.  If I could, I would do a 5k every weekend. These are the ones I’ve registered for already but I may do some more in June and July.

  • June
  • Freihofer’s Run for Women
  • July
  • Silks & Satins 5k
  • August
  • Fasig Tipton 5k
  • Jailhouse Rock 5K 
  • New Visions 5K

    • I am most looking forward to Silks & Satins and Fasig Tipton because I love to run Saratoga, especially during track season. All of these races I’ve done before so there’s nothing new here.  But I, of course, want to get faster!!

    Happy Summer Running!

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    Monday arrives too quickly

    Recap of  last week:

    My weekly goal was 12 miles. I did 13– YAY!!
    I ran a 5K race – YAY!!
    My race was a 5k PR – Double YAY!

    This week’s schedule:
    Monday – after work  Census job
    Tuesday – after work tennis?
    Wednesday – after work Census job
    Thursday – before work tennis, after work -haircut
    Friday – after work mah jongg ?
    Saturday & Sunday – on a island in Lake George 🙂

    This week’s running:
    Tuesday – before or after work – 3 miles
    Friday –  after work  – 3  miles
    Sunday – 3 miles

    Weekly Goal = 9 miles
    Monthly Goal = 50 miles (already 36)
    Yearly Goal = 300 (already 218!)

    Happy Running!

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    SPAC 5K Rock & Run and a PR

    Another new race for me. This one sounded like fun and it was!

    It was beautiful day for running – in the low 70’s and cloudy/sunny.  I think there were almost 800 entries which is a lot for a new race.  I arrived early and immediately bumped into my boss.  I recently found out that he runs (and he’s fast!)

    The course weaved through the park and there was a band playing music at each mile marker as well as time clocks posted. 

    I started a little ways back since they kept asking the 6 min mile runners to move to the  front.  I tried to start out slowly which meant that about 500 runners whizzed by me.

    At mile 1, I was around 9:20 which is fast for me so I slowed down and at mile 2, I was around 18:40. So I guess I didn’t slow down.  I stopped halfway for water and that was it.  I ran the whole race and I felt great! It was a good feeling because now I know I could  have run faster.

    I crossed the finish line at 29:21!!! That is a PR!!

    No chance for an award.  The times of the runners were amazing. They had a free photo booth so I took some sweaty pics of myself.

    and they gave out cool gifts (moisturing-wicking shirt, bag, chap stick, magnet, pen, water bottle, etc.)…

    I’m definitely going to run this race again.  (Watch a video HERE.)

    Next one is not for 2 weeks – the Freihofer’s Run for Women…

    Happy Running!

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    2nd Annual Vascular Birthmark Foundation 5K Run

    I ran this race last year and I have run several races before at the Crossings so I was prepared. 

    I only ran once this week (Tuesday) and only 2.5 miles.  Today was commencement for the law school where I work.  It was held in Saratoga and I was a volunteer worker. So as a result, I was on my feet (in heels) for about 4 hours. 

    After the ceremony, we went out to lunch.  I had a chicken parm sub & sweet potato fries (probably a mistake).  I rushed home to change my clothes and get to the race.

    It rained for a few minutes before the race but unfortunately it didn’t lower the humidity at all.  The temperature was close to 80 degrees, as well.

    Anyway, whether it was lunch, standing on my feet all day, running too fast, the humidity or what, I did not feel well at all during this race.  I had stomach cramps and walked for a while during mile 1, mile 2 and mile 3.  I felt I had to. Several times, I wondered whether I should quit.

    I was stunned to cross the finish line at 30:00!! (3 minutes faster than last year.)

    There were a small but enthusiastic group of runners in this race and they were only giving prizes to 1st place in 10 year age groups.  I was 2nd by 7 seconds.  So I left and treated myself to ice cream.

    So still trying to PR at 5k— that means faster than 29:30.  I know I can do it!?

    Next race is the SPAC Rock and Run next Sunday.

    Happy Running!