August 25, 2017 by Darlene

Friday Five 2.0: Runfessions August

It’s that time again. Time to get things off my chest with Marcia’s Runfessions at Marcia’s Healthy Slice…

and it’s also Friday so, I’m linking up with Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostesses and visit some other bloggers.

My topic for today is: Five August Runfessions

I runfess…

I was really excited when I got a 6 month free membership to a gym back in March. I vowed to go use the machines twice a week.

Then once a week. (Even the nearby Starbucks stopped motivating me.)

Well, the thrill is gone. I have not gone once this month!!!!!!!

2. I runfess…

I took the day off from work (and did not travel to Liverpool) because I wanted to go to a friend’s funeral. And I did go but I ran before and played tennis after. I can’t let my free time be free.

on the Delmar rail Trail

3. I runfess…

I am been purging big time from my closet. I have too many things that I no longer wear. I definitely don’t need any more running clothes. I mean I only run 4x a week at most.

So why did I buy another running skirt or two?

Gym Girl Ultra (my fav) – FWC20 for 20% off at skirtsports.com

4. I runfess…

Speaking about temptation, I cannot stop eating ice cream. Every day!!! It’s my reward after a run. It’s my reward after a bad day. It’s my reward…just because.

just being patriotic

I need an intervention.

5. I runfess…

I’m already picking out my races for 2018.

But I’ve decided (for now) on quality rather than quantity. In the past I’ve run as many as 7 half marathons in a year. This year, I had planned to run 6 – 3 in the spring and 3 in the fall but (may only run 5).

I think for next year, it’ll be 4 – 2 in the spring and 2 in the fall.

Here’s the plan so far:

March:

Image result for singer island half marathon

FLA – bridges, ocean views, friend meet-ups and baseball (Mar 18)

May:

largest half in US, NYC weekend, fun fun (May 20)

Sept:

hilly but with beaches, staying at my college roommate’s new house in RI (Sept 9)

Oct:

Paris what else can I say? This will probably not happen but a girl can dream… (Oct 6)

Happy Running! Anything to runfess this month? Do you slack off on your gym membership? What food do you have a weakness for? Do you buy too many running clothes? Any big races planned for 2018?

August 23, 2017 by Darlene

France Run 8K Race Recap

If you read my blog, you may know that I LOVE anything French!!!!

Well, I was a French teacher for over 20 years, spent my junior year of college studying in Nice, France and have visited Paris many many times (but not since 2000 😦 )

Anyway, I also love NYC and running in Central Park.

So it was a no brainer to sign up for this race. I mentioned it to Sue who ran the Shape Half with me in NYC and she agreed to come along.

me & Sue the day before the Shape Half

Thank to numerous trips to NYC for work, I had enough points for a free train ticket and a hotel room for $99. Sweet!!

Of course, I knew that the race would be a hilly one (see map below) but at least I would only have to run 4.9 miles since the race was only an 8K.

yes, there are hills!!!!

We decided on an early train on Saturday so we would have a full day in the city.

As soon as we arrived, we headed to the hotel to drop off our bags and then to pick up our race packet. We walked, of course, and I didn’t wear flop flops this time.

I did wear sandals that are normally sooo comfortable and they were for a few miles until the blisters set in!!!

Packet pick up went smoothly and when we were done, we walked/limped back to the hotel. (a mere 30 blocks).

As we checked into the hotel, a couple who was leaving gave us two unlimited subway passes. Score!

I changed into my race sneakers (reluctantly) and we hopped a subway to City Hall Park where we ate lunch and then walked across the Brooklyn bridge. (If you never have, you should!!)

After our leisurely walk across the bridge, we walked around Brooklyn Heights and stumbled up the ferry to Governors Island. It wasn’t part of the plan (actually we didn’t have a plan LOL) but for a $1, why not?

It was a great decision and I definitely want to return and rent a bike and see more of the island than we had time for on foot. (The last boat to return to Manhattan was at 6pm.).

notice that we both had changed into running shoes

Rather than returning by boat to Brooklyn, we took the boat to Manhattan and walked back to our hotel.

can’t complain about this view…

We had already walked 13.1 miles (on the day before a race) so we opted to stay near the hotel and found an awesome Italian restaurant to carb load (Yes, I carb load for 5 miles!) I had beet salad and pasta – both were yummy!!

It was such a warm evening that we sat outside until it was bedtime.

Flat D is ready to go

We got up the next morning around 5:30 am. Breakfast at the hotel did not start until 7 am. Too late for us since we were planning on leaving the hotel at 6:30 am for our 8 am race. Our hotel was so sweet that they packed us a breakfast to go – bagel, cream cheese, yogurt and an orange.

Don’t worry. I didn’t eat it and had my usual oatmeal and coffee pre-race breakfast. We wisely decided to save our legs and grabbed a subway to the start. Plus, it was already 73 degrees at 6 am and HUMID!!!!!!!!!!!

we were quite early

We got there early, walked around the park and met so many friendly runners.

There were almost 5000 racers and the air was buzzing with excitement.

We used the porta-potties and eventually headed toward the corrals.

some runners did warm-up exercises – not moi!

They started at AA and we were I and K but we both decided to line up in I. We made a plan to meet after the race by the volunteer check-in (Sue does not carry her phone.)

The race began with La Marseillaise (loved this) and then our National Anthem. It took us 8 minutes to get to the start line and we immediately got separated. Sue used to be faster but now I run faster than she does.

My plan was … no plan. Finish strong. Not get injured. Walk on the hills. Have fun! (Spoiler alert – I did all of these.)

Mile 1: We started on East Drive near East 67th Street and ran north, running UP Cat Hill. It was steep and I walk/ran it. This was a good thing because having a hill in the first mile, made sure that I didn’t start out too fast and die. It was warm and I was sweating. But at least, the route was shaded by trees. I almost always made sure to run all the tangents. Although, this was a big hill, it didn’t seem as intimidating as when I ran it as part of the Shape Half. Even with walking, when I ran I was passing runners all the time. Maybe because I started in corral I and was running with slower runners. But it felt good.

Mile 2: Then we continued along East Drive and passed the Reservoir on our left. (one of my favorite places in the park to run.)

This mile wasn’t as hilly but it certainly wasn’t flat. Again, I was able to pass runners. I think I missed the first water stop, but I made sure because of the humidity to stop and walk at every water stop after mile 1. And there was one at every mile.

I wonder how long I was running with my skirt tucked into my belt???

Mile 3: We passed the 102nd Street Transverse on the left and ran down, then UP Harlem Hill. Holy cow! What a hill! I walk/ran this one too. Then we continued past Lasker Rink. This mile was similar to the first mile – walk/running the hill, walking at the water stop and running and passing runners when able.

Mile 4: More rolling hills as we headed south on West Drive. My legs were ready to be done! But there was a lot of crowd support throughout the course. And because the trails in the park are open for runners that aren’t part of the race, they were running on our right (there were cones separating us) and often yelled support. I was hungry at this point so ate the Gu that I had in my pocket.

Mile 4.97 (8K): We enjoyed too short a downhill, then a flat section. Finally we turned left onto the 72nd Street Transverse and finished just west of Bethesda Terrace. I gave it all I had (which wasn’t much at this point) as I crossed the finish line.I know they said it was only a 8k. But I ran ALL the tangents and my Garmin registered 5.05 miles!!!!

a sweaty mess (and my skirt still tucked into my belt!!)

I really didn’t care about my time. I knew that it was a lot slower than other 5 mile races that I had done. And there would be no age group awards anyway.

5m PR is 45:26 but I am very happy with this time!!

Race Splits:
Mile 1 – 9:14
Mile 2 – 9:04
Mile 3 – 9:35
Mile 4 – 9:38
Mile 5 – 9:18
.05 – 6:40

7th out of 62 isn’t too bad (would have been 3rd for age 65)

So I just grabbed water and a bagel and headed toward the Nuremburg Shell (entertainment, booths, etc.)

The lines were long but I did decide to wait on one to get some French cookies before I went off to find Sue.

After Sue and I met up, we were disappointed to find them calling out numbers for the raffle prizes. I mean, it was still early and many many runners were still on the course. You couldn’t put your ticket in until you finished so I guess if you are slow, you can’t win. They had also ran out of some of the other food samples.

No other complaints. It was a fun and well- organized race. Would I recommend this race? Oui. Oui.

Of course, we couldn’t wait to re-fuel so we left the park and started walking back to the hotel. We stumbled upon a French restaurant so we stopped. It was perfect!!!!

: cafe au lait

: lemon pancakes

After a shower and change of clothes, we were back on the streets of Manhattan. Sue had never been to the High Line so we decided to go there, walk the whole thing and then go to Chelsea Market. One of the highlights for me was on our walk back to the hotel (yes we were STILL walking), we found a milk bar (cereal milk is the best tasting soft ice cream ever)

Finally we grabbed our bags but still had time to kill before our bus back home. So we took the subway to Bryant Park and had a snack for dinner. Our last excursion for the day was a subway ride to the bus stop (leaving our subway passes off with 2 happy teenagers!)

15.3 miles for day!!!! Whoa! Tired legs!

We spent the bus ride home trying to figure out our next NYC race adventure – NYC Half in March or hopefully the Brooklyn Half in May????

I am also joining up with Running on Happy, Suzlyfe, Crazy Running Girl, and Coach Debbie Runs each week for the Coaches’ Corner linkup.

coachescorner

Happy Running! What is your favorite city to race in?

August 21, 2017 by Darlene

Running Update: 8.14.17-8.20.17

Last Week:

Monday – Hey, a sunny day. You have to run even if you are exhausted. And that’s what I did but decided to run at UAlbany because it was close by.

all in pink 🙂

Tuesday. Had to drive to Liverpool for work. It started to rain when I headed out the door to run. I was patient and waited out the rain and was able to run along the lake before dinner.

After dinner, I went back to watch the sunset.

Wednesday – Nothing exciting happened today except for work and a long drive back afterwards. Before I left for home, I set out for a short 2 mile ice cream run.

if you’re ever in Liverpool, NY, you have to have ice cream at Vicky’s.

Thursday – I ran with Alyssa for our weekly run date. For a change, we chose the Crossings.

Guess where we ended our run?

Friday – A scheduled rest day. Rest was definitely needed!!

On a sad note. My cat, Billy has been missing a week. He is 12 and an outdoor cat. I fear, at our neighbor’s garage sale, he got into some stranger’s car. Although, he’s not one of our favorites and he is pretty aloof, I still miss him.

Billy is the gray one. Now we ONLY have 3 cats. LOL I’m still a “cat lady.”

Saturday – Another rest day without much rest. Sue and I took a very early morning train to NYC. We had an awesome day touring the city including walking over the Brooklyn bridge and taking a boat to Governors Island. We walked 13.1 miles the day before our race.

Sunday – Today I ran the France 8K Run in Central Park, NYC. Any race in Central Park is a challenge but I had a blast.

After the race, we walked the High Line and around Chelsea Market and Bryant Park before taking the bus home. 15.2 miles. Phew!

18.5 miles running done. (23.3 miles walking in one weekend!!)

This Week:

Monday – 3 mile run, mall walk with bff
Tuesday – 3 mile run with Judy, funeral (instead of travel for work), tennis
Wednesday – 4 mile run after work
Thursday – rest, dinner out with tennis buds
Friday – rest, mah Jong
Saturday – long run, watch the hubby in tennis championship matches, dinner with Wineglass ladies
Sunday – watch the hubby in tennis championship match, boating after

Please link up for the Weekly Wrap hosted by these wonderful bloggers Holly @ HoHoRuns and Tricia @ MissSippiPiddlin. See rules here.

This week’s Guest Host is Madhuri @ Ponder ‘N’ Wonder .

Happy Running! How is your running going? What’s new with you? Please share.

August 12, 2017 by Darlene

Race the Train Recap

I love to race and this one sounded interesting last year so I signed up. It was lots of fun but the first 1 1/2 miles were very challenging (I apparently blocked out the hills during the rest of the race.)

Here is the course map. You can see what I mean about the long early hill..

rtt

I wasn’t sure if I was up to running it again but my friend Sue said she had signed up and also my VT friend AJH expressed an interest in running it. So you know me, it didn’t take much persuading for me to sign up as well.

The race is not nearby – about an hour 50 minutes and you have to be on time since you take the train to the race start.

I asked my friend whose house is not too far away (in Chestertown) if I could stay there and she agreed. It would be about an hour closer so I didn’t have to get up as early. But the forecast was for heavy rain and thunderstorms so I decided instead to stay home and get up early the next day.

I woke up at 4:30 to pouring rain. I seriously contemplated a DNS. But I didn’t. And I am glad that I ignored the weather forecast

It was easy to get to North Creek Railroad Station and didn’t take as long as anticipated. And the rain stopped!!! So I got there very early and parked in a parking lot next to the finish line.

It was already in the 70s and very humid when I arrived. But I was thrilled that it was not raining…

I picked my race packet (a cotton shirt, a bib, your train ticket and a raffle ticket) and walked around waiting for Sue and AJH.

I found both of them. Sue was working at registration so I hung around with AJH.

There were REAL restrooms in the gift shop and a lot of interesting things to read and look at.

some of these pics are form last year (hence the bright blue sky)

Finally everyone arrived and we lined up to get on the train.

I spotted Maureen whom I met at the Shape Half in NYC. It was cool to see her again and catch up. (She said that she had not run since but I knew that she would be speedy anyway… and she was.)

And then we sat and waited and waited. The train was supposed to leave at 8 am but it didn’t until about 8:20 and they even had a bus for the late arrival runners.

The ride was really scenic. It was an interesting experience taking the train to the start line of a race.

The train ride was along the Hudson River the whole way.

Finally we arrived at the next station – Riparius.

getting ready to beat that train LOL

We walked around and finally headed to the bridge where the race would begin.

Finally everyone got to the start. I started with AJH and Sue. The train whistle blew and off we went.

The train gave us a head start and then it took off with the friends and families of the runners.

photo from: The Sun

The goal was to beat the train. I knew that I would not and I also knew that since I don’t train on hills, it would be not be an easy race for me. Plus I was a little nervous about my ankle (which had been painful on the previous Monday and Tuesday)

The best case scenario would a course PR (faster than 1:28:54) and maybe win an age group award again. But my real goal was really just to finish pain-free and enjoy the run.

And that’s what I did.

The first mile and 1/2 was a STEEP uphill. First on asphalt and then on dirt. I attempted to run but decided that I would be better off walking. Everyone that was running was struggling. So I ran a little but mostly walked.

There was someone called out times at every mile. I was hoping to get my pace to between 10 and 11 and keep it there even if I walked the hills.

That uphill eventually turned into a downhill but after that it was just rolling hills. They never ended. (How could I have forgotten them??) They weren’t steep or as long except for maybe 2 more steepish ones (The one between mile 5 and 6 was so steep. I could barely walk up it.) That meant there were only 2 more steep downhills.

But because you were running on dirt with rocks, you couldn’t take advantage of the downhills as much as you would have liked. (I always fear a face plant.)

But my walk/run strategy on the hills seemed to work. Those running passed me on the uphill but then I passed them on the downhill. In the end, I was not as drained as they were. (Sweaty yes! It was SOOOO humid!)

The scenery was nice as you ran through the woods (and listening to the train whistle until it passed you) and toward the end, you could see the river. Eventually, you had to run through town in order to finish at the train station.

photo from: The Sun

The good news is that my ankle never hurt. I didn’t get blisters and I never felt tired. I didn’t push myself and as a result could enjoy the race. (Of course, part of me wished I had enough endurance to run up those hills but I know my legs would have been dead by the end if I did and I didn’t want to risk straining my ankle tendon.) In hindsight, I think I could have run more and walked less.. But who knew???

I had no time goals but I estimated that I would finish around 1:30:xx and I finished at 1:28:27. I was thrilled!!

everyone got a medal!

It was a course PR!!!!

I had some food (bagels, fruit, pastries) but the highlight was chocolate milk and then I waited around for the awards while trying to be creative with my medal.

Last year I won my age group but this year I was 3rd. (Sue was too!) I was happy!!! It always depends on who shows up whether or not I win…

The water bottle was the award

After the awards, they gave away raffle prizes but none of us won any.

All in all, a very challenging yet fun race. I think I’ll do it again (since I’ll probably block out any memory of those hills LOL)

My HILLY Splits:

mile 1 – 10:51
mile 2 – 10:55
mile 3 – 9:06
mile 4 – 10:15
mile 5 – 10:33
mile 6 – 11:52
mile 7 – 11:13
mile 8 – 11:00
.4 – 8:03

Afterwards, I stopped to visit the friend whose house I was supposed to sleep at the previous night. She was there with a friend and they wanted to go hiking. I decided I might as well before the DOMS set in. So we drove back to North Creek and found a hike at Gore Mountain. We chose the shortest and easiest one – 2.1 miles to a reservoir.

We never found the reservoir but saw a lot of pretty mushrooms and waterfalls. It was so much fun!! And we stopped on the way home for ice cream!!

A pretty perfect day – racing, hiking, ice cream – all done with friends!!

Happy Running! Ever race a train?

August 11, 2017 by Darlene

Friday Five 2.0: Racing with Family and Friends

Since it’s Friday, I’m linking up with Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostesses and visit some other bloggers.

My topic for today is: Family and Friends

I race a lot as you know. Unfortunately, I have never raced with any family members. The closest I ever gotten was my hubby signing up for a race (and he DNFed.)

So I am going to write about my top FIVE Friend Racing Moments:

Here they are:

1.Any race with MP, my tennis buddy. These are special because MP was the one who talked me into signing up for the No Boundaries program and becoming a runner. She is not a serious runner meaning that she rarely runs and signs up for only a few races a year.

: 2016 – 5k

2. My First Race with the Strong Running Mamas (SRMs) – This started in 2010 with a small group of women who had never run a 5k. They trained and ran the Freihofer’s Race for Women. It was so emotional to be part of that day. These women continued to run and race. Several have even run marathons. The group now includes over 100 members on FB.

3. VCM Relay (with AHJ) – I met AJH (from VT) by reading her blog and then planning some local race meet-ups in my area. Then she invited me to stay with her and run the Vermont City Marathon Relay. I ran it two years in a row. Running the first 13.1 miles and then the next year, the last 13.1 miles. The experiences were totally different but so much fun.

: VCM Relay – 2015

: VCM Relay – 2016

4. Ramblefest Half Marathon (with my BRF) – This was special because although I had run with Alyssa once a week, this was our first race together. Plus we both had PRs. We hope to have a similar experience when we race again together at the Wine Glass Half on Oct 1.

5. Panama City Beach Half Marathon (with the #holottafun ladies) – This experience may never be duplicated (but we will try in Las Vegas in Nov). Spending the weekend with women whom you only knew through their blogs. Well, it was phenomenal.

: this aventure was definitely worth taking time off without pay)

Happy Running! Do you race with family or friends? What is your favorite friend/family racing moment?

August 7, 2017 by Darlene

Running Update: 7.31.17-8.6.17

Last Week:

Monday – A sunny day so I had to run. The warm weather returned.

On the rail trail

Tuesday – Finally got to play tennis. It was great catching up after at dinner as well.

at UAlbany courts

Wednesday – Since I was working near the Crossings, I decided to squeeze in a run there. Another warm one but I’m not complaining.

Thursday – No rain this week so far. Amazing. I ran with Alyssa for our weekly after work run.

it was warm but we celebrated our fast run with ice cream after

Friday – Another scheduled rest day. After work, I planned to drive up to Chestertown to stay at my friend’s house on Schroon River (to make my race day drive shorter) but I was pooped so stayed home and played mah jongg instead.
Saturday – Today I ran the Race the Train 8.4 mile race. I expected rain but just got humidity. And it was much hilliest than I remember.

Course PR and 3rd in my age group

Afterward I stopped at my friend’s and we decided to go hiking.

So much fun. We didn’t get as far as the reservoir but saw pretty mushrooms and waterfalls and hiked 4.2 miles

Sunday – A weekend would not be complete without a trip to the lake.

Hung out with friends, grilled a great meal and finished a book 😊

20.4 miles done with 4 runs and 3 rest days

This Week:

Monday – day off at Saratoga race track
Tuesday – 3 mile run in Rochester??
Wednesday – rest, drive home from Rochester
Thursday – 4 mile run with Alyssa
Friday – rest
Saturday – proctor MPREs, 9 mile run
Sunday – rest, boating

Please link up for the Weekly Wrap hosted by these wonderful bloggers Holly @ HoHoRuns and Tricia @ MissSippiPiddlin. See rules here.

This week’s Guest Host is Heather @ 3 Black Cat Co.

Happy Running! How is your running going? What’s new with you? Please share.

August 5, 2017 by Darlene

Ultimate Coffee Date – August

Confessions of a Mother Runner

Since today is the first Saturday in August, I am joining up with Coco & Deborah for their ultimate coffee date.

iced coffee with chocolate milk ❤

Over coffee…

I’d tell you that if you wondered why I was the Guest Blogger last week on The Weekly Wrap and why I have been commenting on blogs and posting on mine more often, it was because instead of working at my usual job, I was working at the Bar Exam for 3 days. That meant that I sat for 10 hours and waited until a student had a technical problem. Lots of downtime …. to blog.

my view for 3 long days

Of course, that won’t happen again until next February.

Now it’s back to normal… squeezing blogging into my busy life. (I don’t know how those of you who work get it done.)

Over coffee…

I’d tell you that I worked at my old job site for the Bar Exam. It made me very nostalgic (I worked there for 10 years.)

Yes, I missed my friends and the work itself but what I really missed was running-related.

There was a (free) treadmill (not that I loved it but it was handy), a nearby track, close to the park and it was easy to squeeze in runs before, during and after work.

Over coffee…

I’d tell tell you that after my success at my last two 5ks, I contemplated not signing up for so many long races. I almost Pr’d with zero speed work. Maybe I should work on my speed before I get too old.

27:35 at age 64!! Can I go faster? My PR of 27:11 is 3 years old.

Over coffee…

I’d tell you that today I have a HILLY 8.4 race. I am a little nervous since I do not train on hills and I remember it being a very challenging course. I didn’t know anyone at the race last year so I am looking forward this year to running with my friends Sue and AJH.

Stay tuned for the hopefully “happy” recap.

Over coffee…

I’d tell you that I am the WORST running buddy ever. I signed up for the RUN4 program almost 4 years ago. I was paired with John Anthony and in the beginning, I posted all runs and dedicated them to him. I also sent him medals and running shirts.

10687124_858840804128698_4771329018836976952_n

Then I got lazier and only posted and dedicated my races to him. I still mailed him race shirts (the cotton and unisex ones.)

Now, I am sad to say that I do think about him all the time when I run but I can’t remember the last time I posted to the FB site. And I have a pile of shirts waiting to be mailed.

Over coffee…

I’d tell you that I love running in NYC. (You probably know that.) This month I am running my 4th race there in 10 mos.

: Nov – Dash to the Finish 5k

: Shape Half 2017

: July – Brooklyn 5k

I am super psyched because I am running it with Sue, it’s in Central Park and it’s called the France 8k Run. (I’m trying to forget that I’ll have to run up Cat and Harlem hills.)

Um, what should I wear?

Yup. FRANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember I was French teacher for over 20 years and I love anything French (esp. food and art).

what do you think?

Glad I signed up early.

Image may contain: text

Over coffee…

I’d tell you that I kinda had an injury. If you don’t write about it, it doesn’t exist, right?

Last Saturday afternoon, I think I tweaked my peroneal tendon …in my GOOD ankle. I’m not sure when…either carrying laundry down the stairs or while gardening. I just remember hearing something snap/pull. I ignored because it didn’t hurt. It didn’t bother me on Sunday (but I didn’t do anything.) and then on Monday when I went to run, it hurt. Did I stop running? Of course not. I tried to not bend my ankle and run in a way that it didn’t hurt and walk often.

Yes, I was bummed.

So on Tuesday, I didn’t run but I wore my hubby’s ankle support and played tennis. And it hurt so did I stop? No way but I only played one set and then sat out.

So now I was really bummed.

Not enough to take a running break. I wore the ankle support and ran on Wednesday. And guess what? It didn’t hurt AT ALL!!!!!

3.5 pain-free miles

I ran again with Alyssa on Thursday.

More miles with zero pain

I’m not convinced that it is perfectly fine.

my new work attire (with a dress)

We’ll see how the ankle reacts to 8.4 hilly miles.

Happy Running! Got anything to spill? Share it here! Anyone ever race the France 8k? Ever ignore an injury and it gets better?

August 4, 2017 by Darlene

Friday Five 2.0: My Favorite Races

My topic for today is: Five Favorite Races

You know that I love to race and I have run A LOT of RACES so it is hard for me to pick just FIVE.

Just to be interesting, I will pick 5 different distances.

Here they are:

1. Freihofer’s Run for Women (5k) – it is ALL women (more than 4000)– all ages, all sizes, veterans, newbies, elites, walkers. When I ran it the first year that I started running (2008), it made feel like a “real” runner. Finishing it after suffering a serious injury (2012) helped me believe that I could be a runner again. And then in 2013, completing it with a broken foot showed me how strong (or maybe stubborn) I was.

2012 – in newspaper

: FRW – 2017

I love the downhill finish of this race and I also enjoy running through Washington Park in Albany, NY where I often run after work.

The location is convenient since I can park in town and walk to the race to avoid the traffic and confusion. There is an expo the day before where you get free Freihofers cookies and a loaf of bread.

2. Troy Turkey Trot (10K) – This 10K takes place on Thanksgiving Day and it a good way to burn some calories before your big meal. It’s the most popular race in the area and so there are lots of runners and even more in the 5k that follows the 10k (10,000 total). This is also the race that got me involved in a running group. I have joined the training group each year and it convinced me that participating in a group is a great thing and have since joined a training group for the Freihofer’s race.

: 2016 – 10K

The course is fairly flat and is my current 10K PR. 🙂

3. Stockade-athon (15k) – This race is the oldest 15k in the country. It takes place in the fall so the foliage is pretty and you run around Central Park and through the oldest parts of the city of Schenectady, NY.

: 2015

It is a popular local race for me so you run into a lot of familiar faces. The end of the race features food such as pizza, hot soup and cozy indoor seating at Proctors Theatre.

4. Adirondack Distance Run (10 miler) – There aren’t many 10 mile races around and this is a great one. It has a point-to-point course that starts in the village of Lake George, NY and ends in Bolton Landing. It takes place in early summer so it is not too hot or humid yet.

: 2016

The course is rolling hills but you don’t mind since you are running along Lake George the whole way.

the end of the race

This is the route that I drive each weekend to go on our boat.

Since our marina is next door to the beach, I can have friends cheering for me at the finish line.

5. Naples News Half Marathon (13.1) – This race is special because it was my first half marathon. It was also held in one my favorite vacation spots. I go there every year with my tennis friends. The race was held on my wedding anniversary and my hubby was there waiting at the finish line. Plus if you live in the NE, January in Florida is a great getaway.

The course is beautiful with many views of the Gulf.

At one point, a priest blessed runners with holy water.

I don’t plan to repeat any of my half marathon races but maybe someday I will run this one again.

Happy Running! What are your 5 favorite races? Have you run any of the above?

August 2, 2017 by Darlene

Wednesday Word- Breakthrough

WednesdayWordScrabbleButton

The first Wednesday of each month, the Deb from Deb Runs will be providing a word about which to blog. Kind of like a nice little blog prompt. Posts can be fitness or health related, but don’t have to be, so really anyone can play along. Just be sure to link up with InLinkz on Deb’s main post, and share the love by reading and commenting on other’s participant’s posts.

Today’s word is Breakthrough

Image result for breakthrough definition

For me, a breakthrough happened several years after running ONLY 5ks.

This is nothing wrong with only racing the 5k distance.

But I had convinced myself that since I was an older runner, I was NOT capable of running any longer race distance.

happy, getting faster, winning AG awards… (need help in improving my wardrobe choices.)

After a health-related scare, I decided in 2011, to give the 13.1 distance a shot.

I didn’t tell anyone (except my hubby) because I had serious doubts about my ability to complete the distance.

thumbs up for the first one!

But I did it! I loved it and I went on to run 5 half marathons that first year.

I have continued to run several half marathons each year (unless I was injured).

Half Marathon #26 – 2:06:52 – PR!!!

I didn’t stop running 5ks. I still love that distance but I am so glad that I made the decision to run a half marathon. I discovered that what I thought was holding me back (age) did not and that I had to potential to run 131.1 miles (and even run them pretty well.)

Image result for breakthroughs in running quotes

I’m also linking with Susie and Rachel and Debbie and Lora for the Running Coaches’ Corner.

Happy Running! Have you had any BREAKTHROUGHS with regard to running? Please share.

July 27, 2017 by Darlene

Silks & Satins 5K Race Recap

July 22, 2017

When I first started running, this race was one of my favorite 5ks. I ran it in 2008, 2009, 2010.

in 2008 – my first year of running

in 2010, this is where I met AJH for the first time (I was wearing shorts back then.)

It’s funny how things have changed. AJH was trying to convince me to run a longer race. Since then I have completed 26 half marathons.

My 5k time back in 2010 was 29:34.

After 5 years, I ran this 5k again in 2015. And my time was 28:41. So things haven’t changed that much (but now I wear running skirts instead of shorts).

I’ve enjoyed this race so much that I have re-added to my summer racing list.

28:27 finish, a course PR and a 3rd place AG award in 2016

The course had changed for 2015 and I assumed that it would be the same again this year.

Here is the current course map:

15 turns in this course!!

The race started at 8 am. That meant that I had to get up at 5:30.

This being the opening weekend of the Saratoga Flat Track, believe it or not there was already a lot of traffic at 7 am. I was glad to have left early and found parking in a nearby lot. (I was careful this year to park in the correct lot. Two years ago, I almost got towed.)

unisex tech shirt – too big, of course

I picked up my bib and shirt and then went back to my car and watched the horses work out for a bit.

There were about 1000 runners at this race. So I bumped into quite a few familiar faces: Sue, my Shape half roommate, Laurie from the Turkey Trot group several years ago, Holly and Nancy from the Freihofer’s group, Patrick, the director for this race and coach for my running groups, to name a few.

The weather was quite warm … over 70 at the start and HUMID. So not ideal running conditions but I wasn’t planning to PR anyway.

Soon we headed to the start. It wasn’t chip-timed so Holly, Nancy & I tried to get as close to the front as we could but not get in the way of the speedy runners.

And so we were off.

Nancy is super fast and Holly is fast as well. I tried to keep Holly in my sight during the first mile but she kept getting further and further ahead.

It seemed like everyone was passing me by…because they were. But as usual, my first mile was too fast. My plan was to have negative splits and but that never happened.

By the second mile, I had completely lost Holly and I was starting to struggle with my breathing.

It was warm but I have run in higher temps. It was the HUMIDITY. And it was sucking the life out of me. I don’t sweat much but I was dripping…

I tried to run in the shade when there was shade and run the tangents (all 15 of them). I only walked at the one water stop at the halfway point. And as it turned out, my legs were tired and I probably should have walked at each mile.

It was during mile 3 that I saw Holly again. She had slowed down so much that I caught up to her.

She beat me during our last two races together and I tried to encourage her to run faster but she replied “Go ahead, I’m done!!” Her super speedy pace for the first two miles had killed her.

So I ran ahead and tried to get up enough energy to sprint through the finish line.

I crossed at 27:37 (Gun time).

It was actually over a minute faster than last year so I was thrilled. But boy, did I feel crappy – nauseous, dizzy. I got some water and sat down until I felt human.

Then I searched for my friends and found them on the food line. It was a long line but moved quickly.

Two years ago, the refreshments consisted of bagels & chocolate milk. This year like last year, there was only watermelon & bananas. I had at least four pieces of watermelon, a banana and a granola bar. And I felt much better.

watermelon on a hot day – yum!

They posted the results pretty quickly. I was shocked that I again came in third in my age group. (Unfortunately, Holly was 5th.)

While waiting for the awards ceremony, I bumped into more runners that I knew and they all got awards, as well.

I taught Michelle French 25 years ago!! She is super speedy – finished in 20 minutes at age 42.

I got a nice medal. It always feels great when you win an award.

All in all, this was a fun race. Besides all the turns, the race course is pretty flat. It is well-organized. I plan to run this race again next summer.

Splits:

mile 1- 8:34
mile 2 – 8:56 (walk at the water stop)
mile 3 – 9:06
.1 – 7:26

27:35 (Garmin time)

I was not planning on going up to my friend’s at the Schroon River house until Sunday morning. So I took advantage of this opportunity to get some more miles in. I drove back to the Zim Smith Trail and ran in the opposite direction from last weekend. It was warm, I was tired but I got it done.

: nice and shady

: over the bridge

: many bikers on the path

: raspberry walnut oatmeal (recommended by 2 other runners at the restaurant) and chocolate milk in my iced coffee.

I survived the heat and drove home to get ready to go to a dinner party with some of the runners who will be racing the Wineglass Half Marathon on Oct. 1.

and if you are wondering, that is a Skirt Sports dress.

Racing, Running and talking about Running – what a great day!!

And since it is Thursday, I’m linking up today with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursday.

thinking out loud

I decided not to run a race this weekend (I was tempted by one in Chestertown). My next race will be a hilly one – Race the Train on Aug 4. I will be meeting up with Sue (NYC roommate) and VT running pal, AJH so I plan to, as usual, have a great time.