December 21, 2014 by Darlene

Would You Rather…? Holiday Edition

…Run a Christmas themed event in the heat or the snow?

Probably the snow because hey, it is a Christmas-themed event. But I do not enjoy the cold, as a rule.

this was during a snowstorm

…Sing / listen to Christmas songs during your run, or wear a Christmas outfit during your run?

A little of both. I have a few Christmas songs on my iPhone and I have dressed up to run.

waiting inside before the race

… A new running watch, or an entry fee to a running event?

A new running watch. My Garmin 205 is getting old.

… Go for a run before your Christmas meal or after?

Definitely before. It would give me the excuse to eat a lot of goodies.

…Listen to an Audiobook / Podcast on running, or read a book about running?

I have never listened to an audiobook/podcast on running but I have read many a book on running. I would like to read this one:

… A year access to an online running coach or 5 one-on-one visits to a running coach?

One-on-one. I need the person to keep me accountable. If it were online, I know I wouldn’t get as much out of it.

… Give up your Christmas to help those in need (like a soup kitchen), or spend your Christmas with ALL your family?

I don’t have big family so I think I would rather give up my Christmas to help those in need. I do give gifts to my mentee’s kids each Christmas.

I just love him!

… Watch Love Actually or The Holiday?

Love Actually – it is one of my favorite movies.

… Ham or Chicken / Turkey for Christmas meal?

I don’t really like ham, so I would prefer chicken or turkey. But I actually really like Lasagna on Christmas Day. I have spent many a Christmas at my Italian in-laws.

Happy Running! So which would you rather? Share some answers in the comments or share on your own blog and link back!

December 19, 2014 by Darlene

It’s that time of year…

Time to mail those holiday cards out.

I participated in this card swap:

I was paired with Kristy from the Runaway Bride Planner to whom I sent this card:

xmas card 2014

I was also paired with John from Run. Geek. Run Disney who will be sending me a card.

My virtual running friends will get this one:

running card

I also plan to send the card below to a few friends and family:

holiday card

Happy Running? Do send many holiday cards? Do you buy them or make your own?

December 19, 2014 by Darlene

Friday Five – Holiday traditions

Every Friday, three DC area bloggers Mary at Mar On the Run, Cynthia at You Signed Up For What?! and Courtney from Eat Pray Run, DC to host the Friday Five linkup. Anyone can join with their own Friday Five post (yes, it must be a Friday Five!!) They encourage you to visit other blogs on the linkup, comment, share and engage!

This week, the theme is Holiday Traditions:

Here are five of my favorite traditions:

1. Running through the Lights in the Park

It is a mile from where I work so I try to run here after work as many times as I can (including a 5k race).

2. Decorating with Snowmen

I am Jewish and my hubby is Catholic. Snowmen are non-denominational so it works for us. I love them and they are so cute!

3. Lighting the Menorah

I was raised very religious but I am no longer. I do enjoy eating latkes and lighting the Menorah to celebrate Chanukah..

I accidentally deleted the photo that I took last night.

4. Bringing Gifts to my mentee’s sons

I don’t have any grandkids so I love to spend Christmas morning at Amanda’s (the girl I used to mentor.)

5. Going to the Movies on Christmas Day

After seeing my mentee and then having dinner with my mother-in-law & stepsons, we always go to the movies to see a movie that opens on Christmas Day. This year, I hope to see….

Unfortunately, I can only mention 5 but runner’s up are: Christmas parties, baking cookies, visiting NYC.

Happy Running! What are your holiday traditions?

December 17, 2014 by Darlene

What I’m Loving Wednesday

I haven’t done this in quite a while. So here are 5 things that I am loving right now:

1. NOOSA YOGURT

pumpkin is my favorite

You can only buy it in Target and it’s not cheap. But it is soooo good.

Noosa is made with milk from Morning Fresh Dairy, right on site at their farm in Bellvue, Colorado. Morning Fresh milk is free of artificial growth hormones (rBGH) and artificial preservatives. To lightly sweeten Noosa, they use golden Clover Alfalfa honey from Colorado’s Beeyond the Hive, family-owned since 1908. Their all natural fruit purees are made with the highest quality, best-tasting fruit on the market, and are free of artificial ingredients of any kind.

2. PANCAKES

I make them on the weekends. I even like to make them for dinner sometimes.

3. CHOCOLATE MILK

The perfect treat after a long run or race. Almond milk has more calcium than regular milk and it’s easier to digest,

4. Energy Bars

I sit at my desk and eat intermittently throughout the day (like every hour or 2). I usually run, play tennis or do yoga after work and one of these bars keeps me going until dinner. I like Clif Bars but I also buy what’s on sale such as, Balance, Kashi, Luna, Larabar and store brands.

5. ANC NAILS

I hate fake nails but I want my nails to look good and not keep breaking. I used to get a Gel manicure but it would take about 2 hours to get them done. Then I discovered ANC (Amazing Nail Concept). The process is done by coating your nails in various clear polishes and dipping your nails into a colored powder. When the final coat is applied, it hardens to a plastic-like consistency. And it doesn’t take a long time. I get a French manicure. That way, I get let them go for over a month before anyone notices. Caution, once you start (like hair dye), you won’t be able to go back to normal nails & polish.

and more importantly…

Happy Running! What are you loving right now?

December 16, 2014 by Darlene

Tuesdays on the Run: Running in Snowy Conditions

Erika @ MCM Mama Runs hosts Tuesdays on the Run with April @ Run the great wide somewhere and Patty @ My no-guilt life!

This week’s topic is: Open so I chose – Running in Snowy Conditions

Of course, I live in the Northeast. This is the story of most of my winters (except for 2012 – the one when I was injured.)

There are several things you can do as a runner when it snows:

Do Not Run

This is probably not an option for more than two days — especially if you are training for a race.

I did this my first 2 years of running. I stopped running in Nov and started again in April. I was not a serious runner, obviously.

Run Indoors

This is probably the most logical one.

If you belong to a gym where there is a track, you can run there. I think a track is boring but it is better for me than a treadmill and you can do some creative speed drills.

You can also run on a treadmill. I personally hate them but I have used them when it is impossible to run outside.

I kinda run like this.

Wear Yak Trax.

You should have a pair if you live where it snows a lot. They really work. You can run in the snow and not slip and slide.

Find a clear road.

Sidewalks are unreliable. Sometimes they’re shoveled and sometimes they’re not. The bike paths are the same way. You never know. On main roads, there is too much traffic to run in the road. So you have to look for a road that is plowed and doesn’t have a lot of traffic or a trail that is shoveled.

This is a speed workout is from Coach Jenny:

Perform the following workout on a clean, plowed, well-lit, low-traffic, half-mile-ish stretch of road in your neighborhood, a large parking lot, or on a path.

Begin the intervals on one end of the road. This will be your starting point for every rep and the finishing point for every recovery period.

Repeat this ladder interval set 1-2 times. (Each set includes 8 minutes of hard running.)

From the starting point, run 30 seconds at a hard effort. (That means a pace where you aren’t able to speak, but can still control your form. It’s somewhere between comfortably hard and an all-out sprint effort.) Recover by turning around and walking or jogging back to the starting point. You can walk until you catch your breath and then jog back to the start. The key is to allow your breathing to come back down to an aerobic level where you can talk easily before your start your next interval.
From the starting point, run 1 minute at a hard effort, and then walk/jog recover back to the starting point.
Run 90 seconds at a hard effort. Walk/jog to recover.
Run 2 minutes at a hard effort. Walk/jog to recover.
Run 90 seconds at a hard effort. Walk/jog to recover.
Run 1 minute at a hard effort. Walk/jog to recover.
Run 30 seconds at a hard effort. Walk/jog to recover.

and of course, if you are lucky and able, find a destination race where there is NO SNOW!!

Me on January 17!!

Happy Running! Any other suggestions for running in snowy weather?

December 15, 2014 by Darlene

Monday Running Update

Last Week: (Week 7 of HM training)

Monday – ~~walk at work,~~ cookie party at work, ~~tennis~~ 6.5 mile run

after work instead of tennis – had to run off those cookies

Tuesday – walk at work, 4 mile run

AM walk – indoors

sleet, freezing rain=treadmill

Wednesday – walk at work, ~~yoga~~ ~~STEM celebration dinner~~ (cancelled – snow)

AM walk – will I ever get outside again?

Thursday – ~~walk at work~~, 4.5 mile run

got out of work early & found a dry road 🙂

Friday- walk at work, 3 2.5 mile run, mah jongg

AM walk

after work

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mah jongg & celebrating 2 birthdays

Saturday – ~~yoga for runners~~, rest, shopping, knitting

I need to finish this scarf by Christmas

Sunday – 15K race, dinner out, lights in the park carriage ride to celebrate my mentee’s son’s b-day

1:34:55 – my 2nd fastest 15K

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This Week: (Week 8 of HM training)

Monday – walk at work, tennis
Tuesday – walk at work, 4 mile run, tennis dinner
Wednesday – walk at work, ~~yoga~~ STEM celebration dinner
Thursday – walk at work, dept holiday lunch, 4 mile run
Friday- walk at work, work holiday lunch, retirement party at work, 3 mile run, mah jongg (LAST DAY OF WORK)
Saturday – rest, yoga
Sunday – 10 or 11 mile run

I’m linking this post up with Tara at Running n’ Reading for her Weekend Update!

Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?

December 14, 2014 by Darlene

HMRRC Winter Series #1 (15k) Race Recap

winter series #1 in 2011

Hudson Mohawk Runners Club sponsors FREE races throughout the winter for its members. The course is pretty boring but free is free.

winter series #3 last year

This weekend, they offered distances of 3M and 15K.

The 15K distance fit right in with my long run schedule in training for my half marathon on January 17.

So I signed up and hoped the conditions would be good enough for running.

This was my 5th 15K:

2014
HMRRC #3 – 1:42:40 -same course
Stockeadeathon – 1:33:23 (PR)

2013
Stockeadeathon – 1:42:22

2011
Stockeadeathon – 1:36:08

My expectations for this one was to be around 1:40:00 and have a course PR.

My long runs had been on track until recently. I had been running 8 miles on the weekend. But then the past two weekends, I only ran 3.1 miles (in 5k races). Either it was too cold or I was too busy to add the extra miles.

Then there was the weather… it snowed/rained Tuesday & Wednesday and there was the aftermath Thursday-Saturday. Not a good week for running outdoors.

So today would be a stretch to run 9.3 miles… I was wondering if I should switch to 3 miles but then again, that would screw up my training even more.

I was nervous about going from 3 miles to 9 miles. I didn’t want to get injured.

Well, I decided to just do it and take it slow. If it felt like a strain, just walk a lot….just get it done!!

It had been freezing, snowing, raining all week but all winter races are cold & icy so I bundled up in my usual layers. Then I realized that today was a lot warmer so I revised my outfit.

It was in the 30s so I wore capris with compression socks and 2 shirts. I brought a jacket just in case.

I left early to get parking since these races are crowded and there are other events going on at UAlbany.

What I love about this local race is that you get to see a lot of people that you know.

I immediately bumped into Judy, Melissa & Karen, some SRMs. I also got to chat with Judy from FB and Heidi whom I ran the Love Run in Philly last year. I even saw some runners from the STEM group, the Turkey Trot group, my coach from that group as well as other familiar faces from races.

We stayed indoors until the last minute and then made out way outside.

I lined up with Judy who was running the 3 miler and Judy who was coming back from an injury.

The race is very informal – no bibs, no starting mat, no timing chips, etc.

I just told myself that this was simply a training run and just do it.

My Garmin actually found the satellite right away for a change but as soon as I started I noticed that it said “DATA FULL.”

Great. I didn’t want to mess with it and delete stuff while I was running so I ran the race “naked.”

Yup. There were no clocks or mile markers so I had absolutely no idea where I was in the race and what time it was.

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This was early on. I am smiling. Gus in my pocket. Gloves on.

The only way I realized we were looping the State Office campus was that I passed a volunteer that I knew 4 times!!

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second loop at UAlbany

The course is very boring but it also has hills. Not steep hills, just a few rolling hills throughout. This year, I have tried to be better about hills and not walk up all of them. I think I did walk up 2 of them.

There were 2 water stops (mile 3 & 6??) and I stopped at both to take a GU and walk.

The problem with a small race of about 300 and being a middle of the packer, I ran almost all of the race by myself – no spectators, no scenery, no music, no Garmin. Every now and then, someone caught up to me, we chatted and then they passed me by.

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later on. Not so happy. Gloves off.

I dressed perfectly. I didn’t need my jacket. I was warm & took off my gloves. Toward the end of the race, it got windy & started to drizzle so I did feel a little chilled.

The amazing thing was that I felt great the whole race. No aches and pains. No blisters. I actually felt stronger as the race went on.

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toward the end

Finally it was over and I sprinted across the finish line at 1:34:55.

I think I was 214th. This is a fast group. They gave awards for the top 2 in each 10 year age group. I was 4th in my age group.

ws1

I was happy with the results. With a Garmin, I might have been faster but I doubt I would have PRed. This was over 7 minutes faster than last year on this course and my 2nd fastest 15K ever.

I went inside to warm up and have some soup, bread, cookies, fruit, hot chocolate. Not a bad spread for a free race.

And this I think is my 33rd race and my last for 2014.

Happy Running! How you are enduring the winter? Did you run this weekend?

December 13, 2014 by Darlene

Bucket List for 2015

for 2015

Here are a few of the new races that I am looking forward to this coming year:

January 17, 2015

In Florida in the winter – YAY! and visiting 4 friends too!

shamrock5k

I am so excited to be running this race with my friend Mary in CA and also get to watch some of the qualifying matches at the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Championships (and maybe see some of the stars practicing.)

I DID NOT get into the

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March 15, 2015

It was a lottery so unfortunately I’ll have to try again and again and again (unless somehow I could run a sub 2 hour half.)

aphm

So I instead registered for this half marathon to keep me running through the winter. I have a friend that lives an hour from this race and it’s supposed to be the “Best Half in New Jersey – One of Best in the Country.” The best part, I will be running along the ocean!!!!!

I also did not get into the ….

in Woodstock VT

It sold out in 24 min…I was out running & came back 1 minute too late 😦 Next Year!!

so instead I registered for…

June 13, 2015

This is an inaugural race (I am running the Half Marathon) and it looks exciting. It’s in Poughkeepsie which is about 1.5 hours away. The course will include the William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail and the Walkway Over the Hudson as well as Marist College and the Hudson Valley Rail Trail. (It is hilly – the only negative.)

jensen beach hm

November 15, 2015

Yes, another Florida Half Marathon – A good friend moved to Jensen Beach and I would love to stay with her and run but the second one is a better date (a friend of a friend lives there & has offered to house me if I come down.)

If I decide not to go to Florida in the fall, I may run this HILLY one…

September 26, 2015

I have a friend who lives nearby (in CT).

Happy Running! What races are you looking forward to in 2015?

December 12, 2014 by Darlene

Friday Five: Favorite Winter Activities

This week, the theme is Favorite Winter Activities:

I’ll say it up front. I hate the cold!!

If I didn’t run, I would never go outside.

I don’t ski, snowboard, ice skate, sled, snow shoe…nada!

Keeping that in mind, here are my favorites:

1. Running (only cuz I sign up for races & winter half marathons to make me get out there)

Polar Cap - February

2. Tennis (Indoors) – I play doubles once a week.

3. Knitting – I am not very experienced but I have made socks, hats & scarfs.

IMG_4256-0

sock1

4. Cooking (on the weekends) – I love to make soups & chili.

5. Reading – I always read every night before I go to sleep.

I think this one is her best – I read it in one day!

loved this one – can’t wait to see the movie!

Happy Running! What are some of your favorite winter activities?

December 10, 2014 by Darlene

Making a Difference

Now that my STEM experience is over, I can reflect upon it.

This e-mail from the coordinator probably says it all:

They did it! You did it! We did it!

We started with six ladies in our pilot program with the Schenectady YWCA this fall, and four of them crossed the finish line today. We lost one eager runner to surgery midway through the session, and we lost one other whom I’m convinced we can lure back in the spring.

Our ladies did beautifully out there despite having to run the race in freezing rain. All of them finished in under an hour, including our runner who is in her 70s. Our fastest runner finished somewhere in the 37-minute range. As they crossed the line you could see how proud they were, each sprinted to the finish. And they were singing and laughing after the race.

The impact this will have on them will be more tremendous than we can ever imagine. Two former graduates of our Troy program ran the race with them today as mentors and both of them have logged about 10 races since they began running last fall. One who was previously unemployed now works two jobs, and credits running with the tremendous transformation in her life (it took her 10 years to leave her abuser for good, and she says it was running that made her feel strong enough).

For those of you who were able to be there today, you saw the pride in these ladies eyes when they crossed the finish line. For those who weren’t there today, you’ve seen it other times along the way — when 1-minute jogging intervals became 3, then 8 then 20. And it was thanks to all your kind words and encouragement that these ladies began to have belief in themselves.

I can’t wait to see you all at the celebration on December 10 at the YWCA, where we’ll show some pictures. And we hope to be running with you in future sessions. We meet awesome women through this training program, and it’s not limited to the clients we’re helping move from couch to 5K. What an incredible group of women you are to share your time and your passion for the sport.

Lastly, I wanted to share with you this essay, written by a woman who was in our first Troy program (see below). She wasn’t asked to write this for us, it was for a project where DV survivors expressed themselves through art and writing.