April 3, 2011 by Darlene

The Happy Runner’s Virtual Half Marathon

In honor of Amanda, Suzy, Felice, Janis & Bridget’s Half Marathon race in Queens, NY yesterday, I completed this virtual one. Yesterday, I ran 2.1 miles. It was sunny and windy. I was hoping that today would be calmer and beside I had plans.

I spent the afternoon with my mentee, Amanda and her 4 yr old son, Richard (She is having another boy on Aug 20.). First we went to the park to see the ducks, geese and goldfish but it was too windy to play on the playground. Instead we went to the mall where they were having their annual “Journey Through the Body” activities for kids.

After playing in the mall playground, we ended by having ice cream. We shivered but it was worth it.

Today was my scheduled long run of 11 miles. It was sunny again but even windier than yesterday.

flag blowing in the wind

I overdressed because it was so breezy with gloves & a windbreaker.

before my run

with Slater, one of my cats

This was a run of firsts:

wearing my new Spi Belt (to carry water & GU)
wearing Reebok sneakers (that I got for free last summer)
a new route – down the bypass, past the high school, down Delaware Ave, to the golf course and back)

The wind was brutal at first since I was running into it and it was hard to move forward. After 3 miles, it got better since I turned right but then I got very WARM. I stopped to take off the jacket & gloves. Even my legs were warm – I wish I had worn shorts or capris.

Interesting sightings:

a hawk (2 men pointed it out)
a hearse
someone running around the HS track (Tempted? Nope)
2 runners (wearing the Albany Last Run orange jacket)
several joggers (could be runners)
several bikers
boys playing baseball

Around 7 miles into the run, I got tired. My legs felt like lead. I started to slow down. I took walk breaks…this is always when I start to doubt my ability to run a half marathon. I took another Gu but it didn’t help.

I did finish strong. But it wasn’t a very good run.

Done!

Positives – I love this new running route. I will take it again for the next and last long run – 12 miles (YIKES!!) The spi belt didn’t move around though if you put a lot in, you feel pregnant. I guess if looks better than bulging pockets. The front sides of my feet (where they always hurt) didn’t hurt at all with these cheap Reeboks(???)

So here’s the stats on my virtual (2 day) Half Marathon:

2.1 – 19.37
11 – 2:07:40
13.1 – 2:27:17

I still burned a lot of calories so my hubby took me to get this:

Coffee & Cream

at the Jericho Drive-in which incidentally is only 3.1 miles from my house… (I see a 10k run in my future!!)

By the way, Suzy, Amanda, Felice, Bridget and Janis all ROCKED their Half Marathon in Queens yesterday 🙂

Bridget, Felice, Amanda, Suzy, Janis

Happy Running!

April 1, 2011 by Darlene

April’s Fools Day and My Hair

It’s no joke ! It is SNOWING today!!!!!!!!!!! (Not as much as they predicted and will probably melt quickly.)

Today luckily is my scheduled rest day! I plan to run 11 miles either Sat or Sun. Whenever the snow melts…

Two wins for me today:

Subject: My Run headband winner
“I feel good when I’m done.” I could have have said it any better. 🙂
Was inspired by your post to the thread, and I would like to send you a free My Run official headband. I sew and silkscreen moisture wicking headbands with inspirational sayings. Started this business over a year ago- originally because I sweat so much during my long runs. 🙂

I also won on the Virtual Cupcake Marathon – a case of:

I had originally planned to go see “My Run” last night but I didn’t feel like going alone and they had predicted a snowstorm (I ran on the treadmill at work instead and then caught up on some Tivo at home.)

Tonite I am getting my hair cut. My hubby says to cut it !! But I’m all about convenience (running, tennis, yoga…).

Two Braids for Running

One Braid for Tennis

Ponytail for Swimming

Straight or

Wavy

If I let it grow even longer…There’s always the Lady Gaga
or the Witch “look”

So what should I do?????

I’ll let you know tomorrow what I decide to do…

Afterwards I am playing Mah Jongg with…

my New 2011 Card 2011 League Official Mah Jongg Card

Hope this card is a lucky one!!

Happy Running! Happy April’s Fools Day! Good Luck to the weekend racers!!!!

March 31, 2011 by Darlene

Good-Bye March!

I can definitely say that I am not sad to see March go. It was a cold month!! We had snow and wind… only a few nice days that I can remember.

Here’s a Recap:

My Goals for March were :

70 miles (combo of outside & treadmill – hopefully more outside) – SUCCESS – I ran 90.5 miles (mostly outside)
4 mi race PR (faster than 40:11) – SUCCESS – 4 miles in 38:02!!
a 5k race with under 10 min/mi pace (PR not necessary while training for another HM) – SUCCESS – 5k race in 29:22!! 9:27 pace!!
Follow Half Marathon training schedule – SUCCESS – a little more than 3 weeks to go!! 11 mile run scheduled for this weekend.

Other March activities:

Several virtual races – 5k, 7k, 13k, 26.2
played 2 USTA tennis matches and lost 😦
went to yoga class 3 x – love my Wed eve class!!
attended FleetFeet’s Good Form Running Clinic (posture, mid-foot, cadence, lean are hopefully embedded in my brain)
Winnings= Run. magnet from a blog, Brooks makeup bag & Saucony socks from Fleetfeet, Timex ironman watch from dailymile

My Goals for April are:

80 miles (that includes hm training, tapering and rest after)
a 5 mi race (my first)
Run my 2nd Half Marathon!!!

Happy Running! Good Luck to my favorite “Running Mamas” on their Half Marathon on Saturday!

March 30, 2011 by Darlene

Wednesday Words

**“It’s the training that gets you to the starting line. It’s the pacing and energy management that gets you to the finish line.” –** Kenneth Harkless

So true!

As I struggle with the weather and time commitments, I know that I must train if I want to run another half marathon. I also know that my training runs are always my worst runs. I can’t run fast. I can’t run without stopping. But somehow when I get to the start line of a race, I can run at a decent consistent pace and I can run without stopping. It is this enthusiam that will get me to the finish line of my next race (first 5 miler) and my 2nd half marathon.

Yesterday, I struggled with the wind and my weariness and ran a slow 4 miles. At least, I had negative split times. Before yoga, I plan to do the same today (It’s supposed to be warmer & less windy). Then hopefully again tomorrow before our forecasted snowstorm. Yes, I said snowstorm!!!!!!!!

Happy Running and Happy Training!

March 29, 2011 by Darlene

Two for Tuesday

1. This is good news – Put Those Shoes On: Running Won’t Kill Your Knees by Patti Neighmond – here are some excerpts from the article:

Yes, it’s true: Jogging, long thought to hurt knees with all that pounding and rattling around, may actually be beneficial for the complex and critical joint.

We know from many long-term studies that running doesn’t appear to cause much damage to the knees.

We wanted to answer the important question of whether, if you continued to run into your 50s and 60s and even 70s, you also ran the risk of damaging the knees,” she says. The answer, she says: absolutely not.

So, the message for joggers … who hope to be jogging all their lives, is a hearty two thumbs up.

2. Spring is NOT here yet. It is still cold, windy and even snow predicted for Friday.

When can I put away the winter running clothes??

Happy Running!

March 28, 2011 by Darlene

Brain Exchange #31 and the Last Week of March

Finishing is Winning‘s Brain Exchange:

This Week’s Topic: Race Reports

This Week’s Question: Do you enjoy writing your race reports? Do you use them later for reference?

Yes, Yes!!! I’m getting better at it too. I’m adding more details and photos so they will be more helpful if I run the same race again. They help me reflect on the experience and if it was a good one, prolong the endorphins 🙂

Yes, I read the past ones and use them to see what my time was, if the course was hilly and if it was crowded, etc. It even helps me decide if I want to run that race again.

Last week update:

My goal was 21 miles and I ran 5 times for a total of 18.5 miles.
I ran a 5K race. (finished under 30 min)
I played tennis 3x and did Yoga once.
This was Week #8 of my 2nd Half Marathon training. 4 weeks to go!

Goals for this week:

This week’s schedule:

Mon – tennis after work
Wed – yoga
Thurs – movie
Fri – hair appt & mah jongg

This week’s running:

Tues – 4 miles after work
Wed – 3  miles before work
Thurs -4  miles after work
Fri – 2 mi before work
Sun –  11 miles

Weekly Running Goal = 24 miles
March  Monthly Running Goal = 70 miles, a race, hm training
April Monthly Running Goal = 80 miles, a race, a Half Marathon

Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles

Happy Running!

March 27, 2011 by Darlene

March Winds…

Well, it looked like a beautiful day. The sun was shining. It was 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. So when I got home from my tennis match (which I lost and so did my team) and brunch with the team, I headed out for my long run.

I dressed similarly to yesterday. But when I got out of the car to get gas, I was freezing. The wind was whipping and made it feel as cold as yesterday.

Change of plans. I went home and added a windbreaker, thermal gloves and a winter hat. Since I was at home, I decided to run in my neighborhood. (and that also meant no Starbucks reward.)

The wind was gusting up to 30 mph and I could barely move forward. Unfortunately, the first 3 miles of my run was into the wind and it really tired me out. My legs were also tired from 2 hours of tennis and my 5K race yesterday.

I opted to play it smart and not push it. Instead of my planned 11 miles, I ran/walked 4 miles out and ran 4 miles back. So 3 yesterday plus 8 today will be my 11 mile run.

Next weekend is April. Hopefully the wind will be gone and the warmer temps will be here. Only 4 weeks till my half marathon!!!

Happy Running!

March 26, 2011 by Darlene

Run 4 Your Life 5k Race Report

Another new race but in a location where I have run a 5k before (Cardiac Classic on Thanksgiving 2009). I haven’t run a 5K since December and I have had problems running with any speed. (Longer distances do that to you!!) I was lazy about my runs this past week. (I cut my 3.5 mi to 1.5 and my 3 mi to 2) So I had no idea how this would come off. Unfortunately it was colder than it should have been this time of year too.

I had the same dilemma as my last race. Do I try to PR or do I save some energy to run 8 more miles after the race????????????

So I did the same thing as my last race – run my fastest but be realistic about the results…

It was 23 degrees when I left the house. I tried not to over dress because it was sunny. I left behind my thermal gloves & hat and wore thin gloves, baseball cap, tights, shorts, a turtleneck, vest and a red fleece . Red because this race was to raise money for heart disease.

I got to the race about a 1/2 hour early. It was freezing!!!! It felt a lot colder because of the WIND! Luckily the pavilion in Central Park had 4 fireplaces where everyone was huddling to keep warm.

Then we had to walk almost a mile (at least it seemed that way) to get to the start of the race and wait in the freezing cold. There were almost 600 runners in the race – a lot of firemen and a lot of young runners.

I started out fast. The first mile wasn’t as hilly as the 2nd & 3rd. The course is pretty scenic but the hills weren’t fun and the WIND was a killer. My hands didn’t thaw out til the 3rd mile.

I wanted to run a good race but also I wished that I could PR. However, I ran out of steam at the end. When I saw 29 minutes on the clock, I was disappointed but I ran as fast as I could — I did not want to finish over 30 minutes!!

Official time: 29:22 Pace – 9:27
Place – 270
2nd in AG (55-59)
6th in AG (50-59)

Splits (according to my Garmin):
mile 1 – 9:16
mile 2 – 9:54
mile 3 – 9:33
.1 – 6:48

Not even close to a PR but on this same course in 2009, I finished in 30:12.

I hung around for a little while. There was soup, pizza, bagels, fruits, etc. They only gave awards (trophies) to first place in each 10 year age group. No hope there!

after the race

I was debating on where or not to add more miles to make today my long run day but I was too COLD!!! It was still 23 degrees when I left.

I called my hubby and we decided to go take pics of his plane (the one that was destroyed when the hangar collapsed from the snow).

before

: Now

To cheer ourselves up, we went to a boat show and then to Lake George and out to dinner.

Tomorrow am I am subbing in a USTA tennis match. I hope to win this time.

Then I am going to do my long run. I haven’t decided if I am going to run 11 miles or just 8 (since I ran 3 today). Maybe it will be warmer and less windy!! One can hope!!!

Where is spring???

Happy Running!

March 25, 2011 by Darlene

Three Years!!!

It’s my Blogoversary!!! Three years of Blogging = Three years of Running!

I started this blog to keep track of my running and to motivate myself to continue running until I ran my first 5k. But I got hooked on blogging and I got hooked on running…

So here are some photo highlights of my 3 years:

No Boundaries– This is me after my first Freihofer’s Run for Women. To the right of me are MaryPat & Pat, my best tennis buds who talked me into joining No Boundaries. To the left is Rosella, my No Boundaries mentor. I am eternally grateful to this program for getting me started.

Vacation Runs – This is me running during my tennis vacation in Naples, Florida. I used to play only tennis during my tennis vacations. Now I have to run!!! I even give up tennis time to run.

Age Group Awards – This is me after my Veterans Day lst place win in 55-59 age group. It’s wasn’t a PR but it was last minute decision to skip work and run this race. I have won 2 pairs of socks, a soup bowl, a baseball cap and 2 medals. I love bling.

New Running Friends – This is me with Mary after the Arsenal City 5k. We met last June at a race and have planned and run many races together. We have a lot in common & am so glad she asked me to take her photo after the Valley Cats 5k last June.

Bloggy Meetups – This is me with AJH who came all the way from Vermont last summer for this Saratoga race. We met up again last month for a race in Lake George. She is a great runner and great blogger. I hope we met up again.

Running Groups – This was after our first group run at the Crossings. I participated in the group runs held for the new runners that were training for a 5K. I also got to meet Felice, Suzy & Amanda, some local bloggers on these group runs. I usually run alone because of my hectic schedule but I am fortunate to have met these “Running Mamas.”

Giveaway Wins – This was one of my first of many blog giveaway wins. I am not lucky in life but I am LUCKY in winning blog giveaways. I have won tee shirts, jackets, socks, water bottle, gift cards, recovery socks, tote bag, towel, gu, ipod, bondiband, Timex watch, jewelry, sunglasses and more!!!

PRs – This is me trying to PR a 4 mile race. (I did!) It is always exciting to have a faster time. I always say that “I just want to finish” and “Do my best.” But that’s a lie. I want a PR (except when I ‘m running a new distance, of course.)

My first Half Marathon – I still can’t believe I did it. Crossing the finish line was the happiest moment of my life (other than the day I got married). Now I’m hooked and have signed up for 2 more. Who knew that after 51 5ks that I could run 13.1 miles!!