So this is my blog — miles…Running…work…run – yup, that’s me!!!
Happy Running! Happy Hump Day!
running
Tuesday Tune
If you haven’t ever heard this song, LISTEN! (It starts around 2:45)
It brings tears to my eyes everytime it comes on while I am running.
It makes me appreciate my health and the ability to run (no matter how slow).
Yesterday & today I am working at the NYS Bar exam…no running til tomorrow.
Happy Running! Run For Life!
Monday Goals and Brain Exchange #27
Finishing is Winning‘s Brain Exchange:
This Week’s Topic: Racing & Vacations
This Week’s Question: Do you make vacations out of your races when they are far from home?
I have only participated in one race far from home. That was my first Half Marathon in Naples, Florida. I definitely made a vacation out of it. The race was on Sunday. I flew out after work on Friday and stayed until Tuesday evening. My hubby met me there and we did a lot of sightseeing, relaxing on the beach… It was fun!
If I do another, I would do the same.
Goals for this week:
Last week update:
My goal was 18 miles and I ran 19 miles.
This was Week #3 of my 2nd Half Marathon training. 9 weeks to go! (Although I haven’t registered yet.)
This week’s schedule:
Mon – work at Bar Exam
Tues – work at Bar Exam, tennis after
Wed – yoga
Thurs – see The Lion King musical
Fri – mah jongg
Sat – hair appt
This week’s running:
Mon – 3.5 miles after work
Wed– 3.5 miles before work
Thurs or Fri – 3 miles before work
Sat or Sun – 9 miles
Weekly Running Goal = 19 miles
February Monthly Running Goal = 60 miles, a race, hm training
Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles
Happy Running!
Winter’s Back!
So it was 60 degrees on Friday. I ran in SHORTS after work! It felt like spring was around the corner…
bonfire on Lake George
Yesterday we went to Lake George for the Winter Carnival and it was FREEZING!!!!!! In the teens with 50 mph wind gusts! We hung out with our friends watching some of the events but got cold and went out for lunch to warm up.
- my hubby on the lake
Then we took a ride up 9N to Bolton Landing. I wanted to see the Half Marathon course. Yes, it is hilly!!! But not as steep as the last 3 miles to Bolton Landing (my usual summer running route!)
- Bolton Landing
Then we went back to the village to watch the fireworks! Brrrrrrr!
waiting inside for the fireworks to begin
Today it was warmer and less windy. Still while I was dong my 8 miler, I felt at times that my face would freeze off. Thank God for the sun!! It wasn’t a great run. I was hungry & tired & didn’t have any energy. I also chose a hilly route. So my 8 mile run took almost 1 1/2 hours!! At least I got it done…
before heading out
Happy Running!
What causes a”Runner’s High”?
According to this recent NYTimes article, studies showed that exercise causes increased levels of endocannabinoid in the bloodstream, inducing a euphoria similar to the high experienced by marijuana users.
Unfortunately, I’ve never felt this way DURING a run but I always feel this way AFTER a run. I feel relaxed. I feel happy. I want to run again.
I never regret a run I’ve taken even those on the treadmill, even those in the extreme cold temps and especially not those in the very warm weather.
So this week:
Wed am it was cold so I went to the gym and ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill. Yesterday I slept in and ran 4 miles outside after work. It was almost 40 degrees so I left off the hats & gloves. YAY!
Today, I brought shorts with me. It’s only February but it’s supposed to be: 
I hope it stays warm. Wish me luck!
Tomorrow it’s going to get cold again – 20’s and 50 mi wind gusts!!! 😦 😦
Happy Running! Enjoy your runner’s high!
Random Tuesday
- Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Financially we are not doing so great so I told my hubby to get me JUST a card and NO Gifts! Tough love because I love GIFTS. I got him a cute card & some chocolate (He loves candy!!). He got me a card & a stuffed teddy bear with candy (I gave him the candy.) It’s the thought that counts!! Unfortunately he’s hates shopping & I always have to tell him what to get me (like a Garmin for Christmas, etc.) Next year, I’ll tell him to get me a Starbucks gift card instead of candy!!
What do you think of these?
- I’m running smart. I keep hearing about running injuries and I don’t want it to be me! I’m no spring chicken! Since my foot is not great…I am NOT running on days that I play tennis. I will run on the treadmill 3 times before work or outside after work (when I have nothing scheduled) Wed, Thurs & Friday. I will then do my long run on Sunday outside. When I don’t play tennis on Mon and/or Tuesday, I will run and then take Friday off and do my long run on Saturday. That’s the plan!
- Yesterday it was 52 degrees outside in the morning. Today it is 12 degrees!! Crazy weather! I hope the worst of the winter is over and the snow melts! I can’t wait for SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Running!
Monday Goals & Brain Exchange #26
Finishing is Winning‘s Brain Exchange:
This Week’s Topic: Extreme Weather & Keeping it Fun
This Week’s Question: Do you deal with any types of extreme weather where you live? Heat warnings, a lot of snow, frequent tornados? How do you keep your workouts fresh and fun when you are stuck indoors?
We are having a tough winter where I live. A lot of SNOW!!! When I first started running 3 years ago, I didn’t run at all in the winter. Then last year, I joined a gym and ran on the treadmill. To make it bearable, I downloaded TV shows to my iPod Touch (Criminal Minds, Law & Order) and watched them while I ran. I was only running 3 miles or 4 at most. Then this year, I was training for a half marathon. Impossible for me to do long runs on the treadmill. So I braved the cold. I don’t enjoy it but I found it not as bad as I thought. I found a route that was interesting & mostly flat. I listen to music on my iPod Nano. I always reward myself with Starbucks when I’m done. I recently even bought Yak Trax. However, during the week for my short runs when it is dark or snowing or raining or windy, etc., I still go to the gym. I am now watching The Good Wife and Fairly Legal.
Goals for the week:
Last week update:
My goal was 17 miles and I ran 17 miles. YAY!!
This was Week #2 of my 2nd Half Maraton training. 10 weeks to go!
This week’s schedule:
Mon – tennis
Tues – tennis
Wed – webinar
Thurs – yoga
Fri – mah jongg
This week’s running:
Tues – 3 miles before or after work
Wed– 4 miles before work
Thurs or Fri – 3 miles before or after work
Sat or Sun – 8 miles
Weekly Running Goal = 18 miles
February Monthly Running Goal = 60 miles, a race, hm training
Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles
Happy Running!
Joe Kelly’s Commandments Reposted
I posted these several years ago. Then Molly from The Sleeper Baker just posted them. She noted that Joe Kelly is one of the organizers of the Boilermaker 15k. When I started running with No Boundaries 3 years ago, we trained for the Boilermaker 5k. It was so much fun! Maybe one day, I’ll race in the 15k.
Anyway I just re-read these commandments. You should too! I highlighted my favorites. Which are yours?
The Runners Commandments
1. Don’t be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.
2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.
3. Don’t make running your life. Make it part of your life.
4. During group training runs, don’t let anyone run alone.
5. Keep promises, especially ones made to yourself.
6. When doing group runs, start on time no matter who’s missing.
7. The faster you are the less you should talk about your times.
8. Keep a quarter in your pocket. One day you’ll need to call for a ride.
9. Don’t compare yourself to other runners.
10. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.
11. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won’t run.
12. For a change of pace, get driven out and then run back.
13. If it was easy, everybody would be a runner.
14. When standing in starting lines, remind yourself how fortunate you are to be there.
15. Getting out of shape is much easier than getting into shape.
16. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.
17. Talk like a runner. “Singlets” are worn on warm days. “Tank tops” are worn to the beach.
18. Don’t talk about your running injuries. People don’t want to hear about your sore knee or black toe.
19. Don’t always run alone.
20. Don’t always run with people.
21. Approach running as if the quality of your life depended on it.
22. No matter how slow you run it is still faster than someone sitting on a couch.
23. Keep in mind that the harder you run during training, the luckier you’ll get during racing.
24. Races aren’t just for those who can run fast.
25. There are no shortcuts to running excellence.
26. The best runs sometimes come on days when you didn’t feel like running.
27. Be modest after a race, especially if you have reason to brag.
28. If you say, “Let’s run this race together,” then you must stay with that person no matter how slow.
29. Think twice before agreeing to run with someone during a race.
30. There is nothing boring about running. There are, however, boring people who run.
31. Look at hills as opportunities to pass people.
32. Distance running is like cod liver oil. At first it makes you feel awful, then it makes you feel better.
33. Never throw away the instructions to your running watch.
34. Don’t try to outrun dogs.
35. Don’t trust runners who show up at races claiming to be tired, out of share, or not feeling well.
36. Don’t wait for perfect weather. If you do, you won’t run very often.
37. When tempted to stop being a runner, make a list of the reasons you started.
38. Never run alongside very old or very young racers. They get all of the applause.
39. Without goals, training has no purpose.
40. During training runs, let the slowest runner in the group set the pace.
41. The first year in a new age group offers the best opportunity for trophies.
42. Go for broke, but be prepared to be broken.
43. Spend more time running on the roads than sitting on the couch.
44. Make progress in your training, but progress at your own rate.
45. “Winning” means different things to different people.
46. Unless you make your living as a runner, don’t take running too seriously.
47. Runners who never fail are runners who never try anything great.
48. Never tell a runner that he or she doesn’t look good in tights.
49. Never confuse the Ben-Gay tube with the toothpaste tube.
50. Never apologize for doing the best you can.
51. Preventing running injuries is easier than curing them.
52. Running is simple. Don’t make it complicated.
53. Running is always enjoyable. Sometimes, though, the joy doesn’t come until the end of the run.
Happy Running!
Good News for Older Women Runners
According to this NYTimes article:
Men, as might be expected, get slower as they age. At a recent five-kilometer race in Pine Beach, N.J., which drew nearly 1,000 runners, the fastest man was 24 years old and the men’s times increased with each five-year age group.
But the women were different — their times were all over the place with older women beating younger women in almost every age category.”
But with average runners, he said, older women may be faster because, oddly enough, they are trying harder than younger women and discovering for the first time what they are capable of.
Most middle-aged women grew up when track and cross-country teams were for men only. Some of those women, who had no opportunity to race when they were young, are just learning to be athletes and are running faster than younger women who may not care as much.
He described the experience for women as “a kind of wakening, an epiphany.”
Sounds good to me!
Watch out, Girls! We older women are just waking up!! Who knows how fast we will get!!
Happy Running!
Monday Goals and Brain Exchange #25
It’s Back – Thanks to Finishing is Winning.
Topic: 2011 Racing
Question: What race are you most excited for in 2011? Any destination races? Are you trying out a new distance. Tell us what it is in general you are looking forward to when it comes to 2011 racing.
This is an easy one for me. I am most excited about the Naples Daily New Half Marathon (on 1/16/11) It was my FIRST half marathon so it was a new distance. It was in Florida and it was my FIRST destination race.
I am looking forward to trying new distances this year. I have only raced 5ks (plus one 3.5 mi race). I want to run a 4 mi, a 5 mi, a 10k, maybe a 15k, maybe a 10 mi and even 2 more Half Marathons!!! (I’d love to do another Half in Florida – Daytona Beach)
Of course, I hope to stay uninjured and run lots of races. Even get a 5k PR.
Goals for the week:
Last week update:
My goal was 18 miles but I only ran 16 miles. (Not bad considereing the weather!)
I ran my first 4 mile race and came in 3rd in my Age Group. YAY!
This was Week #1 of my 2nd Half Maraton training. 11 weeks to go!
This week’s schedule:
Mon – tennis
Tues – tennis
Wed – Mentor mtg
Thurs – yoga
Fri – mah jongg
Sat – funeral
This week’s running:
Tues – 3 miles before or after work
Wed– 4 miles before work
Thurs or Fri – 3 miles before or after work
Sat or Sun – 7 miles
Weekly Running Goal = 17 miles
February Monthly Running Goal = 60 miles, a race, hm training
Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles
Happy Running!
My First 5K and More... 