Last Week:
Thurs & Sat
everyday
everyday
every night
This Week:
Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?
This morning I left for the tennis ladies’ 11th trip together to Naples, Florida. (For some of us, this is our 19th tennis trip – 1 Palm Springs, 5 Las Vegas, 1 Dominican Republic, 1 Delray Beach.)
Naples Fla
There will 10 of us (one newbie) and we are renting 2 villas (from the same lady) in World Tennis Center.
This is my second trip to Florida this year. (Remember, my big PR half marathon in West Palm Beach in January). The purpose of this trip is to play tennis and do some female-bonding. (There are no races this time of year in Florida 😦 )
this year, however, our favorite tennis instructor will not be there 😦
We will be playing tennis everyday from 8-11 am.
and then we will be busy the rest of the day with a variety of fun/relaxing activities.
lots of these views
and these
I am bringing my running clothes. Will I run??? I certainly hope so!!
these were my enthusiastic friends in 2008 – will I be able to get them to run with me??? Doubt it.
I need to run since I have a half marathon when I return. But at the same time, I want to rest my foot.
view from one of my runs last year
I won’t have a computer so no posting for 8 days!!! (I will have my iPad & iPhone so I will be following your blogs and updating my FB status.)
I will post pics when I return.
Happy Running! I will miss you all! Stay healthy!
April Goals:
on the treadmill
Bacon Hil 5K – 28:01 – 1st in my AG
Cherry Blossom 5K – 27:56 – 2nd in my AG
very painful feet made this not my best attempt but finished – 2:20:18
Bacon Hill 5K – 9 min pace
Cherry Blossom 5K – 9 min pace
2nd place
I had a nice visit with my college buddy.
We started a walking challenge at work. We are on teams and we track our steps weekly.
May Goals:
May is my favorite month! The tulips are in bloom and my birthday is in this month!!!
Happy Running! How was your April? Anything special planned for May?
Last Week: (AP Half Marathon Training week #12 – RACE WEEK)
finally warm weather but still windy – can’t win
last run
ok and it was a free preview
painfully slow but #12 is done.
It’s Only a Play – loved it…so funny!
This Week:
Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?
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 Trips
I have no big vacations planned to any exotic or faraway places but here are my 5 trips – 3 are definites and 2 are hopefuls:
1. New Jersey
Next week, I plan to visit a friend in New Jersey whom I visited last October…
and run a half marathon in Asbury Park. I have never been there and can’t wait to run along the ocean.
2. Naples, Florida
Again this May, I plan to go to Naples with 11 of my closest tennis friends…
We will be playing tennis, shopping, eating, sunning and just hanging out together. It will be our 10th year, I think.
I hope do some running too.
3. Vermont
At the end of next month, I plan to stay with AJH. I have seen pictures of the part of rural Vermont where she lives. It looks so nice.
photo by AJH
We will be running a marathon relay together in Burlington. I have never been to Burlington and I am looking forward to it and running along Lake Champlain.
4. Florida for a half marathon
I’ve run 3 here – Naples, Sarasota and West Palm Beach and loved them all.
I haven’t decided where or when but it’s a definite maybe.
5. La Quinta, CA
I hope to be invited back to visit Mary. I have been twice and loved it out there.
This past year, we hiked. Maybe next time, we’ll run a race together.
Happy Running! What trips do you have planned? Any invites to Florida?
March Goals:
a few on the treadmill 😦
on vacation in CA 🙂
at work
after a 5 mile race
6 miles after a 5 mile race
and a 34 sec. PR at 46:29 & 3rd in my AG award
45:46 – another 43 sec. PR
and a 13 sec. PR at 37:27
Runnin’ of the Green 4m – 9:22
Shamrock Shuffle 5m – 9:18
Delmar Dash 5m – 9:10
3 hours in the freezing cold!!
However, since this is the month before my half marathon, I should have run more miles. I’ll blame the cold weather and my trip to California.
82 three months in a row – how did that happen?
So this month, I was lucky to get to spend 4 sunny warms days in California where I ran, hiked and watched tennis.
I started knitting again.
it’s a hat for my friend’s new grandson
April Goals:
Happy Running! How was your March? Anything special planned for April?
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 Spring
Here are 5 things that I am looking forward to this spring:
1. Running in a skirt and without a jacket
I am sooo tired of layers…
2. Flowers
It’s hard to imagine the snow melted but it will happen. Seeing flowers in bloom always brightens my mood.
3. Returning to my usual running routes
My running has been restricted due to the ice, snow, puddles. I have had to run in the road or around UAlbany campus. I am looking forward to running in the parks and on the bike paths again.
4. My Next Half Marathon
I can’t believe it will be here in a month. No, I’m not training well at all but I am still excited .
5. Annual Tennis Vacation
This is female bonding at its best. We’ve been traveling together since 2002 and to Naples, Florida in May since 2005.
Happy Running! What are you looking forward to this spring?
The highlight of my trip was supposed to be my 5K race with Mary. But if you’ve been reading my blog, you know that my flight last Friday was cancelled and re-booked for Saturday. That meant that I missed the race!
DNS
Since Mary signed up because of me, when I didn’t arrive, she decided not to run it either.
After many delays, 14 hours later I arrived in Palm Springs!
After feeling the sunshine and warmth, I immediately changed from a bad to a good mood. And it remained that way, the whole stay.
view in Mary’s community
Saturday morning, we set out early to hike up the Bump N Grind Trail. It was forecast to be 90 degrees and was already warm when we left. Fortunately, it is the dessert and a dry heat.
on the way up
Mary climbs this all the time but me, I was doubtful that I was in good enough shape.
I struggled and we went slow but I did it!!
at the top
Then came the fun part. We ran down it!!!
It was awesome. This was the most fun I’ve ever had (almost as good as running a half marathon along the water.)
After our hike, we went to La Quinta Art Festival. it is supposed to be the best in the US.
It was really interesting. I saw a lot of beautiful art.
Then we took a drive because I wanted to see the wind turbines. There are thousands of them!!
That evening and all the rest of the evenings of my stay, we ate in, Mary cooked something healthy (followed by ice cream) and we went to bed early.
Unfortunately Mary had to work all week. She teaches Special Ed in Cochanella Valley.
So each morning, I went out for a run. On Monday, I ran 2 laps of her community which was about 3 miles.
On Tuesday, I ventured outside the community for 3 miles also.
It was so nice to be running in the sunshine with a skirt & tank top on.
how appropriate to see this on a run
Mary lives across the street from the Indian Wells Tennis Center which was hosting the BNP Paribas Open. I love tennis so this was perfect.
The downside is that there is a wall around her community so you have to walk almost a mile to get out and then another mile to the Tennis Center. Good exercise, right? (But it was sooo hot!!)
So Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I walked over and watched the tennis pros practicing, some qualifying matches and on Wed. the women’s round one.
Kei Nishikori whose coach is Michael Chang
Stan Wawrinka
my favorite Roger Federer
cool, huh?
It was awesome!! Much bigger and better than I could have imagined.
Tuesday, it was so hot that I walked home and sat by the pool.
Mary worked until 8 pm so I walked back to watch more tennis in the evening.
On Wednesday, for my last day, Mary & I went back to the Bump N Grind Trail in the evening.
It was a little easier this time.
And we celebrated with French desserts!
Thursday, I left and it only took 8 hours to get home with no airport waiting time and no flight delays.
Despite missing the race, it was a great trip. Mary was a super hostess and I hope next time, we can run a race together.
Happy Running! Have you had any fun vacations lately? Did you run or race during them?
Last Week: (AP Half Marathon Training week #7)
in Mary’s community
in the neighborhood outside the community
Wawrinka, Federer, Murray and Nishakori
drizzling and cool but a PR on a new course
This Week: (AP Half Marathon Training week #8)
Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?
Running down the Bump N Grind Trail in La Quinta, CA
My First 5K and More... 