July 20, 2013 by Darlene

Change of Scenery

I love love Lake George.

what’s not to love?

But my friend has a house on Schroon River and she organizes several weekends there every summer. We play tennis, hike, swim, play games and “bond.” She is a close friend so I get invited to all her planned weekends.

view of the Schroon from her house

A few weekends ago, she invited me to “The Monday Tennis group weekend.” I used to play tennis with them and I will again in the fall but I decided instead to spend the weekend on our boat (since my foot made me miss several weekends on it.)

floated around all weekend in my “chair”

This weekend is another one – she calls it this one the “Tuesday Tennis group.” This is another group I used to play with and I will again in the fall. (In August, there will be the “Travel Tennis” group and in September, the “Mah Jongg” group.)

pic from last year

What I sometimes do is split the weekend between the boat & the river house.

I am not playing tennis yet but it is a beautiful place to run/walk.

during a run last year

So I am headed North… to a place where there is water and pretty scenery. I am playing it by ear (and trying not to think about the races I am missing ..Silks and Satins 5K is today…boo hoo)

Plus… I HAVE MONDAY OFF!

Happy Running!

July 15, 2013 by Darlene

The Last Non-Running Weekend on the Lake?

Running soon??

Maybe?

Anyway, this past weekend was a HOT one. No better place to be but on the lake.

Blogging has introduced me to some remarkable people. One, for example, is Christa from Livin’ a Little Life. (Check out her blog if you haven’t.) She and her family camp frequently on Lake George so since I knew where she was this weekend, me & the hubby stopped to say hello on Saturday.

me & Christa

Then we spent the rest of the day on floats in the water.

some of our marina friends

me & my hubby

For dinner, we went to the same lakeside restaurant as last weekend.

Blue Water Manor

When we got back, I went for a SLOW walk to the Sagamore. It’s not far but my fitness has escaped me in the past 6 weeks. I barely made it there and back and was really tired afterwards.

We spent the rest of the evening in our air-conditioned marina watching a movie with the crew – Admissions with Tina Fey – quite entertaining!

Sunday morning would normally be this:

last summer running on 9N in Bolton Landing

But instead, I went on a friend’s boat as spotter for his daughter who wanted to go tubing.

It was another HOT humid day and we spent it the same way as Saturday – floating around in the water…eating…drinking…listening to music and goofing around.

yes, our friend’s husband caught a large SNAPPING turtle

For dinner, instead of spending a lot of money for dinner with a view, we docked at an island and cooked hot dogs.

still a nice view but a lot cheaper

Sadly, my hubby & I had to put the boat away and head home. Of course, I stopped for one last treat – ice cream at Stewart’s. (new flavor: NoRegretzel – I recommend it!!)

So will I be running soon????

taken during a run last summer…

Happy Running! How is your running going? Hope you are surviving the heat!

July 11, 2013 by Darlene

Baby Steps

I walked one mile (on a track.)

I was going to walk on the treadmill but it is so hot and stuffy. We have a brand new track nearby and though I have never run on it, I have always wanted to see how it felt.

It was pain-free but then again, my foot does not hurt.

Is my broken foot healed??

Who knows.

While I was walking, someone was running….boy, did I want to.

I didn’t run. I wanted to.

I stopped at one mile not because I wanted to but because it started to rain.

Thanks rain. You saved me from myself.

Who knows, maybe soon I’ll attempt a 5K walk.

Happy Running! Anyone run on a track?

July 9, 2013 by Darlene

DNSing

Normally I have all my summer weekends booked with 5Ks. In my healthy days, I did one every Saturday and then drove up to Lake George afterwards.

at the Silks & Satins, one of my favorite 5ks

This summer I did not book any. I was planning to do long runs and a lot of boating on the weekends.

running on the Sagamore bridge over Lake George

So I only have THREE DNSes.

June 23: Adirondack Distance Challenge 10 miler

This is the end before you turn into the park (next to my marina.)

At least I was able to pick up my race shirt.

July 28: Biggest Loser 15K in Killington, VT

The 15k course travels through the heart of the Green Mountains and ends with an exciting ride on the chairlift to the finish line. Enjoy breathtaking views of Killington Peak and the surrounding area while winding through wooded roads and Killington’s downtown with a long time limit allowing runners and walkers to complete the race at their own pace. (So this is 8 weeks post-injury. It is a long drive & my doc would probably kill me if I tried to walk 9.3 miles while recovering from a broken foot??)

Oct 13: Mohawk-Hudson Half Marathon (I can defer my registration on this one to next year…)

I am very sad about this. These are 3 races that I was really looking forward to.

Happy Running! Any advice?

May 30, 2013 by Darlene

May Update and June Goals

Unfortunately, this was a low mileage month.

MAY GOALS UPDATE —

Continue to run regularly (outdoors unless it is raining then on the treadmill at work). YES! 3-4x each week for at least 3 miles

one of my favorite routes = Washington Park

Continue to fit in tennis & yoga in my schedule (once per week). YES (did yoga weekly except when on vacation & then I played tennis)

played tennis for 7 days in a row!

Take a lunch break – we get an hour but I eat at my desk – now that the weather is nice I should go for a walk – Not exactly but I have been walking 1 mile in the morning and 1 mile in the afternoon with a co-worker (on some days). She is diligent about taking her breaks!

Get up early and do some runs before work. YES I have been running once or twice a week before work – prefer it, too.
Eat healthy & keep a reasonable weight. Not exactly – birthdays, vacations, etc.
Don’t let my running schedule take over – make time for family and friends (and mentees). YES.

Add longer runs on the weekend with the goal being a 10 mile race in June. Not exactly – I only ran more than 3 once and that was last weekend (6 miles).
Run at least one race. YES. Ran two 5ks.

Mother’s Day 5K

Run several times during my tennis vacation in Florida. YES, Ran 3x!!

during one of my 3 mile runs

De-clutter the running gear – go through clothes and get rid of those tops & shorts that don’t fit or I don’t wear. Yes. I could do some more but it was a start.

My goals are getting pretty boring but I want goals that that are achievable and relevant so here they are my GOALS for June:

Continue to run at least 3 times per week.

Go for at least 5 walks per week while at work

Get up early and do some runs before work.

Return to doing a plank a day.

Lose some of those vacation pounds.

Run longer (at least 5 miles) once per week.

Run at least two races.

Run more total miles than in May.

Happy Running! How was your May? Any interesting goals set for June?

March 7, 2013 by Darlene

Rest Day in NYC

No running yesterday … too busy.

took the Megabus to NYC with my friend Eileen

I invited Eileen to go with me to meet my Russian friend, Anna because Eileen went with me on all my trips to Russia (2002, 2004, 2006) and she knows Anna.

Eileen & I with Anna in Russia in 2006.

As soon we got off the bus, we hopped on the subway to Battery Park to catch the ferry to Staten Island. It was not a nice day … cold, windy, cloudy but the rain and snow that they predicted never came 🙂

me & Anna on the ferry (& a view of the Statue of Liberty)

When we arrived in Staten Island, we had a delicious lunch at a Spanish restaurant called Beso.

raspberry mojito & pear martini…yum!

Then we took the bus to Snug Harbor and walked around the Botanical Gardens & Chinese Scholar Center.

Anna & Eileen at the entrance

it was amazing…I took so many pictures…

in a field of bamboo

It was so beautiful and that we ran out of time and couldn’t take the bus to visit the Alice Austen Cottage. (Eileen & I are planning a return trip.)

Instead after we arrived by ferry back in Manhattan, we stopped by the 911 Memorial.

Then it was time to catch the subway and take the long walk to our bus stop.

The day flew by. We had a great time inspite of the miserable weather. I will certainly miss Anna!! I have no idea when I’ll see her again.

her first Peeps!

Well, at least I got to rest my legs on the bus ride home.

Now, it’s back to the treadmill at lunch … hair appt after work. Believe it or not, another storm is coming tonight!!

Happy Running!

October 17, 2012 by Darlene

Newton, the Foot & the Weekend

Yesterday, FleetFeet offered a workshop on Running Naturally sponsored by Newton. If you were injured and not running, would you go to a running workshop?

Well, I did!

I bumped into fellow SRM, Melissa, there too. It was nice to see her. They gave us Newton running shoes to try on. They felt very weird at first. But soon got very comfortable.

I actually tried the orange Motion Performance ones

The Newton rep explained about the shoe and why they are different.

Newton Running shoes are designed with a minimal “drop” – or height difference – between the height of the heel and the ball of the foot. A more level-to-the-ground platform positions you to support a natural running motion.

Our feet are sensitive and brilliantly designed to ensure that we step efficiently and lightly. Unfortunately, highly cushioned shoes often obstruct this communication with the ground. Enter our biomechanical sensor plate, which allows you to sense the ground so you can stride more efficiently and lightly – some might even say intelligently, the way nature intended.

Then we went out to run…yes, run!!

I hadn’t run since the Komen race. My foot hurt a lot this past Sunday but amazingly, it stopped hurting Sunday night. In fact, I was walking normally and even wore shoes to work yesterday. My achy foot was replaced by a painfully tight calf muscle (from biking, perhaps???) But I haven’t run…the real test for the foot.

The Newton rep gave us some cool running drills…many making us lift our knees high. I was nervous but did them. Luckily we only had to run across the parking lot and back. Yes, I realized that my foot wasn’t 100% and it is not healed but it is definitely better than before.

They gave us all tee-shirts and many folks then bought some Newtons. I definitely like them… A lot. Though, I may try the stability ones rather the neutral ones. However now, it seems ridiculous to buy new shoes when you are injured. If I am going to spend the money, I want to be able to run with them.

Now about the upcoming weekend.

Oct 20-21 in Bethlehen, PA

In a weak moment when I was injured, I read about this in a RW magazine.

Why Bethlehem, PA?

From its role in shipbuilding to its pioneering work on that staple of skyscraper construction, the I-beam, to its supplying armor plating during both world wars, the significance of Bethlehem Steel cannot be overstated. Because of this, it seemed natural to choose the refurbished Bethlehem Steel Mill and ArtsQuest SteelStacks campus as headquarters for our inaugural Half & Festival. That’s where you’ll find our Health and Fitness Expo, our seminars, and our film screenings. And of course, the 5-K, 10-K, and half-marathon races will all finish under a flaming arch right in the thick of it, alongside Bethlehem Steel’s huge, awe-inspiring blast furnaces.

And my high school BFF Nancy lives nearby. So I signed up!!! I wanted to do the half marathon but I cautiously registered for the 5K. I almost switched to the 10K after I ran one in August. (Glad I didn’t.)

So right now, I shouldn’t be running yet. It would be stupid to try. So I emailed my friend to see if she even remembered that I was coming. Maybe I would just not go.

Well, she said that she was looking forward to my visit and even bought tix for us to see Gypsy on Sat eve and to go to a wine tasting on Sunday. So Allentown, Pa, here I come (by bus!)

Nancy is the one on the left.

The race??

Saturday, 6:30–7:30 a.m. – Race-Day Bib Pickup at the Expo
8 a.m. – Race Start

It starts at 8am…and it looks like a very crowded event!!! My friend is not a runner nor is she a morning person. Yikes!

But I can walk it, right? You get a medal for just finishing! Guess what?

Course Time Limit – The 5-K course will be open for 47 minutes (15-minute miles). Runners who are traveling with a clock time of 47 minutes or longer will be asked to move to the sidewalk.

Walking a 5k usually takes me about 60 minutes and running 30 minutes. This means if I do it, I’ve got to run/walk it. And hope my foot doesn’t get any worse….

Here’s the description of the course:

The 5-K course takes runners through Bethlehem’s eclectic South Side, packed with cool eateries, coffee shops, and music houses. With a fast start along 1st Street, the course makes a 90-degree turn up Webster Street. This begins the only significant hill on the course, which ends at the gates of Lehigh University and runs past the gothic 1929 Packard Laboratory, named after James Ward Packard, one of the inventors of the Packard automobile. A quick downhill brings you back to 3rd Street, and you will drop into the Bethlehem Steel complex and pass by the company’s former headquarters. There is a quick downhill turn past the Sands Casino, which has the only remaining massive ore cranes at its front door, then it’s on to the finish just past the flaming arch in front of ArtsQuest—a modern movie and music venue that promotes arts and culture, nestled in the heart of the former Bethlehem Steel complex. You’ll hit the only significant hill in the 5-K course about a mile in. After that, it’s all downhill!

As it stands now, I plan to take the Megabus to NYC on Friday & then the bus to PA. (I hope to talk my friend into stopping by the Expo to pick up my bib.) If my friend is cooperative, I will do the 5K to the best of my ability. If not, I will ~~brood~~ enjoy the rest of the weekend with a good friend and return home by bus on Monday.

Happy Running!

September 14, 2012 by Darlene

Healthy Friday

I bet you never thought you’d hear the word HEALTHY here.

But this has been a healthy week.

On Wednesday, my work sponsored a potluck lunch:

I made Broccoli Slaw Salad and I won for “Best Use of a Super Food.”

It was a great idea. I tasted some great (healthy) food and got some new recipes (which I may or may not use.) Two of my favorites were Tomato Soup Cake and Veggie Pasta Toss (which also had broccoli slaw in it.)

(Truthfully, I don’t have time to cook 😦 and I just won a FREE week of the Standard Fruit & Vegetable Subscription from FieldGoods)

Anyway, here’s my recipe if you are interested:

Ingredients:

1 package broccoli slaw mix
2 packages chicken flavored ramen noodles (crushed)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup vinegar
optional – dried cranberries

Directions:

Combine in a large bowl slaw, noodles, green onions.
Whisk together sugar, oil, vinegar, ramen seasoning packets.
Pour mixture over salad and toss.
Add peanuts, sunflower seeds (& cranberries)

This week also I was selected as a Sweat Pink Ambassador (SPA) from fitapproach.com.

Here is their mission:

We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick…

in pink

That convinced me (and that I wear pink often to run.)

in pink again

If you are interested too (and like pink shoelaces), check out their website and apply.

Now about my running this week…

Sun – no running but biked
Mon – no running but played tennis
Tues – no running but walked around NYC
Wed – ran 3 miles and walked around the mall
Thurs – no running but walked at lunch
Friday – no running but will walk at lunch

5 days of NO RUNNING and I am NOT INJURED. WTH?

I wonder how that will affect my race tomorrow!!!

Happy Running! Do you eat healthy? Do you ever get sidetracked and skip running?

June 1, 2012 by Darlene

Hopping and Racing

I found out at PT why I am having trouble running. I cannot hop!

Of course, I can hop on my good foot but I can’t on the other. As a result, I can only push off on one foot and I am sorta dragging the other … so my running is slow, painful and awkward.

I was told to keep trying to hop.

I know it will come because there was a time when I couldn’t stand and couldn’t walk and couldn’t run.

So when I can hop, I think I will be able to race.