April 21, 2017 by Darlene

Friday Five 2.0 – Pampering

Since it’s Friday, I’m linking up with Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostesses and visit some other bloggers.

Today’s topic is Pampering.

I don’t get massages or pedicures like many runners do but here’s how I ~~spend money~~ pamper myself or make myself feel good.

1. Hair

Every 5 weeks without fail, I cut and color my hair. I also get highlights once a year.

no, I will NEVER let my gray hair show

2. Nails

I also have my fingernails done about as frequently as my hair. Always a French manicure (so it doesn’t show if I let it go.) I also always have my toes polished (a dark color) but I do them myself.

I mean my nails have to look good when I take pics of my medals LOL

you see why I don’t waste money on these pretty babies

3. Starbucks

I don’t buy them as often as I used to but I do indulge every now and then. They just taste so good!

4. Drinks and Dinners Out

I’m not a homebody and when a friend or my hubby suggests going out for a drink or a bite to eat, I never hesitate to accept the invitation.

5. Ice Cream

Ice cream cones, root beer floats, whatever. They get me through many of my long runs. I don’t feel a bit guilty about the calories.

Happy Running! How do you pamper yourself? Do you get the runner traditional massage and pedicure?

April 18, 2017 by Darlene

TOTR: Foolish Running Mistakes

Since today is Tuesday, I’m linking up with these wonderful ladies:

Erika @ MCM Mama Runs, Marcia @ Marcia’s Healthy Slice and Patty @ My no-guilt lifefor

Today’s Topic is: Foolish Running Mistakes

I could write the book on these. So here’s just of few of my big goofs:

Running without my phone.

I’ve only done it on rare occasions but I couldn’t have died on that frigid day when I fell and broke my ankle. I’ll never do it again!! You never know what may happen when you are out on a run.

before the fall

A Long Run Without Fuel

I’m one of those runners who needs to eat before, during and after my runs if they are longer than 4 miles. I’ve had a few miserable ones where I left my Gu in my car and one that I can remember where it must of fallen out of my pockets.

Over-Dressed for a Run or Race

I would rather be cold than hot when I run. If I am cold, I just run faster. Being overdressed makes me grumpy and nauseous.

having my jacket tied around my waist makes me annoyed too…

Running Fast on a Trail

It’s pretty obvious that you have to run slower when there is loose dirt and rocks. I discovered that the hard way this past weekend.

not happy but all bandaged up

Not Charging Your Watch Before a Race

Yup, I’ve run several races where I had no idea what mile I was on nor my pace. The first inconvenience bothered me the most. It influenced fueling as well as my finish time.

a naked half marathon. I felt like the runner next to me.

Poor Pre-Race Meal Choice

At home, I’m ok. But when I am traveling especially if I am staying with someone who is cooking for me, it’s often difficult to eat the right thing. Of course, then you pay during the race.

That face may be been from my upset stomach, the first 3 miles (spicy rice & beans the night before)

Blisters or Chafing from Clothing or Shoes in a Race

We all know not to wear new items of clothing or new shoes in a race. I am pretty good about it or maybe it’s that I have been lucky in that area. But I have run without the proper moleskin protecting my feet. The results were not pretty.

This week I am also joining up with Running on Happy, Suzlyfe, Crazy Running Girl, and Coach Debbie Runs each week for the Coaches’ Corner linkup

coachescorner

Happy Running! What running mistakes have you made? Any of the same ones as I have? Do you learn from your mistakes or do you repeat some them?

April 17, 2017 by Darlene

Running Update: 4.10.17-4.16.17

Last Week:

Monday – Tonight was week 4 of the Freihofer Challenge Group run. The plan tonight was 10 minute warm-up, then run 4-6 400m @ 5k pace w/200 m rest, then cool-down. It was tough especially since the temps hit 80 degrees today. Though I was one of the slowest of the group, I did 5 repeats each in 1:53 (That’s fast for me).

3 sweaty miles with some needed speed work

Afterwards, I rushed off (without stretching and sweaty) to our mah jongg seder to celebrate the first night of Passover.

Tuesday – After setting up for Wednesday’s training, I planned to stop at the Crossings (since I was nearby) to run. But had to go back to work so I ran at Ualbany instead. Another very warm day but I’m not complaining.

Wednesday – A scheduled rest day after a long tough day at work. It was also my first day volunteering with the STEM runners. They are doing the Couch to 5k and being week 1 and day 2, we only ran for 1 minute and walked for 1.5 minutes. It was fun and great to meet the new group. I hope they stick with it.

week 1, day 2

Thursday – Today Alyssa and I decided to run in Washington Park since neither of us had been there in ages. Even though Alyssa didn’t feel great, it was still a decent effort. Better than running alone.

cloudy and chilly…spring is fickle here

Friday – Another scheduled rest day due to an after work hair appointment. (I’ve got my priorities.)

Saturday – Today I ran the Code Blue 8k. It was a new race for me and I knew that it would be hilly (and it was.) But it was sunny and that made all the difference and I loved the course.

4th in my AG but happy with 46:26 (GT) 46:01 (garmin)

After chatting with my friend Judith for awhile, I decided to continue my run at Saratoga Spa State Park. It had warmed to the 60s and it made for a perfect running day except for a fall about 2 miles in on a trail. With the help of some strangers (tissues & band-aids) and the spring water, I was able to continue my run but settled for 6 more miles rather than the planned 7.

I even washed my blood soaked socks in the spring LOL

This helped forget about my wounds.

Sunday – Rest day again but a busy day around the house.

Then we went to my mother-in-law’s for Easter dinner with the family.

Gym was closed so went for a walk instead. Can’t beat the views.

2 more weeks to go!!

24 miles done with 4 runs and 3 rest days

This Week:

Monday – FRW Training Group Run (3-4 miles)
Tuesday – 3 miles
Wednesday – STEM group run (week 2 day 2 of Couch to 5k)
Thursday – 6 miles with Alyssa
Friday – 3 miles, mah jongg
Saturday – rest day, gym
Sunday – Lake George 5K + 5-7 more miles

Once again, I am linking up for the Weekly Wrap hosted by these wonderful bloggers Holly @ HoHoRuns and Tricia @ MissSippiPiddlin. See rules here.

Happy Running! How is your running going? How is your running weather?

April 16, 2017 by Darlene

Code Blue 8K Race Recap

I could have taken the weekend off and have done my 12 mile long run. I also could have run an easy 4 mile race that I have done before.

But no. I like a challenge so I signed up for this race. All I knew was what it said on the website:

This challenging course is intended for competitive participants. The course is front and back loaded with rolling hills as it winds through Saratoga’s east side, it evens out with just over 5K left as you approach the City’s beautiful Spring Run Trail and finishes back at High Rock Pavilion.

Here’s the Course map:

and the Elevation:

Yeah, right. Perfect for a runner who hates hills.

I told myself that it wouldn’t kill me (and hopefully not injure me) and I would be better prepared for hilly Central Park in two weeks.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… And with quite a few women over 60 entered in this race, this one also wouldn’t tempt me to run for an award (and it was a medal of which I had enough…now if it were food, a different story.)

The plan was to take it slow. I’ve never run an 8k so an automatic PR, right?

How far is an 8K, anyway?

Well at least it was less windy than last weekend and this race was a little closer to my house (about 45 min.)

Again I tried to wear spring running clothes. I was determined to pretend that it is warm enough. (It was near 80 this past week.)

Well, when I arrived, it was in the 30’s so very chilly. I wore a shirt under my long-sleeved shirt, had gloves and a jacket. But there was no wind and it was sunny. That would make a huge difference over last weekend.

I got there pretty early, found parking in the hotel parking lot and went inside the hotel to pick up my race packet. (Real bathrooms, yay!)

short-sleeved tech shirt but it is uni-sex so too big 😦

I went back to my car to stay warm. At the last minute, I decided to shed my jacket and walked to the starting line down the street in front of the Farmer’s Market location.

In honor of the race’s charity (Code Blue Saratoga offers emergency shelter to individuals who are street homeless or might otherwise remain unsheltered during nights of extreme cold and heavy snow), I did wear blue.

I also bumped into some familiar faces from previous races but not as many as usual because this race was far from where I live (and many of my friends were running the local Rabbit Ramble race.)

My friend Tom (4th from left) was running with this group

I did eventually find Judith and we started together as we did last weekend.

I was warned about the hills in this race plus I didn’t want a repeat of last weekend’s performance (no energy for my extra post-race miles.)

I made a conscious effort to run the first mile slow. After that I didn’t have to try since there would be numerous water stops and several steep hills to slow me down.

photo from the Daily Gazette

As soon as we started, I lost Judith in the dust. That was expected. She is super speedy. We started with a slight uphill but nothing steep. I’ve become lackadaisical about my running, I think. I never double-knotted my shoes and even before we finished the first mile, one came untied and so I stopped and re-tied both of them.

Mile 2 arrived with our first big hill. I managed to shuffle my way up it without walking. The rest of the race continued with uphills and down hills. There were many twists and turns which made it interesting.

Toward the end of mile 3, we ran on a paved bike trail and then one more hill before we ended up right where we started.

photo from the Daily Gazette

There were many water stops and I quickly stopped at a few but the amazing part was that I ran up all the hills (a first, I think for me). And I had a lot of energy during the last mile.

So it turns out that an 8k is almost 5 miles.

I didn’t look at my Garmin at all during the race so I was surprised that it was almost 45:XX when I saw the finish line.

Official stats say, I crossed at 46:26 (but my Garmin says 46:01). I was happy. It was much faster than I expected especially since I was trying to run slow.

I quickly made a beeline for the food. There was the usual energy bars, bagels and fruit but also rice and beans and chocolate milk (I had 2 of each).

Judith and I hung out waiting for the awards. She won 2nd but I was 4th. I guess you can’t always win (besides it was just a medal.)

I was too sweaty to wear my long-sleeved shirt

some speedy old ladies that I don’t recognize

This race is definitely on my to-do list. I enjoyed the challenge of the hills (and they’re weren’t as bad as I feared). I liked the variety of the course, as well.

Splits:

mile 1 – 9:08 (much slower than last week’s 8:30)
mile 2 – 9:22
mile 3 – 9:29
mile 4 – 9:38 (positive splits 😦 )
mile 5 – 9:14 (better!)

46:01 (Garmin time) My most recent 5 mile race time was 46:10 and my PR is 45:26 (on a flat course)

Of course, after a race, no one wants to go back out there and run 7 more miles. But I was determined to get the miles in. My run was so horrible last weekend that I did not have high hopes for this week’s.

After a long chat with Judith, she recommended that I run at Saratoga Spa State Park. So I headed there.

I parked by the Gideon Putnam hotel so it would be easy to find my car again. It’s a big park and I don’t know it well.

My plan was to run 7 miles. I stumbled upon a 5 mile trail and decided to run that first. It was really nice and I tried to follow the red signs so I wouldn’t get lost.

Around two miles in, I took a detour because I saw an interesting spring and another trail.

Well, I got too cocky with the trail running and down I went…HARD. Lots of folks around the spring offered their help. I was bleeding badly and it covered my nice white socks. But I fell right near the fountain from the spring. I rinsed my knee and my socks. A nice passer-by gave my tissues and another band-aids. So I was good to continue my run. Even if I couldn’t, I still had to get back to my car.

I went back the original trail and tried to continue but somehow, I never got to 5 miles. Only 3. But I decided to stop in the park office since I was still bleeding and the band-aids were not doing their job. They gave me alcohol to sterilize my wounds and more band-aids.

and I’m ready to run

I wasn’t lethargic like last week but it was getting rather warm and my leg was still bleeding so I continued running on the park roads, the bike path and made a loop back for only another 3 miles.

So not the 7 miles that I planned but considering the circumstances, I was happy to have 11 (interrupted) miles on my legs. (I WILL NEVER DO A TRAIL RACE!!)

After a nice long shower, I got my nails done, went grocery shopping, had dinner and then went out for drink and dessert with a friend.

I think this is appropriate for the day 🙂

I am also sharing in the support love by linking up with a Sunday Fitness and Food Linkup hosted by

Ilka from Ilka’s Blog and Angela from Marathons & Motivation

Happy Running! How was your weekend? Any running or racing? Ever run an 8K? Anyone combine their long runs with a short race? Have you ever fallen while running on a trail?

April 14, 2017 by Darlene

Friday Five 2.0: Spring Running

Today’s topic is Spring Running.

This is what spring running means to me:

1. Dry Places to Run

Yes to No Ice, No Snow, No Mud….

2. Pretty Scenery

Yes to Green Leaves and Colorful Flowers

3. No More Tights, Capris, Gloves and Jackets

Yes to Skirts, Tanks, and Baseball Caps…

4. Long Races Out of Town and Short Races in Town

Image result for shape women's half marathon

Image result for steel rail half marathon mass
Freihofer's Run for Women 5K

5. Running Groups

I am part of the Freihofer Training Challenge Group. I run with them every Monday.

last year’s group photo at the race – there are several group that run in different locations and times.

I also volunteer with the STEM program on Wednesdays.

we follow the Couch to 5k program and train victims of Domestic Violence to complete a 5k.

Happy Running! What does spring running mean to you? Please share.

April 11, 2017 by Darlene

TOTR: Remembering 2013

Since today is Tuesday, I’m linking up with these wonderful ladies:

Erika @ MCM Mama Runs, Marcia @ Marcia’s Healthy Slice and Patty @ My no-guilt lifefor

Today’s Topic is: Boston

No, I have never run the Boston marathon but every year at this time, I think back to that terrifying year – 2013.

This is what I posted on my blog then:

April 16, 2013

I already posted today but Boston is the only thing I have been thinking about since yesterday afternoon.

As a runner, it is always so exciting to follow the race and listen to the enthusiasm of those before the race and stories when they return.

This year was no different.

Yes, I knew runners that were running it (from blogs and from races).

me & Colleen at the Race for the Cure 2009

I work with Colleen and we started running at the same time. We ran several 5ks together and chatted about running whenever we saw each other. She is a natural runner. After I started running half marathons in 2011, she joined a running group and ran a 15k and then a marathon.

Colleen running her 1st marathon

Last October, she ran her 2nd marathon and BQed. She was in Boston yesterday running the marathon.

SRM running Group with Melissa (2nd from right) – March 2010

I met Melissa when I was part of a beginning runners’ group in 2010. She had just had a baby and was returning to running. I have since seen her at many races. She has quickly gotten back her running form and has run everything from 5ks to marathons. Her goal is to BQ and I am sure she will. She was at the Boston Marathon with her family cheering on local runners.

Melissa & her daughter at the marathon

Here is a FB comment from one of our group who ran the race: “…I did not finish. I saw the 1st explosion and then was directly across from the 2nd one. So I ran away from the craziness….”

Sisters Laura & Michelle at the 2011 Boston Marathon

When I was teaching French, I taught Laura & Michelle. They were two of my best students. Michelle was and is a runner. I see her at local races. She ran Boston last year and was running it again this year.

Thankfully everyone I knew and runners that my friends knew are fine!!!

There are no words to explain the horror of this event! 27,000 runners were there. Probably 100,000 spectators. As a runner, I know how hard it is to qualify, what it means to compete in a race, what is means to finish a race. This was taken away from about 9,000 runners. Even the ones who did finish, this senseless tragedy has taken all the joy away and has left them with memories of fatalities and injury and fear!

Here are 2 stories that I recommend reading:

I am a runner. I am not a fast runner. I will probably never run a marathon. Hence, I will never qualify for Boston. But I am a runner.

Today I am wearing blue and gold. I played tennis last night & will play tonight so I had not planned to run. But I will run 2.62 miles on the treadmill at lunch in honor of the victims in Boston.

2.62 on the TM

I will wear my half marathon race shirt when I play tennis tonight.

I will also dedicate my 5k race on Sunday to Boston and wear the cap above.

This week I am also joining up with Running on Happy, Suzlyfe, Crazy Running Girl, and Coach Debbie Runs each week for the Coaches’ Corner linkup

coachescorner

Happy Running! Did you ever run the Boston Marathon? Did you know anyone who was there in 2013? Do you hope to BQ?

April 10, 2017 by Darlene

Running Update: 4.3.17-4.9.17

Last Week:

Monday – Tonight was the third Freihofer Challenge Group run. We ran 4 miles with 5 one minute strides in the mix. Holy Moley! My legs did not like that. But my back pain is gone. Go figure.

snow has washed away. and yes they make us stretch after.

Tuesday – A rainy day but a rest day. After work, I went to hear Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor speak. What an amazing lady!!

She walked through the audience as she spoke and she shook my hand. Everyone got a free copy of her book too.

Wednesday – A nice running day so Alyssa and I met again at the Crossings for a run.

Thursday – Another rainy day. I bailed on my run but went to the gym instead.

Machines and the bike. No treadmill!

Friday – A scheduled rest day and a stressful day at work followed by an evening with the mah jongg ladies.
Saturday – Today I ran the Bacon Hill Bonanza 5k. It was so so windy and cold or at least it felt that way. But I ran a decent race and won my age group.

27.32 and I walked during the last mile.

I was too cold to run more so I left and then changed my mind and stopped at the Zim Smith Trail. My legs were tired and it was one of my worst long runs. I walked. A lot. And finally gave up after 7 pathetic miles.

The sun came out when I was almost done but it was still cold and windy

Sunday – Rest day #4 but a busy day. I even managed to get to the gym for the 2nd time this week.

3 more weeks to go!!

20 miles done with 3 runs and 4 rest days

This Week:

Monday – FRW Training Group Run (4 miles), Mah jongg Seder
Tuesday – 4 miles
Wednesday – rest day, gym, STEM group run (week 1, day 2 of Couch to 5k)
Thursday – 6 miles with Alyssa
Friday – rest day, hair appt, mah jongg
Saturday – Code Blue 8K race + 7 more
Sunday – rest day, gym?, TAXES!!

Once again, I am linking up for the Weekly Wrap hosted by these wonderful bloggers Holly @ HoHoRuns and Tricia @ MissSippiPiddlin. See rules here.

Happy Running! How is your running going? How is your running weather?

April 9, 2017 by Darlene

2017 Bacon Hill Bonanza Recap

April 8, 2017- Start: 10 am

Every year, I plan to sign up for the 10k and then I chicken out.

10 K

I know that the hills would be good training for runing a half marathon in Central Park but… the 5k is an out and back and mostly flat.

5k – not as flat as it looks

So I changed my mind and registered for the 5k and then planned to run 8 hilly miles after.

I ran this race for the past three years and loved it. They had great food – the usual food but also chili and homemade muffins & cookies (including gluten free ones).

And there was chocolate milk, fresh from the dairy.

Plus, I won a homemade apple pie as first in my age group for the past three years. 28:56, 28:01, 27:54. Yes, it seems that I am getting faster but not sure about this year??? Lately I don’t feel very fast.

The race started at 10 am which was good since it would be an hour drive from my house.

Again the weather was tricky. What to wear? I was brave the first two years and wore a skirt, a baseball cap and no gloves. It is April, right? Then last year, it was cold and I resorted to capris and a warmer hat.

This year I decided to go back to the skirt. Although it was chilly (30s) in the morning, I hoped that it would warm up by the time I raced (and after). But I did bring along gloves, capris and a jacket. (Spoiler alert: it did NOT warm up.)

I got to the race early and found a parking spot in a (muddy) field next to the church. The race started at the church in the town of Bacon Hill, a small farming town with awesome scenery. (It reminded me of Vermont.)

these pics are from other years…everything still looked the same)

It was chillier than I thought. It was in the 30s and high 20s with the windchill. Brrrr!! And it was cloudy!!! I quickly put on my capris under my skirt, my jacket, gloves and I wished that I had a hat that covered my ears and a turtle neck. I was COLD!!!!!!!!!

long sleeve women shirt

I wasn’t sure that I would know anyone at this race since Holly who was in the Turkey Trot training group and now the FRW training group said that she had to work this year and couldn’t race. And many of the locals were running Dodge the Deer today.

So I stayed in car to keep warm until almost the last minute.

On my way to the start, I bumped into Elsa, an SRM and we chatted but she was running the 10k so I proceeded to the start line alone. Then I saw blogger, Judith (a recent BQer) so I lined up with her.

At the last minute, I decided to shred my jacket. I kept on my gloves and shivered.

Soon it was time for the race to start. The pastor read a prayer, the church bells rang and we were off.

The 5k was an out and back. The 10k veered to the right and supposed had hills and breath taking views.

I decided to go out fast. I always have positive splits so why try not to. It isn’t as flat as the map shows. The hills are rolling throughout but not that bad. Even I could run up them.

I loved all the signs along the route.

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This one as my favorite: 14002247934_c17e330207_z

The wind was a killer. I was freezing. There were volunteers on the course calling out times. I occasionally glanced down at my Garmin to make sure I was running in the low 9’s. My biggest mistake was running the first mile in the 8’s!!!

Eventually we turned around and headed back… The wind had calmed down and I was actually very comfortable.

I stopped for water and walked for a little bit. Not because I was thirsty but because I was was out of breath. I never seemed to get into my groove. I guess I need to do some speed drills, Patrick.

I thought I had gotten a second wind but then again, I was winded. I even walked close to the end so that I could at least sprint through the finish line.

I knew at this point, there would be no PR. That was fine because I wasn’t expecting one.

the finish line is right next to the cemetery

As I approached the finish line, I realized that I could still finish under 28 minutes and I did! I crossed at 27:30 (according to my Garmin)!! And I was pleased.

I grabbed my jacket, put up my hood and immediately made a bee line for the chocolate milk. Boy, was it good. I had at least 2 cups.

They had the same great food (chili, muffins, cookies, fruit) as last year but no vegetarian dish and no pizza. I had some cookies, chili and a corn muffin.

I hung around waiting for the 10kers to finish though I was sooooo cold .

Elsa smiling but not happy about all those hills

Finally they posted the results…Mine was listed as 27:32 and I was first my age group.

Last year, it was so cold that they let you just get your award and leave but this year, we had to wait and they announced them one by one. Brrrr…

I waited with Sue (my roommate for the Shape Half in NYC) since she was winning one for the 10K.

And I won a pie again!!!

it’s homemade and delish!

Race Splits:

mile 1- 8:34
mile 2 – 9:01
mile 3 – 9:01
.14 – 8:09
_________________

27:30 (Garmin time)

All in all, I loved this race. I will definitely do it again…maybe even the 10K someday. I was happy with my time. I didn’t go all out but I did beat my time for this course from the last three years. Hooray for a course PR.

I put the pie in my car and contemplated my planned 8 additional miles. The scenery is beautiful.

2016 pic

But I was just too cold. It was still in the 30s, windy and cloudy. So I left. I had several offers for running partners on Sunday and the weather was predicted to be sunny and in the 60s.

As I drove south, the temps seemed to rise. It was now in the 40’s and it looked like the sun may come out so I stopped at the Zim Smith Trail to get my long run for the day over with.

Well, to make a long story short, it was one of my worst long runs ever. After 2 miles, my legs wanted to be done. It was not warm. It was windy and the sun didn’t come out until I was almost done. But I am stubborn and just ran a little, walked a little and didn’t quit until I had finished 7 miles. The plan was for 8 but it wasn’t going to happen today. The good news: Nothing hurt – not my back, not my feet, nada.

Scenes from my post-race run:

When I was done, I was so annoyed that I only grabbed a chocolate milk at Leah’s Cakery.

Why did my long run suck?

I run better with company. It keeps me going. Also I was probably tired from the 3 miles at race pace beforehand. Do I regret running the 5k first? Not at all. I have the same plan for every weekend. A race and miles after. My next half marathon is not a goal race. It’s is just for fun.

After a long soak in the hot tub, I was revived enough to go out to dinner and drinks with my hubby.

I am sharing in the support love by linking up with a Sunday Fitness and Food Linkup hosted by

Ilka from Ilka’s Blog and Angela from Marathons & Motivation

Happy Running! Did you run or race this weekend? Do you have spring weather yet?

April 7, 2017 by Darlene

Friday Five 2.0- Beverages

Today’s topic is Beverages.

On Tuesday, I talked about what I drink before, during and after a run/race.

So today these FIVE drinks are not necessarily running-related but they are what I’ve been enjoying lately:

1. Starbucks

lattes and frappuccinos

love the new spring cups…wish I had gotten one 😦

Will be adding this to my collection next November:

Las-Vegas

2. Teas

chai, mint, chocolate

TRADER JOE'S CHOCOLATE MINT FLAVORED BLACK TEA 20 BAGS

3. Red Wine

I used to prefer white wine and then I gave up alcohol in an attempt to improve my sleeping. It didn’t so I’m back.

4. Hard Cider

Zombie Killer is my favorite (tart cherry cider) and apple cider with a shot of Fireball is da bomb!

5. Starbucks Smoothies

in particular Chocolate Banana. This is running-related. I’ll drink them if I am running after work and won’t have time to eat dinner until late. They taste great and give you that needed energy.

Happy Running! What are your favorite beverages?

April 5, 2017 by Darlene

Wednesday Word: Victory

WednesdayWordScrabbleButton

The first Wednesday of each month, the Deb from Deb Runs will be providing a word about which to blog. Kind of like a nice little blog prompt. Posts can be fitness or health related, but don’t have to be, so really anyone can play along. Just be sure to link up with InLinkz on Deb’s main post, and share the love by reading and commenting on other’s participant’s posts.

Today’s word is Victory.

There are so many ways to approach this word in relation to running.

We rarely run a race to win it. But we do measure our victories against our own personal goals. Did we run without walking? Did we set a course PR? Did we have a distance PR? Did we tackle the hills? Did we have a consistent pace? Did we have negative splits? Did we run without pain when coming back from an injury? Did we cross the finish line? Did we have fun?

finishing my first race after not running for 5 months (post ankle surgery) = victory

These are all victories.

substitute “victory” for “success”

Yes, there are those of us who are natural runners and are fast without any effort. But most of us need to work at it. We need put in those training runs. We need to do those drills. We need to rest when injured. We need to stretch. We need to cross-train.

occasionally I do stretch after a run

These are some of the steps that a runner needs to take in order to succeed (or be victorious.)

Sure, it’s easier to just run 5ks. And to many, running a 5k is a challenge. But if you are successful in completing 3.1 miles, why not challenge yourself – 10K, 15K, half marathon, marathon, ultra?

The challenge will be different for each runner. For me, 13.1 miles is still a challenge even after 24 of them.

I will never forget that “exhilarating” feeling when I was heading toward the finish line of my first half marathon. It took me years to attempt that challenge but I’m so glad I did.

This is my favorite one: