June 4, 2011 by Darlene

33rd Freihofer’s Run for Women Race Report

As I said previously, I love this race. It’s crowded & it’s impossible to do really well, but who cares. It’s a nice course that is shady and scenic with music, fans, and clocks & water at each mile. We got a cool green tech shirt and a box of Freihofer cookies & sandwich buns.

One tennis friend was running it (one cancelled) along with a recording setting 4800 other women runners. The beginning’s runners group from last year planned to meet to take a “one year later” group photo.

My hubby picked up my bib yesterday so that saved me some time. (I did go to the expo to get my friend’s shirt and I got an autograph from JOAN SAMUELSON!!!)

I decided to park at work to avoid the traffic and run to the race (as a warm up). That was a little over a mile & I walked a lot of it.

The weather was perfect – sunny, 60’s, no wind.

I immediately bumped into the running group plus others. I never found my tennis friend. Some of the runners even got interviewed for the news (Janis, Bridget & Tammy).

Eventually it was time to line up. Somehow I got an orange bib which would have put me WAY back but I squeezed in toward the back of the “Yellows.”

As usual in this race, it starts and you can’t move at all. You move and it’s crowded so you weave in and out up the hill until you get into the park and then you can run at a decent pace.

So my first mile was slow, the 2nd was faster but I did stop briefly for water (my throat hurt from all the pollen). I walked again during the 3rd mile which pissed me off but I picked up speed as the race ended downhill.

Here’s a video of the course:

As I appraoched the finishline, I saw that I could finish under 29 minutes and I did!! Officially 28:51, net time- 28:14 and Garmin time 28:08.

Splits:

Mile 1- 9:21
Mile 2 – 8:59
Mile 3 – 8:49
.14 – 6:50

Hooray for negative splits and meeting my goal of under 29 minutes!!

Click HERE to watch my finish! Not really, you can barely see me at 28:51 (But you can see that I was already way past the finish line!!!)

My running friends also did great. Esp. Felice, Janis, Jen & Bridget who got PRS.

I got some refreshments, chatted with some runners & watched the beginning of the awards ceremony.

Then I took off, I needed to get in some more miles so I ran back around the park and to my car adding 3 more miles to my day’s total.

Here are some pics from the day:

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Happy Running! Hope you had a good weekend!

June 3, 2011 by Darlene

Foto Friday

The first weekend on the lake was a success! See below:

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It only rained the first evening so we hung out at the marina. The other 2 days, it was sunny & warm. I got my two morning runs in – 6 miles & 3.5 miles. Still not used to the heat & humdity. I’m not complaining. The scenery is breathtaking.

Happy Running!

June 2, 2011 by Darlene

My Next Race…

FRW #4 for me.

Freihofer's Run for Women 2008

Freihofer's Run for Women 2009

Freihofers Run for Women 2010

You can’t have PR goals in a race this big (over 4000 runners) but I love to run this one anyway:

It’s the ultimate women’s race!!
Even with the crowds, you always bump into a familiar face.
It’s a course that is used for many races (and ends with a downhill.)
I may run into my idol ( Her b-day is a week after mine but I am 4 yrs older):

My bib # is 2984 (The 4th race in a row of 2 & 8). This year they are organizing the start of the race by colors according to estimated finish times. I don’t remember what I filled in (or if I filled it in) when I registered. I finished last year in 30:39. I finished this same course last October in 29:10. My last 5k finish was 27:54 so I should be BLUE but I may be a slower color.

My goal is to finish under 29 minutes. I realize that this may not be possible since I may be stuck in the middle of a slow moving crowd.

Maybe I’ll make the cover of the local newspaper again?

Happy Running!

June 1, 2011 by Darlene

Happy National Running Day

Actually, I RUN because it feels great when I’m done!

And it did today….I squeezed in 3 miles before work and 2 miles before yoga & after work.

In honor of National Running Day, let’s talk “running.” (questions borrowed from Sweat Once a Day)

1. What is your favorite distance to run?

For me, it’s definitely the 5K and I have run about 50 in 3 years!! There are so many of them to choose from. They’re easy to train for. They don’t take a lot of time to run.

Mother's Day 5k Race '11

2. What is the best race you ever did?

I would have to say that it was the Naples Daily News Half Marathon. The weather and the scenery were awesome and it was my lst half which I never thought I could do. I also like running in the Freihofer’s Run for Women. It’s a BIG local race and I always envied women that ran it and now I can!

3. What is your favorite running attire?

My clothes have to be color coordinated (and if possible, the same brand). That’s very important. I like running skirts (and need to get more.)

4. What is your favorite running gear?

I can’t believe I ran for so long without one. It’s my Garmin!! I got it for my first half marathon.

5. Biggest Running Accomplishment Ever?

That’s easy – finishing my first half marathon and finishing my 2nd (rainy, cold) half marathon.

6. Favorite thing to eat after a run?

I have a big sweet tooth. Donuts or cupcakes or ice cream!!

Happy Running! Did you run today?

June 1, 2011 by Darlene

June already?

May Recap:

Goals:

60 miles – ALMOST – 57.5 (This is my lowest mileage month this year but also the lst month without half marathon training and I was on vacation for a week.)
running 3-4 times per week – YES!
a 5k race (finishing under 30 min) or 2 or 3 or 4 – YES! 3 5ks – all under 30 min and a 3.5 mi race – that’s 4 races!!

Highlights of May:

My Tennis Vacation in Naples, Florida:

: after a run one morning

Memorial Day Weekend on Lake George:

on the marina dock after a morning run

Goals for June:

70 miles
running 3-4 times per week
adding some longer runs
a 5k race or 2 (finishing under 29 min)

Happy Running!

May 31, 2011 by Darlene

Monday Goals on Tuesday

Update for Last Week:

My goal was 15 miles and I ran 6 times for a total of 15.5 miles. YAY!
No races.
I played tennis 1x and did yoga 1x.

Goals for next week:

This week’s schedule:

Mon – boating on the lake
Tues – tennis after work
Wed –yoga
Thurs – belated b-day dinner
Fri – mah jongg
Sun – NYC to see Memphis on Broadway

This week’s running:

Mon – 3 mi near the marina
Wed – 4 mi after work
Thurs – 3 miles before work
Sat – Freihofer’s Run for Women 5k + 4 more

Week Running Goal = 17 miles
June Monthly Running Goal = 70 miles, a race or 2

Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles

Happy Running!

May 28, 2011 by Darlene

First Lake Weekend

Today I am leaving for Lake George…. I hope we have decent weather and not too much rain!!!!

: our boat at the island dock (last July)

: eating at our site (last July)

Log Bay Island #3 is where we’ll be docked for 3 days…so no blogging…but when we go into Bolton Landing for supplies I hope get get in a run.

Bolton Landing (Sagamore) running route

9N running route

Happy Running and Happy Memorial Day weekend!

May 27, 2011 by Darlene

Work and Racing

On June 22, I am going to a conference in Milwaukee, WI.

Look what is going on in Milwaukee at 7pm on June 22:

Wouldn’t it be cool to run this race?

The problem is that my flight (if it is on time) doesn’t arrive until 5pm and then I have to take a (20 min) shuttle to the hotel, check-in and grab a cab to the race…

I still say: Wouldn’t it be cool to run this race?

My conference is at the Marquette University Law School and I’m staying 15 min from there at the Hyatt City Center.

I think it’s not too far from the river. I’m hoping I can squeeze in a run in the evenings. Anyone ever been to Milwaukee?

Happy Running! TGIF!