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Photos of My Vacation Running Route

Almost every weekend, I go on our boat on Lake George.  I insist that we stay at Bolton Landing marina (rather than on one of the islands) so I can run!!! I usually do the same 3.5-4.5 mile route.  I leave BL marina, turn right and run down Lakeshore Dr to Veteran’s Memorial Park, turn around and head back, turn onto Sagamore Rd and cross the bridge and run around the Sagamore grounds, twice on the Nature Trail, down to the marina and then back across the bridge to Lakeshore Dr, past BL marina and down to Bixby Rd to the beach, turn around and run back stopping at the Conservancy before ending at BL marina.

This weekend I decided to bring my camera…

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I did this route on Sunday and Monday…can’t wait to go back!

Happy Running!

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End of Month Recap & Monday Goals

Recap of July:

July Goal = 55 miles –  I did 54 miles (close).
Yearly Goal = 300 miles.  I’ve done 344. (over)
a 5K race – no PR but under 30 min
My tennis team won both rounds of playoffs and then Regionals

August Goals:
55 miles
5 k race and a PR
a tennis win at Sectionals

Recap of  last week:
My weekly goal was 16 miles. I did 12. (a lot of tennis)
I won my doubles match at Regionals – YAY!!

This week’s schedule:
Monday – boating on the lake
Tuesday – tennis after work
Wed –   tennis before & after work
Thurs –  haircut & party after work
Fri -mah jong after work
Saturday/Sunday – boating on the lake

This week’s running :
Mon  – 4 miles while docked at the marina
Tues –  3.5  miles  before work
Thursday – 3.5  miles  before work
Sat – 5K RACE!!

Weekly Running Goal = 14 miles
Monthly Running Goal = 55 miles
Yearly Running Goal = 300 miles ( I passed it!!)

Happy Running and enjoy your summer!!

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A Tennis Victory

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3-2 and we thought it would be easier! 

I played doubles and we won the first set easily.  But I was not comfortable and couldn’t find a rhythm. In the 2nd set, I was serving for the match 5-3.  I won ALL my service games…but not this one so then it was 5-4, then 5-5.  We led 6-5, then it was 6-6 and we played a tie-breaker and LOST!! PRESSURE!!!!!!! We had to play a 10 pt tie-breaker and luckily we won 10-6 Phew!!! Everyone was cheering at every winning point.  Little did we know, it was because the 2 teams were tied 2-2 and our match was the clincher.   If we had lost, our team would have lost.  I’m glad that I had no idea!!

I called all my friends and my husband who was waiting for me on a Lake George Island with friends. I then headed for Bolton Landing where my husband picked me up with our boat…

It seemed that he told everyone about my match and that I had won…he was happy because he knew that I would be in a terrible mood for the rest of the weekend if I had lost.

When we arrived on the Island, everyone cheered and then they toasted me with champagne!!!

What a great day…

Next my team plays in Sectionals in Syracuse (Aug 20-22)…and then maybe at Nationals in Tucson (who knows??)

 

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Tennis, Running Partnership Postponed & 5 Foto Friday

me & Georgette

 

Tomorrow, my tennis team is playing in the Regional Championships against a team from Cooperstown, NY. I’m playing with Georgette (whom I played with in Fla in April).  If our team wins, we go to States and play in Syracuse in August.  I’M NERVOUS!!!!! 

And now for Five Foto Friday, RunningLaur-style. I have 5 cats.  Here they are: 

Jerry

Spooky

Slater

Honey

Billy

As for running…I ran 3.5 miles Tuesday after work and 4 miles yesterday after work.  Tuesday it was very HUMID. Yesterday, the weather was perfect.  Neither run was.  As much as I try, I stop and walk when I get tired. I can’t get motivated to push myself if I am by myself.  I’m debating the 10k option but I’m going to wait til the last minute to sign up for the Great Pumpkin Challenge on Oct 23. It’s a 5k and a 10K. I’m to start training after Aug 22 (unless my tennis team loses tomorrow) & I’ll see if I am capable of running 6.2 miles! 

me & Mary

After my last race, Mary & I decided to be running partners.  We made plans to run today at the Crossings and then race on Aug. 7 together.  She wants to run a half in October.  Unfortunately, she had to go to LA for a funeral and won’t be back til Aug. 14 😦

Happy Running!

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To Run Faster or Longer…That is the Question

This is my 3rd summer running.  I’m still doing 5Ks!!!! I’m done 37 5k races  and 3 3.5 mile races. The farthest I’ve run  is 5 miles and that was with A LOT of walk breaks!!

Even those who just started are working toward 10ks and even 1/2 Marathons!!!

Should I run longer?

Pros:

  • It’s cool.
  • More prestige
  • finisher medals
  • others are doing it
  • I can use my giveaway prizes (Nathan handheld, GU…)
  • harder as you get older so do it now
  • it would be exciting
  • it would be a CHALLENGE

Cons:

  • there are more 5ks locally
  • I know I can run 5K
  • I can win an age group from time to time in 5k
  • I still want to improve my 5k pace
  • need to have a new training plan
  • need more time to train to run a longer distance
  • more chance of injury
  • don’t have a running partner to motivate me
  • need to carry stuff (water, energy gels, etc)
  • will I have stomach issues?
  • hard to schedule longer training runs (I work, I play tennis, I go boating on the weekend…)
  • 5k is nothing to be ashamed of…better than staying in bed

Any advice would be appreciated…

Happy Running!

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Monday…Monday…Goals for the Week

Recap of  last week:
My weekly goal was 10 miles. I did 10. (slow running week)
I ran a 5K race!!!
I lost my USTA singles match but MY TEAM WON!!! We go on to play a team from Cooperstown in Regionals on Sat.

This week’s schedule:
Monday – tennis team practice after work (Tech support at Bar exam 7am-5:30 pm)
Tuesday – Tech support at Bar exam
Wed –   tennis after work
Thurs – tennis before work
Fri – DAY OFF
Saturday – USTA tennis Regionals
Sunday – boating on the lake

This week’s running :
 Tues  – 3.5 miles  after work
 Thursday – 3.5  miles  after work
Friday – 5 miles (end of the month)
Sunday – 4 miles while docked at the marina

Weekly Running Goal = 16 miles
Monthly Running Goal = 55 miles
Yearly Running Goal = 300 miles ( I passed it!!)

Happy Running and enjoy your summer!!

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Silks & Satins 5K Race Report

This was my 3rd year running in this race so I knew where the race was and that it was a flat course. I was pretty excited since I usually run alone but this race I was meeting 2 women — one who I met at my last race and one who I’ve only met online – both started running in their 50’s so we have a connection!!!

It had rained all night and when I left my house it was  very HUMID.  I was surprised that at 6:45 am it was already 72 degrees – Oh No!!

This 5k coincides with the opening of the Saratoga Racetrack which draws people from all over the world. I got there early enough to find parking.  Last year there were about 1200 people but this year only 800 or so…the weather??

I looked for AJH and luckily for cell phones, we found each other before the start.


Then I found Mary, as well.

AJH & I started near the front.  Since the clock starts when the first runners leaves, I don’t like to hang back.  Mary, however, headed toward the back.

I quickly lost AJH.  I knew that I couldn’t keep her pace. My first mile, however, was faster than it should have been in this weather (under 9 min).  I think I continued to get slower each mile, as a result. This is a flat course so I was hoping to PR.  As I approached the finish line, I saw 29… and  I was disappointed.  I wished I had kept my mile 1 pace & didn’t walk at the water stop.  My final time was 29:34.  At least I was under 30 minutes and faster than last year 🙂

There was a lot of food at this race but I was too hot to eat much. I found AJH who had a SUPER race. (26 minutes os so) Her fastest 5k this year!! She is amazing!!!

We hung around for the awards.  There were a lot of  FAST runners at this race (esp. in our age group).  AJH came in 6th and I came in 10th so no awards for us…  I never found Mary but I spoke to her on the phone later.  (She felt sick and was disappointed at her 31 minute time so left right away.)

AJH & I hung around for awhile watching the horses warm up and chatting about running. 

She may even have convinced me to run a longer race some day… Hopefully, we will connect again for another race in NY or VT…(Check out her blog for her race report.)

Mary & I made plans to run together this Friday and she signed up to do the Fasig Tipton 5k with me on Aug. 7.  She wants to do a 5k in under 30 min and I want to run a longer race..so I hope we can help each other.

Happy Running and Have a great Weekend!

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Rest Day & 5 Foto Friday

No running…No tennis…I slept til 7a.  It was raining so no lunchtime walk.   I’m playing Mah Jongg tonight and going to bed early.  Tomorrow is RACE DAY!

And now for Five Foto Friday, RunningLaur-style. I love flowers.  Here are some I took Monday in my friend’s garden:

Happy Running and Good Luck to all Those Racing this Weekend!

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3 Things Thursday

 

  1. We had a big storm last night and the rain cooled things down.  I was sick yesterday (headache, nauscea, etc) but I wasn’t going to waste this running weather.  I went out for an easy 3.5 mile run before work.
  2. Tennis is picking up.  My team won both rounds of playoffs and now we play the winner of the Oneonta division in the Regionals on July 31.  If we win, we go to Syracuse to play in the NYS Sectionals Aug 20-22.) Last year our team came in close to last place so the season ended early & I was able to focus on running. )
  3. My next 5k is Saturday. I’m excited because I’ll be meeting 2 other runners before the race and I’ve run this race 2x before. I’m not in peak condition so we’ll see how I’ll do.  Anyway, it should be fun!!

Happy Running and good luck on your weekend races!

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I played…I Lost…We Won…I Ran

From my captain’s email: Aces Wild were victorious tonight!!!

 We beat the number one team, Alley Cats 3-2 in a fierce competition!!  Darlene was really the unsung heroine who played first singles for our team and although losing, put up a great battle against the toughest player on the 3.0 league.  Thanks Darlene for being such a team player and really getting our team to victory!!

Julia held her ground at 2nd singles and blew away her opponent!! Donna and Nancy crushed the 1st doubles team in 2 sets. Karen and Catalina were the lobbing queens and really met their match at 2nd doubles, although losing they played great!!Annie and I had a tough 2 setter against the captains.. Karen Paratta and Deb Lawson, but won in 2 sets and took a definitive lead in the second set at 5–1- ultimately winning at 7-6, 6-3.

Thanks so much to everyone who brought us to this point.  We are all winners!!!!!!

It’s hard to go out and play knowing that the competition is so much better (My opponent even plays at the 3.5 level also).  I am so glad that the strategy worked and our team won!!! (I’m trying not to feel discouraged in not winning myself.)

This morning I got up and ran 3.5 miles before work.  I was actually running to get the frustation from tennis out of my system.  The weather was beautiful (just a little too humid).  I think it worked…

More tennis after work today, tennis tomorrow before & after work.  (Can I master 2 sports????)

Thursday will be my last training run for my 5K race on Saturday.

Happy Running!