Happy Running!
I took the day off because I thought we would be at the lake. The weekend was rainy so we did not go out on our boat.
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast, I decided to go for a run. I had planned 3.5 miles but since I was not rushed, I decided to push for 5 miles. This was an effort. It was humid. The route was hilly so I walked a lot the last 2 miles but I did it.
Next I decided to weed and plant some annuals in the garden. Guess what I found in the parking lot of the garden store – Betties’ Cakes double decker bus.
I ran 5 miles so I could justify eating this:
The bus is here til June 25! I’ll be back!
After the afternoon of weeding & planting, I headed off to my USTA tennis match. Our captain sent us to the wrong location so we had to rush to the correct location. We were late and there was no time to warm up.
One player didn’t show up so I had to play singles. I NEVER play singles! But no one else on my team would.
I won the first set 6-4, was ahead in the 2nd 3-1 but then my opponent came back strong and I lost 6-3 and I also lost in the tie breaker 😦
Everyone on the team lost so afterwards we consoled ourselves and went out for dessert. I had strawberry shortcake. (I forgot, I had ice cream for dessert before the match, too).
Back to work tomorrow!
Happy Running!
Click HERE to participate.
Topic: Motivational Quotes
Question: What are some of your favorite motivational quotes/sayings? Do you have any personal mantras you use while dealing with tough times on the race course?
Here are some of my favorites:
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” – John Bingham
“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong
“There is no better feeling in the world than to take your mind and body to a place you thought it couldn’t go; a place you thought it didn’t belong. You should all try it sometime.” – Shauna Reid
“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up.” – Dean Karnazes
“I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.” – Steve Prefontaine
In a race, I just look around at all the runners around me, all sizes, shapes and ages, and feel a sense of pride to be one of them. I just telling myself to “keep going, it’ll be over soon and I will survive.”
Recap of last week:
My weekly goal was 14 miles. I did 13.5 – Close enough!!
I ran a 5k race!! I had a PR!!!!!
This week’s schedule:
Monday – tennis match pm (day off from work)
Tuesday – tennis after work
Wed – Census job after work
Friday – tennis before work, mah jong after work
weekend – on the boat
This week’s running :
Monday – 3.5 miles
Wednesday- before work – 3 miles
Friday – 4 miles after work
Sunday – 3.5 miles
Weekly Running Goal = 14 miles
Monthly Running Goal = 54 miles
Yearly Running Goal = 300 miles
Happy Running & have a great week!
Read about the race here and here.
This race turned out much differently than expected.
I was really tired all week and had a tight right calf muscle. Yesterday I came home from work and went to bed. I was too tired to go to Mah Jongg (which I LOVE) or even BLOG.
When I got up this morning, I was still tired. My race goals were to finish and run as much of the race as I could.
This was the first time I have run this race and it was about 40 minutes away. On the way, I realized that at the last 4 races I have run with others that I know. It was nice having someone to chat with before and after the race. I knew no one running this race & I signed up for it while on a high from my last race. This is bound to happen when you are a 5K race addict like myself.
The skies were overcast and threatening RAIN!. The temperature was in the 60’s and would have been comfortable if it weren’t so HUMID. They gave out a nice backpack type bag, coupon for a free Stewarts ice cream cone and the standard cotton tee.
There were almost 600 running in this race. I recognized a lot of elite runners from the area (so no award for me!). It started and ended in the middle of town. There were some inclines on the country roads of Kinderhook, NY but otherwise it was relatively flat.
I started slowly in the middle of the pack, trying to get my iPod to play. I never have an idea what my pace is since I don’t have a Garmin. Everyone was passing me by so I thought I was running slow. I just kept running.
(Photo courtesy of Barry Knights)
I was surprised that the mile 1 clock said 9:20. That’s my PR pace. So I continued running. The 2nd mile clock said 18:42 so I was at the same pace. That was good because I didn’t want a repeat of last week’s race when I ran too fast during mile 2 and had no gas for the 3rd mile.
I continued running at my same pace with only a brief stop for water and when I approached the finish line, I was shocked to see 28 minutes! I started to sprint as fast as I could!!!
My goal this year was to finish under 29 minutes and I did- 28:42. YAY!!
I actually felt less tired after the race than before.
There were had lots of refreshments – apples, bananas, oranges, watermelon, cider, bagels, donuts, bars, etc. They gave out ceramic dishes to the top 3 in each 5 year age group. Just as they started to announce the winners, it started to rain. I hung around since I had a rain coat and I knew I had no chance at 10 year age groups but there was a slight possibility today.
Nope! I came in 318 and 6th in my age group. The top 2 in my age group ran it in 20 & 21 minutes!!!!!!!!! The good news is next year, these 2 runners will be out of my age group for 2 years.
I hope the rain stops for some outdoor activities tomorrow.
Happy Running and have a great weekend!
Happy Running!
I guess my legs were more tired than I thought. Monday, I played tennis for 2 hours, ran around the park with a 3 yr-old and then came home and ran 4 miles (my right calf was a little sore). Yesterday after work, I played tennis for 2 hours and came home and since t he weather was perfect (cool & breezy), I ran 3 miles. My right calf was very sore…I walked a lot of my run.
I put on the Recovery Socks that I won in a giveaway and today my legs feel great. I’m resting today, just in case. It’s raining anyway. I’ll try my legs again tomorrow in preparation for Saturday’s 5K. (Read about the race here.)
Happy Running and Hump Day!
the Happy group after the race
I have multiple copies of Sunday’s front page of the newspaper. I even signed up for two more 5ks this month- Kinderhook Bank OK 5K on June 12 and Valley Cats Home Run 5k on June 26.
2. I’m trying to fit both tennis and running around my 2 jobs and my family and friends. I did both yesterday. I plan to do both today.?
Happy Running!
Click HERE to participate.
Topic: Summer Fun and Training
Question: With the warmer weather brings BBQ’s, vacations and summer holiday fun…how do you manage a balance between training and fun?
This is a tough one. I try to run as many 5k races as possible during the summer. This also means that I need to train during the week.
We have a boat on Lake George and my husband likes to go there as often as the weather allows. Sometimes, we sleep on the boat and reserve a dock on an island for several days. This means that my understanding husband has to dock the boat in Bolton Landing each morning so I can run around town. So far he hasn’t complained. It also means that if I have a race on Saturday, he has to wait to go up to the lake or we take 2 cars & I meet him there.
I also play mah jongg on Friday nites and if I have a race, I have to leave early and also not drink a lot.
I would be having a lot more fun with my friends and family if I didn’t run. But running is important to me so I make the sacrifices.
Recap of last week:
My weekly goal was 13 miles. I did 13– YAY!!
I ran a 5k race!!
(I made the cover of our local paper )
I'm the 2nd one on the bottom left
This week’s schedule:
Monday – tennis am
Tues – tennis after work
Wed – Census job after work
Friday – tennis before work, mah jong after work
Sunday – on the boat
This week’s running:
Monday – 3.5 miles
Tuesday – 4 miles
Thursday – 3.5 miles
Saturday – 3.1 miles (RACE)
Weekly Running Goal = 14 miles
Monthly Running Goal = 54 miles (already 9.5)
Yearly Goal = 300 miles (already 244.5)
Happy Running!
Training with the New Runners Group has made me more excited than usual about this race. This is my 3rd FRW. (I actually know someone who has run all 32.) The lst 2 I ran with 2 of my tennis buddies. This year Pat is injured but MaryPat (she is lucky to be able to run without training) planned to run.
My husband picked up my bib & chip yesterday and ate ALL my chocolate chip cookies. I stopped the Expo after work and bought a perfect top to wear (and on sale) and a BondiBand.
I woke up early to the sound of rain. By the time I was ready to leave, the rain had stopped and was replaced with sun & HUMIDITY!!!!
I decided to not park in the crowded parking lot and I parked at work and walked to the race. It was way farther than I thought – about a mile and a half so I arrived late for our meet up and I was already HOT! I also left my iPod in my car and LOST my BondiBand on the way.
I arrived to find MaryPat waiting as well as the running group.
me with Jen & Bridget (Bridget's FB photo)
We took a pre-race photo and wished each other luck and agreed to meet up again at the same spot to take another photo. Felice gave us all a pink wristband that said “Strong Running Mama.”
Me, Jen, Melissa, Janis, Felice, Jen, Bridget (Bridget's FB photo)
MaryPat & I headed to the starting line and squeezed in among the over 4,000 women. This year for the first time, the chips were on our bibs and measured our exact running time so it didn’t matter where we started.
I looked to the right and saw 2 professors that I work with. The race started with an uphill climb that you were forced to take slow because it was so CROWDED.
at the beginning (Bridget's FB photo)
There was finally some breathing room when we got into the park. It was strange to run without my iPod music but I just looked at the scenery and the women around me.
The first mile timer said around 12 minutes when I passed which was really 11 minutes (SLOW!!). I stopped briefly for water and then passed the 2nd mile marker at under 20 minutes (TOO FAST!!). I stopped again briefly for water and then during the 3rd mile, I was out of gas.
I crossed the finish line and heard them call my name around 31 something. (31:18)
I bumped into a friend from my Mah Jongg group and we chatted for awhile and then I headed to our spot. All the new runners had finished and they had done WELL!!
Back: Melissa, Amanda, me, Felice, Jen, Janis, Jen, Lisa; front: Bridget, Suzy (Bridget's FB photo)
We took a group photo and gave Felice a thank you gift (a photo book). She cried as did many of us. I think this won’t be the last race for many of these women.
Felice getting her gift (Bridget's Fb photo)
I got some food and hung around awhile for some of the awards. The winner finished the race in HALF my time. I was happy that Liz Maloy, a local runner & a graduate of AHN where I taught came in 10th. I checked the results and saw that my net time was 30:39! (Results are listed here.) I was happy!
I then walked back to my car and guess what I found along the way–my BondiBand. YAY!
I got back to my car and realized that I hadn’t take any photos so I snapped one. I love the timer!
after the race
Recap of the Goals:
A– finish in under 30 minutes
B– finish in less time than my 1st 2 Freihofer’s (2nd=35:05, 32 my time, lst=33:29)
C– finish
I accomplished B & C. I missed A by 39 seconds (2 waterstops, too fast during mile 2, the humidity, blah blah…)
Click Here for some photos from the race.
Video of my finish (clock time 31:17).
Happy Running and congrats New Runners!
I declare today “No exercise Friday.”
I am not playing tennis this morning. I am not walking at lunch. I am not running after work.
All of the above, I did yesterday!
I am taking the today off.
Tomorrow is race day!!
Happy Running and a nice weekend! Good luck FRW racers & Seattle Marathoners!
My First 5K and More... 
