June 5, 2015 by Darlene

Friday Five: National Running Day

Every Friday, three DC area bloggers Mary at Mar On the Run, Cynthia at You Signed Up For What?! and Courtney from Eat Pray Run, DC to host the Friday Five linkup. Anyone can join with their own Friday Five post (yes, it must be a Friday Five!!) They encourage you to visit other blogs on the linkup, comment, share and engage!

This week, the theme is National Running Day.

National Running Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running.

Here are my 5 reasons to run:

1. JA is my running buddy. He cannot run, cannot walk, cannot go to school, cannot digest his food but he is my BIGGEST SUPPORTER.

2. There were times that I couldn’t – broken ankle, stress fracture, broken foot. There may be times in the future when I cannot. So when I CAN, I RUN. I will never take this gift for granted.

3. I am a goal-driven person. I want to get better. I also know if I don’t run often, then it will not happen. So I keep running and hope that my finish times reflect my efforts.

4. It’s no secret that I love ice cream. I would eat it every day especially soft ice cream in the summer. As I get older, my metabolism must be slowing down because I have to watch what I eat for the first time. If I run, I hope that I can watch it less.

5. I actually feel younger now than before I started running. People say that “I don’t look my age.” (I love those people.) But I respond that I don’t feel my age. I credit running for that. (I am 62 btw.)

Happy Running! How did you celebrate National Running Day?

June 3, 2015 by Darlene

National Running Day

In honor of National Running Day, I am linking up with Kristen and several other bloggers and answering questions about my running!

1. Why do you run?

Because it makes me feel healthier, younger and happier.

2. How do you plan to celebrate National Running Day?
By running of course!!! Probably 4 miles after work. On the rail trail

or maybe join a group run at FleetFeet.

3. How many miles have you run so far this year?
I’ve run 352 miles so far this year!

4. What big events do you have on the race calendar so far this year?
I have already run some big ones: Hangover Half, West Palm Beach Half, Asbury Park Half, VCM Relay.

But I still have some more planned: Walkway Half, Adirondack Distance Run, Brooklyn Half, Stockadeathon, Turkey Trot 10k and many more…

5. Before you leave for a run you must have:
iPhone for music, distance and photos, baseball cap, sunglasses if it’s sunny out, running skirt, and running shoes of course!

6. Do you have one favorite app to track your runs?
I always carry my iPhone so I use the Nike+ app for distance. In races, I wear my Garmin to keep track of time and pace.

it’s old and big but I love it

7. Who is your favorite running partner?

Me.

I usually run by myself out of convenience.

But I do enjoy running with some women (Barbara & Judy) whom I have met online. That reminds me that I should schedule some runs with them soon.

8. What races have you ran so far this year?
18 race so far:

1-1-15 – HMRRC Winter Series #2 – Hangover Half*
1-11-15 – HMRRC Winter Series #3 – 10K
1-17-15 – West Palm Half Marathon* (Fla)
1-25-15 – HMRRC Winter Series #4 – 15K
2-01-15 – HMRRC Winter Series #5 – 10M*
2-07-15 – Polar Cap 4m
3-14-15 – Runnin of the Green* 4 m
3-22-15 – Shamrock Shuffle 5m*
3-29-15 – Delmar Dash 5m
4-11-15 – Bacon Hill Bonanza 5k
4-18-15 – Asbury Park Half Marathon* (in NJ)
4-26-15 – Cherry Blossom 5k
5-02-15 – Spring Run Off 10K
5-07-15 – Albany Law Day 5K against DV*
5-09-15 – Mastodon 5k*
5-10-15 – Mother’s Day 5K (for GOTR)
5-25-15 – Vermont City Marathon Relay*
5-30-15 – Freihofer’s Run for Women

9. If you had to give someone one piece of advice about running what would it be?
If you’re just starting out, don’t try to run too fast too soon. Don’t give up. You will get faster. Believe in yourself. No matter what your finish time is, you area winner.

10. Describe your relationship with running in one word:
Perseverance.

No matter what, I don’t plan to give up.

Happy Running! How are you going to celebrate National Running Day? Answer the interview questions in a comment.

June 4, 2014 by Darlene

National Running Day

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I am older than most, if not all, running bloggers.

But when I run or race, I feel that we are on an equal playing field. Of course, younger runners usually run faster. (So do some older runners.) However, I do beat many runners that are younger than me. And that makes me feel good. At the ripe old age of 61, I feel that I can still get faster and stronger.