Category Archives: running

Kick Butt Run

Posted on June 23, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I keep saying it’s All Boilermaker All The Time, but it’s really Running A Lot Of The Time. Doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it? This by way of introduction to another post about my day’s run.

It was just prior to 6:30 this morning (Saturday) when I set out. I love running early in the morning. The air is cool, the traffic is sparse, my body is fresh, and best of all: I get it over and done with! Oh, I like to run. I enjoy moving my body, I enjoy looking around at the scenery, I enjoy calling remarks to chance passersby and petting the occasional dog. I know some people don’t particularly like to run but like to have run (much like some writers despise writing but adore to have written). No question: there are many runs that turn into a painful slog and the only good thing I can say about it is, “At least I did it.” I believe I’ve written blog posts about some of mine (and that makes two good things I can say about it; let’s hear it for writing a blog!). And even on a good run, it is a lovely feeling to know I don’t have to run again before tomorrow.

That was a rather long paragraph to say that today’s was a Good Run (yes, I have to capitalize it). And that makes an interesting observation: I get short winded when I run and long winded when I write about it.

I had an idea to run up to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) the back way. As I ran, I wondered if I should instead run up the kick-butt way. I don’t believe I’ve mentioned it before, because I haven’t run there in a while, but there is a third way to get up the hill to HCCC. It goes by the dormitories and curves around, going up in several places in a rather steep fashion. It’s longer than the back way and steeper than the front way. The worst of both worlds. I don’t run it very often.

As I approached the first hill, I said to myself, “Well, that doesn’t look too kick-butt-y.” and my beleaguered butt said, “Kick-butt-y enough!” Not that my butt bears the brunt of running pain. My legs and my lungs do, and occasionally my lower back. None of them were complaining, so I told my butt to shut up and ran on (yes, I talk to my body parts when I run; it passes the time). I knew the kick butt way ends with an extremely steep little path that comes right out on the front road to the college. Then I could run back down.

Soon I realized I wasn’t sure I remembered which way to run around the dorms. Did this way go up or down? Did this road go through or end in a parking lot? There was a set of wooden stairs I remembered. Ah, running stairs. I was out of breath by the time I reached the top but there was a nice level stretch. That was soon going back down. Oh dear, it looped around and brought me back to the stairs. I didn’t want to run up the stairs again! Try this way. No good.

It seemed the only thing to do was to go down a little ways, then the rest of the way up the back way. As I did this, I realized I would not be going the rest of the way up the back way; I would be going ALL the way up the back way! Well, I told myself, you wanted to get your butt kicked. There are a lot of hills on the Boilermaker. I would be ready.

When I got to the top of the back way, I ran into a dorm parking lot, seeking the last, steep kick butt-y path. Otherwise, I didn’t really feel I had gone up the kick butt way. At last I found it. And realized I had come the wrong way. I had actually missed some steep stuff leading up to the last path. Well, I would have to explore that another day. I went up the last bit.

After this it’s downhill all the way, I promised myself, then reflected that that was the way by body was headed anyways. Ah, running is ever a metaphor for life. As I ran down, I got a horrible stitch in my side. I lifted my hands over my head and breathed deeply, which I have been told helps. I thought I might as well make triumphant fists and pretend somebody was singing the chorus of “We Are the Champions.” I looked at my shadow and thought I looked more like I was surrendering. “Don’t shoot me, Mr. Police Officer!” I kept running.

I was not even halfway to my time. Ugh. I ran around a block before stopping at the spring, so I could get my little drink at least halfway through my run. Now, I told myself, just a leisurely jaunt through the streets of Herkimer, no hills, no worries.

It really was not bad. There was lots of shade to be found. I crossed any street I felt like with very little problem. At one point, I realized the stitch in my side was gone. When did that happen? My legs felt tired near the end, but did not reach that macaroni-like state that causes me to ponder al denti vs. overcooked. And when I got home I fixed myself a ham, egg and cheese sandwich on a whole wheat English muffin. Ah! I do love a satisfying breakfast after a good long run.

And now I have done my two most important chores of the day: running and writing my blog post. Oh, I know, there are other things like laundry and cleaning and gardening. Priorities, people! The Boilermaker is two weeks away! I think it will be fun.

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Short, Sweaty Shuffle

Posted on June 23, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Subtitle: I Wish I WAS Lame! (You know, just a little reference to Lame Post Friday, and a lament about my lack of running prowess)

Fine time I’m going to have in the Boilermaker. I just went three days without running at all. In my defense, two of those days were, in the words of Cole Porter, Too Damn Hot (that was a Cole Porter tune, wasn’t it? I’ll ask Steven; he’ll know). Friday (today) promised to be cooler. As I sat at work all day sweating, I knew it was not the miracle for which I had been hoping. I also knew that it would be a very good idea if I ran anyways.

Stepping outside after work, I encountered a lovely breeze which gave me hope. The sunshine was still bright and brutal, though. My thermometer was reading 79 degrees, so I decided to postpone my run till 5 o’clock. Perhaps the temperature would have dropped at least a little. As it turned out, I forgot to check the temperature before I set out, so I’ll never know the exact number of degrees.

I’ll never know the exact amount of sweat that dripped off my body, either, but it certainly seemed considerable. As I ran down German Street, I could see that the opposite sidewalk had a lot more shade. But it’s hard to cross German in 5 o’clock traffic. I don’t like to do it unless I have a compelling reason, like I’m going to run one of the hills over there. I was not about to run a hill. I had previously made up my mind to run a short length of time and no hills. I thought I would try being good to myself.

It didn’t feel very good as I went on. I was running very slowly. I mean even slower and more shuffley than my usual pace. At first I felt that I could at least keep going if I kept the slow pace. Well, what’s wrong with a slow pace, I asked myself. You can’t run very fast for the first few miles of the Boilermaker anyways, because of all the runners. And, you know, somebody has to be in last place.

I always remember a story I heard about a guy who finished the Boilermaker dead last. A cop car was keeping pace with him, because it was past time for the roads to be open. The cop kept asking the runner did he want a ride. The runner told the cop to shut up and go eat another donut. I don’t know if that is a true story. If I am in last place in the Boilermaker, I will try to to get snarky with any police officers.

So I pretty much decided where to run based on which direction or side of the street had the most shade (except, as I said, for crossing German). And I must say, there was very little shade to be had. I kept myself going by telling myself, “This may be what the Boilermaker is like.” I had pretty good luck with temperatures the two Boilermakers I ran, but I’ve heard it’s been run in 90 degrees on occasion.

The most notable thing I saw on my run was a beautiful classic Mustang convertible getting a jump from a pick-up truck. What a great day for a ride in a convertible, and I adore classic Mustangs. The most enviable thing I saw was people relaxing on shady porches.

In short, it was one of those runs that afterwards I felt good that I ran more than feeling it was a good run. Tomorrow I should be able to run a six in the morning, a clearly superior time for a run. As for my subtitle about wishing I was lame… well, then I wouldn’t have to worry about the Boilermaker. But I don’t really wish it. I am a little sorry I used up my Lame Post yesterday, though. Because this is kind of a lame post about kind of a lame run. Oh well, as I intend to run again tomorrow, so too I intend to post. I’ll strive to do better. Happy Friday.

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Middle-aged Run

Posted on June 19, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I let myself off the hook most Mondays with Middle-aged Musings Monday. Kind of a beginning of the week version of Lame Post Friday. Only I spent my breaks at work (when I usually write my day’s post) staring into space, writing a letter to a friend and calling my husband on my cell. But it’s no worries if I didn’t write: I planned to run after work. That’s my usual back up: run, then write about my run.

Only it wasn’t a very good run (I know, since when has that ever stopped me?). As the Boilermaker looms ever closer, I think I would feel a little more comfortable if my runs were becoming consistently easier and more fun. And why, may I ask, aren’t they? I first learned to love running in the army and the reason was simple. All you have to do is run. And you just magically get better at it! Let me tell you, push ups are not like that. The Arabic language is not like that. Running is.

Only today it was not.

I started out with such confidence, too. The temperature had not gotten up to 90, as the meteorologists had threatened. Uh, I mean predicted. I thought, perhaps I ought to take advantage of the cooler temps and do a real workout with lots of hills or something. At least run for 45 minutes or an hour.

Ten steps out of my house, I realized the weather was not the running heaven for which I had hoped. It was humid! Muggy! I was mugged by the atmosphere! Seriously, right away I could tell that breathing would not be fun for the next however long I ran. As I got to German Street I saw that a tree was coming down right where I would have liked to run if I had been going to run up the hill to Herkimer County Community College. Good! I didn’t want to run there anyways! I would run the relatively level streets on my side of German and be happy about it.

As I ran, I confess I was not so happy. I did enjoy the comfort of my new headband, though. Saturday I bought a new headband at the Sneaker Store in New Hartford. It is a new, high tech kind of material that wicks the sweat away from your body. It is thin, so it doesn’t push my glasses askew. And it is surprisingly absorbent for its thinness. Of course, it was not the miracle I had been hoping for. My face still sweated. That was when I remembered: sweat doesn’t just drip down from the top of my head. There are sweat glands all over my head! Silly me. But I do like my new headband.

I managed to run for a half hour. I thought that was respectable, and quite frankly my legs were telling me a longer run was Just Not Possible. I usually tell them to shut up and keep running. In fact, I told them that today, too, because they wanted me to stop a good eight minutes from home. But I knew I could only keep them going for so long.

Several other people were out running. I thought we all must be training for the Boilermaker. I also thought they all looked as if they were running much better than I was. I wondered how many of them had started training in February, as I did. I felt a little virtuous about the February thing and tried not to think too hard about the not running so good thing.

I did have a middle-aged musing while I ran. It was: maybe I’m too damn middle-aged to run any more! Well, I know darn well that’s not true. After the first Boilermaker I ran, I had a very nice conversation with a guy who had run many Boilermakers, and he was in his 70s. His 70s! 70 year old men run better than me! Oh wait, that wasn’t where I was going with that. On second thought, though, that is a good point. It’s OK if I run like garbage. I’ll do much better when I’m 70!

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Good Run, Dull Post

Posted on June 17, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I did have some authentic Mohawk Valley adventures on Friday, but Saturdays (today), I like to write about my morning’s run. For one thing, thinking about what I’m going to write sometimes keeps me running. Someone may argue that I can think about what I could write and I wouldn’t have to actually write it — you know, placebo effect. But I don’t think that would continue to work. And I needed extra motivation to run, because I had a dreadful headache this morning. So here I go.

That is, there I went, about 6:30 this morning, shortly after Steven left for work (love it when he has the early shift), enjoying the cool temperature and lack of traffic. I decided to run up Stueben Hill. For one thing, it’s a hill and I want to train on hills for the Boilermaker and DARE 5K. For another, if I get ambitious later I can drive where I ran and see how far a distance I made.

At the beginning I was running right into the sun. Ugh. Not so easy to see straight ahead. That hill is always further away than I think it is. At last I reached it. Now the sun was in a more reasonable position. That is, I was in a more reasonable position in relation to the sun. I accomplish a lot on these runs, but I don’t think I have managed to actually move the sun (split infinitive there, some people don’t like that. Sorry). And of course the hill looked steeper than I had been thinking. They always do. Is that a metaphor for life or what?

I mostly stayed on the road itself, not the soft dirt shoulder. The soft dirt may have been easier on my feet, but I also thought it would be more effort. My headache did not seem as bad now that I was out in the fresh air exerting myself, but I just didn’t feel up to too much effort. That is one reason I like to run distances. Slow and steady. Sometimes you don’t even realize the effort you are making.

It’s nice to run a street you don’t run all the time. Different things to look at. The sidewalk on this road ends right away and it feels like you are running out of town. A nice country road, although not one that takes me home, like in the John Denver song. I watched a little stream next to me. Just a trickle, really. It would stream for a while, then stop and stagnate, as if somebody had put in a miniature damn. I reminded myself not to stagnate, just to make another metaphor.

The uphill goes on for quite some time. I started to feel a little unhappy about it, but sooner than I realized, I reached Highland Avenue, where I could turn off. Perversely, I kept going up. I hadn’t been running all that long, and I intended to go for an hour. I did not want to have to spend too much time circling the streets around my house waiting for the hour to pass. I kept going a little further, then a little further, and finally turned around after 24 minutes of uphill.

It was, now that I think of it, pretty uneventful run. On my way downhill, I passed a lady at her mailbox and called a cheery good morning, which she returned.

“We got a beautiful day,” I said.

“It’s going to be,” she agreed. Actually, I thought it was beautiful right then and was going to be too hot later, but that’s just me.

I felt pretty good about my run, although my headache returned in full force as soon as I stopped. It’s finally going away, as I type this, just prior to five p.m. And I have to say, I’m a little displeased about this post. I think it’s kind of dull. Oh well, you win a few, you lose a few (although I hope I don’t lose a few readers). I ran, I wrote. I’m done.

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Too Hot to Trot

Posted on June 15, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s All Boilermaker All The Time!

Not really. I mean, I’ve always done a lot of running posts, especially when I am short on Mohawk Valley adventures in a given week. However, I am thinking about the Boilermaker lately in a fairly obsessive fashion. It’s getting closer! Yikes!

So I’m up to running an hour as of Sunday. Then I took Monday and Tuesday off. In my defense, Monday my shoulder was still paining me quite considerably (I think I wrote a post about running Sunday with a terrible muscle spasm) and Tuesday it rained. So you see.

I ran on Wednesday. It wasn’t fun, and it wasn’t far. I had to meet Steven at 5:30 when he got off work, so we could go to Hummel’s and buy a flag for Flag Day (our flag was ripped; a veteran such as myself cannot fly a torn flag on Flag Day). I thought a half hour run would at least keep me in the game. I had an idea to run by a friend’s house and check her house number, so I could send her a post card.

It quickly became apparent that it was the wrong direction to run in. There was no shade. The sun beat on me mercilessly. I persevered, as I have been known to do. I had no reward, though, because I couldn’t see the house number as I ran by the house. I didn’t want to stop and run in place and stare. Somebody might call a cop.

Later, as I was walking with Tabby to meet Steven, we passed a lady running in the other direction.

“Hot day for it,” I remarked.

“It’s not too bad,” she answered as she loped by like an gazelle. So I felt like I’m the only plodder in Herkimer who is bothered by the late afternoon sun.

Today (Thursday), I thought I would be smarter and wait a bit before I ran. The sun could set a little, and the temperature could cool off. I got some work done around the house that way, which is good, because I knew I might be good for nothing after the run, even if it did cool off.

So I guess I should have waited longer than 45 minutes. Like maybe till October. At least I thought I would sensibly run up to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) the back way. There would be lots of shade. None of this running through residential areas searching for friendly trees.

There was not as much shade as I was hoping for. I don’t know much about plate tectonics, but I think that hill has gotten steeper. I plodded up it, telling myself that every step was one step easier on the Boilermaker. At one point, I thought the up slope was similar to the section of the Boilermaker right before you run through the country club. Of course I could be remembering wrong, but I thought, if I can just keep doing this, maybe the Boilermaker won’t suck too much.

Oh, it took a long time to get to the top, but at last I made it. To continue on up onto campus was to run in the sun. No shade seemed available until I had run all the way up to and around the athletic complex and down the other side. Well, I wanted to go for a long run. I told myself it did not matter how slowly I ran, I just had to keep going.

A car coming in the other direction beeped at me. I gave a vague wave, since I thought it might be a friendly beep. I looked and saw a girl in the passenger seat smiling at me and the driver giving me a thumb’s up. Very nice. I was encouraged.

As I rounded the athletic fields, I realized there was no shade, but a breeze blew over me and made me happy. I saw a motorcycle in the path I was on. Who in the world parked their bike there and where were they? Then I saw three people on one of the softball diamonds, practicing batting, I think. I wanted to holler at them that I was going to borrow their motorcycle, but they were too far away.

The fence by some tennis courts cast as shadow. If only it were a solid fence instead of chain link. This wasn’t going to do me any good! Now, now, I told myself. Maybe it will help a little. It did not. In fact, the sun reflected off the hard surface of the tennis courts and made me even hotter.

As I continued, I found some shade. Not a lot, but I savored what I found. Then I was on the hill back to town. A steep down slope is not my favorite. Too jouncy. But I did what I could with it. A stop at the spring for a refreshing drink. Aaah!

Coming round a corner on my way home, I almost ran into a young man running in the other direction. We saw each other in plenty of time. He even said, “Excuse me.” Nice young man, and running quite a bit faster than I was.

The phrase “All Boilermaker All The Time” came into my head as I walked my cool down with Tabby. The Boilermaker certainly motivated me to run today, at least to run as far as I did. Now that I’m drinking Gator Ade and typing this into the computer, I don’t feel too bad. I didn’t feel it during the run, but maybe I can rock this after all.

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Run Through Adversity

Posted on June 11, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am writing another post about a run, because that is how I motivated myself to start and to continue. It really does add interest to a run, writing my blog in my head as I go.

I woke up early this morning with a muscle spasm in my shoulder. Oh, it was painful. No position was comfortable and moving around trying to find one was even worse. I managed to fall back asleep a couple of times but was glad to get up, thinking that eventually I could apply ice and/or ibuprofen.

First I applied coffee, of course, and requested sympathy from my husband, Steven, which he generously supplied. I ate a banana with peanut butter so I would not be taking the ibuprofen on an empty stomach. Steven found my ice pack and I kept that on for 20 minutes (I seem to remember reading somewhere you are not supposed to leave ice on for longer).

When Steven left for work shortly before nine, I got on my running clothes and set out. The ibuprofen and ice had not been the miracle cures I was hoping for, but with the Boilermaker looming ever closer, I didn’t feel I should take the day off. I mean, I may not run every day between now and July 8, but a Sunday when I don’t have to work and intend to run for an hour and up to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) the front way… I thought I would at least try.

It was much nicer running prior to 6 a.m. on Saturday. At 9 a.m. the sun is already fairly high in the sky and it was warm. I thought about how shady it would be running down from HCCC the back way. I thought about a cool drink from the spring. I thought about how much my shoulder was hurting and how my legs were not even daring to complain.

I told myself that it was OK that I couldn’t lift my head comfortably. Going up the hill, it is good to look down at your feet and not think about how much further you have to go. Soon I was on the hill. That sun was hot. I told myself that the Boilermaker might be hot. I saw the spray paint from the DARE 5K: “Have fun!” The sarcasm was not lost on me.

At last, at last, I was almost to the top. Would I continue uphill past the buildings? I thought I would. For one thing, an hour is a long time, even running as slow as I was running. There was no shade to be found. Just keep going. Finally I could cross over to Reservoir Road. It was all downhill from here.

I think running on a gentle down slope is a fine thing. One of the few times when gravity is my friend. A breeze would have been nice, but you can’t have everything. When I got closer to the reservoir it actually seemed a little hotter, definitely more humid. I thought it was supposed to be cooler near the water! I felt a little ill-used about that. Then I was into the woodsy area and it was cooler. Lots of shade, a nice little stream trickling next to me, aaaah. My legs were all, “We got this.”

I decided to run all the way down to German Street and back up Lou Ambers Drive to get to the spring. I was not quite halfway through my hour, but I thought I would be able to make it. I turned left where a sign said “No left turn.” I actually did not see the sign, because of the keeping my head down thing, but I knew it was there. I love being a rebel.

Two men were filling bottles at the spring, but they finished just as I got there. I wasn’t too worried. Most people are nice and will let a thirsty runner sneak in for a drink. Brief refreshment! Then it was onto the parking lot of Salvatore’s. I wished there was a sign that said “Do Not Enter.” A sign did say “customer parking only,” but I am in fact a frequent customer of Salvatore’s, and tempting as it sounded, I did not intend to park. As I went around the side of the building, I saw the sign that said, “No through traffic.” Yes! My rebel status was safe.

On I ran, encouraged by an occasional breeze and/or shade. I found one other “Do Not Enter” sign to enter in spite of, so that made me happy (I know, it takes so little to please some people). My legs informed me that they had burned off the entire banana with peanut butter and would like some more fuel. I told them to start working on the fat in my butt. They wanted a fresh Angus burger, cooked on a grill, with tomato and red onion, on an onion roll. That image kept me going for a good block.

Toward the end of the run, as my legs continued to complain, my shoulder started hurting a little less. It did not want to move, but it was no longer screaming at me. I found I had to concentrate on breathing or I wouldn’t breathe. What was that all about? I was so ready to stop! But I persevered.

My theory has always been, if you can run one hour, you can run two. You just don’t stop. I have run the Boilermaker in less than two hours. I think I’m good.

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Just Another Run

Posted on June 9, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Saturday I ran earlier than I have in a long time, because Steven had to be to work at 6 a.m. As soon as he left, I was heading out myself, much to Tabby’s disappointment (I’d take her with, but she doesn’t like to run with me).

I decided to take advantage of the early morning lack of traffic and cross Route 5. This has the added advantage of not having a lot of hills. I can take it easy once in a while (don’t worry; I intend to run my favorite front way to Herkimer County Community College tomorrow). I intended to run down the canal path which I can pick up near MOVAC, the ambulance place.

As I reached Mohawk Street, I saw a runner some distance up ahead of me, not running very fast (I know, I should talk). I wondered if I would catch up with him but doubted it. Then I decided to explore a side street and lost him. It seemed to be taking me a long time to get anywhere, but I figured that was OK. I intended to run for 55 minutes. How far I actually got was immaterial.

At last I reached MOVAC. A guy in some uniform (an EMT?) was putting stuff in his car. We exchanged greetings. I did not expect to meet any walkers or runners on the path. I didn’t even see that much traffic. I knew I could reach the Washington Street bridge, because I had reached it before on, I think, a 50 minute run.

I enjoyed looking at the canal and the foliage that surrounds it. I saw some irises. I didn’t think they grew wild. Maybe somebody had put the bulbs in at some point. It was too far from the road to have fallen off the back of a truck, or so I thought. Anyways, the speculation occupied me for a few feet. I saw a Caution sign on a natural gas pipe, so I was cautious. Where was that damn bridge anyways? Ah yes.

Soon I was running on South Washington Street, where there was no sidewalk. Some weeds had totally overgrown and leaned onto the road. I was glad there was no traffic as I detoured around them. Somebody ought to clean this up, I thought. Then again, plants are plants. I suppose even overgrown weeds help clean the atmosphere by converting CO2 to oxygen (I probably don’t have that right).

I ran up and down a few streets, since I had some time to kill. There are some houses around there that have seen better days. I looked for the ones that showed some effort at making an improvement, of which there are always a few. I noticed a couple of porches completely filled with junk. What a waste of a good porch! Wouldn’t you like to sit on your porch and enjoy the moment, I mentally asked those people (not that I would actually ask somebody that, because people can pile junk on their porches if they have mind to).

I was headed back toward Route 5 when I saw one more street I had never run down and thought I’d check it out. A house on that street still had a Merry Christmas decoration up. Then again, it was on a high outside wall. I have no idea how they got it up there in the first place, and I do not blame them for leaving it the hell up there once it was in place. Then too, don’t some people say we should make the Christmas spirit last all year? There you go.

It was no problem crossing Route 5 again and I was on my way home. I looked at my watch. Oh dear, was this going to take me more than 55 minutes? I told myself it was OK if it did. I intend to up my run time to an hour tomorrow anyways. Why not a minute or two longer today? I should mention that I had been firmly in the “I can rock this” stage of my run since somewhere on the canal path. I had consumed coffee and a banana with peanut butter earlier that morning. I think it helped.

After crossing a couple of streets on a diagonal (once again, let’s hear it for no traffic!) and cutting through a couple of parking lots, I actually had to run past my house and backtrack to keep going for 55 minutes. It was a very enjoyable run. I am going to be so ready for the Boilermaker! (Oh, I hope those aren’t some of those “famous last words” you hear about!)

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My Feet Will Thank Me

Posted on June 9, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Monday I finally made it to the Sneaker Store in New Hartford, NY, to purchase new running shoes.

I like to get two pairs, so I can alternate them, especially if I run on consecutive days. Scott suggested I look at the clearance table first.

“Of course, it’s pretty picked over,” he warned. I know: you snooze, you lose. How long have I been meaning to do this?

I liked the first pair I tried on, but Scott said they were more of a cross trainer. Still, if I also got running shoes, I could mostly wear the cross trainers for walking. I set them aside and kept looking. I had been looking for size 7 1/2, but found a pair of Aasics in an 8.

“I can rock this,” I said. In fact, it felt better than the cross trainers had. Then Scott found me a pair of New Balance. I liked those, too.

“Could it be this easy?” I asked. Apparently it could. I was glad of that, because Steven had graciously accompanied me, and I did not want him to get bored while I tried on fifty pairs of shoes.

I mentioned seeing the new Saucony sneakers on the Sneaker Store’s Facebook page. Scott told me how they were moving to the next generation of running shoe. It seems the sneaker manufacturers are going for more of a barefoot design. I know actual barefoot running is a big thing these days, but I quite frankly can’t imagine my feet, legs and back liking such a thing. I also have to think: before people wore shoes, there was no pavement. They ran on dirt, grass, sand. Sometimes stones, I suppose. Then too, they went barefoot all the time, and they didn’t go for pedicures where they got their callouses shaved off with pumice stones. Well, I’m sure the sneaker manufacturers have smart designers and shoe engineers working for them. They must allow for that sort of thing.

Be that as it may, I was very happy with my old school sneakers, purchased at clearance prices. In fact, when I got them home, I realized the New Balances were the exact pair I had purchased last year. I was very happy with them and expect to continue to be so.

While I was shoe shopping, Steven had noticed a Bosco t-shirt he totally wanted. Bosco, of course, is the parrot that lives at the Sneaker Store. The first time I was ever there, I couldn’t figure out who kept saying hello.

Alas, the t-shirt was not for sale. The owner had had it made, but had not decided whether to sell them or have his staff wear them or what. Steven voted for selling them. I suggested the owner sponsor a race and offer the t-shirts to the runners (thus ensuring I would get one and
Steven would have to borrow mine).

“Oh, he does sponsor a run,” Scott said and handed me a slip of paper with “Bolder Inspiration of Trenton Falls” printed on it. I read, “5 Mile Run, 1 Mile Kids Run…August 4th, 2012.” I “liked” Bolder Inspiration of Trenton Falls on Facebook a long time ago but for one reason or another have never run it. It’s on my calendar now.

So is the Boilermaker. As Steven and I drove through Utica en route to New Hartford, I looked over at the Running Hall of Fame for the Boilermaker count. 33 days. As I type this, it is one month from today. Eek! Good thing I got new shoes!

The Sneaker Store is located at 4490 Commercial Dr., New Hartford, phone 315-736-9237; www.the-sneaker-store.com. For more information on Bolder Inspiration of Trenton Falls go to www.bolderinspiration.blogspot.com.

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Up the Hill or Over It?

Posted on June 4, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I seem to remember threatening to turn this blog into All Boilermaker All The Time till I actually run the thing. Maybe for a post or two afterwards (must document my crash and burn after all). Therefore I offer the following concerning my run this morning, Sunday June 3, 2012.

On Sundays I like to run up to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) the front way. That is a quite steep, fairly long hill. It’s a challenge and it looks like one. Local readers are always properly impressed when I tell them I do that. I know, I know, we are supposed to do things for our own satisfaction and improvement, not to impress others. Still, it’s kind of nice when people say, “Ooh, you run that hill?” I guess I’ve blogged (silly verb) about that hill several times, so sorry if I’ve bored you with yet another description of it.

Anyways, I set out. At least it wasn’t misting, as it was on my Saturday run (why didn’t I blog about that one? I never run in the rain!). In fact, my hands were cold. What was that all about? I tried not to worry about it. My legs weren’t complaining too much yet, but I was prepared to ignore them when they did.

No cars in my way as I crossed the street. No dogs to stop and pet. It was shaping up to be a fairly uneventful run. My legs soon informed me they were not in the least inclined to run a hill, small or large. Luckily I had already practiced ignoring them.

One trick to running up a hill is to look down at your feet. Then you can’t see how steep a gradient you are running. Another help is to realize that as long as you keep moving your feet, however slowly and incompetently, you will get up the hill. Eventually. It turned out to be one of those runs where I needed all the help I could get.

Up, up, up. I looked forward. Not too discouraging but bad enough. I looked behind me, thinking if I saw how far I had come I would feel better. No good, the road curves around so you can’t see the beginning. Well, I know that road, I knew I was closer to the end than the beginning. A few more steps and I could look off to my right and see Herkimer spread out below me. If it wasn’t too misty. It was.

No matter, I was at the college. There were the dorms, or barracks as my army brain wants to call them. College is not in session, so no chance anybody would holler something out the window at me, as happened once. I didn’t run on up onto campus but turned right over to the back way to run down. Ah, downhill. Where gravity is my friend.

On the way up I had seen some stuff spray painted on the road for the DARE 5K, which I ran last August. I hope to run it again this year. It’s fun, it’s local, it’s small, it’s SHORTER than the Boilermaker! Actually, the Boilermaker is pretty fun. And it’s the small, local aspect of the DARE run that appeal to me most. But that is for another day. Today my mission was to keep going for 55 minutes.

As I ran down, I saw some more DARE 5K stuff. “Have fun!” I read. That seemed a whole lot less sarcastic on the way down. I don’t mind being told to have fun when I’m doing a difficult run. What I don’t like is on the Boilermaker when they tell me, “It’s all downhill from here,” when I know damn well it is not. But perhaps they mean it figuratively. I don’t stop to discuss it.

I decided to run back to Lou Ambers Drive and stop for a drink at the spring. I had wanted to do that Saturday but had picked up a penny earlier on the run. I had tried to drink one handed. Not so successful. Today I had both hands. Aah! Plenty of water stations along the Boilermaker route. That’s something to look forward to.

I ran up the hill by Valley Health Services for good measure. I must admit I was more out of breath at the top of that hill than I had been at HCCC. Explain that to me. I suppose because it was later in the run. Or because I am old.

The run did take it out of me. I think I may need to start consuming more protein or Gator Ade or vitamins or something. I had some majorly philosophical thoughts as my run continued after the two hills, but I see I am over 700 words, so I will save them for another day. Perhaps a Middle-aged Musings Monday.

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Just Like PT!

Posted on May 28, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

It really was not just like PT, but I thought that might make a catchy headline. PT, in case you did not know, stands for Physical Training in the army. That is where I learned to run, among other things.

In honor of Memorial Day, I put on my ARMY t-shirt to run in. This did not make it like PT, actually, because I also had on some comfy spandex shorts, not the doofy PT shorts they issue you. It was also not like PT because in army PT, you do not DARE untuck your t-shirt from your doofy shorts. I remember once running at army PT another soldier said, “I WANT to untuck my shirt!” To do her one better I said, “I want to take mine off and wave it over my head!” Then I added, “Under strobe lights, to a pulsing disco beat!” for good measure. I was actually shouting this after her, because she ran faster than me. I used to have fun during army PT.

I actually did not want to run this morning. I had two long, hilly runs the last two days. I usually take Mondays off. But I also usually work a 10-hour day Mondays. Today I do not work. I was up shortly after 6 a.m. (a very late sleep-in for me). It was plain silly not to run.

To make things more tempting, I promised myself no major hills. Then I thought I would try to cross State Route 5, which runs down the middle of Herkimer, and run in an area I rarely run in. I figured earlyish in the morning on a Monday holiday, I could cross without too much trouble.

I further decided to run to the canal path, which you can get on where State Route 5 crosses Route 5S, where Herkimer meets Mohawk. I was not sure how long it would take me to get there or how long down the path I could run, but it fulfilled my quest for Someplace Different and a running/walking/biking path might be fun.

Crossing State Route 5 was no problem. There is a button that will give you a WALK signal, but I managed to sprint without waiting for it. Ooh, now I was in different territory. Not unfamiliar, because I have run there before or even been there numerous times in a car. Past some businesses. A computer repair place, a bike repair place. I really ought to get my bike back on the road. Pedaling a bicycle is much easier on the joints than running. I noticed they also offered snowshoe sales and rentals. Snowshoeing sounded good to me. Any sport that you can do slowly sounds good to me when I am running (which, of course, I also do slowly).

It did not take me too long to get on the path, but now I started to fret. How far down the patch should I go? I knew there was a bridge over the canal that brings you to Washington Street. It would be good to run that far then go home by way of Washington, but how long a run would that make? I kept looking at my watch. The bridge was nowhere in sight. I’m sure it is further away when one is running than when one is driving.

A small group of ladies was walking toward me. I said good morning, but they ignored me. They were having a conversation. Still, a little wave would have been nice. I was exerting a lot more energy than they were, so I felt a little virtuous about that. But they were being easier on their joints and being sociable with each other, so they could feel virtuous about that, if they so chose.

I would run out 20 minutes then turn around. Or maybe 25. After all, I was up to a 50 minute run in my training regimen. Was it a good idea to run out a full half of what I wanted for my total? Did I want to run out and back? I would run to that curve in the path up ahead and see if I could see the bridge. Well, maybe a little further.

Of course, if I got to the bridge, I would have to go out on the road to cross it. The path goes underneath the bridge. There was the bridge! Was there a way to get easily from the path to the bridge? I didn’t think so, so I got out on the highway. Not a wide shoulder, but a shoulder. I thought I could hear a HUGE truck coming toward me. It turned out to be a garbage truck, not a negligible size by any standard. He nicely hugged the center line and even crossed over it a little as he approached me. God bless him.

Almost to the bridge. I could see that I would have had to crash through some grass and climb over the rail to get from there to here. Well, I will do that next time. Highways are scary. A small but existent shoulder on the bridge. There was a narrow lip by the railing, but I did not get on that. For one thing, the railing would have been at the bottom of my hip. I could just see me tumbling over and falling down, down, down to the water below.

Then I was on Washington Street. It wasn’t going to take me any time at all to get home. Would I even fulfill my 50 minutes? Of course it took longer to get home than I expected, but I still had to go around the block then past the house and backtrack. It was a pretty good run.

When I got to the computer, I went on a Facebook page of Veterans of Rome, NY and posted that I had run in my ARMY t-shirt in tribute to soldiers past and present. A couple of people liked it.

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