Category Archives: running

Keep Running, Cindy!

Posted on March 30, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had it in my head that Wednesday’s run was going to be a good run and I was going to blog about it. I thought how my last couple of running posts had been about difficult runs and I felt a little uncomfortable with that. Of course, it’s a good thing to persevere through a difficult run and to write about it; the one thing helps the other, without a doubt. But I don’t want to give the impression that all my runs are difficult runs. If all I’m doing is persevering, I think it’s time to find a new hobby slash workout (I really felt the need to write the word “slash” and not use a “/”).

It helped that the weather cooperated. Warmer, not humid, nice. Shorts and short sleeves were definitely the way to go. I felt pretty OK as soon as I started out.

I wanted to run the hill by Valley Health Services. That necessitated crossing German Street, not always easy with four o’clock traffic. I managed it at the three-way stop at Caroline Street, waving “thank you” to the cars that didn’t run me over. The hill is what I would call respectable. Not as challenging as the hill to Herkimer County Community College, but not negligible. Respectable.

I shuffled up it, thinking how my previous method (and I’m not the only one to use it) was to sprint up hills. My reasoning was, get up it as quickly as possible, so the difficulty only lasted a short time. It was not a good method. Slow and steady wins the race (is that a cliche? Should I have added “as they say” or some other self-deprecating, post-ironic phrase?).

On my way down, on the other side of the building, I saw a lady walking away carrying a large umbrella.

“Didn’t need the umbrella after all,” I called.

“No, it’s beautiful,” she said.

“Oh, it sure is!”

There were still clouds, but as I rounded the corner some sunlight broke through and lit up some forsythia bushes. I love forsythia. It’s beautiful and fun to say. Now the sun was behind me with dark clouds in front of me. I admired the effect. I checked out my shadow on the sidewalk. Still lumpy. Keep running, Cindy.

My run seemed to be taking a long time. I felt that I was running very slowly. That’s all right; you mostly have to run slow on the Boilermaker. With 14,000 runners, I don’t see things thinning out much as we go. I started thinking about the Boilermaker and how I’d wave to people cheering the runners on. I can say silly things like, “My fans, how they adore me.” I mentally calculated how many weeks till the Boilermaker and how long I would be running if I added 10% each week, as recommended by those guys at the Sneaker Store. As long as I’m up to an hour I’ll feel comfortable. If you can run one hour, you can run two. You just don’t stop.

I did not need to put on a sweatshirt for my cool down walk with Tabby. I felt happy about my run and even happier when I thought about running this weekend NOT after a 10 hour workday. So you see, not all my runs are difficult or un-fun. And I bet they’ll get even better. See you at the Boilermaker!

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Cool Runnings

Posted on March 29, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Note to self: no more days off running. At least, no more four days in a row off running.

It was that damn pedicure. If I had not been so anxious to have pretty toes for Saturday’s wine tasting tour, I could have run on Wednesday. And it was that damn wine tasting tour. If I had stayed home, I could have run Saturday and felt better Sunday and Monday. But it’s useless to repine. We can’t go back and change things, and if we could go back there’s no guarantee we would make the right changes.

All this by way of saying, I did not enjoy Tuesday’s run as much as I had hoped. I felt better Tuesday than I had on Monday, and I thought the temperature was a little warmer. Not as warm as it could be. I recall at my last difficult run wondering if the difficulty stemmed from the warm humidity or from running after a 10 hour work day. Tuesday I had the chance to find out. Nice 40 degree weather. Good temperature to run in, right?

When I walked out of work in Ilion, it seemed colder than expected. I thought, maybe leggings and a long-sleeved t-shirt. But it was sunny; my truck cab was warm. And Herkimer is often warmer than Ilion. By the time I got home, I thought I could rock the shorts and short sleeves. I do hate getting overheated, which I find can happen when it’s over 40 degrees. I had a slight delay while Steven helped me find a headband. My ears can still get cold while my body overheats. Finally Steven located one.

Apparently the temperature had dropped and/or the wind picked up during my slight delay. Oh dear. But I was not about to go back and change, so I trusted to sunny spots and my own efforts to overcome the cold.

I right away started looking for things to put in a blog post. Different things, so my blog does not become monotonous. I did not notice anything right away, but I remembered two things. The Boilermaker organizers this year are allowing people to give their registration to somebody else if they decide not to run. One of my nieces would like to run the Boilermaker but did not register. Hmmm…. I could give her my registration and go back to leading a sedentary lifestyle. I considered that for maybe half a block. My body sure liked the sound of “sedentary lifestyle.” But I have had the foresight to mention to a good many people that I intend to run the Boilermaker. No easy way out for me! I kept running.

I had turned right onto German Street and managed to cross both Main and Washington Streets despite heavy traffic (I came as close as I can get to a sprint at this point). I made it all the way down to the old factory-looking building that is now owned (I think) by H.A.R.C and houses the Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce (I meant to go to their open house when they first opened and blog about it). I always liked that building, because it makes me think of an army building. When it was vacant I used to run through the parking lot and behind it, till I noticed the No Trespassing sign. I decided to try it again, to see if the sign was still there.

As I entered the parking lot, I saw a sign that said rental space was available, for office or manufacturing purposes. I wondered what kind of business I could start. I noticed a couple of disused loading docks and one that was completely cinder-blocked up. I didn’t see a No Trespassing sign, so I continued around the building and came out on a residential street.

I ran down it, noting as I like to screened-in porches I admire. I saw buds on some trees, a welcome sight. I never reached the “I can rock this” stage, but I got to a neutral point where my body seemed reasonably content to keep going. I did not begin to feel warm. As I ran down Prospect Street, I met a two pedestrians wearing winter coats.

“Makes me feel even colder!” the lady said, looking at me.

“I thought it was warmer when I started out,” I said. “I was wrong!”

I saw a girl running with a pit-bull-looking dog trotting beside her. She sensibly had on long pants, long sleeves and even boots. Running in boots? When she got to the park she slowed to a walk as the dog started sniffing trees, so perhaps they had merely been hustling to a business meeting.

As I neared home I got past the neutral stage and back to the “I want to stop NOW” stage. I did not stop, however, till I had run my intended time. I threw on a sweatshirt before Tabby and I walked my cool down, but it didn’t help much. The wind had picked up so much, it was making a whistling noise over the top of my water bottle. When we got back to the house, I thanked Steven again for finding the headband, because my ears were the only parts of me that weren’t cold.

I had actually written more observations and happenings from the run, but I see that I am over 800 words. I like to keep my posts short, or at least short-ish. That may be a challenge as my runs get longer, but I’ll see what I can do.

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A Not So Fun Run

Posted on March 22, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Since Sunday’s run went so well, I felt quite confident setting out on Tuesday. Silly me.

I had spent the afternoon at work feeling the warm temperature, watching clouds come and go, and pondering my life for the week. With only twenty-four hours in the day, ten of them devoted to work and a certain number (rarely high enough) to sleep, one can’t do everything one would like. In the army there was always some officer or NCO ready to intone the mantra, “Time management,” as if it were some magic formula that actually increased said 24 hours. Of course, they never gave the formula or even any specific organizational tips. I’m sure they did what I do: NOT everything.

That was a digression (sneaking in a middle-aged musing, I suppose). To get back on track (appropriate for a running post), I chose to run. I noticed right away that it was warm and humid. Of course I had been noticing that all day, but now it was emphasized.

I saw a young man run down the street I intended to turn onto. I thought briefly of turning the other way, then decided not to flatter myself. There was little chance of my catching a pedestrian let along a young man running.

He was dressed in black. I don’t like to dress in black on the bright, sunny days. I get too hot. I had searched my drawers for a large, white shirt. I found a Hummel’s Office Plus t-shirt we had purchased at a rummage sale at our church a few years ago.

It was soon clear that this would not be an easy run. My legs acted as if they had never run one step ever in their lives and I was ridiculous for asking them to. I wondered if this was the difference between running in forty degree weather and running in seventy degree weather. Then I thought it was more likely the difference between running in the morning of a day off and running after ten hours of work.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s how to persevere through a difficult run. I started looking for things to mention in my blog, to distract myself. I saw a lady walking a dalmatian, a beautiful dog. They were on the other side of the street, so I could not ask to pet the dog, as I like to do. I was pleased that there were no puddles, especially as I ran down a section of Caroline Street where there is often a deep one. My bunions have been saying rain, but they often say that a day or two before it actually does.

Soon I was having trouble with my breathing. Nothing too serious. Only, with my sinuses it is next to impossible to do the “in through your nose out through your mouth” thing they say you’re supposed to do. My throat dried out in an uncomfortable fashion. I experimented with breathing through my nose. No good. I remembered that a friend had recommended concentrating on my exhale at times like this. Make sure I’m getting rid of the bad air to make room for the good. That seemed to help. I wished I had run toward the spring so I could stop for a drink. I thought about the bottle of ice water I had waiting for me on my deck and was encouraged to keep moving.

When I was almost home, I passed a couple of ladies with kids and dogs, pushing a four-seat stroller.

“Is there room for me in that stroller thing?” I called.

“There is!” one answered. “I’ll give you a piggy back — you look like you’re working way too hard!”

“I’m trying!”

She started to say something about being an anti-runner, but I was past before she finished. That’s the trouble with these running conversations; sometimes you miss the good parts.

I managed to keep running for my set length of time. I thought that was pretty good of me. I confess I spent a good portion of my run saying, “Each step is one more step I can make on the Boilermaker.” I know it’s a difficult run when I notice each step.

But you’ll have difficult runs. I could say something profound about making it through difficult times in life, but I think we all get the idea. Maybe that could be some of my half-baked philosophy for Lame Post Friday.

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Back on the Boilermaker Track

Posted on March 19, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

As I noted in yesterday’s post, I have been suffering (and making those around me suffer) from a bad cold for the past week. So I haven’t been running. I know! After that magnificent jaunt up the hill to Herkimer County Community College, increasing my run time by the recommended ten percent, I slacked off for six days. Disgraceful!

Well, this morning I was feeling better. Still not 100%, but definitely on the mend. I knew what I had to do.

I wanted to do it early, in case I relapsed as the day wore on. It was at least 40 degrees, so I felt confident running in shorts and a t-shirt. I put a headband on. Keeps the hair out of my eyes and covers my ears if they get cold. Off I went.

Right away my hands were cold. My outfit was OK, but if I could have added a pair of big old mittens to it, it would have been grand. No matter, I didn’t need to use my hands for anything. Let them get stiff; they’ll warm up later.

I ran in a different direction from what I usually run. I had an idea I wanted to get a pedicure later so thought I’d run by two places that do pedicures and see what hours they’re open. Running with a purpose, how do you like that? One place, the Hot Spot, opens at 11 a.m.; the other, Luxury Nails, is closed Sundays. I made a mental note and ran on.

It really wasn’t too hard, running along bare, fairly level sidewalks. I didn’t feel as if I’d taken a week off. Not like beginning again at all. I should know: I stop running and begin again all the time. But now I’m registered for the Boilermaker. They’ve reached their ceiling of 14,000 runners, too. It would be too bad of me not to run, since I have perhaps taken a slot away from somebody else.

So I ran along, thinking about the Boilermaker and wondering what it would be like this year. Warmer than 40 degrees, probably. My hands still weren’t happy with me, but the rest of my body warmed up all right. I didn’t run any hills. I thought, convalescent from a cold and not running for six days, why push too hard? I ran for the length of time I had run before last Sunday, before I added the ten percent. That wasn’t so bad, I thought. I can put that ten percent back in by the end of the week.

It was a pretty uneventful run. But I thought I’d write a post about it, in case anybody was wondering. Yes, I’m still running. Still training for the Boilermaker. Colds and decongestants can slow me down, but they can’t stop me!

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Two Days Running

Posted on March 11, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I wondered if my readers could bear yet another post on running. Then I thought, nobody HAS to read it. But some people might LIKE to read it. Anyways, it keeps me going.

Friday at work I rashly said, “I’m going to run up the hill to H Triple-C on Sunday.” I figured saying it would make it happen, and it turns out I was right. I started out early, before the warmer weather that is expected later. The sidewalks were bare and the sun was shining. What wasn’t to like?

As I ran toward the road to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC), I wondered if I would regret my rash words. I pictured people at work asking me did I run up that hill. I would answer, “Not very fast.” Then I reflected on my own ego: I not only think people listen when I talk, I think they remember what I say. Well, just in case somebody did, I started up the hill.

“You have all day to get up that hill,” I told myself (I often talk to myself in the second person). “Just look at your feet and shuffle on up.” That is a trick I learned in the army: you don’t feel so overwhelmed if you don’t keep looking up, up, up. I peeked a few times anyways.

What a long hill. I saw a cigarette butt in the road and thought that my run would be much more difficult if I smoked. So I had that going for me. In the army I knew several excellent runners who smoked. I’d even heard of one fellow who stopped in the middle of a PT test to smoke a cigarette and still made his time. That kind of wise-assness is rampant among the lower enlisted. I suppose in the upper ranks, too, but I didn’t hang out with them much.

I started to have a little trouble breathing. I tried to take deep breaths and hoped I didn’t sound like I was doing Lamaze. Then again, I don’t think anybody was listening.

At last I made it to the top! If only somebody was around to sing the chorus of “We Are the Champions” while I walked around with my fists in the air! Well, I wasn’t ready to walk yet anyways. Still, I could run with my fists in the air. Nobody was looking, and if they were they would just think I was stretching to get rid of a stitch. They wouldn’t know I didn’t have a stitch. I put my fists in the air. Oh, that made it easier to breathe. I had forgotten that trick.

My legs were feeling pretty smug. “You were so worried,” they said. “We could do this all day!” A short while later they indicted that although they could keep going all day, they were by no means inclined to.

I ran down by the back way, a gentler slope. Ahhh, when gravity is my friend. I turned left where a sign said “No Left Turn,” just to be that way. I ran through a residential area where last summer I ran by people sitting on their front porches. Ah, porch sitting. That weather will get here!

I was as usual glad I had run. I even enjoyed the run itself. When those warmer temperatures arrive, I bet I can get my dog to go for a nice walk with me. That might be good for Monday’s post. Stay tuned.

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Shuffle in the Snow

Posted on March 10, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had meant to go to a fish fry last night, so I would have something to blog about today other than this morning’s run. In fact, I had not meant to run this morning but thought to leave it for this afternoon. I don’t know why I ever “mean to” do anything. It almost never works out for me.

Our schnoodle, Tabby, was ill last night and we did not like to leave her alone. So no fish fry. This morning, we thought we might be calling the vet at 8 a.m. when the office opens, so I thought it might be a good idea to get out and run when I had the chance.

Quite frankly, it wasn’t a good chance. It had snowed and was still snowing. It was cold and windy. There is every chance the weather will improve to excellent running conditions this afternoon. Nonetheless, there I was, looking for my long-sleeved ARMY t-shirt and winter running socks.

I had walked around the block with Tabby earlier for her first business meeting of the day. I had observed that the sidewalks were snow covered but not necessarily icy. Well, I run at kind of a shuffling pace anyways. I’ll just shuffle a little more so, in case of ice. So far so good. Actually, I thought, this might work out. Look how little traffic is to be found at 6:30ish on a Saturday morning. I easily crossed German Street and headed for the hill out Main Street.

I intend to run up the hill to Herkimer County Community College on Sunday, so it behooved me to run a good hill today. The hill out Main Street is divided into kind of sort of thirds by the right hand turns available. I made it through the first two thirds. Excellent, I told myself. There was some definite ice on the roads, at a section where there is no sidewalk. Due to the lack of traffic I felt comfortable to move more toward the center of the road. Then I had to run back down.

In general, downhill is a beautiful thing when you’re running. All you have to do is lift your feet a little and let gravity do the rest. On an icy road, however, I don’t find it so much fun. I exercised caution. Then I got to a more main road which the sanders had been down. Ahh! Better! I still didn’t want to be too far onto the shoulder, so I kept an eye and ear open for traffic. One truck behind me. No worries. Back to the snow covered sidewalk when I had the chance.

That interlude had not taken up too much of my intended run time, so I got back to my own side of German and tried to decide which side streets to run down. I made one detour when I realized a truck up ahead of me was a paper deliverer. I figured with all his starts and stops we would pretty much keep pace at least for a little while, and I wasn’t feeling particularly sociable.

My sweatshirt started to feel a little warm. I thought of taking it off and tying it around my waist. This would have the advantage of covering my butt. Not that I’m too worried about people staring at my butt when I run, although it is a little unsightly. Eventually I moved the shirt. Now my butt was warm and my arms were cold. Never mind, I was more than half way through the run. I can’t be bothered getting dressed and undressed a dozen times.

I came to a street which some people I know live on. I don’t want them to think I’m stalking them, but I also thought it was unlikely that they would just happen to look out the window at the precise moment I was shuffling by. They might even still be in bed, like normal people on a Saturday morning (hey, with my hours, 5:30 is sleeping in for me).

Eventually I looked at my watch and realized I had eleven minutes left on my intended time and I was at approximately the same place I had been earlier in the week with nine minutes to go. The snow was slowing me down, so I thought I could head for home. At worst I could always go past my house and back track. I hit some definitely icy sidewalks as I went through the downtown area. Yikes! Then I went through where some snow had drifted (still not very deep; it hadn’t snowed that much) and “Over the River and Through the Woods” started playing in my head. That was actually pretty good. I ran in time to the music and thought about Grandma’s house.

I ran by my own house. I considered running for less time than I had intended. After all, I was being virtuous enough, getting out this early and running in the cold and the snow. Then I remembered that tomorrow is when I planned to bump up my time by the weekly ten percent recommended to me by the guys at the Sneaker Store. I kept running.

I made my intended time, and Tabby, who seemed to be feeling a little better, graciously walked my cool down with me. As we walked, I realized “Over the River” was still playing in my head and I was walking in time to the music. Dear me, do I walk at the same rate I run? I do shuffle, don’t I?

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Running on Sunshine

Posted on March 8, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

We are unable to present our regularly scheduled blog post…

I know, what a crock. I write what I can and post something every day. I usually write at work but today was unable to manage more than a paragraph. I’ll try that one again tomorrow. Today for your delectation I will write about the run I just now got back from. Um, I have showered, for those of you who are concerned about my husband’s olfactory nerves. Oh, and I stretched, for those of you concerned about my meager muscles. Now then, where was I?

Today was the warmest day since fall. What a relief! I drove home with the window down. I had the urge to stand on the porch drinking beer like a college student. Um, I resisted that one. I ran in shorts and a t-shirt. Bliss!

It was shortly after 4 p.m. when I started. An unfortunate time as far as traffic goes. I wanted to cross German Street and run up a hill I know out Main Street (I’m not ready for the hill to Herkimer County Community College yet). There is a four-way stop, so it should be doable. Well, traffic was backed up on both sides. I know how that goes. One nice person gives you the go-ahead wave, you go ahead and the bastard going in the other direction nails you. Or at least blasts his horn at you. There is little consideration shown by some. So I kept running down German.

I turned down Washington and finally found a place to cross that street in front of the County Courthouse. I mean the newer, taller one, not the one where we went to a Historical Society presentation recently. That was the older one that Roxalana Druse and Chester Gillette were tried in. I ran by the other one. Its parking lot is across the street, and there is a sign by the crosswalk saying to stop for pedestrians. So I made bold to cross there. I suppose it is for people with courthouse business to get to their cars, not random ladies running, but nobody seemed to mind. I ran through the parking lot, just for something different. I rarely run through parking lots. I find them dangerous at the best of times.

I ran around, turning here and there, going down different streets, and was surprised to find that the blissful feeling engendered by my light running clothes did not last. In fact, running became quite effortful (as usual, my computer is telling me that is not a word, but it is what I mean so it is what I say). I continued to make the effort. Eventually I returned to German and was able to cross. I saw a bit of a hill and thought to run up it. I ended up turning, though, as I saw the sidewalk ended. I don’t mind running on the road, but prefer to choose less trafficky times to do it (another non-word according to my computer. Tough). I crossed back to my side of German almost immediately as I had a good opportunity.

Eventually I looked at my watch and saw I had nine more minutes to go to reach my target time and feared I was more than nine minutes from my house. How to get back quickest? I turned here, then there. I had to cross Main Street. Tricky! Then I saw a lady with a baby carriage in a crosswalk. They were a little ways down from me, but I was able to make it across due to the stopped cars. It sounded like somebody beeped their horn at her. At least, somebody beeped their horn. Maybe it was at me, but I don’t think I was in anybody’s way. Like I said earlier, no consideration.

I made it back home in my allotted time. Tabby and I had a leisurely walk around the block for my cool down. I stretched. I showered. I wrote this blog post. Tune in tomorrow for what I had meant to write today.

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Running On

Posted on March 4, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Saturday I ran after a few days not, and it was not easy. I kept myself going with the promise that I would blog about it. I really do enjoy running along and writing in my head, although the finished product is probably quite different from the mental draft.

A reader commented on a post about a couple of bad runs that completing a difficult run could be empowering. It’s true. It is often amazing to me how often that little voice in my head saying, “I can’t do this!” is wrong.

I remember once in the army a fellow soldier after falling out of a run said, “It was fall out or pass out.” I did not believe her but was tactful enough not to say so. Sometime later I sort of proved it to myself. I wanted to fall out of a run but said to myself, “Just run till you pass out.” I knew that if I passed out I would have an unassailable excuse for stopping (I just love that word, unassailable). Guess what? I didn’t pass out (I was sure you would guess). My vision didn’t even blur. I made some hideous noises breathing, but that was pretty normal for me for the time (I later found out it was Vocal Chord Dysfunction, but that’s a whole other blog post).

These memories and reflections kept me distracted and running for a good while. I enjoyed the (relatively) warm temperature and plowed through some puddles of melted snow. My feet got wet, but so what? They would dry.

I planned at least one good walk with my dog. I imagined how running would become easier and more fun, maybe even by tomorrow. I looked at my watch and tried not to be discouraged at how little time had passed. It was not until I started writing this that I realized I did not see the discarded underwear I’ve been noticing on Caroline Street. Too bad. That added a little interest to my day.

When I completed the run, I felt happy if not exactly empowered. Sunday’s run was much better. I look forward to finding out what Monday’s run will bring.

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First Run after Registering

Posted on February 29, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I registered for the Boilermaker and proceeded not to run. In my defense, the weather was bad and I felt like crap (oh, don’t point me out folks who run in a blizzard with pneumonia; that is not me).

I was determined to run on Monday. The weather cooperated. My body cooperated. My dog didn’t act too bent out of shape. I was off.

Regarding my dog: I was not completely without exercise all weekend, because Tabby and I took a lengthy walk on Sunday. I had not intended to do such a thing. I had intended to sit with my feet up, possibly sipping hot tea, recruiting my energies for the week ahead. However, when I went upstairs (for a purpose I no longer remember), Tabby assumed it was preparatory to taking her for a walk. She started jumping and hopping and looking so happy and hopeful, I just couldn’t disappoint her.

And for the first five minutes of the walk, I thought that maybe fresh air and exercise were just what I needed. I spent the subsequent thirty minutes of the walk realizing that they were not. As we walked through the park, I envisioned myself sitting on a bench and falling asleep. I wondered if somebody would rescue me before hypothermia set in but decided not to risk it.

I was feeling better by Monday afternoon. I only wished I had laid out my running clothes before work, but, goodness, who thinks of such things at four in the morning? (Probably those same folks that run in a blizzard with pneumonia.)

So there I was, running down the sidewalks of Herkimer. I saw the discarded underwear I’ve noticed before. They were crumpled up just off the sidewalk this time. I noted a screened-in porch with a lot of junk piled up in it. What a waste of a screened-in porch! Perhaps the owners mean to clean it in the spring. An open porch had two lovely wooden rocking chairs. Oh, I’ll be so glad when porch sitting weather arrives! (I almost said “I can’t wait,” but in fact, I shall have to.)

My run was feeling pretty OK. I got to the “I can rock this” stage fairly early on. A few leg muscles expressed displeasure further into the run, but you’ll have that. I refuse to let a little muscular miftiness deter me.

I felt so happy at the end of my run, I wanted to walk around with my fists in the air while somebody sang the chorus of “We Are the Champions.” Quite a feeling of triumph for one little run. Well, I try to accept joy wherever I find it. Boilermaker, here I come!

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A Walk, a Run and a Forfeit

Posted on February 24, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have been trying to run many days, but not every day. For one thing, I have to take my dog for a walk sometimes. For another, I get tired. I’m not a young woman, and I’m not convinced I consume enough fruits and vegetables to constitute a healthy lifestyle (although a neighbor lady used to flatteringly call me “young lady” when she chided me for not wearing my crazy old lady hat) (she didn’t know I call it my crazy old lady hat) (but I digress).

I ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Monday, I substituted a walk to the post office with husband and dog, Steven and Tabby respectively. We had to mail a few things anyways. Besides, the moonlit stroll had not turned out so romantic; I wanted to try again.

Well, the Mohawk Valley wait-five-minute weather did me dirt again. It was cold. It was not romantic. It was not even that much fun. Still, it was fresh air and exercise, and Tabby seemed to enjoy it. You can learn a lot from a dog about appreciating life.

The next day it felt cold once again as I left work. I grumpily told myself I could and would skip two days in a row. Then I stopped at the drugstore, which of course took longer than anticipated (it almost always does; you would think I’d get better at anticipating). By the time I got home it seemed not as cold.

By the time I was outside actually running, it seemed just as cold. However, I was out and started. I kept going. The sidewalks were bare and dry, so that was good.

I observed Christmas lights still hanging on some porches. They were not lit, but the sun had not set yet. Quite possibly those people do not light them after Christmas. The holly and red ribbons on one house looked nice in the daylight. A snowman smiled at me from a screened in porch. That got me thinking about screened in porches. I do envy a screened in porch. I amused myself my noting the different ones and deciding which I admire most. Of course, Tuesday was no porch sitting day, but spring is coming.

Wednesday I had intended to walk with Tabby again and hoped Steven would join us. But it was no good. I was too tired. I sat and had a cup of tea. I looked at the television and tried to knit a few rows. I even wished I had one of those old lady chairs in my bathtub so I could take my shower sitting down.

Did I mention not being a young woman? I suppose there are other women out there older than me with boundless energy. I’m hoping they have too much energy to sit and read a blog. They can be out having adventures, not commenting to me that I am just a lazy bum. And I don’t need to hear about anybody’s feisty grandmother! (That’s not true, of course; I love to hear stories about grandmothers.) (Maybe I’ll do a blog post about mine.) (Is is bad form to end a piece on a parenthetical comment?)

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