Tag Archives: Boilermaker 15K

Not Even the Ambition to Swoon

Posted on April 12, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am having kind of a Wrist to Forehead Sunday, when I swoon, dramatically posed with the back on one wrist to my forehead — why do I not yet have a chaise lounge to faint upon?  This is not an unreasonable goal.  Actually, it is, considering I cannot even get my house cleaned and organized.

The sign that should be in front of my house and definitely in front of my brain!

I could not find an appropriate illustration during a quick check of my Media Library so make due with this.  I ran by this sign on this morning’s run, then I went through Meyer’s Park.  It was only a two-mile run, so shorter than the last run, but I still feel I am getting into shape for the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY in July.  I suppose I should feel pleased with myself that I went for a run, was it two days in a row?  I am getting so forgetful in my old age.

I do love purple.

I throw in a picture of a few crocuses to cheer myself up.  Things got colder this weekend than they were earlier in the week, but I don’t really mind that.  The temperatures haven’t killed off the flowers.

I don’t suppose it was the temperatures that have killed off my ambition, either, but I need to get some of it back.  Maybe I could manage a Mohawk Valley Adventure this afternoon.  I hope you are all enjoying your  Sunday, with or without a chaise lounge.

 

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Last Wintry Run?

Posted on April 8, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of this title as I was walking my cool-down and watching the snow return.  I woke up with my usual case of I Just Can’t Even, thinking tomorrow would be just as good to re-start my Boilermaker 15K training program.  Ha-ha, like I have a program!  I just try to run a little further each week and not miss a bunch of days in a row like I recently did.  The weather gurus at WKTV News assure us that today is the last day of winter like weather.  Will they be accurate?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my week.

The flowers say it’s spring!

I ran near this patch of purple flowers which I took a picture of last week and thought, oh good, at least I will have one appropriate picture.  I was pretty pleased with myself for getting out there and moving, the more so since I had washed the dishes first.  Full disclosure:  I only washed the dishes first because I had neglected to charge my Garmin so needed to give it some time to come back from the dead.  Now I am happy the dishes are done.  If I can do a little laundry, I will really feel like the happy homemaker.

Some eye-rolling at myself ensued when I was getting ready to leave.  I picked up the arm band I put my cell phone in (I use Garmin and Map My Run, which should surprise no one who is acquainted with me), then thought I needed a hat and gloves.  After I found gloves and thought a headband might do instead of a hat, I said, “Where did I put that armband?”  Of course I could not find it.  I retraced my steps about eight times, finding a hat in the process but no arm band.  Finally I said to hell with it, I will hold my phone in my hand!  I got everything else together: tissues tucked in sleeves, sweatshirt to wear on cool-down walk, bottle of water (I had to fill a second one, because I misplaced the first), Garmin on, cellphone in hand, go to the door…

There was the armband!  I had sensibly put it near the door before looking for the hat and gloves!  Who knew I would ever do the sensible thing!

I contemplate my experience.

I did not take a selfie after the run, but here is one from April 2020, on a similarly cold day.  My hair is about as wild, and perhaps a little longer.  I guess I haven’t really talked much about the run itself, but I see I am over 400 words.  I must get on with the rest of my day.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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I Didn’t Waste My Walks

Posted on March 25, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a kind of a Terrible Tuesday, which is not one of my features, but now I am all set for a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post.  For anybody who didn’t know, this is when I share previously unused pictures from my cell phone.

Spring IS coming!

I saw these snowdrops on my cool-down walk after my run on (going to the calendar to check) Yikes! Friday!  How have I not been running since Friday?  Why the hell am I thinking?  Obviously I am not thinking (that is pretty much always the answer to “What were you thinking?”).  But I digress.

The picture did not turn out as well as I had hoped.

I paused to take a picture of a birds nest in a tree on Mohawk Street in Herkimer, NY (where I live) during a longish walk I took on Saturday.  So I have been getting some exercise if not running.  Incidentally, I took two longish walks in the pouring rain on Sunday (it was not raining when I left the house), which quite wore me out.  Apparently I am less resilient in my old age than I was in my younger days.  Alas!

Apparently not the road less traveled.

I add this picture purely for the sake of having three illustrations.  It is a battered street in Ilion, which I photographed as a possible accompaniment to my article for Sentinel Media about the Ilion Village Board of Trustees Meeting on Monday.  This and several other roads will soon have work done on them, as was discussed in the meeting.

One might say that the road picture is symbolic of my life:  not a smooth path, but it just might take me somewhere.  Also, a bare road will be an encouragement for me to get back to running.  I believe I mentioned that I am registered for the Boilermaker 15K in Utica in July.

 

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Lame is the Answer

Posted on January 31, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh dear, I wanted to make my Lame Post Friday blog post before going out adventuring today, but I sit here at my Chromebook feeling headachey and dull.  Where’s that sparkling personality I thought I had?  And here we come to the ugly truth about me.  Never mind.  I want to make a blog post and I will.   Quick, throw in a picture to lighten  up the mood.

Who could be uncheered by a snowman?

I have not seen any snowmen recently.  It has not been warm enough for the snow to pack, unfortunately.  The caption, by the way, is an homage to Winnie the Pooh.

You KNOW I am going to enter!

Here is a sign I have not seen in a while, because I have not been running.  I really want to start again, but with below zero wind chills and ice on the roadways, I keep putting it off. I have been saying I am going to run the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY this July but have not yet registered.  I heard open registration started, so I better get moving on it.  It will be good for a few blog posts anyways.

Bittersweet is the word.

I close on a melancholy note.  I shared this picture on Facebook this morning after it showed up in my Memories.  The mugs were a Christmas gift from my sister Cheryl, the Queen of Christmas, to my dearly missed husband Steve and me. I said that I rarely use these mugs, but perhaps I would today for a cup of hot cocoa.  I recently purchased the necessary ingredients.  Hmm, that motivates me to get out the door and get on with my errands and adventures.  I can return to a steaming mug of hot cocoa.  Maybe I’ll add a shot of moonshine from Dikin Durt Distillery, just to give a local business a shout-out.

 

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A Run-on Blog Post?

Posted on July 17, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sunday I started a blog post about running but got bogged down and discouraged.  I sensibly saved the draft and share it now, with some editing and additions.

I ran yesterday , hoping to make a Running Commentary post before I went ahead with the rest of my day, but the day crowded in and, well, here I am Sunday morning.  However, it is quite appropriate for me to blog about running as today is Boilermaker Sunday in Utica, NY, a big deal around here and elsewhere.  In case you didn’t know, it is a premier 15K which a great portion of the community turns out to support.  I have run it in the past (perhaps you read some of my blog posts about it).  This morning I have been looking at Facebook posts from the Boilermaker and WKTV News and thinking, “Damn, I could be there.”  But so it is any year I do not run the Boilermaker.

In point of fact, as I ran this morning I was happy I had not signed up to run the Boilermaker 15K (I always specify 15K, because there is also a 5K in which I have absolutely no desire to participate).  It is EXTREMELY humid out!  I could hardly breathe!  Additionally, my legs were doing their best impression of overcooked elbow macaroni (which some find delicious in baked macaroni and cheese, but is not so good to run on) (maybe a run-on sentence) (but I digress).

Why do they always look less steep in pictures?

This is one of the hills I ran up Saturday.  I went on to run up to Herkimer College the back way.  It is less steep than the front way but longer.  I surprised myself by making it.  However, it was fairly painful, so I made up my mind that I would not run the Falling Leaves 14K Road Race in Utica in September, which features a lot of hills.  I have always wanted to run it, and it seemed within reach this year.  And then suddenly it didn’t.  What the hell, me?

Running, a drill sergeant in Army basic training taught me, is largely a matter of distracting yourself from how much it sucks.   One of the things I do to distract myself is to figure in my head how long I will be running each week if I increase my time by ten percent (recommended by many running experts).  And I figure how long it might take me to run 5K, 14K, or 15K or whatever.  Sometimes I go backwards from the date of the run to now.  Suddenly my figuring seemed hopelessly optimistic.

As Saturday wore on, I thought perhaps I had been hasty in my decision.  After all, the registration price for Falling Leaves did not go up till midnight Sunday.  If I had a great run Sunday, I would reconsider.  I suppose it will come as a surprise to no one that Sunday’s run was no great.  Never mind.  There are 5Ks that are within my grasp!

Like this one!

Looking to the future:  I ran into a friend who did run the Boilermaker 15K, and we made plans to run it together next year!  At least, we will start together and try to meet up again at the end.  He runs much faster than I do.  Further blog posts as events warrant.

 

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Even Blogging Is Getting Harder!

Posted on May 29, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

What a wasted week I am having!  Tuesday I ran two miles, thinking I could make a Two-Mile Tuesday post.  I had pictures on my phone, which I transferred to my Media Library, thinking to do a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post.  I spent at least some time each of those days staring at the blank Add Post page on my WordPress site.  Alas, to no avail. In fact, I experienced great resistance to logging on today, Thursday.  By the way, I ran three miles, wanting to have another Three-Mile Thursday, like I did last week.

I swear it was steeper when I was on it.

This is one of the hills I ran up on my run this morning.  It doesn’t look very impressive, does it?  I ran up a steeper hill next, which I do not have a picture of.  That hill continued up to Herkimer College, by some dorms in what I call the Kick Butt way to the college, because there are like three steep hills with flat(ish) spaces between.  Ahem, I did not run up to the college.  I made it up one stretch of steep then turned around and ran back down.  Later I ran up a couple more uphills.  I tell you, they do not get any easier.

Random picture, just to show something cheery before I start whining.

I learned to run in the Army, and I loved it, because it seemed that I just magically got better at it.  All I had to do was do it.  It was awesome!  Since the army, I have stopped and re-started running many times, usually because weather or work schedules made it difficult and I am notoriously lazy.  Each time I restarted, I found I was able to build myself back up to where I had left off with little or no problem.  I will admit that at no time have I ever run particularly fast.  Still, I was able to run the Boilermaker 15K several times (not in a row).

Until this year.  I decided early on not to try for the Boilermaker, but I am signed up to run the Pride Stride 5K in Little Falls, NY on June 14.  Why oh why, do my legs feel like overcooked macaroni?

Me before the Pride Stride in 2021.

Don’t mind my Old Age Existential Angst.  I really do not mind being your friendly neighborhood crazy old lady.  I only get a little disconcerted when my body behaves in what I consider a perverse, contrary fashion.  For example, if I am running on a regular basis, I feel I ought to be able TO run on a regular basis, and none of this complaining from my legs and lungs that, “We’re not going to maaaaake it!” (said in a pathetically whiny tone).  Or at least a little less complaining.

In the meantime, I see I have done plenty of complaining in this blog post, and it has run longer than my usual posts.  Considering I missed two days of posting, I think that that is not bad.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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To Run on Tuesday

Posted on August 2, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I tell myself:  It could have been worse; it could have been Two Minute Tuesday.

I have been meaning to up my running game (and all my other games too, quite frankly, but let us take one game at a time).  After my unfortunate experience at the Utica Boilermaker 15K,  I have not been having an easy time running, last Sunday’s unintended hour-long run notwithstanding (I mentioned that in a blog post, I am sure).  I keep thinking if I just persevere, I can get my mojo back.  So I made up my mind to run today.

I did not get right into sports bras and on the road today.  First I had to send a couple of texts to my sister Diane.  We went on the South Beach Diet together starting today.   It is a great motivator to have somebody to compare notes with.  Full disclosure:  I have to get my diet mojo back, too.

Of course I practiced my usual multi-task of putting in laundry while I ran.  For one reason, I am out of clean work pants.  However, if the diet mojo returns, perhaps I will be able to fit into some previously worn trousers.  In the meantime,  a little exercise never hurts.

Off I went, and I did feel a little off.  Or a lot.  So old and thunky!  When I see people they tend to smile at me.  I suppose they are thinking, “Isn’t that nice, that old lady is trying to run.”  I can use all the good will I can get.

I changed my mind several times about which way to run, where to turn, and which side of the street to run on.  One thing I did not worry about was my speed, or rather lack thereof.  I often say that what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term.  And what, I ask you, is wrong with a little generosity once in a while?

The run started to feel less thunky as I went.  I never stopped huffing and puffing, but I did not feel I was in distress.  The shadier spots definitely felt better than the sunny ones.  A couple of times I crossed in the middle of the street to take advantage of a tree’s shadow that reached across.

I ended up running for 20 minutes and felt pretty pleased with myself.  I do not know how far I ran, because I misplaced my Garmin. I say I don’t worry about how fast I run, but it is nice to know.  Additionally,  I remember my Two Mile Tuesdays before the Boilermaker.  I guess I didn’t have one of those today.

 

 

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Also, I Made My Blog Post On Time

Posted on July 16, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a Slacker Saturday today.  In fact, I almost put off making my Saturday blog post till Sunday.  I may yet.  We shall see.

“Well, you see, sir…”

As I type (peck in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet) this, I am looking at an episode of Columbo.  I have been watching other DVDs than Columbo, but I keep going back to my beloved Peter Falk. I have not been watching DVDs all day.  I read an Agatha Christie book and looked at Facebook.  Mostly I had a headache.  It went away eventually but by then it was too hot and humid for me to feel like doing much of anything.

One positive step I took (so to speak).  I went for my first run since the Boilermaker 15K last Sunday.  It was a mere 20 minutes, but it felt pretty good, even with a headache.  I decided I would not worry how short and slow my runs are (OK, they are ALWAYS pretty slow).  I am not currently training for anything.  I may never train for anything again, but it is best not to make these decisions all at once.

I confess that I have had a bit of a bad week.  I think this is normal.  Grief is not a straight course.  You don’t necessarily feel a little bit better each day with no backsliding.  Some days are going to be harder than others.  I merely mention the phenomenon; I do not mean to complain.

He loved to dance!

I close with a picture of Steve busting a move, just to remember him when he was happiest.  I know I was blessed to have him.

 

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Still Tired on Tuesday

Posted on July 12, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I said yesterday that I would try for a better blog post tomorrow, but that would be today, and I am having a Tired Tuesday.  In my defense, I am not a young woman and I had rather a hard time running the Boilermaker 15K two days ago.  Perhaps you read my blog posts about it.  I just glanced over yesterday’s post and noticed a few typos.  I left them there, as testimony to what bad shape I was in.

Oh, just listen to me whine!  I am embarrassing!  For heaven’s sake, I went for two walks yesterday, a short one before work today, and I worked on my feet for eight hours.  I am hardly on, you should pardon the expression, my last legs.  I should be grateful for the body I have and for the things it lets me do.  Of course I am, so you can stop playing that miniature violin (you know who you are).

Where was I?  Ah yes, trying to make some blog post, any blog post.  Perhaps a picture would pep things up.

I knew it wasn’t Friday.

A little Bela and Boris to brighten our day (that is Lugosi and Karloff, in case you needed to be reminded).  It was a rather Mondayish Tuesday for me, since I took Monday off.  I expect to remain confused about what day it is for the rest of the week.  These things happen.

In the meantime, I see I am over 200 words.  Score!  We’ll see how I do tomorrow, on Wuss-out Wednesday.  If I remember that it is Wednesday.

 

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Post Boilermaker II

Posted on July 11, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

When we last left our heroine (that is me; I suppose I could have said blogger, to be clear), she was huffing and puffing towards the finish line of the Boilermaker 15K.  As I  got closer, I pushed myself to go faster and faster.  At least it felt faster to me.  I daresay to the outside observer it was not so impressive.

I crossed the finish line making terrible noises as I tried to breathe.  The Boilermaker volunteers were right there.  Two women were on either side of me, guiding me to a wheelchair. I was grateful to sit down.

“Lift your feet,” they told me, and I was surprised to find that I could.  They wheeled me into the first aid tent to a cot.  How embarrassing!  I leaned on the nice man that  helped me from the wheelchair onto the cot.

Then I was surrounded by people, taking my vitals, bringing me water, preparing me for IV fluids. I felt them take my sneakers and socks off an putting cool cloths on my feet.  They too my headband off.  I asked for a cloth for my eyes since the sweat was irritating them.

They found my blood pressure high, asked me about dizziness and chest pain, and tried to put in an IV.  My veins are usually pretty prominent, but I was a bit dehydrated at the time and it took them a couple of tries.  I laid back and let them do what they wanted, although I was a bit embarrassed.

I started to feel better soon.  After the contents of the IV were in my veins, they took my vitals and found them better.  They let me sit up and sip some water before allowing me to put my socks and shoes back on and proceed to the after party.  They were a little concerned that I had safe transport home.  I tlod them tjat if I got to my car and felt iffy that I would call someone.  I did not foresee such an eventuality and indeed it was not necessary.

I’m thinking this post is not as interesting as yesterday’s, but these things happen.  I am still recovering from my Boilermaker experience, so I will use that as an excuse.  As always, I will try for a better blog post tomorrow.

 

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