Tag Archives: Herkimer College

Not a Bad Run, But Perhaps Bad-ass

Posted on June 12, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Did you ever make up your mind to something bad-ass then partway to actually doing it, realize you are perhaps not quite bad-ass enough to do it.  There I was, running down German Street in Herkimer, NY, writing my blog post in my head about how I ran up to Herkimer College the front way (a rather impressive hill, for new readers, if any), and I thought Hmmmm…..

I did not run last weekend due to, oh never mind why, just don’t judge.  Then I only ran on, what was it, Monday?  Too lazy to reach for my running journal or see if I posted a Running Commentary about it (and I have menopausal brain fog and purely cannot remember) (oh yes, I remember now it was Monday. Take that menopause!).

Well, I was not going to write a blog post about how I did NOT run up that hill, so up that hill I went.  It really wasn’t too bad.  Following advice I got many years ago, I just looked at my feet and shuffled up that hill.  I did look up a few times, glancing both ahead and behind me.  Not too far up ahead, enough to feel proud of behind.  This was going to be no problem, or at least a not insurmountable problem.

One reason I had wanted to run up the hill was that earlier in the week a friend had posted a picture of the view on Facebook.  I wanted to see that view again myself.  Accordingly, I looked to the right as I got to the top of the hill.  Hmmm… a bit misty in the distance.  No matter, it was pretty enough and I can run that hill again.

I failed to mention my running attire earlier, but I was in shorts and a t-shirt.  I had wondered if that was quite right since it has been cool for June these last few days.  My hands were feeling pretty cold.  One thing that did not help was I was carrying a small bottle of water in one of them.  You see I was at a very fun party last night and was a trifle, shall we say, dehydrated this morning (again, don’t judge).  I was sipping water as I ran and planned to refill my bottle at the spring on the way back down.  Now I looked at the Herkimer College sign that flashed the date, time and temperature.  45 degrees.  That is my cut-off temperature for shorts and short sleeves, so I should be good.

I ran down the back way, which is a quiet, woodsy road.  Of course the main roads were pretty quiet at the time I was running.  I do love getting up and getting right on the road when possible.  I finished my water about four or five minutes before I passed the spring again.

I had run 31 minutes the weekend before last and 24 on Monday.  I thought it was not unreasonable to shoot for 33 today and I saw I was handily going to make that.  I was at 26 minutes when I got to the spring.  I stopped my watch while I refilled. Straight home would give me 33 minutes, or perhaps a bit more.  No matter.  I was bad-ass.  My legs felt pretty good, although they would not have minded stopping.  My breathing was a bit labored, but I felt I was getting sufficient oxygen.

On Church Street I encountered two neighborhood dogs and their owner.  I quickly ran to them.  For one reason, as regular readers know, I love to pet dogs.  For another I wanted to tell their person about our pending pooch.  I knew she would be pleased.  She said she hoped she would be out sometime when we are walking him.  No doubt we will encounter one another.

I had stopped my watch again while I petted and chatted. Now I turned it back on again.  I was a mere block away from my house, so I felt a little silly doing so, but why not run the last bit?  I ran past the house to make my total 35 minutes.  I went into the house for a sweatshirt before my cool-down walk, which felt wonderful (both the sweatshirt and the walk).  I have big plans to run tomorrow.  Up that hill again?  Up a different hill?  Maybe just a long run.  My plan is definitely to run!  Then later I will walk our new dog.  I’ll probably write a blog post about it.

 

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Hill after Headache

Posted on January 8, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went running today so that I could do a Running Commentary blog post.  The other reasons were (1) it was warmer than it has been for the past two days and (2) I had almost no headache all day.

As I left work, I reminded myself not to go crazy.  It was a little warmer.  It was not a heat wave.  I would still need to wear leggings, long sleeves and probably a hat. Still, the sun was shining.  It was a lovely afternoon.  Could it be over 40?

According to my thermostat, the outdoor temperature was 36 degrees.  Although it was sunny, there were clouds in the sky.  It is, after all, winter.  I dressed accordingly and got going.

At least the sidewalks were fairly bare.  I dodged some snow and ice as I ran toward German Street.  I wanted to run up to Herkimer College.  I thought it would make a better blog post.  Could I make it up that hill?  Maybe I should run up the back way.  Longer but less steep.  Maybe I should just run up the hill by Valley Health.  After all, I worked all day, and I had a migraine yesterday.

I looked at all the traffic and thought maybe I would not be able to cross German Street at all.  Well, I could just run around streets on this side of German.  There was no rule I had to run up a hill.  All I had to do was run and write a blog post about it.  It didn’t matter where.  There was a break in traffic.  I sprinted!  I made it!  But would I run to the college?  Maybe a run into Brookfield Park?

Oh, who was I kidding?  I wanted to run up to the college the front way.  It is the impressive way.  It is the way that makes my friend Phyllis say I am her hero.  I like to be somebody’s hero.  As I turned up Lou Ambers Drive, I looked longingly at Salvatore’s.  It would be nice to go out to dinner later.  However, I am trying to lose weight.  Additionally, Steven works till 6:30.  I would be hungry before that.

Sometimes I have to spit when I run.  I don’t always follow advice, but in general I heed the song that tells me to don’t spi-it in the wind.  I also don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger and I don’t mess around with Slim, but those situations usually do not arise when I am running.  Full disclosure:  that bit occurs to me almost every time I run, and this is the first time I used it in a blog post.

Oh, it took a long time to get up the hill.  As I’ve said before, there was no suspense.  I knew I would make it to the top.  The knowledge was no comfort.  I reflected that the bright day would make the view from the top better than the misty view on New Year’s Day.  There was more traffic than I expected.  One car slowed down and moved over.  When I gave a thank-you wave, the girl driving waved back.  I like little connections like that.

The view was very nice.  Everything around me looked nice.  I always think that sunshine is nature’s cosmetic, because almost any scene looks better in the sunlight. Then again, maybe things just looked better to me because I was at the top of the hill and I could breathe almost normally again.

My run down was not too bad.  My cool-down walk was maybe a little too cool.  The temperature was dropping by then and the wind had picked up.  By the time I finished I was cold and TIRED.  Well, why not be tired at the end of the day?  And aren’t you all happy that I’ve made a blog post of over 600 words where I did not once mention what I couldn’t write about?  I certainly am.

 

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It Was Fun, Eventually

Posted on June 18, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I seem to remember my Mom telling me that my Aunt Mary said she admired me, because I would work a ten-hour day, go home and run, then write a blog post about it. I worked a ten-hour day today, so I thought I would try the run and write part as well. The run went pretty well.

I decided I was going to run up the hill to Herkimer College (previously HCCC) the front way. This, for non-local readers, is a formidable hill. I try to run it at least once a week, once I get in enough shape to run it at all.

I was a little worried about my run, because I knew it was supposed to be quite warm today. However, it didn’t feel too bad as I left the house, so I started out with high hopes.

Then I put my hopes on hold, because to begin with my body was none too pleased with me. Well, I can’t help it if I haven’t been running for two days; I’ve had things to do. There are only 24 hours in a day, after all, and I insist on sleeping for as close to eight of them as I can manage. No matter. I knew if I kept running there was a good chance my body would relax into it and be fine.

First, however, it was very slow. It was taking me forever to get down German Street! Then I thought, why should that bother me? I run for a certain length of time, not a certain distance. I can run as slow as I want. As George Thorogood once said, it don’t confront me.

Soon I was running up the hill. Yes, I still call it running, even as slow and shuffly as I was going. Don’t judge. It wasn’t much fun, but I was building up my running muscles. Or perhaps merely my ability to keep going till it gets fun.

It did get fun. All along I had the certainty that I could and would keep going. You know, as opposed to my body screaming at me, “Let’s stop! Let’s walk! I want ice cream!” Then I felt reasonably content to be moving. Then I was at the “I can rock this” stage. Yes!

A woman at work was talking about all the stuff she had to do at home. I said that work was probably more rewarding than work at, you know, work. She saw my point but said running on a treadmill was not particularly rewarding. I did not tell her I never run on a treadmill, but I thought about it as I ran down Reservoir Road, admiring the scenery.

I wondered what she might say if I had told her that. Probably that she had bad knees and couldn’t run on pavement. I thought, sure, it’s bad for my knees, my feet, my back, and I don’t care! I’m going to run till something gives out! Fortunately, nothing has so far.

Then I thought, that woman was probably speaking figuratively. Her work at home is never done, so it is like running on a treadmill. What a discouraging thought, although I suppose some people like to run on a treadmill. To each his own, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow.

I ended up running for 55 minutes. I’m thinking the Boilermaker 15K might take me an hour and fifty minutes to run, assuming I take a few minutes more than the last time I ran it (after all, I was under 50 then). So I ran about half what I will run in less than a month.

I walked a full ten minutes for my cool-down. My cool-down walk has been taking less time since I lost my beloved dog. After all, I don’t need to stop and sniff anything. I’m afraid I’ll always miss my Tabby during those ten minutes. However, it does feel good for my legs to walk after running, and I can think of Tabby up in Heaven, doing cool-down walks with the angels. Do you suppose any angels run?

 

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Just Stop the Stitch!

Posted on May 20, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

There was a moment in my run this afternoon when I thought to myself, “I don’t care if I don’t get any endorphins, as long as that stitch doesn’t come back!”

 

It was a long run.  Not as long as my longest run so far, but long enough.  I ran hills.  Not the hill up to Herkimer College, but a couple of very long hills in a residential area near the college (I usually refer to it as the suburbs, but I know that is not accurate).  I was running slowly but with determination.  I felt pleased with myself to be going uphill for such a long period of time.  This was great preparation for the Boilermaker!

 

And then the stitch started.  It was sharp. It was painful.  Oh dear.  I took deep breaths and stretched my arms over my head.  Stretch, breath, repeat.  It did not help.  Was that a rumble of thunder in the distance?  Was I about to get poured on?  I had a vision of a kind motorist stopping for a drenched runner to offer a ride home, because of the thunder and lightning.  There was very little traffic, so I knew that was a remote chance.  I did not hear the thunder again, if it was even thunder to begin with.  It did not rain.

 

Eventually I was running downhill.  This was not horrible.  Miraculously, the stitch went away.  Oh, the dear sweet sensation of NOT being in pain.  Who needed endorphins? I had lost the stitch.

 

I avoided hills for the rest of the run.  I never did get any endorphins, but I reached the coveted “I Can Rock This” stage.  It did not last, but no matter.  I ran.  I SHALL be prepared for the Boilermaker.

 

Note: in this blog, when I say “Boilermaker,” I mean the Boilermaker 15K.  I find it too cluttered to specify the 15K every time I mention it.

 

I realize that this is much shorter than my usual Running Commentary posts.  I was noticing stuff as I ran and as usual narrating in my head, but now I just can’t seem to type in any of the good stuff.  All I can say is, it’s Tired Tuesday.  I managed to run, I managed a post.  I’m done.  Thank you for reading.

 

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Is the Blog Post as Bad as the Run?

Posted on May 15, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I start to run up a hill, I almost never have any doubt that I will make it to the top; it is merely a question of how much it is going to suck.  I said this to myself this afternoon as I ran up the hill to Herkimer College (often referred to as HCCC in this blog) (incidentally, that is read, “H-triple-C”).  Then I tried to calculate exactly how much it actually sucked.  How are these things measured, anyways?

 

Of course no run, however bad, entirely sucks.  For one reason, you are doing it.  The satisfaction of Running Anyways is not to be denied.  When one is working towards a goal — in my case, the Boilermaker 15K — one can also comfort oneself that one is making progress.  When I run up the hill to Hekimer College, another reward is the wonderful views when I get to the top.

 

One plan I had considered for this week was to run Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  As may have been expected, I wussed out on Wednesday.  I would accept no excuses from myself today (to give myself some credit, I did not even try to come up with any).  Since I had not run Wednesday and since I am having serious doubts of my ability to run the Boilermaker and not have it suck (see first paragraph), I thought I should run a longish run and include hills.

 

After considering and discarding several routes, I turned up Lou Ambers Drive and headed for the college.  It was not fun.  I wondered if I would ever reach the I Can Rock This stage again.  But I kept going.  Once I got to campus I kept going uphill, by the buildings and around the athletic fields.  Oh, it took a long time.  To be fair, it did not suck the whole time.  It never felt wonderful, but at certain times it was… neutral.

 

At last I was headed down Reservoir Road.  Downhill did not feel as good as it usually does.  For one reason, I worked on my feet all day today.  For another reason, I REALLY need to get to the Sneaker Store in New Hartford, NY, and get new running shoes.  Never mind, I told myself.  Just make up your mind to it your feet are going to hurt ALL THE TIME and don’t worry about it.  I looked around at the distant views and the closer scenery to take my mind off it.  That helped.

 

My previous longest run time had been 41 minutes (I may have said 40 in an earlier blog post, but I checked my running journal and it’s 41).  It was soon apparent I would not get back home in that length of time.   I feared I would be increasing my time by longer than the recommended 10 percent.  I felt that would be OK, because I’m training for the Boilermaker.  I have to get used to running for long periods of time.

 

I ended up running for 46 minutes.  I did not feel pretty terrific, as I often do after a run.  I felt, and still feel tired.  I thought I was too tired to write a blog post.  It seems I was not.  Was I too tired to write a good blog post?  Oh, who cares?  It’s Non-Sequitur Thursday.  Slap on a title and call it a night.

 

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Back on Track?

Posted on May 7, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Note to self:  Do NOT take three days in a row off from running.  In my defense, each day it seemed to be the right decision.  Then again, one can almost always find a reason.   More important is to come up with a reason TO run.  Today my reason was:  I’ve already told many people I am going to run the Boilermaker 15K.  I cannot gracefully excuse myself.

 

It was a warm and sunny day (still is as I type this, although I have showered and eaten since the run).  I prefer to run in cooler weather, but it is unlikely to be 50 degrees in July (on Boilermaker Sunday), so I knew it would be a good idea to begin to get acclimated.  I used my usual trick of telling myself I did not have to run very far or up any hills.  Just a short, easy run would be OK.

 

Of course I wanted to go for a longish run.  For one reason, I knew my wonderful husband, Steven, was fixing hot dogs with toasted buns for dinner.  Yum!  But not exactly diet food.  A good run would help keep me on the weight-loss track.

 

I headed towards Herkimer College (formerly Herkimer County Community College or HCCC).  I would not run up the front way — the steeper run — but perhaps the back way,  longer but a more gradual slope.  The back way had the added advantage of being woodsy.  There might be more shade.  If  I really didn’t feel could make it, perhaps I could continue on German Street and go up the hill by Valley Health.

 

Oh, it was not fun to run.  This was my comeuppance for taking three days off.  I knew I must continue.  I would go up to HCCC the back way (oh, it’s just quicker to type than Herkimer College).  It seemed to take a long time, but I encouraged myself.  Just get to the curve.  Now the next curve.  More than halfway there.  Almost there.  Oh dear.

 

I ran down the front way.  It is a little steep for downhill, but I leaned back and took it slow.  The advantage of going this way was that I would go by the spring and could stop for a quick drink.  This was the first day it’s been warm enough that I didn’t mind sticking my hands in the cold water.  It was a fast stop.  I kept going.

 

As I ran, I waited for it to get easier.  It did not.  That was OK.  I told myself I was building up my ability to keep going when it really sucks.  Still, maybe I would catch a second wind if I kept going.  I did not, and I think I kept going long enough to give it a fair shot.  I ran as long as my longest run so far, 40 minutes.

 

My cool-down walk around the block with my schnoodle, Tabby, was better.  Sitting down when I got back home was better yet.  I did my stretches from a sitting position.  I had to stand up to take my shower, but that was worth it.  Oh how nice my husband was to fix dinner!

 

So new rule for me: no more three days off.  I hope I can stick to it.  I have just over two months to the Boilermaker.  It is a little too soon for this blog to become All Boilermaker All The Time, but if I run again tomorrow, I just might write about it.

 

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