Tag Archives: running

What a Monday!

Posted on June 20, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Turns out I’m not Wonder Woman.  I thought that when I was mid-way through this afternoon’s gyrations.  I thought I might post it as a Facebook status but decided instead to use it as a lead for my blog post.  If only I have not waited too long and become too tired to post at all.  Oh, the trials and tribulations!  You are welcome to roll your eyes and play a miniature violin.

I just paused in my blogging for further gyrations.  I made my salad for the rest of the week and fixed tomorrow’s lunch. Go, me!

Only I am having wine, not beer.

I thought a picture would pep things up.  It is Monstrous Monday,  after all.

I believe I have mentioned that all I require of myself on Mondays is to get through the day.  Other than that, I am off the hook.  I have even been known to skip taking out the trash once in a while.  Today, however, I tried to muster just a little bit more ambition,

First, I wanted to go for a run.  I thought I would try seeing how many days in a row I could run at least a little.  Today makes three.  I’ll keep you posted on if I make it to four.  I put a load of laundry in the washer while I ran, my usual multi-task.

After the run, I paused for my recovery beverage of chocolate milk.  While I drank it, I called my parents.  I like to check in with them.  I had a nice conversation with Mom.  I could put the laundry in the drier, take my shower and then…

Wait a minute, trash had to go out.  I feel it is inadvisable to skip a week during warmer weather.  Who knew if I would want to put real clothes on after a shower.  Out went the trash.  Oh crap, look at the dirty dishes!  You are welcome to judge me for not doing them yesterday.  I could do them quickly.  I grabbed my rubber dishwashing gloves.

And was reminded the drain was slow.  I poured in some drain stuff and went downstairs to take care of the laundry.  The drain stuff seemed to work fairly well, till I realized the other sink had a clog too.  I poured in more drain stuff and went up to take my shower.

One thing that confuses me about this drain stuff.  After waiting 15 minutes, you are supposed to run hot water down the drain.  But my water is not hot as soon as I turn it on.  The first time I had heated water in my Hot Spot, about two cups worth.  Well, I thought I was really clever the second time.  After my shower, I filled a gallon jug with hot water from the tub spigot (it was an empty jug that originally held white vinegar, which I sometimes use with baking soda to wash my hair or the sink)  (but I digress).

I did not bother putting on clothes but went right down stairs to implement my inspiration.  It worked!  The drains were clear!  I happily set about washing the dishes.  Please do not point out that this is too much information (an expression I HATE), but I couldn’t help thinking that my husband Steve would have enjoyed watching me do the dishes wearing only rubber gloves and my Turbi-Twist.

Full disclosure:  I did not do all the dishes.  I left two coffee mugs and an empty coffee container.  I declared it good enough.  However, my gyrations were not over yet.

Wow, I am up to 600 words!  That is a long blog post for me!  I am going to stop my tale, mid-gyration, and continue tomorrow.  If I am able.  It will be Tired Tuesday, after all.

“You don’t want a Monstrous Monday Post without me, do you?”

I throw in another monster for good measure.

 

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How Much Slack Can I Get Away With?

Posted on June 19, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I let all of Saturday and a good part of Sunday slip by without making a blog post and am feeling a bit guilty about it.  The fact is, I am having the damnedest time getting myself to do anything.  I did go for two long runs this weekend.  Yesterday I did a load of laundry and washed the dishes before I petered out.  Eventually I wrote a few post cards to my usual peeps.  However, there is a lot more that I need and want to get done.  What the hell, me?

Pretty!

I threw in a picture, before I sank into a boring morass of self-recrimination.  These are my front lawn daisies from two years ago.  They are starting to die off now, and I just spent some time trying to cut them back.  This was after mowing the grass with my non-power mower and pulling up a bunch of other stuff on the side of the house.  And that was after my 50-minute run earlier.  A woman my age gets tired.  I never made it to the back yard.  In fact, a number of failing daisies remain out front.

Now I am lounged on my couch pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet, and sipping a glass of wine,  because I feel any effort deserves a reward.  I think I can move on to the movie watching portion of my Sunday.  Maybe I can even do a Sunday Cinema Post.  But no promises.

 

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Thirty Minute Thursday

Posted on June 16, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had originally thought to follow Two-Mile Tuesday with Three-Mile Thursday, but I was skeptical of my ability to pull it off.  True, I ran four miles last weekend, but that was first thing in the morning not last thing after an eight hour day at work.  Then I thought, Thirty-Minute Thursday.  It sounds even better, it is still longer than what I ran Tuesday, and I could totally do it.  At least, I could probably do it.

I usually let myself off the hook on these week-day runs.  I feel they are really just to keep my hand in (feet, really).  Weekends are the time for improvement.  However, I feel I will improve moreso on the weekends if I do a little better during the week.  That Boilermaker 15K is getting closer!

After a little puttering around the house, I got into running clothes and set out.  It was warm and sunny.  Maybe I should run some hills.  But I also had to worry about traffic.  German Street in Herkimer, NY is pretty busy in the late afternoon.  I ran down the sidewalk looking for a place to cross the street.  I thought maybe the hill by Valley Health Services would be a good goal.

The three-way stop at Caroline Street provided my opportunity to cross the street.  I soon decided to run into Brookwood Park.  For one reason, there would be plenty of shade.  I could run along the path through the woods that comes out on the back way to Herkimer College.  I assured myself that I was in no way obligated to run the rest of the way uphill to the college.

As I ran, I tried to keep myself from looking at my Garmin too often.  When I did, I would do the math and figure out what fraction of 30 minutes I had done.  Six minutes was one fifth.  How much was a quarter? A third?  Thus I keep my mind occupied so I don’t think too much about how I would really rather stop running.

The path through the woods was nice.  I like looking at the trees, and the ground is somewhat soft under my feet.  I just have to be careful of uneven surfaces and things I could trip over.  I am pretty clumsy.

The uphill portions almost defeated me, but I persevered.  Eventually I was running on pavement again, and running down hill.  Phew!  It was an effort to get to 30 minutes, but I made the effort and was glad I did.

I don’t know if my effort at a blog post is equally successful, but I can hope at least some readers found it reasonably entertaining.  In another couple of weeks, this blog may become All Boilermaker All The Time.  I fear I am already making myself a little tiresome at work by talking about it.  Oh well, at my age, I need all the encouragement I can get.

 

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Two-Mile Tuesday

Posted on June 14, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of that title while at work today.  So I decided I would run for two miles and write a Running Commentary Blog Post about it.  I told my plan to a co-worker, thinking it would make me more likely to do it.  I guess it worked, because I got home and put on running clothes right away.  I threw in a load of laundry, my usual multi-task for a weekend run, and off I went.

It was warm but not hot.  My body was not too happy with the exertion after a full day’s work, but as usual, I persevered.  My knees have been bothering me lately.  However, I know losing a little weight can help, and running can help me lose weight.  One good thing about my body is that it usually tag-teams when it comes to pain:  when my hip started to twinge, the knees shut up.

When I say my hip, I don’t really know if it is the hip.  Today the pain was coming from the crease where leg meets torso.  Sometimes it radiates out into definite hip area.  I hope nobody minds me prosing on about my aches and pains.  Blame it on my age.  I am almost 60.  Then again, my pains did not keep me from running, so perhaps they are not worthy of mention in the blog.

Getting back to the run, I am rather enjoying running for a certain distance rather than for a certain amount of time, as I usually do.  Saturday I made up my mind to run for 4 miles.  It took less time than I had expected, so I felt pretty good about that.

Today’s two miles took about 27 minutes.  The second mile took me 13 minutes and 13 seconds.  I liked that:  13:13 on the 13th.  Too bad it wasn’t Friday the 13th, but then I wouldn’t have had my alliterative title.

 

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What Could Be Better Than Monsters?

Posted on June 13, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

So my goals were to find something to enjoy on Monday and to make a better blog post, but I think we all knew I was more likely to revert to Monstrous Monday.  My day at work was not bad at all.  My worst moment was getting myself out of bed.  Oh, did I want to sleep in!  But coffee worked its magic, and my day improved from there.

This is how cheerful I am after coffee.

After work things got a little dicey as I struggled with my checkbook and fretted over bills.  I did not go running as I had intended, and I almost forgot to take out the trash.  However, I had walked for 30 minutes this morning, and the trash and recyclables are now waiting by the curb.  Additionally, the dishes are washed, and tomorrow’s lunch is packed.

The happy smile I get after doing a few chores.

I seem to always be listing every little thing I get done, either in this blog, in one of my journals, or just in my head.  It is to keep from beating myself up over all the things that I have left undone.  For heavens’ sakes, I can’t do everything!  Or so I comfort myselg

Maybe if I had three friends behind me and a pitchfork!

I guess this last picture doesn’t show a monster, but it is from a pretty scary movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.   As messed up as my life can be, I would not want some pod growing into a duplicate of me and taking over my body.  Now that I think about it, that movie is also pretty sad.  All the characters I like turn into beings with no warmth or feelings.

On that rather melancholy note,  I see I am approaching 300 words.  Perhaps it is not a better blog post, but at least I tried.

 

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While I Was Running…

Posted on June 11, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

In lieu of a Scattered Saturday Post or a true Running Commentary Post, I wanted to share a couple of fun encounters I had during last Saturday morning’s run.

I was running in the residential area behind Valley Health Services.  I call it The Suburbs in my mind, but I know that description is not strictly accurate.  I particularly like to run down Walnut Street to the exit of the Valley Health parking lot.

A different time of year, but this is the sign.

As I was entering, a guy was walking in the opposite direction.   He said hello.

“I like to enter where it says not to,”  I said. “I feel like such a rebel.”  He laughed.  Later, I encountered him on another street in the area.

“You must have had a Get Out of Jail Free Card,” he said.

I laughed.  “Good one!” I said.

Continuing my run, I eventually ran down Caroline Street. When I saw a couple of walkers, I went out on the road to give them space.  A resident had put out a couple of signs that said, “Slow Down!  This is a neighborhood not a race track!”

As I approached the pedestrians, I said, “That sign said to slow down, but I’m not going to.” They laughed.

This is why I like to run outdoors.

 

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I Thunk It’s Thursday

Posted on June 9, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

The headline is not a typo; I really did thunk today.

I had not been running since Sunday, not a good idea when the Boilermaker 15K is a mere month away.  I blame the Canadian wildfires, which have rendered the skies such a freaky sepia tone. With my breathing problems, I did not care to go out there and huff and puff.  I know, I could have stayed inside and run in place on the mini-tramp.  I felt too  tired.  Judge me if you choose.

Today I felt equally tired, but the air was so much more clear!  There was blue sky and clouds.  The sun looked like the sun, not that scary orange disc!  How could I not run?

And yet my body rebelled.  My knees hurt, my hip joint felt out if whack.  I questioned my ability to run 15Ks in July or even at all ever.  So I said to myself, Just Try.  For one reason, I had to do laundry. What else was I going to do while the washer washed?  Just Try, I repeated to myself as I got changed into running clothes.  Once I had the sports bras on, I knew I would get out there and do something.

A few steps down the sidewalk, I felt like, hey! I can so run!  I’m going to do this!  That feeling lasted to the corner, which was only about three houses away.  No matter.  I had started;  I would persevere.

Persevere I did.  I ran slow.  I ran thunkily (autocorrect seems to believe that is a word now).  I huffed and puffed.  I coaxed myself on a little at a time.  Just get to that truck that’s parked over the sidewalk.  Just get to the corner.  I looked at my Garmin and calculated how much further would make one mile.  .73…  .54…  .39…

My first (OK, my only) mile was 13:30.  That is really not too bad for me.  Could I make it to 20 minutes?  I kept thunking. Maybe a 17 minute run would be acceptable. By virtue of running past my house to the corner and back to the house, I made it to 20.  Score!

My hip was hurting a bit, so I cut my cool-down walk short.  I had a problem with that hip about a year ago and did not run for a month.  Then again, perhaps I could have started running again sooner.  I’m no expert on hip joints.

I felt happy and relieved that I ran.  I am also happy that I did laundry. Now I don’t have to have Dirty Pants Friday.  Um, not that I would ever do that.

 

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My Scattered Sunday, Still in Progress

Posted on June 5, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a Scattered Sunday today.  I did a few blogworthy things but am too tired to actually compose the posts.  So we will have a Preview of Coming Attractions.

I went for a run this morning, about which I may or may not make a Running Commentary Post. I mention it merely to add to my list of Things I Did.

Later in the morning I checked out the Brookwood Flea Market in Brookwood Park (previously known as the unknown park in this space) in Herkimer, NY.  It is a new thing and one I hope becomes very successful.  I chatted with a few of the vendors, along with Herkimer Mayor Dana Sherry, who organized the event.

Just one of the pleasant people I chatted with.

The mayor and I also talked about the Herkimer Downtown Chow Down, which takes place Mondays in Meyers Park.  I mention this to add another Preview of Coming Attractions.

From my Media Library.

In the afternoon I drove into Utica to auditions for Fun House, the premiere production of Brick 2 Theatre Company.  I hope to write a lot more about that.

The one sitting down played the music while the one standing sang.

On the way home I stopped at Aldi’s for snacks and Valley Wine and Liquor for a bottle.  I thought my friend Kim was stopping by for some porch sitting.  She is in a play at Ilion Little Theatre (just to plug more local drama).  Now I am wondering if she isn’t feeling well.  I think there is a summer bugaboo going around.

And that is the story of my Sunday.  I would say I made up for slacking yesterday, but there are still a number of chores still undone.  In fact, crap!  I just remembered I still have laundry in the washer!

Laundry is in the drier, and I just got a text:  Kim is on her way!

 

 

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I Slack, But I Blog

Posted on June 4, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

This was one Slacker Saturday.  I don’t know why I am surprised.  I spent all week planning in my head everything I was going to get done today.  Have I not often observed that every time I make a plan, the plan goes to hell?   Still, I did not make a detailed plan.  Surely I could get at least a few things done (in this context, I am calling myself Shirley).

I successfully slept in, which I am not always able to do on a Saturday.  This was not part of the plan, but it felt good.  I had made my Friday blog post on Friday, so I had that going for me.  I had some coffee and eventually went on a long run.

I entered here during my run.

Maybe the run was too long and I wore myself out. Maybe the road trip to Liverpool last weekend followed by a mid-week drive to Rome had a delayed effect.  Maybe it was just a good day to do very little.  Maybe I am just a lazy bum.

Celebrating Dad’s birthday in Liverpool: Dad and Mom with my niece Jenna in between.

In any case, after the run, I managed to do only a very few things else.  At least I got a few post cards written and mailed.   People like to get post cards.

So this is my boring blog post about my not very exciting day.  I am going to call it a Blogger’s Sad Day and drive on.  Maybe I could just go back and add a few pictures to pep things up.

I guess I like it too, Dracula.

I just put in a Hammer Horror movie with Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Michael Gough.

 

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A Memorial Day Run

Posted on May 30, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Earlier today I took a Memorial Day Run, thinking I could do a Running Commentary Post.  Of course it is better to do these things right away, but as regular readers know,  I do not always take the better course. So, some hours after the fact, here is my post about my run.

I usually like to wear an ARMY t-shirt on these occasions, but I could not take the time to look for one this morning.  I put on a big blue shirt I wore a few days ago.  I often grab a handy, semi-dirty shirt to run in.  It was over halfway through my run that I remembered a few years ago hearing about a thing of wear blue and run for the fallen soldiers.  So it seems I did the right thing without meaning to. That doesn’t happen very often!

My plan was to run up to Herkimer College, to the Veteran’s Memorial Park near the athletic field.  I have done that before to honor the fallen, at least in my heart.  Unfortunately,  I have not been running enough lately, especially with the Boilermaker 15K looming, and as soon as I started, I questioned my ability.

My goal. Would I make it?

Let me just pause to call bullshit on some people’s favorite snarky remark when I say I can’t do something:  “Well, not with that attitude you can’t!”  Every epic failure, and most minor failures I have had, and there have been many, I went into thoroughly convinced I could do the task at hand.  Conversely, many of my successes have surprised even me.  I said, “I’ll never be able to do this, but let me just try.”

And so it proved today.  I just ran to the bottom of the back road (I would not even attempt running up the front way) to the college, which involved going up a small hill, which was not fun, but I made it..  There was a dead end street with a further slight incline.  I thought I would run up that and back, to see how it went.  Not too bad.

Well, just start up the hill, I thought.  Make it partway and turn around.  Just make it to the path into Brookfield Park.  Then I thought to make it a little further.  Just to that curve.   Now I was so close to the college, it seemed foolish to turn around.  After all, I did not have to go all the way to the Memorial,  clear on the far side of campus, a gentler slope but still uphill.

This was taken in October, and doesn’t really show how steep.

Thus by gentle stages I coaxed my way to the Memorial.  I even went a little beyond it to go behind the athletic field and run down the other side of campus to the steeper hill back down to the village.

Another view of the park.

I felt fairly pleased with myself for persevering.  And now I feel pleased with myself for making a blog post about it.

 

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