Tag Archives: running

10K, Wine, and Fritz

Posted on August 15, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I shall make a fast Scattered Saturday Post, just so as not to be late yet again. Full disclosure: I have had a little wine and will greatly enjoy to return to the sitting on the couch, knitting, television watching portion of the day.

I ran the 10K this morning, slowly. I wore my Garmin (actually my friend Jay’s Garmin, which he nicely long term loaned me), so I knew I was running faster than my normal pace. I guess everybody runs a little faster on race day. The run really took it out of me. I took a nap later this morning.

After the nap, I had some iced coffee and Gatorade, drinking double fisted, not mixed together. I almost forgot to write my weekly postcards but luckily remembered before pick-up time for the mail boxes in front of the post office. I walked there, then downtown, where some Herkimer Diamond Days festivities were happening.

A band was playing. My husband Steven and our friend Kim joined me. We purchased a slice at Enzo’s Pizza and carried it across to the End Zone for a glass of wine.

By the time we were ready to leave, Fritz’s Polka Band was playing. We danced to “Secret Agent Man” while I took a picture.

I love these guys!

I’m afraid the picture did not turn out very well. I guess this is one of those Saturdays where the day is better than the blog post. You’ll have that. On the brighter side, I made a post! That is not a given these days. Thank you for tuning in.

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As a Rule, I Like to Run

Posted on August 14, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

New rule for Mohawk Valley Girl: No more 10Ks in August.

I am sitting in my stuffy house (although the fan and open door are helping), typing on the laptop (with all ten fingers, yes!), late once again for my Friday post (Lame Post Friday, but never mind that), and I wrote the preceding sentence and the paragraphs that follow earlier this week, so I shall type them in while sipping coffee (making a few edits as I go, I add in the interests of accuracy). Then I shall return to my pre-race jitters.

One might think that as I have run the Boilermaker 15K in July more than once that hot weather running would hold no terrors for me. My first thought was to say, “That’s different.” I guess it is, since the final month of training for the Boilermaker takes place in June, which is sometimes not as hot. However, in one respect it is similar: almost every time I run the Boilermaker I vow I am not going to do it again. What does that tell you about me? Seriously, what does it tell you? It just confuses me.

My problem is that for the past week we have had one damn sticky heat wave. This puts quite the damper on my last week of preparation runs (see what I did there? Damp, because humidity is wet? Oh well, I thought it was funny). Additionally I am currently working from 5 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No cool-ish early morning runs for me.

I determinedly put on running clothes and braved the heat and humidity Tuesday. Oh, it was bad. Every step of that run was a chore. I could not remember why I ever liked running in the first place. However, I made it for two miles and even ran up a couple of hills (not big ones). I did not even finish my usual cool-down walk. A voice in my head said, “Nobody said you had to walk for ten minutes.” I felt that was a good point.

I duplicated the effort on Thursday, minus the hills. I admit it was marginally less heinous.

And here I am on Saturday morning, feeling as usual that coffee is heaven, up in time to eat something nutritious and let it digest before the run (probably a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter). Today we are supposed to get relief from the heat and humidity. Yay! My 10K is in Little Falls, part of their Canal Days festivities. I hope after running 10Ks I have enough oomph leftover to enjoy some of them. It would make a good Scattered Saturday Post (which we all know I may be typing in Sunday morning). As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

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Run Interrupted

Posted on July 17, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I don’t feel like making a Lame Post Friday post today, because I work on Saturday (YES, I am grateful to have a job and for the overtime! Sheesh!). I went running today, since I will be unable to run tomorrow morning, so I thought, maybe a Running Commentary Post?

It would be more accurate to say I tried to go running. Things seemed to be going pretty well at first, then about five and a half minutes into the run (I did not look at my Garmin at the exact minute), I wiped out.

One minute I was running along the sidewalk, paying attention to where I was going, so I thought. Then I was down. It is kind of weird. I seem to experience these falls in stages. There is an instance where I feel I might fall (with barely time to feel I could somehow prevent it), then I know I am unavoidably going to fall, then before I even internalize the knowledge, I am down and saying, “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

It hurt. Sometimes I can get back up and right back to running. Today I could not. I tried a couple of times. Then I gave it up and trudged, blood trickling down my leg in a couple of squiggly streams, several blocks home.

I stopped at a neighbor’s house for a little sympathy. He is a fellow runner and was setting up for a garage sale (tomorrow is Village Wide in Herkimer, N.Y.). He offered some first aid, which I declined (I was only a few doors from home), and comforted me with the fact that if you are going to run, sooner or later you will probably fall. I always feel better after I share my injuries.

And now I have shared my injury with my nice blog readers (I am taking it for granted you are all nice). I guess since I was limping after the fall, we could still call it Lame Post Friday.

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A Reason to Swoon?

Posted on July 12, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Have I the mental and physical wherewithal to make a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post? The question is not rhetorical. I think I am getting arthritis in my knuckles. I was having a very painful time trying to write in the TV Journal earlier. Suddenly stylus picking is a more attractive option. What a depressing thought! No more hand writing? No more ten-finger typing? SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

The beauty part is, now it seems I have a really good reason to swoon, posed dramatically with the back of one wrist against my forehead. I would love to insert a photo here but cannot find one.

Earlier today I went on a long run. It tired me out too much to feel like making a Running Commentary Post. I started to watch movies, hoping for a Sunday Cinema Post. However, I HATED the first movie I chose so much I got discouraged. I should have turned it off twenty minutes into it, as I was strongly tempted to do, but I was curious as to when it would get exciting and how it would end (very late in the picture and badly).

So here I sit without much to say. Best thing to do in these cases is to keep it sort. I hope to see you all again on Monday.

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Running to be Ready

Posted on June 9, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

It was a little faster than a Tuesday Trudge but not fast enough for a Tuesday Trot, but this is my Running Commentary Post. I often say that what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term.

I was quite determined to run today, despite the heat and humidity, because I am gearing up for the Pride Stride 5K in Little Falls this Saturday, June 12. It is part of the Little Falls Pride event hosted by Little Falls Community Outreach. I do not expect to run very fast, but I expect to have fun. And it is a cause I like to support.

Knowing I will not run very fast led the devil on one shoulder to say things like, “It doesn’t really matter if you run or not. Why torture yourself in this heat? It probably won’t even help.” I ignored such ignoble thoughts.

The humidity was pretty horrible. It was like trying to run through bath water. Or maybe dirty dish water. Breathing was not much fun. Never mind. Persevere. I veered a little way into a lawn to sniff some lilacs. That was nice. Some lilac bushes are over, but these two bushes were nice.

On my drive home from work, I had noted some nice bushes of light pink peonies. I planned to run by those and take a sniff. I did not remember exactly where they were, so it was a nice surprise when I saw them.

I kept glancing at my Garmin. It tells me what rate I am currently running, which leads to some disappointment. For example, I vary from a 15-minute mile to bursts as fast as a 10-minute mile (I know, not very fast in the ultimate scheme of things). So it is an average. So my Garmin may say I am running at a 12:20 pace, but 13 minutes have passed and I still haven’t gone a mile!

However, I try not to worry about how fast I go. I usually try to run for a certain length of time, not a specific distance. Today I ended up running for 24 minutes, 1.8 miles. In addition to smelling lilacs and peonies, I petted one nice dog. I was running through Meyer’s Park and saw a dog I had petted before.

“There’s that nice dog that likes to be petted!” I said, sprinting across the grass. The dog looked happy to see me and sat sweetly while I petted her and called her a good dog. I also greeted her person and wished him a nice day, to which he responded in kind.

I hope to run at least one more time before the 5K. For more information on Little Falls Pride, you can visit the Facebook event or Little Falls Community Outreach page.

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A Blogger’s Work Is Never Done

Posted on June 6, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

Regular readers know, or maybe they don’t know but some people know, that I normally go to bed early, even on the weekends. Well I am up late tonight. I know, for many people this is just the beginning of the evening. It used to be so for me, too. Things change.

All this by way of introduction to what may be a rather pathetic Scattered Saturday Post.

I slept in till 5:30 this morning (this is why I go to bed early). I went for a long run up a challenging hill. One week from today is the Pride Stride K, part of the Little Falls Pride event in Little Falls, NY. I think I will be ready.

I multi-tasked by doing a load of laundry while I ran. On returning from my cool-down walk, I managed to mow the lawn (non-power mower, it takes an effort). I returned bottles and cans, which took two tries because the place was so busy. I paid a few bills. I wrote a couple post cards. I did the dishes. I dropped my car off at the shop. I visited my husband Steven at the hospital.

I guess I got a few things done. However, looking around my house, I see I have a long way to go. Oh well, I suppose that is always the case. I have heard that the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement (I read it in a book I got out of the library when I was a little girl; I wish I could remember the name of that book).

Tomorrow will be another chance for improvement. If I manage any, I will be sure to write a blog post about it. That will improve my blog as well. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

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I Think Thunk is a Word

Posted on May 28, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was going to make a Running Commentary Post and call it The Thursday Thunk. I was pretty sure that would describe my run pretty accurately. I was right. It is good to be gainfully employed, but it tends to put a damper on my evening activities. I am sure many of you have similar issues.

It was a nice day, not too humid, not too hot, sunny, pleasant. After two days of not running and rain predicted for tomorrow (although we all know how that goes) (however, in this case, my bunions agree) (but I digress), I knew it would be a good idea to get myself out there. I got into running gear, threw a load of laundry in the washer (my favorite multi-task) and set out.

And thunk I did. Oh was I slow! Did I ever shuffle! But I went, and I kept going. I had thought to go on a different route than what I ran Monday, but I also wanted to cross as few busy streets as possible. Additionally, I prefer to stay left side facing traffic, even on the sidewalk. It makes it easier if I do want to detour onto the road.

I saw a few things of note: a metal sculpture of a frog on a bicycle, various colored irises (my own have not bloomed yet, but I have hopes), a few people working on home improvements. I did not pet any dogs, alas, although I greeted a few pedestrians.

It was not easy, but I made my run last 20 minutes, then took a ten minute cool-down walk. With my longer weekend runs, I think I will be in OK shape for the Pride Stride 5K in Little Falls, NY June 12. It is part of a whole event. I should write a whole blog post about that (preview of coming attractions).

In the meantime, I am over 300 words. Not bad for a Thunky Thursday.

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I Lame Myself

Posted on May 15, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I neglected to mention something that happened on Wednesday’s run. When I realized it, I thought, How brainless of me! Then I thought, It’s perfect for Lame Post Friday!

There I was, running (thunking, really) along, admiring flowers, observing various home improvements, in general keeping my mind off how much my run was sucking. This is an excellent technique for running, by the way: distract yourself. So I was wondering why this particular lawn was more yellow than green when down I went.

I don’t know what I tripped on (for God’s sake, autocorrect, tripped is a word, why are you changing it to dropped?), but as I went down I remember telling myself NOT to try to break my fall with my hands, because it is easy to break a wrist. Of course I did not tell myself that soon enough, but all I did was skin the heel of one hand a little.

Oh, and I landed hard on my left knee. Ouch! I got right back up and continued to run, so I knew it wasn’t too bad. One time I fell on a knee, I limped the rest of the way home. Still, it did not feel good.

For the rest of the run, I kept trying to look down at my injury. I could see two little trickles of blood, but they did not travel far. I considered how ironic but not surprising it would be if I fell and scraped my right knee while I was trying to look at my left. However, I made it home without further mishap.

I was also thinking about how I would include the event in my Running Commentary Post. I would mention that I am not one to photograph my injuries to share. This would add interest to my blog post.

I did not remember till much later that I had completely left it out. How silly of me! It was even — dare I say? — lame!

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Not Too Much Thunk

Posted on May 13, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went for a short run after work. I am having some personal problems which are not worth mentioning here except that I have made the determination to get more exercise, for the mood-improving effects. Exercise is a potent and often under-utilized anti-depressant (that was my little bit of health advice for the day).

It was a beautiful afternoon, warm and sunny. I did not even leave a sweatshirt on the front porch for my cool-down walk. I did not plan a long run. Fifteen minutes would be acceptable, I told myself. Sometimes I treat myself gently.

Right away, my body did not feel happy. Thunk, thunk, thunk, down the sidewalk I went. Fifteen minutes, just fifteen minutes, I kept repeating in my head,

I encountered a number of pedestrians. I would move out into the road before I reached them, because I was not wearing a mask and I was huffing and puffing. We usually greeted each other in a friendly fashion. I love those small human connections. I try to have a smile for everyone.

My body felt better about thing as I went. That usually happens at some point in the run. Sometimes I don’t notice the exact moment when it happens; I just suddenly realize I feel OK. I did not exactly reach the I Can Rock This Stage, but I did not spend the whole run wondering what the hell I was thinking.

I ran for 20 minutes and felt fairly pleased with myself. My cool-down walk felt good, and my chocolate milk recovery beverage when I got back home was delicious.

There is a 5K in Little Falls in June I am thinking I will register for. That will give me another goal to work for. It will probably get me a couple more blog posts as well. I’ll keep you posted.

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Truman Capote Was Right

Posted on May 7, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went for a run after work today, thinking I could make a Running Commentary Post. I even had a title for it: Thunky Thursday.

Just a quick digression: my autocorrect turns “thunky” into “thinly.” For heaven’s sake if there was anything thin about me, I would not feel so thunky when I ran! Oh, I know, thunky is not a word. It ought to be.

Where was I? Ah yes, explaining why I seem unable to make a Running Commentary Post after all. Well, to begin with, I am tired after my run. For another reason, it was not all that great a run. I spent part of it wondering why I had ever thought I could run. I had plans to include that in the post (you know how I like to narrate in my head as I run).

I ask myself, why am I not making that post now? No answer is forthcoming. It is all very well to say I am tired. Obviously I am not too tired to write SOMETHING. So once again I ask, What the hell, me? I have no answer to that question either.

One thing about this blog: I can almost always get a post about not writing a post. As Truman Capote famously said, That’s not writing, that’s typing. Oh, Truman, you hadn’t seen anything yet!

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