Tag Archives: running

Moving Slow on Monstrous Monday

Nobody does! Oh, I suppose YOU do (you know who you are).

I haven’t used this charming gentleman in a while, but he seemed appropriate.  It was a grisly hot day in the Mohawk Valley today.  Really, there were all kinds of warnings on the news about how we should stay hydrated and get our exercising done early in the morning.  I worked too early to run, so I just didn’t bother; judge me if you must.  The sad thing about that is that, quite abruptly, running has gotten fun again.  As I watched the afternoon drag by, I was sorry I was not going to run.  I looked forward to running on Tuesday, when temperatures are supposed to moderate somewhat.

Safety first! Walk, don’t run!

As I was looking through my Media Library for a picture of a monster running (which I don’t think I have anyways), I saw the above, which I believe I have not used recently. It is, of course, from Night of the Living Dead (1968), back in the days when zombies did not run but lumbered threateningly and people for some reason were often unable to get away.  I understand zombies move faster these days.  I have not see a recent zombie movie.  I don’t much like horror movies after the late ’60s.  They got too slashy for me.  There are, of course, exceptions.  Some newer movies are more atmospheric and psychological, and there are a few I like even if they did go through a tanker truck of fake blood.

“Who were you expecting, the Avon Lady?”

Thinking of blood, I close with my favorite blood-sucker, Nosferatu.  I’m calling this a Monstrous Monday post, or did you figure that out already?  Longtime readers may recall that I wilt and become quite useless in the heat.  I am brain dead.  Perhaps I am a zombie.  Today I am the lumbering kind, but tomorrow I hope to run.

 

Scattered or Slacker, It’s Saturday

I’ve never been so popular the whole town would chase me.

I pause in our viewing of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) to make my Scattered Saturday post.  I had been going to do a Saturday Running Commentary, and we took a nice walk, making a Pedestrian Post perfectly eligible.  But I thought waiting till later in the day and posting during a movie would be fun, too.

My run was actually very good, even though I woke up with a headache.  I had coffee, Gatorade, and water before the run.  The headache did not slow me down but neither did it go away during the run.  You’ll have that sometimes.  After writing a few post cards, Steven graciously agreed to go for a walk with me.  We first walked to First Source Federal Credit Union to deposit a check, going by way of some construction at the end of our street, so we could check the progress.  I think it’s going to be a while.

We cut through Meyers Park to get to the post office.  Before I mailed my cards, I noted on the bulletin board a program at the Herkimer County Historical Society to be given by Sue Perkins, society director, on Wednesday, June 20 (preview of coming attractions).  I told Steven I would like to go.

“What’s it about?”  he asked.

“I don’t remember, but Sue Perkins, Historical Society, that’s all I need to know.”  I later noted in the paper it is about how Herkimer used to look vs. how it looks now. I am quite interested.

After the post office, we stopped at Basloe Library, then went home.  A short time later we left again to pick up a prescription of mine at The Medicine Shoppe in Illion, with Steven making a quick foray into Ilion Wine and Liquor.  My headache still had not gone away, so I laid down for a while when we got home again.

I guess we did not do such a lot to make this a really good Scattered Saturday post. Maybe more of a Slacker Saturday?  No matter. There are movies to be watched and wine to be enjoyed.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

Four Days On, Three Days Off, What’s Next?

I am nobody’s good example when it comes to fitness.  I triumphantly ran four days in a row, culminating in my longest run on Sunday.  Then I went three days without running.  Go ahead and judge me.  On the brighter side, I ran today and it was not a bad run at all.

I had told myself all day that I would run, trying as usual to internalize the idea.  I even said I would run rain or shine.  Even if it poured rain!  After all, “Run in the Rain” is a good title for a blog post.  Except that I think I already used it.  No matter, it did not rain.  It was actually lovely weather for a run:  cooler temperature, cloudy and breezy.  This was going to be great!

I did my usual multi-task of putting a load of laundry in the washer before I set out.  I prepared myself to listen to my legs, feet, and possibly back complain. I would persevere!  Maybe I would make it a short run, but I would persevere for as long as possible.  Imagine my delight when my legs seemed perfectly content to move.  I turned left on German Street and prepared to enjoy myself.

Eight or nine minutes into the run, I got this weird cramp in my lower abdomen.  How annoying!  The entire rest of my body was having a perfectly enjoyable run, but one little part has to give me a pain.  What was that all about?  I kept running.  Maybe it would go away.  It did not.  I kept running anyways.

I saw a small flag on the sidewalk and picked it up.  I don’t like to see the American flag on the ground.  It was frayed on one side, as if it has come off its little stick.  I held it by the edge as I ran.  Now I was running with a flag.  I was thinking it could be a Veteran’s Day run when I remembered:  today is Flag Day!  I was right on time!  This was great!

Only the cramp continued.  It is so bothersome when you have a pain: it colors everything you do.  I continued to run, stopping occasionally to smell flowers:  lilacs once, peonies two or three times.  Of course I kept these stops very brief.  I considered making it a short run because of the cramp.  Then again, there was no guarantee that the cramp would stop if I was not running.  I did not think it involved any running muscles.  I kept going.  Every body part other than the cramp felt great!  What the hell, body?

As I neared the end of the run, it seemed that I could definitely keep it up for 29 minutes, the same length as my last, longest run.  I WOULD keep it up for 29 minutes, yes!  In order to do so, I ran around the apartment building at the end of my street, then around its front drive, then past my house and back.  I did it!

I felt happy as I walked my cool-down, and even happier as I drank my chocolate milk recovery beverage after my shower.  The cramp did not go away, so clearly I was right to keep running.  I’m wondering now if I will make this another four-day streak, running Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  If so, I will strive NOT to take three days off after!

 

The Run I Almost Missed

How about a Sunday Running Commentary in lieu of my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday?  I got out of bed this morning thinking I would not run but after a cup of coffee talked myself into it.  As Steven pointed out, it is a beautiful day.  I do love running in the morning and weekends are the only times I can do it (unless I run at 3 a.m., which is not the same thing).

As I ran out the end of my driveway, I saw the peonies in my front lawn were blooming.  I paused oh so briefly to sniff at them.  What a wonderful scent!  I flashed back to springs and summers of my childhood, when my Mom had a large peony bush (she still has it).  I made up my mind I would smell any peonies I encountered on the run.

I was expecting my legs to start complaining as usual, but they did not.  Score!  I crossed German Street and headed for Main, where there is a nice hill. Yesterday I ran the hill by Valley Health, so I am working my way up to the hill to Herkimer College.  My current goal is to be ready for the Falling Leaves Run in September, which is 14K and I believe has several hills.  I should make it handily, if I don’t fall off the running wagon.

At the end of Main Street I saw a sign, “Road Closed, Local Traffic Only.”  I added in my head, “And Cindy Running.”  The hill was not much fun, I admit, but I persevered till the top.  It is kind of nice to be less than seven minutes into your run and have the big hill out of the way.  As I made my way back down to German, I wondered where else to run.  Today should have been the day for me to add the weekly ten percent to my run time, making it 29 minutes.  When I talked myself into running, it was with the proviso that I would not necessarily have to do that (as Scarlett O’Hara famously said, tomorrow is another day).  I was at this point undecided.

When I got to German Street, the sight of peonies decided me:  I crossed German and ran down Harley Street.  The peonies were pink and white, several bushes stretching almost a block long.  I sniffed four or five blooms, making very short pauses to do so, nothing like the stops I make to pet dogs.  Incidentally, I did not see any dogs.  More dedicated runners may shake their heads and opine that I will never improve my run time if I stop while running, but I do not care at all.  I like to smell flowers and I like to pet dogs.

My legs felt fine but my breathing was a little ragged.  I concentrated on breathing in slowly and holding the air in for a second or two.  I heard this advice from a fellow soldier, who had heard it from a Native American drill sergeant of his.  He said it stood to reason:  you hold the air in so it has time to do your body some good.  It helped.  I started to feel thirsty so thought of running to the spring and taking a drink.  How long would that take me?  Would I run 29 minutes after all?

I turned in the direction of the spring, keeping an eye on the time.  It soon became clear that I could not make it all the way to the spring and back.  That was OK, because as usual I had a bottle of ice water waiting for me on my deck.  I figured times in my head, changed my mind a few times, going up one street and down another.  Ooh, more peonies, sniff, sniff.  It came to me that I was GOING to make it for 29 minutes and it was NOT going to be a problem!  I felt GREAT!  I could run for DAYS!  Yes!

As I walked my cool-down, I said to a neighbor, “I’ll tell you what, running four days in a row is the Way to Go.  I feel awesome!”

“There you go,” he said.

“Which I did NOT feel the last three days,” I added.  It is wonderful to prove things to yourself.  When I have to persevere through a bad run, I always tell myself, you have to get through the bad runs to get to the good ones.  Today was definitely a good run.

 

Purple Prose about Purple Clothes

It has been another Saturday where I have not done enough to warrant a Scattered Saturday post, and I have waited too long after my run to make a decent Running Commentary post (my run wasn’t such a much anyways).  Instead I offer another Getting Ready post (which I need to come up with a better name for).  At least I am amused myself by my gyrations in finding something to wear.  Others can point and laugh or roll their eyes in self-satisfied superiority.  Whatever floats your boat. I try not to judge.

Tonight’s Event is Purple in the Park with the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs in Little Falls, NY.   The aim is to all wear purple to raise awareness of the March of Dimes.  Regular readers may remember that I dressed as a wizard to participate in the March for Babies.  I was not a purple wizard, although I guess I could have been. I briefly considered wearing the purple graduation gown that was my back-up wizard costume to tonight’s event.  Then I decided to dress like a normal person, or as much of a normal person as possible.  After all, I can only work with what the Good Lord gave me.

I wanted to wear a large purple t-shirt with some bright-colored shorts I’ve had for years.  Alas, I could not find one.  That’s what I get for falling behind on my laundry. I knew I had a purple patterned button-down shirt that would work.  Could I find that?  Of course not!  I nervously eyed the clock and wondered if I had enough time to do a load of laundry.  I did not.  In searching for some purple, any purple, I found the button-down shirt.  Yes!  I even went so far as to iron it.

What pants to wear?  The shirt looks better untucked, so baggy shorts would not make me happy.  Spandex would be OK, since the shirt covers my fat butt (don’t judge).  I sent Steven out to my car, where my knee-length grey bicycle shorts were.  Full-disclosure:  they have been in a bag with other work-out clothes in my vehicle for about two weeks now, waiting for me to go to the YMCA after work.  In my defense, many of the days I have not gone to the Y, I have gone running.  Anyways, this is not a fitness post, stop judging my work-out habits or lack thereof.

Naturally I was able to find three purple earrings (I have three ear piercings) (cue jokes about holes in my head).  Yes, they all had to do with wine.  As they say, I gotta be me.  I was delighted to also find purple ankle socks.  I hope my blue little canvas sneakers do not clash too wildly, but it seems to warm for black sneaks and my white ones are too ratty.

For more information on tonight’s event, click on the link above.  If anybody local reads this in time, come on out!  Wear purple if you can; if not, at least you can cheer on the Diamond Dawgs!

 

And That Murderer on 20/20 is a Self-Justifying Slime Bucket!

When it gets to be after 7 p.m. on a weeknight (and my bedtime is EARLY, don’t judge), it is time for a Non-Sequitur Thursday post. This will be, actually, more of a Scattered Thursday post, but that lacks the alliteration of Scattered Saturday.  I know, I know, so does Non-Sequitur Thursday, but as long as I can’t have my alliteration, I’ll take the cool word.  Are we done with that?  Can I get on with the post?

I was tired after work today.  What is it with me?  I thought I was eating healthily (for the most part) and exercising (some) and even taking vitamins and supplements.  In any case, I knew it would be a good idea to run, since I did not run yesterday, yet I arrived home completely disinclined to do so.  I read my mail (I got a couple of real letters!  Woohoo!) and checked my email and Facebook notifications.

One thing I checked on Facebook was if there would be a tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor.  Merritt Winery was going to be there!  Unfortunately, my usual wine tasting buddy, Kim, is in a play tonight.  She did not have time to go to a wine tasting.  I might as well run.  Or I could go to the wine tasting without her.  Or I could run.  Then I said, “Oh, what the hell,” and looked for a couple of sports bras.

As soon as I realized I was going to run after all, I felt pretty good about myself.  This would be great!  Of course, it was not. My whole body complained for most of the run, but I persevered.  As with almost all runs, it had its moments.  I came home, showered, put on a cute outfit, including my “Keeping It Cheesy” t-shirt from Original Herkimer Cheese, and drank my usual recovery beverage of chocolate milk.

Then I went to Valley Wine and Liquor.  It would be a good idea to write a whole blog post about the tasting. In fact, I was at a tasting for Three Brothers Winery last week I still have not written about.  I’d better get on the ball.

After purchasing a bottle of Reisling, I went to my husband’s place of employment and suggested I get something for dinner.  He said pizza sounded good, so I picked up one with sausage and pepperoni on a thin crust.  I still had some asparagus in the refrigerator, so I roasted that with garlic oil I also had in the fridge.

And that is my Thursday.  As you can see, I have a couple of things I could write a blog post about, but I am going with what I have just typed in.  Like I said, Non-Sequitur Thursday. If only I could think of a catchy but unrelated headline, my life would be perfect.

 

I Wasn’t Too Tired to Run!

How about a Running Commentary post instead of my usual Tired Tuesday or Bad Attituesday?  Once again I admit that what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the word.  Then again, I like to think of myself as a generous person, although I daresay I am no more generous than anybody else.  Well, maybe more generous than some self-serving, stingy, I-got-mine cusses such as we all know, but I digress.

I had a bargain with myself that if it was raining after work I would go to the YMCA, if not, I would run. I wondered if I oughtn’t to go to the Y anyways, because I have not done any upper body or ab work in a while.  However, when I left work it was breezy and cool.  How could I waste that? It will be warm and muggy again before you know it.  Oh, I will run then, too, but why not enjoy some cool air while I can?  So that is what I did.

I put a load of laundry in the washing machine before I took off, so I could multi-task.  In general I don’t believe in multi-tasking.  I feel it is better to do on thing at a time and do it well.  But I don’t see how letting the machine wash while I thunk around the neighborhood could hurt anything.  This way I will not run out of clean handkerchiefs.

Right away my legs and feet were not happy with me.  I was not surprised.  Pretty much my whole body had been giving me grief all day.  I never got my Monday back-ache yesterday but made up for it today.  I tried not to dwell on it but just to keep going.  I had not been running since Saturday.  Sunday I had done strenuous yard work for an hour and twenty minutes.  Monday, well, you can judge me, that’s all.

I changed directions a couple of times because of traffic.  Sometimes it is easier to just turn down the sidewalk than to wonder if the driver is going to wave you by or run you over.  One driver waved me by before I turned, so that was nice.  I gave him the thank-you wave and sprinted.

Twice I stopped to take a quick sniff of peonies. Mine have not bloomed yet, but they’re getting there.  I saw some lilacs that were over. Alas!  I still don’t have any lilacs.  I would like to plant more flowers.  I only wish I were clever enough to plant varieties such that I could have something blooming all spring, summer and fall.

I also stopped to pet a few dogs.  First I saw my friends Chico and Bear with their Mom.  I greeted her and petted both.  Toward the end of my run I saw Pudge the pug crossing the street with his Mom.

“Is that my friend Pudge?”  I said.

“Oh, do you know Pudge?” she said.   I used to see Pudge out with his Dad all the time, but I have not seen him lately.  I petted Pudge and wished his Mom a good day.

It was really not a bad run at all.  I had moments of definite enjoyment, I mean when I was running, not just when I was petting the dogs.  There were a couple of brief stretches where I felt I could just go on, if not indefinitely, at least for a while.  By the end my feet were really hurting me, but I managed to persevere for 26 minute, the length of my last run.

As usual, I enjoyed my cool-down walk, although my water went down my Sunday throat once.  I hate it when that happens!  When I got back to the house, I was exhausted!  My body creaked when I stretched.  I made it to the basement to put the laundry into the drier.  When I got upstairs to take my shower, I wished I had one of those old lady shower chairs, so I could sit down while I washed.  Oh, just shower, I told myself, it’ll take you five minutes.  I certainly felt better after I was clean.

I felt even better after my recovery beverage of chocolate milk.  Now I am feeling tired again and not a little brain dead.  I think that is showing in this blog post, because I can’t seem to think of a conclusion.  How weird is that?  I know what:  I’ll close with a picture from my Media Library.  I’ll try to find something to do with running.

This is NOT what I wore to run today.

Will you look at that?  The only picture I have of me about to run is from the Little Falls Reindeer Run 5K last December!  I’ll have to see what I can do about that for future Running Commentary posts.

 

I Would Rather Write

Well, I ran this morning and I was going to do a Running Commentary, a fairly profound one, because I Wore Blue and Ran to Remember.  That is a thing I found out about a few years ago:  Wear Blue, Run to Remember.  Then again, sometimes those posts come across as an ego thing:  Look at ME!  I ran to remember!  I am ALL about the Veterans!  Anyways, it wasn’t that great of a run.  Not necessarily worthy of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

I’m thinking I cannot say anything deep about Memorial Day, certainly nothing better than what others have said.  What I will do instead is give a quick shout-out to a local business, after sharing with you a few of my tribulations as a would-be novelist.

As my day wore on today, I was not getting a whole lot useful done, especially not beginning the new novel I wanted to.  Yes, I have many novels I have started and not finished.  I would, of course, like to finish one of those. First I have to find it!  You have no idea what a mess my house is.  I would have to spend a month cleaning before I found and could continue work on an already-started novel.  To clean or to write?  You know I would rather write!

First I couldn’t find a notebook with that many blank pages.  Above all, I wanted to avoid writing my new novel in multiple notebooks which I would certainly lose track of. That is what happened to my previous attempts.  Maybe I could go to a store and purchase a new notebook.  I love having a new notebook.  Then I found the last new notebook I had started a novel in (not a very good one). It was a BIG notebook, and I had only started ONE novel in it.  This could work.

But not in my living room.  I wrote a few post cards, which I had not done on Saturday as usual, and I walked to the post office with them.  A walk often helps stir the creative juices.  What it stirred in me was the desire to NOT write at my own house.  I wanted to GO somewhere.  All the libraries are closed for the holiday.  Also, I wanted a beer.

Finally I decided to go to Asteroga Ale House, a handy 10-minute walk from my house.  I got a beer and sat at a table that got nice natural light from outside.  Alas, I could not get a Sam Adams draft, which is a fine thing to drink on a patriotic holiday.  I got a local IPA instead, opened my notebook, and discovered that the lovely pen I had clipped to the spirals was gone.  Dammit!  I searched through my purse and did not like any of the pens I found.  I wrote a few paragraphs regarding my search then told myself it was merely an excuse and tried to get to work.

In fact, I don’t know that it was entirely an excuse.  Tools can make a real difference in creative endeavors.  I may write a whole blog post about that, although I daresay I have touched upon the subject already.  Be that as it may, I actually got quite a bit done.  I started by jotting down vague ideas, then moved to more concrete ideas, and ended up writing a list of character names and some definite notes about those characters and how the plot is going to go.

I shan’t type anything more specific about it, though, because if you talk about something too much, you no longer feel you have to write it.  That is a well-known phenomenon.

In the meantime, I highly recommend Asteroga Ale House as a place to go and have a beer or two (or other beverage or even food), whether or not you have a novel to start.  They are located at 122 W. Albany St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-219-5578.  I am back home now and wondering if I ought to have another beer.

 

The Run I Deserved?

So I went running with the firm intention of making a Running Commentary post, and here I sit, feeling too tired to type a word!  And, of course, proving myself wrong by typing in words.  Let’s see if I can make the actual post before I have to start cooking dinner.

I seriously thought I would talk myself out of running. After all, I have been doing that successfully all week.  Judge me if you like, but the last exercise I got was a half hour walk on Sunday.  I really, really want to get back to running regularly and for longer periods of time.  Why have I not just gone ahead and done it, you may ask.  I have no answer.  Still, I felt reasonably pleased with myself when I got home, sat down with the laptop, then realized I was only going to check my emails before GOING RUNNING.

I put on sunscreen before my running clothes.  I got a load of laundry ready to throw in the washer.  I read recently that you are not supposed to leave the house or fall asleep when either the washer or drier is running.  However, I read it on the internet, and I do not believe most things I read on the internet. Anyways, I have been putting in a load of laundry and running while it washed for some time now.  If it ever does me dirt, I will write a blog post about it.

Naturally my legs were not pleased with me.  That is what you get, I scolded myself.  Start running every day and you won’t have this problem, will you?  The fact is, it is really hard to keep beginning again.  But what else can I do?  My choices are:  don’t stop running, stop running entirely, or begin again.  Obviously the first choice is the best, but how often do I do the best thing?  I remind myself that there have been many periods in the past twenty years (wow, has it been 20 years since I joined the army? How the time flies!), that I have been running on a regular basis.  I hope I am at the beginning of another one now.

The day was pretty: bright and sunny.  In fact, I prefer a cloudy and cooler day to run, but you can’t always get what you want (as the great philosopher Mick Jagger said).  I enjoyed seeing the green leaves on the trees.  They were large, summer leaves.  The delicate, just opening leaves do not last long.  That was OK by me, because this kind offers more shade.  I enjoyed the shade.

I thunked along, wondering how many calories I was burning.  If I had gone to the YMCA, I told myself, I could have been on a nice, smooth elliptical, which would have told me how many calories I burned.  Could I believe anything that smooth, though?  No matter; I was not at the Y; I was out in the fresh air and sunshine.  This was nice.

As I ran, I did not bother figuring in my head how many weeks till I was at 5K shape, if I increased my time by ten percent each week.  For one reason, my record has been so spotty about running every week, I may have been doomed to disappointment.  I managed to run for 22 minutes, which was how long I ran the last time I ran.  I think (too lazy to find my Running Journal and check).   I enjoyed my cool-down walk, and especially the bottle of ice water I had left on my deck to drink while I walked it.

I see I am over 600 words, and it is later than the time I had aimed to have the chicken in the oven.  Darn!  And I still have to add categories and tags, and think of a headline!  Well, that’s what I get.  I hope to see you all on Lame Post Friday!

 

It’s Monday Running Commentary!

So I ambitiously went running, thinking I could do a Monday Running Commentary for a change.  Then as I started cooking dinner, I thought maybe a cooking post.  Of course, a part of me always wants a Monstrous Monday, even when it isn’t Monday.  Then again, I have not been running in a while.  I think I’ll comment on it.

I have really fallen off the exercise wagon lately, much to my own detriment.  At my age, I need to stay active or I may stop moving entirely!  I did go for a nice walk on Saturday, so I have not been completely sedentary.  I took comfort in that and made my plans.  It was such  beautiful day, I preferred to do something outside than go to the YMCA.  I told myself, walk or run, but do SOMETHING!

As I got ready to go running, I realized I need to invest in some more sports bras (PLEASE do not tell me TMI!).  My supply is getting kind of old.  I found a couple to wear, though, as well as bicycle shorts, running socks and a loose-fitting t-shirt.  I remembered where my running shoes ended up.  This was going to be great!  I got together a load of laundry to throw in while I ran, just to be extra ambitious, especially for a Monday.

It was with a little frisson of virtue, therefore, that I started out.  Unfortunately, it was not long before my legs said, “Oh, crap.”  This was not going to be fun.  However, as I have often noted, if I have learned one thing, it is how to persevere.  After all, one must get through the crappy runs in order to get to the good ones.  I could at least enjoy the sunshine.

I could not enjoy the sunshine.  But I sternly warned myself against dwelling on my misery and kept going.  Seeing flowers and looking for shade distracted me somewhat. Some people were sitting out enjoying the day.  I even saw a sunbather, stretched out on a lounge chair, face down.  I was reminded of Hercule Poirot’s observation in Evil Under the Sun, about sunbathers looking remarkably alike.  Oh dear, he put it much better than that.   I don’t know where I put my copy of that book, and I really don’t want to take the time to look for it now.  Read the book yourself, if you like murder mysteries.

Anyways, I managed to run for 22 minutes (my favorite number!).  As is often the case, my cool-down walk was my favorite part.  I think my least favorite part is this blog post about it.  I’m sorry, folks, it’s Monday, and I have to finish cooking dinner.  I hope to see you all tomorrow, on Tired Tuesday.