Tag Archives: running

I Would Rather Write

Posted on May 29, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

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.

 

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The Run I Deserved?

Posted on May 25, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

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!

 

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It’s Monday Running Commentary!

Posted on May 15, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

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.

 

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May Day Run?

Posted on May 2, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I unexpectedly ran today.  I had my work-out clothes in a bag in my vehicle, thinking to go to the YMCA in Mohawk for my usual arms and abs followed by elliptical.  Then I stepped out of work into the warm air and thought, “I can’t waste this!”  It was nice and cloudy too, just the way I like it.  I left the workout clothes in my vehicle for another day, got dressed in a running outfit — shorts and short sleeves, woohoo! — and set out.  Full disclosure:  the outfit in my bag would have been fine for running, but I figured this way I already have the bag packed for next time.

Oh, the bare sidewalks! Oh the breeze that did NOT torment my sinuses!  Well, yes, the warmer temperature does make my spring allergies immediately kick in (it’s either placebo effect or really, really fast pollens), but that is not the same as the pain brought on by a bitter wind.  I got set to enjoy myself.

Of course I did not.  I have not been running in weeks (too lazy to check my running journal and see exactly how long) (well, that fits: too lazy to run, too lazy to check).  I have taken walks and gone to the YMCA, but not as consistently as intended or recommended.  In fact, I haven’t done anything since Friday.  In my defense, oh never mind my defense, explanations are tiresome.  But my body was not happy with me right away.

I grimly told myself that this was the difference between a smooth elliptical machine and pounding on the pavement.   Just endure, I thought.  One must get through runs like this to get to the good ones.  I have not run up the hill to Herkimer College in a long, long time.  I want to get back there one day!  Today, obviously, was not that day.  I decided 15 minutes would be OK, although I would try for 20.  Twenty minutes seemed good for the first run in a long, long time.

I thought about how I have been going for long walks on some of the days I do not go to the YMCA.  Walking, I thought longingly.  How pleasant would that be?  I would go further and longer!  Why wasn’t I walking?  I had really missed a bet this time!  But I kept running, at least the middle-aged shuffle I call a run.  I reminded myself that this was the pace I can keep up for just about as long as I decide to.

By the end of the run, I was picturing a calendar and counting in my head if I ran 20 minutes, then added 10 percent every week, how soon would I be ready to run a 5K?  What if I ran 22 minutes?   I left out a week and got confused.  Then I wondered when I might find a 5K in the area that I wanted to run.  I also wondered if I would be able to get a blog post out of this run.  I could call it May Day Run.  Isn’t May Day what ships call when they are about to sink?  Appropriate for the way I was running!

I made it for 23 minutes.  Perhaps I could have gone further, but there was no point in killing myself (oh, YOU can probably see a point to it!) (you know who you are).  As it was I was damn tired.  My cool-down walk was more pleasant than the run, but I was ready to stop that by the end, too.  I stood on the deck to do my stretches and noticed some daffodils in my yard.  Yay, daffodils!  I had been hoping all day to see some May flowers.

 

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Two Runs, One Post, It’s Tired Tuesday!

Posted on February 28, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Regular readers will recall that yesterday I was too tired after my run to make a blog post about it.  I went running again today and will attempt to make a Running Commentary post in lieu of my usual Tired Tuesday.  In fact, I am tired after my run but feel somewhat revived after my recovery beverage of chocolate milk.  I think I can manage at least 200 words.  Maybe I can write about both runs.  A double Running Commentary.  That is appropriate for a veteran like me, because in the Army we called running “double time.”  I’ll write it on the double (if anybody just made a rimshot noise, oh just shut up, you know these are the kinds of jokes I make).

For two days now temperatures have been above 40.  Yesterday my thermostat said 46, and today it said 50.  Woohoo!  That is shorts and short-sleeve weather for me.  I got some running clothes on and got out the door, first putting a load of laundry in the washer.  This is how I multi-task.  I did it yesterday, I did it again today.  I am way behind on my laundry.

Both days have really not been as warm as I like.  It is kind of like the entire earth hasn’t warmed itself up yet.  The sun felt warm, but the air felt cold, especially in the shade and/or when the wind blew.  No matter.  I knew I would warm up as I ran.  And if not, I had a sweatshirt waiting for me to wear on my cool-down walk, and the hot shower afterward would feel especially good.  I concentrated on how nice it is to have bare, dry sidewalks.  Except, of course, for certain patches of ice, mud and puddles.  I dodged around them, usually into more mud.  You’ll have that this time of year. I persevered.

I quickly realized I was going to have to persevere over my own body’s complaints as well.  My legs felt stiff and sore.  Yesterday I forgot to stretch out after I ran, probably because I went right down into the basement to put the laundry in the drier.  I’m not really good at multi-tasking.  Well, one thing I know how to do is persevere.  At least at some things.  At least for a little while.

Today’s run was two minutes shorter than Monday’s, 22 and 24 minutes respectively.  Yes, these are short runs.  I have not been running enough lately; I have to build myself up again.  I walked for ten minutes both days.  Yesterday I also skipped my recovery beverage.  You see, the doctor told me I was probably becoming intolerant to dairy.  I am not sure I believe him, since this is also the guy that told me sugar was causing all my headaches.  Don’t get me started on doctors.  Still, I cut way back on sugar and stopped drinking milk, in case I see him again and he asks. However, today I felt so ate up after the run (“ate up” is also an army expression), I said to hell with it, I’m having the chocolate milk.  It tasted good.  I also remembered to stretch.

Ooh, look at me, over 500 words.  That’s pretty good for a Tired Tuesday.  Anyways, I’m glad I went running two days in a row.  And I’m glad I managed to write a blog post about it.

 

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Now I’m Cooking! No, I’m Not!

Posted on February 27, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sssssizzle!

I’m standing in my kitchen,  trying to cook supper and type into my Tablet at the same time. I am not very handy at this one letter at a time typing.  And the Tablet’s little guesses of what I’m about to type is not as helpful as one would expect.

OK, supper is over.  I had thought I could take a few pictures of the work in progress and mock up a cooking post.  I went running earlier, thinking to do a Running Commentary post.  I soon realized I was far too tired for such a thing.  That happens sometimes on these mid-week runs.  But I did want to start cooking supper before Steven got home, so I thought, “Hey!”

So the above picture is the half onion I chopped and put on to cook in oil (I previously used the other half for another meal).  Unfortunately it blacked before it browned, but you’ll have that.  I had a couple of pork chops I planned to put in once the onions were far enough along.  Should I take a picture of the pork chops?  That looked boring.  I had some garlic dip I made yesterday, which I planned to use making garlic mashed potatoes.  Maybe that would pep things up.  Then I threw in the bottles of wine we got at the wine tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor on Friday, and came up with this.

You can see the Mohawk Valley Fire moonshine from DikinDurt Distillery of Herkimer.

Full disclosure:  I did not cook with wine, unless you count the fact that the bottles were on the counter nearby.  I did not put it in the food, I did not sip while I stirred.  I hope that does not disappoint my fellow oenophiles (I pronounce it oh-nee-oh-file).

I wanted a third picture but could not at first think what to shoot.  I did not want to wait until supper was ready and take a picture of that.  My original plan was to finish this whole post before that, but, what a surprise, my plan did not work out.  Why do I even make them?  Finally I thought I would just go ahead and show how cluttered and unorganized my kitchen is, echoing no doubt the cluttered and unorganized state of my mind.

Note the garlic press. I use that a lot.

Supper turned out pretty good.  I put a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of mushroom pieces and stems in with the onions and pork chops.  I mashed the potatoes with a big spoonful of the garlic dip.  That was after a run and doing a load of laundry (which I did not mention before, but I did).   And now I’ve made my blog post.  I say I’m doing OK for a Monday.

 

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Another Tuesday Trudge

Posted on February 21, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Apparently I am always tired on Tuesday.  Other days as well, but Tuesday offers the charm of alliteration.  I am going to begin living a healthier lifestyle in hopes of having more energy and being less annoying.  Then again, I think energetic me can get pretty annoying as well, if I recall my young and bouncy days.  Well, I can’t worry about such things.

As part of my healthy plan, I am trying to exercise more.  I went for a long walk today after work.  I would have liked to run, but the puddles were enormous.  It rained all night and into the morning, and was warm enough for snow to melt all day.  There are flood watches all around, but my basement is dry so far, knock wood.  Anyways, I didn’t feel up to splashing through the puddles, especially as I suspected some ice would remain underneath.  I came home and put on my flood boots.

I put my Tablet in a canvas shoulder bag, thinking to take a few pictures, as I neglected to take pictures for a previous Pedestrian Post.  Then as I walked, I didn’t feel like taking any pictures.  I plodded along, wading through puddles, stepping around snow banks, and appreciating patches of dry, bare pavement.  I didn’t look up much, because I was keeping an eye on where I was walking.  Some of those puddles looked deep enough for “turn around, don’t drown,” till you got right up to them.

Since I was walking so slowly, I don’t know how much exercise I really got.  A good, brisk pace would have burned more calories.  Well, one can only do one’s best.  I’m sure some readers are currently saying, “And that’s the best blog post you can do?” (You know who you are.)  I guess it is.  I tried for a real post yesterday. I’ll try again tomorrow.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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Lousy Run, But I Petted Pudge

Posted on February 15, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of a better headline at the beginning of my run, but I do not remember it.  Perhaps I could if I really thought about it, but I am strangely disinclined to do so.  I like the headline I used better.  For one reason, it kind of tells it all.  Now I don’t have to write the post.

Oh, OK, I’ll write the blog post.

This afternoon I got a graphic demonstration of why we are not supposed to run twice in four days then not at all for ten.  Of course I already knew this, but what else could I do?  It was too late to go running on the ten days past.  As I ran, I thought it would have been a better idea to walk.  For one reason, the roads and sidewalks were TERRIBLE with puddles and ice.  For a walk, I could have worn my flood boots and waded through the puddles.  And it probably would have felt a lot better than my shuffling run. However, by the time I thought of this, that ship, too, had sailed.

Some of you may be thinking, “Hmm, blogger’s sick day yesterday, going running today, was she goldbricking?”   I assure you I was not.  In fact, I wasn’t feeling a whole lot better for most of the day, but I thought a little exercise might help.  Also, I needed something to write a blog post about.

I spent most of my run on the roads, avoiding deep puddles by running practically in the middle of the road.  I tried to stick to quiet streets, but there was still traffic.  At one point, I tried to run around a car stopped at a stop sign and almost ran right in front of a truck turning left onto that street.  I put both hands on my head in a gesture of distress, as an apology to the stopped car, which I was directly in front of at the moment.  I don’t know if you can picture it, but I laughed at myself.  I can only hope the drivers were similarly amused.

My legs did not thank me for the exercise, but I was not looking for gratitude.  As I walked my cool-down walk, I felt only a kind of a dull satisfaction that I had done it at all.  That was when I saw a lady ahead of me on the sidewalk, and it looked as if she was walking a dog.  I felt that petting a nice dog would make the whole thing better, but she was far ahead of me.  Luckily, the dear little doggy (as I thought of him) stopped to sniff enough that by walking quickly, I was able to catch up.

It was my friend Pudge the pug!  I was delighted to pet him again.  I have not seen him in a long time.  I chatted briefly with his person, wished her a good day, and finished my walk.  Oh, I was tired, and when I stretched, I was stiff.  Well, these are the runs we must live through to get to the good ones.  Sorry about this dull post, but I’ll make sure I write about the good runs, too.

 

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I Felt Super!

Posted on February 4, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ah ha ha!  (that was a triumphant laugh)  I went running again!  I took two days off, because it was just too cold for me, but this morning it was 30 degrees when we got up, so I said, “Hey!”

I waited a couple of hours first and ate a banana with peanut butter not quite one hour before I actually went.  It was not much above 30 by then, but I thought I could rock it.  I was right.  I ran on the sidewalk instead of the road for the most part, because it was covered with enough snow to give traction.  Sometimes I thought I saw ice underneath the snow, so I exercised caution.  My middle-aged shuffle is good for that.

I had run for a half a block before I realized it was snowing. Snow?  Oh well, I could still rock it (but not rocket, if you see what I mean).  I had on leggings, a long sleeved t-shirt, a hat and gloves.  I wished I had also worn a scarf, especially when the wind picked up.  Then again, running without a scarf, I think, “Oh, if I had a scarf to cover my cold face, how nice that would be!”  Running with a scarf, it’s, “I can’t get this damn scarf to cover my face right and now I’m fogging my glasses!”

As I ran, I thought about the blog post I would write, especially the title.  It is Superbowl Sunday.  Could I work that in?  How about alliteration on Sunday?  Then I looked around at houses, feeling happy when I saw the occasional Christmas decoration still up.  I don’t really get over my post-Christmas let-down till spring.  Sometimes it lasts till it’s time to start thinking about Halloween.  When I wasn’t looking for greenery and wreaths, I was hoping the cold air would not give me a headache.

Regarding that last sentence, it was a forlorn hope. As I type this, I’m afraid I got one and it is getting worse (remember, the more you complain, the longer God lets you live). However, I see that I am over 300 words.  Short for a Running Commentary but long enough for a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I shall stop blogging and nurse my headache.  But I ran for 26 minutes, the same as I ran on Thursday, and I felt pretty damn good about it. Happy Sunday, everybody.

 

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Foolishness Part Two

Posted on January 2, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have been looking forward to making this post since I signed off on my last one.  Here are pictures from July through December 2017.

“I don’t always do Shakespeare plays…”

I was going to choose Nosferatu but decided on my friend Tucker looking like the Most Interesting Man in the World.  He is in costume for The Tempest, LiFT’s Summer Shakespeare production, a wonderful theatre experience for all involved.

“I could do a Shakespeare play.”

OK, here is Nosferatu.  I couldn’t leave him out, could I?  This is the shot in which I thought the background looks like the Little Falls Antique Center, which LiFT rehearses and performs in front of.  So the pictures kind of relate, right?

It was the first annual, and I was there!

This being a kind of a Year in Review, I include something about running.  I ran the Boilermaker 15K in Utica in July, then I ran the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K in October (although this photo was under September in my Media Library), AND I did the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls in December.  Full disclosure:  I have not been running since.  But I mean to take it up again soon.  No doubt I will make blog posts about it.

He looks quite delighted to be there, doesn’t he?

Here is a Halloween-y photo and a plug to a local business:  The Old Barn Marketplace on Route 5, Little Falls.  I wrote about them for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I shall no doubt go there again and write a blog post about it.

Gotta love me some Joan Crawford.

Here’s a shot from I Saw What You Did, a William Castle movie Steven got me for my birthday in November.  I just loves me a cheesy horror movie with Joan Crawford.

It was a fun day!

I thought I would end with a picture from the Reindeer Run 5K, which I mentioned earlier.  It was a fun run on a fun day.

And this has been a fun post to make.  Happy New Year, everybody, and let’s have a great 2018.

 

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