Tag Archives: running

I Finally Got Some Beer!

Posted on September 11, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again I interrupt my Saturday gyrations for a Scattered Saturday post.  We got up early(ish), just after six, and I immediately went for a run.  I would have liked to do a Saturday Running Commentary post, but I had other fish to fry.  I was communicating with family via phone and Facebook to coordinate plans.  Then I hustled to the Friendly Bake Shop in Frankfort, NY, for donuts.  I like donuts.

Before implementing the above-mentioned plans, I wrote a few post cards and walked with Spunky to the post office to mail them.  I do like to write post cards.  This week I had some new ones from Florida, which my lovely friend Kim had found while cleaning her house and given to me.  Certain family members had arrived at my house while we were perambulating.  I think at least a couple of them enjoyed a donut.  I had one as well, then we were off to Little Falls for the Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival.

After checking out the festivities, which included a craft beer tasting at the Piccolo Cafe, some of us went on to lunch at Applebee’s in Herkimer. From there it was a short drive to the Mohawk Antiques Mall in (duh) Mohawk.  I love that place.

Now Steven and I are home.  We took another short perambulation with our pooch and are contemplating our movie viewing plans for the evening.  I want to watch Halloween movies, perhaps of the cheesy variety.  It always makes for a good blog post.  Several of our activities today will make for good blog posts too, I hope. We’ll see what I can manage to write in the coming days.  In the meantime, Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

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Waaaait a Minute! I Never Got My Beer!

Posted on September 9, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I ran earlier.  It was a pretty lousy run, but I did not despair of writing a passable Running Commentary post.  The trick is to get to the computer while it is all still fresh in my mind.  Well, I tried, but the damn computer was updating.

Then again, I don’t think I was thinking all that many great thoughts during the run.  Mostly I was gasping for breath in the humidity and wondering why the rain wouldn’t start and give me some relief.  Or does rain get rid of humidity instantaneously?  Perhaps it would not have given me any relief at all.  At least it would not have made me appreciably wetter, because I was covered with sweat before I started.

All of this was no great matter, though, because at least I ran.  And by virtue of running on my Monday holiday, I had only gone two days without running.

I can’t say it was a particularly fun run.  Partway through it I felt that I was not enjoying myself and asked myself why I keep thinking I like to run.  I answered, I like to run on weekend mornings, when it is cool and I feel fresh.  Unfortunately, you cannot only run two days a week with five days break in between.  That would not make for enjoyable weekend runs.  Then I pointed out to myself that when running in hot weather my leg muscles warmed up faster.  My leg had felt quite discouraged at the beginning of the run but were doing better by the end.

I carefully pointed out to myself beautiful flowers in people’s lawns and window boxes.  Scenery always helps.  I envied people who were sitting on their front porches. I would have liked to be sitting still on my front porch, possibly with a beverage.

That was when I thought of beer.  A nice cold beer.  How good would that taste?  I thought, VERY.  So that was the reward I kept in my head for the rest of the run.

I finished the run and my cool-down walk before the rain.  I had a lovely cold shower, ate some food and waited for the computer to cooperate.  Then I wrote this blog post, which I am afraid is not as good of a Running Commentary as I had originally envisioned.  Then again, at least the whole post was not about How I Can’t Write a Post Today.  We’ll save that for Lame Post Friday.  I’m going to call this a Non-Sequitur Thursday and hit Publish.  I hope you’re having a lovely day.

 

 

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Off to a Running Start on Sunday

Posted on August 28, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s Sunday Running Commentary!  When I got up this morning (at a leisurely but not as late as I would have liked) 6 a.m., I said, “It would be a good idea if I went running.”  I was bearing in mind a recent note to self: do not go three days without running.  It had been two.  Regular readers may recall that it is a trick I use to get myself to do what is good for me:  I say, “It would be a good idea if…” as opposed to, “I should…”  Sometimes it works.  Today it did.

I wore my ARMY t-shirt with the reflective doo-dah on the back, because it seemed the sun was not quite up.  By the time I had wrestled myself into two sports bras (do NOT tell me, “TMI!”), it was not as dark as it had seemed, but a bit of reflective stuff is not a bad idea on a run.  Off I went.

As I reached the end of the driveway I saw the most beautiful sky.  The rising sun was making a lovely pink texture on the bottom sides of lots of clouds.  It was to the left of me as I ran towards German Street.  I wondered if it was a red sky at morning (sailors take warning). I pondered, as I have since I first heard that expression, if there was a qualitative difference between red skies and pink skies.  And how about orange skies?  Anyways, I’m not a sailor, so I have never been too exercised over the whole idea.

I turned left onto German, so I could enjoy the sky.  I saw our paper deliverers across the road and waved at them.  Our paper deliverers are awesome.  So prompt and reliable, and they seem to have a vast territory.  My plan was to run up Main Street, down the path over what used to be a hydraulic canal (does that path have a name?) then on to the end of German, via a street that runs parallel, and back down German, going up and down the dead end streets.  It is what I think of as my Sunday Dead End Run.  As my run time increases, I can add more dead end streets.  My run time is back down (I’ve had a bad summer, running-wise), so I wondered how few dead ends I would make today.

As it turned out, very few.  OK, just one. And I suffered an injury. Not much of one.  As I approached the end of the street that ends near the parking lot of the HARC building (another dead end but not one that forces me to turn around, so ah ha ha), I ran around a car parked across the sidewalk.  I thought to get back on the sidewalk for the little bit of it that was left, then I tripped on the curb and went down.  Damn!  How clumsy of me.  I scraped my knee but did not pause to check how badly.  It didn’t feel too bad.  I had landed on one hand too but thought I had done even less damage there.  Mostly some gravel.  This was fine. I would be bad ass enough not to worry about it (although I planned to mention it in my blog post).

It was not, however, a particularly bad ass run.  I was ready for the cool shower portion of my day well before I stopped running.  I enjoyed it, despite being sweaty, tired and (slightly) injured. I like looking at people’s houses, envying features like screened-in porches and wondering if I can imitate certain garden features.  For example, I saw a chair with a potted plant sitting underneath the space where the seat was missing, vines climbing up the chair back.  Do I have a broken old chair I can use that way? Maybe I could find one at a garage sale.  I saw a very long clothesline.  My clothesline is not nearly that long but I like it.  Is it supposed to rain today?  My bunions are non-committal.

I ended up running 30 minutes.  My goal had been 28, approximately ten percent over the 25 minutes I ran last Sunday.  I felt pretty pleased about it.  I feel pretty pleased that I have made my blog post prior to 8 a.m.  What other ambitious things can I get done today?  The sky’s the limit!  Incidentally, it stopped being pink soon into my run.  I think I’ll check and see if it’s grey.

 

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Run before Rain

Posted on August 26, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of that title as I walked to my vehicle after work under threatening grey skies.  As it turns out, it is an appropriate headline mostly because today is Non-Sequitur Thursday.  But at least I ran.

First I went three days without running.  These things happen.  My legs started to ache again today, so I thought it would be a good idea to get out there.  I thought it was going to rain; for one reason, my bunions said so all day yesterday.  If it rained I could run in place on the mini-tramp.  When it was not raining immediately after work, I thought I would take a chance.  What was the worst that could happen?  I get wet?  As I like to say, I ain’t sugar; I won’t melt.  I get hit by lightning?  Well, my grandmother used to stay in the pool and count the seconds between the flash and the boom.  If it was good enough for Grandma, it’s good enough for me.  Anyways, I didn’t hear any rumbles nor yet see any flashes.

I took Spunky out as soon as I got home, as I usually do.  It was more a short business meeting than a real walk.  Those clouds looked dark. However, on my way home from work I had seen some high school kids running.  Probably the track team.  If they could run, I could run.

Off I went.  My legs were not the least bit happy with me.  Next time don’t go three days without running, I scolded myself.  Oh, this was painful.  I was moving slow but I was moving.  A little breeze was nice when I got it.  Otherwise it was humid.  Breathe, Cindy, breathe.  As the run progressed it became harder to breathe.  However, I realized that the worse the breathing, the less the legs hurt.  One thing about my body, the parts usually take turns complaining.  If they didn’t all have to take a turn one right after the other, that would be even better, but you can’t have everything.

I enjoyed running around the neighborhood, looking at houses, flowers, cars.  I saw a classic car in one driveway.  I think it was from the ’40s but I am not very knowledgeable about these things.  I saw a person sitting on a front porch.  I would like to sit on a porch, I thought.  With a beer.  There was no beer in my house.  Why did I not stop and pick up beer on my way home? That beer could be chilling in my refrigerator, waiting to reward me at the end of the run.  Now what would I reward myself with?  There are Klondike bars in the freezer (somebody gave Steven a coupon).  The song, “What would you do-oo for a Klondike bar?”  played in my head for the rest of the run (full disclosure: at the time of this posting, I have not yet eaten a Klondike bar; weight loss goals, you know).

There was a lovely screened in porch. You can sit on a screened-in porch when it’s raining.  Why didn’t I buy a house with a screened-in porch?  I had my reasons, but it basically boils down to what that great philosopher Mick Jagger once said, you can’t always get what you want.  How much longer was this run going to take?  I hadn’t been running in three days, surely 15 minutes would be good enough.  Maybe 20.  Should I keep running once the rain started or head for home by the most direct route?  Why wasn’t it raining yet?  Those big fat bluffing clouds!

The rain began 11 minutes into the run.  The clouds were not bluffing; my bunions were vindicated.  It was a nice gentle sprinkle.  I could rock this. Mind you, I was not particularly rocking the run itself, but I was still running.  Maybe the rain would wash away some of the humidity.  Then it would be easier to breathe.  This wasn’t bad at all.  Why don’t I ever run in the rain?  Of course it wasn’t raining very hard.  A downpour might be more uncomfortable.  I would see when this rain became a downpour.

Which, it never did.  Two or three blocks later, it stopped.  What was that all about?  It was supposed to RAIN!  That little sprinkle had done nothing for the humidity.  Rats!  Still, I kept going.  Once you’re out, you might as well keep going, right?

I ended up running for 23 minutes.  I thought that was pretty good since I had run 23 and 25 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.  I don’t have a definite plan of when to run again, but I’m thinking before three days have passed.  So, Sunday at the latest.  Perhaps I’ll write another Running Commentary.  It’ll make a change from Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

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Trying to Get Back on Track

Posted on August 23, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

My plan for the week had been to write a more detailed post about each Mohawk Valley adventure from my Scattered Saturday.  I was going to be a Good Writer and write on my breaks at work.  Did I really think I was going to do that?  I bet some of you didn’t, you doubters, you!  OK, doubters who were 100 percent correct in this case.  You may congratulate yourselves but don’t get too smug about it, that’s obnoxious.

Where was I?  Ah yes, attempting a blog post about one of my adventures from this past Saturday.  Going in chronological order, I should start with a Running Commentary.  It had actually been my plan to make the Running Commentary before beginning the other adventures, but, well, in my defense, I wrote postcards instead.  People like to get postcards from me.

So I had not been running for a couple of weeks (who’s counting?) (in fact, I cannot exactly count, because I know I ran one time between July 30, when I made my last entry in the Running Journal, and Saturday, but I do not know what day that was) (it does not matter if that is a run-on sentence, because it is a parenthetical comment).  My legs had been aching all week in a most unprecedented fashion.  I did not know what was wrong but suspected it was lack of activity (although I have been working on my feet all day most days, so go figure).  It is so annoying.  My leg ache because I don’t run, and I don’t feel like running because my legs ache.

Just a short run, I told myself.  Maybe a nice walk.  Just move your legs.  I didn’t do it Friday night.  For one reason, we were having people over, and I had to chop vegetables.  I would do it Saturday morning.  I woke up with a headache.  That should not matter; I often have a headache these days.  I could still run.

First I had coffee.  Two cups.  They perked me up considerably.  I got my running gear on and took off, making copious mental notes for the Running Commentary I was sure to write later.

And as you can see, I still have not written it.  The run went pretty OK, I guess.  I ran again on Sunday.  My legs ached less today.  Unfortunately, my head problems remain.  I’m thinking it is the dreaded fall allergies.  My head is spinny and vague (yes, I mean “spinny” and not “spinning,”  I am not vague on that point), and I do not feel capable of writing any more of a blog post.  However, I see I am over 400 words.  400 good words?  Oh, since when have I worried about that?  Let’s just call this a Monday Mental Meanderings and move on.

 

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But Was It A Triumphant Run?

Posted on August 2, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

We interrupt All Much Ado All The Time for a running commentary.  If I can write one.

Our production of Much Ado About Nothing faced an interruption of its own when we postponed “Much Ado at the Zoo” from today till next Monday, Aug. 8.  So it is an unexpected night off for me and my fellow cast-members.  Ah, a chance to study my lines, press my costume, do a load of laundry, spend time with my husband.  And run.

I did not run on Sunday, because when I got up it was pouring rain.  I don’t usually run in the rain (although I got rained on plenty later on at rehearsal, as I may have mentioned in yesterday’s post).  I can possibly run before Tuesday’s rehearsal but probably not Wednesday’s.  In short, it would be a good idea to run today.  I spent the day thinking about it, hoping my body would just automatically do it instead of letting my mind talk me out of it.

But, oh, was I tired by the end of the day!  I had my Monday backache, my feet hurt as always, and I was inclined as usual to be a big fat baby about it.  Nevertheless, once I had taken Spunky for his afternoon business meeting, I got on my running clothes.  As I struggled into my sports bras, I felt I was getting a more strenuous workout than the run was going to be.  Don’t bleat “TMI!” at me!  Ladies, I appeal to you, is it not a dreadful experience, wrestling a small spandex harness over a sweaty body?  I was out of breath when I finally triumphed.

My run was less of a triumph.  As I started down the sidewalk, I could tell my body was not going to surprise me with athletic prowess.  Oh, well, I guess it never surprises me with what you might call prowess.  Still, sometimes I feel like I’m rocking it.  Today I felt more like a hunk of rock.  And I could hear the ice cream truck. That damn ice cream truck!  It plays the same tune over and over again, mocking me and sometimes stalking me.  Yeah, I’ll just stop running and eat some FATTENING ice cream! But I don’t have any money in my running clothes. AUGH!

I saw the truck coming down German Street.  I cleverly ran toward it so we would be headed in opposite directions.  Ah ha ha, I triumph!  The truck turned down my street.  I could still hear it perfectly.  It would probably turn at the corner and drive parallel to me.  Like I said, stalking me.  I reflected that at least it would make something silly to add to the blog post.

As I continued to run down German Street, my legs did not feel any better about the exercise.  I kept going anyways.  I even had a couple of very short sprints across the street when cars waved me by.  Still, a sprint is a sprint, right?  I waved thank you to all the cars that stopped for me.  Soon I realized I did not hear the ice cream truck.  I savored the silence.  I was surprised when it lasted for the rest of my run.  True, the run was short, but that ice cream truck can be persistent.

I can’t say I was happy I ran, but I will admit to feeling a certain grim satisfaction.  I recited my lines from the play while I was in the shower.  As I type this post, I am waiting for my husband to get home so I can spend a little time with him.  I don’t know that I will do any of the other chores I mentioned earlier.  But at least I made my blog post.

 

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Lazy Saturday Afternoon

Posted on July 31, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, it is another Slacker Saturday post.  I decided this after I typed in four or eight possible leads (who was counting?) and immediately backspaced over them.  Don’t judge me.

Our dear little doggy, Spunky, got us up prior to 5:30 this morning.  That was at least later than our usual 4:30 rising time, so I counted my blessings and put on my running clothes.  After accompanying Spunkman (as Steven likes to call him) on his morning business meeting, I went for a run.  It was not as long a run as I have taken, but I petted two dogs, went up something of a hill, and reached the I Can Rock This stage, although briefly.

I had rehearsal for Much Ado About Nothing at 10 a.m. in Little Falls.  That’s always fun.  I just love community theatre.  You meet the nicest people.  Also, I am an incurable ham (get it?  Because ham is a cured meat?  Well, I thought it was a play on words).

After rehearsal, Steven and I had some discussion of what to do, but eventually we went out to lunch at Cucina Berto in Frankfort, and grocery shopping at Hannaford in Herkimer.  When we got home, we took our doggy for a walk around the block (that is usually about as far as our little friend wants to go). Now we are wondering what to watch on television, if anything.

As you can see, I have indulged in a number of bloggable activities today: run, rehearsal, lunch, shopping, walk.  I could even write about How I Can’t Write a Post Today, given the number of starts I erased before I started.  Instead, I offer… what I just wrote.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

P.S.  Steven suggested the title.

 

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Today is Thursday, Right?

Posted on July 29, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

For my Non-Sequitur Thursday post, I thought I would address how my Wuss-out Wednesday post was actually published on Tuesday.

I suppose the shortest explanation would be one of my favorites:  Shit happens.  However, that would make for a rather short blog post, and it doesn’t really explain anything.  A slightly longer explanation might be that I’m not very bright or that I was awfully tired. Explanations are so tiresome.

The funny thing is, because I have never fixed the time thingy on my WordPress account, the post has Wednesday’s date, July 27.  I suppose I could just stay still about it and hope nobody notices, but at least one of my Facebook friends already did.  Also, this seemed like a good thing to write about for Non-Sequitur Thursday.

It is really difficult to write anything these days.  Is it the hot, humid weather?  Menopausal brain fog?  My general sadness and discouragement?  I think all of the above are factors.

Of course, one must persevere.  I learned that from running.  One observation I feel bound to make, however, is that it is much easier to persevere when running than when writing.  Really, running is so much easier!  All you have to do is move your feet.  OK, sometimes my body does not want to cooperate.  But it has never just sat down on the sidewalk and refused to move.  Once I start running, I can almost always persevere.  With writing, not so much.

I know, according to this thinking, I ought to be running marathons by now.  We all know that is not the case.  In my defense, I remind you that I did say “Once I start running.”  Getting started is half the battle.  I’m sure some of you are gearing up to chirp, “Well, that’s true of writing, too.”  Sometimes it is.  But sometimes not so much.  Sometimes I get started and can’t get much more than a sentence or two.  Sometimes I am going great guns when suddenly, I’m not.

For example, this blog post.  I started out without too much difficulty, I kept going for several paragraphs, stringing over 300 words together, and suddenly…  I am not only inclined to stop, I’m wondering if I should erase this whole thing and start over again.  Unfortunately, I can’t do that.  I have to get ready for rehearsal for Much Ado About Nothing.  We’re meeting at the zoo tonight, and I have to drive myself there. After getting my costumes together and looking over my lines again.  Sorry, no more time to blog!

 

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Pre-Rehearsal Wuss

Posted on July 27, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh crap, look at the time!  My ride is picking me up for rehearsal in about 25 minutes.  I can’t get my blog post done plus find the props I still need, brush my teeth, put my shoes on, look over my lines again, eat a pickle, finish my iced coffee, look at Facebook again… and remember all the other stuff I thought I could do.  Oh, and pet my dog. He just walked over from his end of the couch, and I think that is what he wants.  One must pet one’s dog, after all.

Luckily, this is Wuss-out Wednesday.

The thing is, I wrote a blog post today.  I had written most of it yesterday with the thought that I would also type it in when I typed in yesterday’s post.  Then today I would only have to hit “Publish,”  so I would have time to run.  However, yesterday I also did a load of laundry and made a salad.  Was that not ambitious of me?  I finished the post while at work today.  Then I amused myself by writing a brief synopsis of a possible sequel to Much Ado About Nothing (you know, the play I’m in).

When I got home today, after I took the dog for a business meeting (it was too short to call it a walk), I went running.  I wanted to write a Running Commentary post, but that is just not going to happen.  Anyways, first I had to eat, drink an iced coffee, and check my email.  Then answer my email, which I had to do twice, because I didn’t do it right the first time, and I still haven’t answered all the emails I am supposed to.

Good grief!  The only good thing is, I now have over 250 words of this nonsense and I  am going to hit Publish.  Maybe I can write another blog post about what else I accomplished from my list in the first paragraph.  Happy Wednesday, everybody.

 

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Scattered Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on July 25, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

Oh dear, that seems to be the extent of my capacity to write.  One problem is that I’m on our tablet, typing one letter at a time with the stylus.   Ooh, it is creepy when the tablet correctly anticipates what I’m about to type.  And kind of weird when it does not.

Ah, now I am on my laptop.  How delightful to type with all ten fingers.  I have always been fascinated by the skill of typing.  I’ve loved doing it ever since I learned how.

So now I have paragraphs beginning “Oh,”  “Oh,”  and “Ah.”  You may have noticed that I am something of a drama queen.  I contend that there are worse things to be. Sometimes being a drama queen stands me in good stead, for example, when I am on stage, as I often am these days.  So there.

It has been a busy weekend, beginning Thursday night with a performance of scenes from Much Ado About Nothing on Benton’s Landing in Little Falls.  On Friday I marched in the Doodah Parade in Ilion with Ilion Little Theatre.  Saturday morning I was up early(ish) and running, then off to Liverpool, for a nephew’s high school graduation party.  Fun times with family!  I ran again this morning, before the drive back home.

While we went away, we boarded our dog with a delightful man from the Velvet Dog in Herkimer.  We dropped our Spunky off Saturday morning and were able to pick him up Sunday when we got back into town.  I felt it was a very reasonable price for our dog to be well cared for and to be able to pick him up at our own convenience on a Sunday.  Yay, Velvet Dog!

But it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, because I am damn tired.  The coming week stretches in front of me with hot temperatures, humidity and a long list of things to do and places to be.  But I have bitched about these things before, and I believe I marked complaining off my list of things to do.  Everything will be delightful.  I hope to make better blog posts in the coming week as well as finding time to run. However, my focus is on Much Ado About Nothing. It’s All Much Ado All The Time!  For at least the next three weeks!  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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