Tag Archives: running

In My Defense, It Was a LONG Run!

Posted on June 28, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had thought to do a Saturday Running Commentary.  Actually, I had been going to do a Friday Running Commentary, but after my run and before I got to the blog, my dearest husband, Steven, came home and suggested we go to PK’s Pub for dinner.   We’ll blame yesterday’s silliness on that.

This morning I decided not to run, because I had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.  I actually did not plan on starting any of it before nine, when I would drop Steven off at work, but I thought I could have coffee with him and plan my course of action.  Full disclosure:  I did not exactly do that, but I did drink some Gator Ade and cure my headache (YES, I had another Saturday headache!  It’s almost enough to make a girl prefer Mondays!) (but not quite).

One thing I had been going to do was Coffee and Conversation with a Cop, which I thought was the last Saturday of the month.  However, when I drove by the church that hosts the program, the sign was not out front.  Rats.  Well, I thought, this will give me time to run.  It wouldn’t have to be a long run.  Maybe even a run with no hills.  But definitely a shorter run, I reasoned, mentally calculating how much I had to get done.

As you may have guessed, it was not a short run.  It was an hour and a half.  Then a ten-minute cool-down walk.  Then stretching, then a shower… and I definitely had to eat something.  I probably should have drunk some more Gator Ade, but one doesn’t have time for everything.  I did drink a big glass of milk.  Lots of protein in milk.

Obviously I had no time to get to the computer and type.  It is really too bad, because both runs were significant.  I felt pretty bad ass both days, and I would like to write a post detailing my triumphs.  By now, however, I have meandered all over the keyboard writing nonsense.  Not even very amusing nonsense at that.

Sorry, kids, but I guess we’ll have to call it Wrist to Forehead Saturday or Wuss-out Saturday or Lame Again Saturday… can’t think of anything alliterative, can I?  I’ve got it:  a Sad Saturday Post.  To clarify, I don’t particularly FEEL sad, but I feel that this is a sad post.  I’ll see what I can come up with for tomorrow.

 

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Better Luck Next Tired

Posted on June 24, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Full disclosure:  I did not intend to do a running commentary today.  I wrote a blog post while on breaks at work.  Unfortunately, it is too long for me to type in tonight.  Give me a break, it’s Tired Tuesday!  Could it be I am tired because I ran?  No!  I was tired to begin with.  I invite you to read on…

I spent the last couple of  hours at work telling myself that it was a VERY GOOD IDEA that I go running.  Actually, I was thinking things like, “I must, I positively must run”  and “I have to run tonight, I HAVE to.”  I re-phrased it to “very good idea” in order to short circuit my naturally rebellious nature.  Still, when it poured rain for a short time, I had a moment of hope that I would be off the hook. Only a moment, though.  In the first place, I figured it would stop raining.  In the second place, I have a mini-tramp on which I can run in place during inclement weather.

The rain stopped after a very short time.  It was sunny and breezy by the time I headed home.  Steven was already there.

“A  twenty minute  run will be sufficient for my purposes today,” I said.  I had hopes that I would run for longer once I got going, but it is difficult to predict these things.

To begin with the run was not much fun.  The sun was hot, I knew that going in.  The cooling breeze blew up into a strong wind that was dead against me.  What was that all about? Never mind, I told myself.  It will just take me longer to get from point A to point B. I wondered if it was going to rain again.  It seemed there was not a cloud in the sky, except for a few fluffy, harmless-looking white puffs. No sudden storm was going to let me off the hook ten minutes in.  That was all right too.  Just keep going.

I had a vague thought to run up the hill to Herkimer College.  I wondered if I would make it.  I have previously stated that once I start up a hill it is almost a foregone conclusion that I will make it to the top.  The question was, would I start?  I  turned at Lou Ambers Drive.  I considered stopping at the spring for a quick sip, but it wasn’t that long  into the run.  Besides, I had been drinking water all day.  Surely I was hydrated (I’ll call you Shirley if I feel like it).

The road has a bit of an upslope, then goes level, then goes steeply up, around a curve and up some more.  I was still on the gentle upslope when the wind against me got even stronger.  It cost a great effort to move even at my middle-aged shuffle.  I decided I would NOT go all the way up the hill.  After all, I did not intend to write a blog post about the run.  I would not have to embarrassedly confess to my readers that I started up a hill and turned off.  I would turn off into the residential area (which I like to call the suburbs) and perhaps run a hill or two there.

The  wind got stronger yet.  I was not all the way up the upslope when I said, “To Hell with this!” and turned around.  The wind almost immediately died down rather than give me a nice push. I have to wonder about that.  Was it all psychological? Or maybe a ghost?  I ask these questions now as I write this. At the time I merely felt a grim  satisfaction at having said, “To hell with it.”

I went through the parking lot of Salvatore’s, because there was some nice shade. I spent a good part of the rest of the run looking at my watch to make sure I at least ran twenty minutes.   It looked as if I would just make it. My body was not feeling any happier with me. I knew I could keep going, but it was not going to get fun.  I thought, “If I’m not into it by now, I am not going to be into it today.”

When I got back to my street, my run unexpectedly lengthened. I had crossed the street, which put me on the same side as a little dog.  I  did not want to disturb the dog, so I continued down the  block and ran up the street parallel to mine.  I felt vaguely pleased with myself over this.  The run still wasn’t fun, but I knew I could keep going.  Many of us, I reflected, can keep going for longer than we think  we can.

I ended up running for 28 minutes.  It would have been nice to make it at least a half hour, but I felt happy that I had gone over my self-mandated twenty.  As I walked my cool-down, I complimented some neighbors on a beautiful new porch they are putting up.  They said thank you. Perhaps now I can go  sit on my own perfectly attractive old porch.   Like I said, I’m tired.

 

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Two Long Runs, One Short Post

Posted on June 22, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went for an awesome run yesterday (Saturday).   I ran for an hour and twenty minutes including several hills, some of them quite steep.  I was very impressed with myself.  Then I  went to Liverpool and partied heartily with my sister.  That is an ’80s expression, and I find that appropriate, because we used to party about that heartily in the ’80s.  The result was I woke up this morning feeling as if I was in my 80s.

I went running anyways.  I thought the sweat would do me good.  Then, too, I knew I would be in no mood to run on Monday.  This way I could feel less guilty about it.  I could go for a  short run, twenty or thirty minutes.

It was a good plan, but I  reckoned without my uncanny ability to get lost.  In my defense,  these residential developments are often laid out in a far from straightforward fashion.  I often think they use a plate of spaghetti as their model (and I may have said so in this space; sorry to repeat myself).  I ended up running for 52 minutes.  It would have been 51:27, but I ran by my sister’s house  to make it an even number.  Additionally, I like the number 52, because it means I am playing with a full deck (get it?).

I know, this is not my usual Running Commentary.  In my defense, I’m tired. But I may go running tomorrow.  As the late, great Fats Waller often said, One never knows, do one?

 

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Also, I Have a Headache

Posted on June 21, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, this sucks.  And by “this,” I’m afraid I mean me.  Or perhaps, less globally, this post.  Let me explain…

Friday (yesterday) I thought I was going to have to work Saturday morning, meaning I had very little time to accomplish  all I had to do before heading to Syracuse on Saturday, which, incidentally,  I plan on doing (um, I mean, I’m not leaving my house,  I’m here with  my gun, my guard dogs and my best friend the Chief of Police) (and there’s nothing here to steal,  anyways) (but if you disregard the preceding two parenthetical comments and come over to rob me anyways, please clean the bathroom while you’re here).

Where was I?  Ah yes, planning in my head all I had to get done and in fact coming up with an awesome plan whereby I got it all taken care of.  The plan was not implemented, however, when my Saturday overtime got  cancelled.  Guess how many things on my list got accomplished?  NOT MANY!!!

I bet you thought I was going to say “none.”  However, I did paint  my toenails (hey, it was important to ME), go running (an hour and twenty minutes with lots of hills!),  got my shopping done, packed most of our stuff, and visited  the Herkimer County Historical
Society and 1834 Jail with my sister and some friends.

One thing I did not do was make my blog post.  Waaaaaait a minute.

 

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It Was Fun, Eventually

Posted on June 18, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I seem to remember my Mom telling me that my Aunt Mary said she admired me, because I would work a ten-hour day, go home and run, then write a blog post about it. I worked a ten-hour day today, so I thought I would try the run and write part as well. The run went pretty well.

I decided I was going to run up the hill to Herkimer College (previously HCCC) the front way. This, for non-local readers, is a formidable hill. I try to run it at least once a week, once I get in enough shape to run it at all.

I was a little worried about my run, because I knew it was supposed to be quite warm today. However, it didn’t feel too bad as I left the house, so I started out with high hopes.

Then I put my hopes on hold, because to begin with my body was none too pleased with me. Well, I can’t help it if I haven’t been running for two days; I’ve had things to do. There are only 24 hours in a day, after all, and I insist on sleeping for as close to eight of them as I can manage. No matter. I knew if I kept running there was a good chance my body would relax into it and be fine.

First, however, it was very slow. It was taking me forever to get down German Street! Then I thought, why should that bother me? I run for a certain length of time, not a certain distance. I can run as slow as I want. As George Thorogood once said, it don’t confront me.

Soon I was running up the hill. Yes, I still call it running, even as slow and shuffly as I was going. Don’t judge. It wasn’t much fun, but I was building up my running muscles. Or perhaps merely my ability to keep going till it gets fun.

It did get fun. All along I had the certainty that I could and would keep going. You know, as opposed to my body screaming at me, “Let’s stop! Let’s walk! I want ice cream!” Then I felt reasonably content to be moving. Then I was at the “I can rock this” stage. Yes!

A woman at work was talking about all the stuff she had to do at home. I said that work was probably more rewarding than work at, you know, work. She saw my point but said running on a treadmill was not particularly rewarding. I did not tell her I never run on a treadmill, but I thought about it as I ran down Reservoir Road, admiring the scenery.

I wondered what she might say if I had told her that. Probably that she had bad knees and couldn’t run on pavement. I thought, sure, it’s bad for my knees, my feet, my back, and I don’t care! I’m going to run till something gives out! Fortunately, nothing has so far.

Then I thought, that woman was probably speaking figuratively. Her work at home is never done, so it is like running on a treadmill. What a discouraging thought, although I suppose some people like to run on a treadmill. To each his own, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow.

I ended up running for 55 minutes. I’m thinking the Boilermaker 15K might take me an hour and fifty minutes to run, assuming I take a few minutes more than the last time I ran it (after all, I was under 50 then). So I ran about half what I will run in less than a month.

I walked a full ten minutes for my cool-down. My cool-down walk has been taking less time since I lost my beloved dog. After all, I don’t need to stop and sniff anything. I’m afraid I’ll always miss my Tabby during those ten minutes. However, it does feel good for my legs to walk after running, and I can think of Tabby up in Heaven, doing cool-down walks with the angels. Do you suppose any angels run?

 

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Better than Barefoot

Posted on June 14, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

As part of my preparation for running the Boilermaker 15K, I made my way to the Sneaker Store in New Hartford, NY for new running shoes.

I had been meaning to get the shoes sooner, as I noticed the tread wearing smoother and the gush getting less gushy on the pairs I was wearing (I have several; I don’t throw them away until they are completely useless). Still, I reasoned, some people run barefoot. I was at least protecting my feet better than those people.

On entering the store, I made straight for the clearance table. After all, I have to be frugal. I quickly found a couple in size seven wide. I sometimes take a seven, sometimes seven and a half. I had brought running socks to try the shoes on with, as I had been advised to do on a previous trip (I also have a tendency to wear my socks well beyond their peak usefulness).

A nice young man named Scott came over to see if I needed help. I explained my mission. I have to appreciate a place where you get the same attentive service whether you are browsing the clearance table or the most expensive ware.

I soon decided that seven and a half was my size now, and Scott found me a few pair to try on. I fell in love with some colorful New Balance, for the comfort as well as the look. I know you are not supposed to pick running shoes based on the bright green laces and flashes of purple, but my feeling is, if something can also be beautiful, why not enjoy it?

While I was trying on the shoes, I was chatting with Scott about my Boilermaker ambitions and general running technique. I shared my thoughts on barefoot running vs. old, worn-out running shoes. He said to run barefoot you needed good muscles in your legs. Now we all know why I will probably never run barefoot.

One thing Scott advised was that I stop training really hard two weeks before the big race and take it fairly easy the week before. Maybe one long run that week, and a very short run or walk the day before.

We also discussed the importance of hydration, especially on long runs. He said some runners are able to hide bottles of water at strategic spots along their routes. I told him how I often utilize the spring in Herkimer. Luckily there is not problem on the Boilermaker; they have plenty of water stations along the way.

I wore my new sneakers for a long run on Sunday, and they were great. I feel certain I will be ready to rock that 15K. If only I had somebody to meet me at the end and sing “We Are the Champions” while I walk around with my fists in the air, my life would be perfect.

The Sneaker Store is located 4490 Commercial Dr., New Hartford, NY. Phone number is 315-736-9237. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit their website http://www.the-sneaker-store.com and/or Like them on Facebook.

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After 15Ks I Get Beer

Posted on June 13, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Soon this blog may become All Boilermaker All The Time.  It is one month away as I write this (in a spiral-bound notebook while on break at work, just to give you a mental image if desired).

Sunday, July 12, I will run 15K with 13,999 other runners.  Then we’ll drink beer.  At least, beer will be available.  That’s not important right now.  What is important is that I ran three days in a row this week.

The last time I ran three days in a row, I declared that three times was the charm, because it was a great run.  I suppose that is the difference between running three days in a row on a three-day weekend and running three days in a row while working 8 or 9 hour days in heat.

Don’t worry; I’m not gearing up to whine and cry about my lousy run, nor even about my job or the heat.  I like my job, I can live with the heat, and it wasn’t all that lousy of a run, once I got into it.  Getting into it, however, was a little lousy.

My only plan when I started out was to run up the Herkimer College the back way and to run longer than I ran on Wednesday.  Wednesday was a purposely short run, because I had dinner plans with my spouse (ooh, I could have written a blog post about that.  Maybe tomorrow).  Additionally, I don’t know if, when and for how long I’ll be able to run today (Friday) and Saturday, so a long run would be a good idea.  However, I am not one to push myself mercilessly.  That is one way to get injured and have to stop running entirely.

A breeze was blowing when I left work, but it was sunny and warm.  I put on sunscreen and hoped I would not sweat it into my eyes as I sometimes do.  It was a little after four when I set out.  I had some difficulty crossing German Street but not enough to let me off the hook, so I was soon headed uphill.

And my body was not the least bit pleased with me. Oh, it SUCKED!  I had to ask myself, “Is this really going to make the Boilermaker suck less or am I just learning how to keep going when it sucks?”  I don’t suppose it matters;  either way will get me to the beer at the end of the race.

Soon I realized that my legs were not complaining at all.  It was my breathing that was the problem.  Pant, pant.   I don’t smoke!  I don’t have asthma!  Could my weight gain be to blame?  I concentrated on taking deep, slow breaths. Gasping for air will only make things worse.

It pretty much sucked the whole time I ran uphill, which was a while, because I continued up across the campus. Once I was on level ground, my breathing evened out.  Then my back started to hurt.  No way!  Well, I know weight can be a factor for that, so I could only regret all the ice cream.  I concentrated on running smoothly with as little bouncing as possible.  That helped.

I kept running for 52 minutes.  I thought that meant I was playing with a full deck, but perhaps I was being silly (what, me silly? Say it ain’t so!).  After the run I was exhausted.  And a little worried.  Fifty-two minutes is less than half of how long it took me to run the Boilermaker three years ago (good God, was it three years ago?  I was only in my 40s for heavens’ sake!).

However, this morning I didn’t feel too bad.  At odd times during the day I noticed my legs felt pretty spry.  Almost as if they were developing — dare I say it? — muscles.  So maybe running the Boilermaker won’t suck too bad.  And like I said, either way I get beer.

 

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Lame Wrist to Forehead Saturday?

Posted on June 7, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am having yet another very bad Saturday, as I am plagued with yet another headache.  Yes, I am keeping track of my headaches in a little notebook.  When I feel I have gathered enough data, I will return to my doctor (it is actually a nurse practitioner or physician assistant or some such) and say, “Help!”  However, my purpose in making a blog post is not to complain (I know, could have fooled you), but to entertain.

 

I only said “entertain” to rhyme.  My purpose in writing a blog is the purely selfish one of wanting to write every day.  The fact that some people kind of sort of like reading it is a delightful by-product that feeds my petty ego.

 

You may have guessed that I am being a little silly today.  I feel that after my stressful week, a day of blah-blahing at the keyboard, trying to be funny might be nice.  For me anyways.  For my readers, of course you are the judge.  Since I did not do a Lame Post Friday (although some may have found yesterday’s post, as well as many others, fairly lame, but let’s not go there), I thought Lame Post Saturday would be OK.  Then I thought my bad headache and lack of productivity made a Wrist to Forehead post also eligible.  Of course now I must strive NOT to have a Wrist to Forehead post tomorrow, but we’ll see how that goes, won’t we?

 

I tried to get a few things done today.  I went for a long run including a pretty good hill this morning.  That was nice.  At least, parts of it were nice.  You know how that goes.  My run made me determined to make it to the Sneaker Store in New Hartford, NY, for new running shoes, a mission which I also accomplished (and I might write a blog post about) (preview of coming attractions).  After that, my headache felt even worse and I could do no more than come home.

 

Last week I tried to get things done despite my headache, because I had people coming over in the evening.  My headache blessedly left me by the time my guests arrived, and a good time was had by all (perhaps I should have written about that).  This week I decided to give myself a break and nurse the damn headache.  Migraine Relief, decongestant and two naps later,  I feel a little better.  A cup of coffee seems to be having a beneficial effect which this morning’s cups lacked.

 

So life is getting better.  It shall improve more when my wonderful husband Steven returns from work.  We are still getting used to the large hole left in our hearts and lives by the sad departure of our beloved dog, but we help each other.  Sorry to bring up my poor Tabby again, but I’m sure other pet owners understand.

 

Ah, now I’ve done it. I ended on a down note instead of being entertaining.  That puts the wrist back onto the forehead, doesn’t it?  Tune in tomorrow, when  Mohawk Valley Girl says, “Where the hell should I put my wrist NOW?  Don’t answer that!”

 

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Just Another Scattered Saturday

Posted on May 31, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I pause in chopping vegetables to make a fast blog post (I just made a typo of calling it a blot post.  As my friend Rachel likes to say, my  Freudian slip is showing).  Mostly this will be a post about things I could write a post about but am not (but may in the future).

 

This week I ignored my note to myself about not taking three days off running and reaped my just deserts  (as in what I deserve, not strawberry shortcake, worse luck) on Friday.  I ran again this morning (Saturday).  I took mental notes each time and Saturday even ran a course I have not run in over a year.

 

Later this morning I went to the Baptist Church in Herkimer, NY for Coffee and Conversation with a Cop.  They hold that every month but I have missed the last few months for one reason and another.  I had a nice time and got a few answers that will help with the novel that I WILL finish, though probably not in May as previously advertised.

 

Leaving the Conversation in progress (they were doing fine without me), I went to the Herkimer County Humane Society Garage Sale.  Fun and productive.  Driving back into Herkimer, I made stops at T&J’s Fruits & Vegetables and Hannaford.

 

Coming home, I cleaned frantically.  I don’t often do cleaning posts, but one never knows what will come off the pen (and out of the keyboard) of Mohawk Valley Girl.

 

Now I must go back to chopping vegetables, among other chores.  I hope all readers are having an excellent Saturday.

 

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Oh Yeah, And I Wore Blue

Posted on May 26, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am making my post late in the day on Memorial Day (although my page, for reasons best known to itself, says it is tomorrow already).  Never mind why-all I did not post earlier.  I wrote a post in my head as I went for a run.  I will attempt to recreate it now.

 

I had already intended to run every day of my three day weekend.  Then a Facebook friend posted that she and her son were running in honor of fallen soldiers under the auspices of Wear Blue Run to Remember.  You sign up on line and commit to a certain distance, one meaningful to you, and they assign you a soldier to run in honor of, if you don’t have someone in mind to run for.

 

My only problem was that I do not know how far I run.  I run for a set length of time.  It would be nice to think I was doing at least a ten minute mile, but that is by no means certain.  Additionally, I was not sure how hard core my Monday run would be.  I have not been running days in a row lately.  My body might rebel by the fourth day.

 

Finally I signed up to run two miles.  It was meaningful to me, because I learned to run in the army because of the two-mile run on the PT (Physical Training) test.  I felt a little foolish putting such a small distance, especially since my friend and her son were both doing 10 kilometers.  However, it seemed important that I actually do the distance I had committed to.  I knew I could eke out two miles, even on a very bad day.

 

My run did not start out auspiciously.  I wondered if I was having an every other day thing, because my Sunday run was terrific, my Saturday run was terrible, and I don’t remember my Friday run.  But I was running for a soldier.  I had to keep going.  I made up my mind to run up the hill to Herkimer College.  It is an impressive hill to many people.  I feel it is good to run an impressive hill when you are running in tribute.

 

I did not know which soldier I was running for.  Wear Blue had not emailed me back.  I wondered if I had made a typo when I gave them my email address.  I later found out that I had registered too late for them to assign me someone.  There were places I could go and pick someone to run for, but I did not do that.  I just ran for a soldier.

 

As I ran, I worried that the soldier I was running for might feel a little cheated, since his runner was running such a short distance and running it very slowly at that.  I pictured the soldiers up in heaven, discussing it over a beer (I don’t believe the polka that says, “In Heaven There Is No Beer”).

 

“Who’s running for you?  I got this soldier’s wife who runs marathons.  She’s doing 10K.”

 

“Cool.  I got some middle-aged lady, used to be in the army.  She’s doing two miles.  Oh well, I guess the old ladies like to feel they’re doing something for us.”

 

“Yeah, better luck next year.”

 

I made it to the top of the hill and it sure wasn’t easy.  Since I was only doing two miles, I had thought I would just go back down the back way.  But halfway up the hill I remembered the little Veteran’s Memorial Park up near the athletic fields.  I should run to that, I thought, since I am running in tribute.  Then I felt so tired I thought I wouldn’t make it.  Then I realized that I could not possibly write in a blog post that I had thought about running to the Memorial and decided not to.

 

“This is how writing a blog helps runners,” I said to myself.  I continued, utilizing the determination that had gotten me through Basic Training.

 

When I got to the Memorial, I stopped the CHRONO on my watch and walked through it.  It is a small area with trees and benches.  Marble slabs are engraved with the names of Herkimer veterans.  Some of the benches and trees have plaques saying who sponsored them.  I would like to return to the Memorial and spend a little more time, really pay my respects.  Today, however, I soon started my watch again and headed back down Reservoir Road.

 

Somewhere along the way, I realized the run had stopped sucking.  I had not noticed when that happened, but I would hazard a guess that it was about the time I started downhill.

 

For more information on Wear Blue Run to Remember, you can visit their website at www.wearblueruntoremember.org.  They also have a Facebook page.

 

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