Tag Archives: training

Am I Ready for the 5K?

Posted on October 10, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would make a quick post about the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K tomorrow, Oct. 11. Regular readers may recall I am running in it and have been training for it.

From when I shared the logo in 2017.

I last ran the race in 2017, then it kind of fell off my radar. I am not always in good running shape in the fall. Many years this is about the time I am starting again and aiming for the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls in December. Quite frankly, the only consistent thing about my running is its inconsistency. Oh, and the fact that it is never particularly fast.

Me and Mookie Wilson.

I wanted to share a silly picture of myself. This is from October 2020 when I was exercising for 34 minutes every day for 34 days to raise awareness for 34 million Americans with diabetes. People were only doing virtual races at the time, due to COVID. However, this is digressing from the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K, which I had meant to blog about.

The race is tomorrow! Am I ready? Regular readers are right to wonder! I took a short run today but did longer runs on Wednesday and Thursday.

My only worry is getting lost along the way. I tend to run much slower than the other runners and so lose sight of them. I found the map from the 2017 run (it’s true: I never throw anything away) and tried to drive the route. I got hopelessly lost after the turnaround, since it did not follow the same route back. I can only hope for signs along the way on the day for the race.

The race starts at 9 a.m. at the fire station, 193 Main Rd., East Herkimer, NY. The station will be open at 7:30 a.m. Day-of-Event Registration and Sign-in will begin at 8 a.m. Pre-and post-race water and refreshments will be available. For more information, check out their Facebook page.

Thirty-Three Minute Thursday

Posted on August 22, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I missed out on running a Two-Mile Tuesday and am not yet ready for a Three-Mile Thursday, but as I was running this morning, I realized a Thirty-Minute Thursday was within reach. Then I decided to add another “Th” with three more minutes’ running, and felt I had a shot at a Running Commentary Blog Post.

If anybody has been paying much attention lately (I famously never do), I have not been blogging as regularly as I like to. I like to be a daily blogger. How I managed it before for long periods of time and keep falling short lately, I do not understand. So it has been with my running. I do not aim to run every day, but three to five times a week has often been doable. Did I mention I missed a whole two weeks recently? Oh well, these things happen. All we can do is our best. Or something like that.

I got a slow start this morning. I had half a cup of coffee leftover from yesterday (waste not, want not) that I re-heated, then I made some more (I don’t have one of those fancy one-cup makers). While it brewed, I scrolled Facebook. A friend had posted a picture and said, “Do it anyways.” Good advice. I commented, “OK, but I’m having more coffee first.”

Maybe it only seems steep to me.

There really isn’t much to say about the run itself. It felt pretty good after a sluggish start. I even ran faster at the end. For one reason, I only wanted to go 33 minutes, not more. I mean to start adding more spurts of faster running. I think it’s called fartlek (teehee; I said, “fart”) or more boringly interval training. Now, nobody needs to mansplain these to me or share helpful links. I am just going to run how I run and hope for the best.

Late Post, Good Run

Posted on July 2, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I begin my Thursday with Running Commentary Post. For one reason, I never posted on Wednesday, and this way there is an off chance I will make two blog posts today. Additionally, I got back from my run less than an hour ago. IT! COULD! WORK! (That was a quote of Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein)

I was ready to get up shortly after five. Steven was still blissfully asleep, so it was a good day to start with a run. When I looked out the window at the fog, my mind was made up. I got ready quietly and off I went.

I have been running for several days in a row. I really must go back to keeping a Running Journal so I can keep track of these things. Yesterday I went for a long run up the hill to Herkimer College (previously known as HCCC), so I thought a shorter, easier run would be acceptable.

For most runs, I turn left out of my driveway and head toward German Street. Today for something different, I turned right, going the way I go when I walk to the post office. I went through Meyers Park, another familiar route for me. When we first moved here and I started running again (after several sedentary years and gaining over 30 pounds), I made it a habit to always run through the park. I went on really short runs in those days, but you have to start somewhere.

After the park, I headed toward Main Street. I decided to keep going in roughly that direction till I had run for ten minutes then head home. It would probably take me more than ten minutes to get home, what with following a different route, so that would be a good plan.

The plan worked fine. I went on a couple of streets I don’t often go on (the village is too small for there to be many I’ve NEVER seen). I admired several flower beds and envied a few screened porches. I ran by my beloved Herkimer Historic Four Corners. I ran for 23 minutes. To put that in perspective, I ran 40 minutes yesterday, 33 the day before.

I still don’t have a plan for running my Virtual Boilermaker 15K, but my training seems to be going well. I’m feeling pretty good about it. Now to work on my writing!

One Must Persevere

Posted on May 3, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Twice this week I ran, thinking to do a Running Commentary. Twice I found I could not. Then I ran today (Saturday), thinking Saturday Running Commentary, why would I not make a Saturday Running Commentary? At first I thought I would run my commentaries together (so to speak) and just make a post about This Week in Running. As I started to write (yes, I’ve gone back to re-write the intro after writing most of the blog) (just to insert a note about The Writing Process), I found myself saying quite a bit about Tuesday’s run. Not wishing to tax my readers’ patience, I shall just comment about one run today.

Tuesday I wanted to run into the Unknown Park. A friend told me it is Brookfield Park. I have called it the Unknown Park in this blog, because it is not clearly labelled. That is how I still think of it. These during the week runs are tricky, because it is not so easy to cross German Street at that time of the day (fourish). All the hills I know of in Herkimer are on the other side of German Street from my street.

This time I managed to cross it with very little problem. So I felt I was not off the hook for hills. After all, if I have managed to get across the busy street, why waste it? I sure did not feel like running, but I persevered. The park would be interesting. I had not run it since sometime last fall. I might even see some buds on some trees.

Imagine my chagrin on discovering that the entrance to the park was blocked by a chain with an orange triangle attached. There is a space where a pedestrian could sneak in, but I have to think of safety first. Suppose I ran into some kind of trouble (and you know I have a vivid imagination that can come up with all sorts of trouble)? Who would be likely to come along and help me in a blocked off park? I ran on.

Running up the hill to the college was clearly ineligible, so I went up the hill by Valley Health and ran around in the suburbs (I know they aren’t really suburbs, it’s just a handy term I use). As I went slowly up, I realized I am in no shape for the Boilermaker 15K. I’d better step up the pace of my training. And by step up the pace, of course I mean to continue my shuffling, overweight middle-aged lady pace (not that gender makes a difference), but more often and for longer periods of time. No more two days off between runs, maybe not even one day off. And I definitely have to at least walk on the days I do not run.

As I ran on, at one point I had a choice: turn left and continue on a level road or go up a steep-looking hill. I decided I would turn left. I was tired. Then I thought, “Step up the pace.” I would go up that hill! I felt bad ass. As usual the hill looked less steep when I got right up to it. It was steep enough. I made it up. Then I took a left turn to run by a sign that said, “Do Not Enter.” I felt bad ass doing that too. Oh, you don’t have to tell me: they mean cars not middle-aged ladies jogging. Don’t spoil my fun.

I felt quite pleased with myself for running and especially for tackling that second hill. I was dreadfully tired as the evening progressed, but that is the difference between running after a long day of work and running first thing after sleeping in on the weekend. As I often observe, one must persevere.

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