Moms on the Run 5k - 2015

FIRST RACE OF THE 2015 SEASON!!!

Thanks to Moms on the Run for sponsoring.  All proceeds of the event goes to the charity 68 Hours of Hunger.  I recommend checking them out!

Picking up bib numbers at the pre-registration tables.

Soooo, it's done.  Wasn't a great time, but I wasn't sitting on the couch, either.

Things runners need to know about Dover, NH road races.  First of all, the weather is mercurial at best.  On a previous Mother's Day race, SwimGirl and I ran in long leggings and sweatshirts and were not in the least too warm.  This year, warmth was NOT an issue.  Being the proud owner of a "pasty, white girl" complexion, I ran in a long-sleeved wicking shirt in order to avoid getting burned.  Bigbigbig mistake.  While comfortable standing around in said shirt at 8:30 in the am, once I started running.....TOO HOT.  And I'd ever-so-brilliantly pinned my number on it, so there was no taking it off during the race.  I was a sweaty, red mess by the end of the run.

Next thing about Dover - IT'S BLESSED HILLY.  As in the old time-y saying, "Had to go uphill both ways to get to school."   Yup.  That about sums it up.  Hills.  Big hills, little hills and everything in between.  Hate them.

Gotta remember another thing about racing/running in New England states...in most areas, sidewalks are optional.  This loop was well-planned by the race coordinators, as they both are SERIOUS athletes, and sidewalks were available most of the time, not to mention the Dover Police Department had done a nice job setting out traffic cones to make additional street-side room for runners.  However, not every stretch had sidewalks, requiring runners to deal with running on sandy shoulders and having to maneuver around decomposing macadam shoulders.  Gotta love suburban trail running!

On a personal venting note, I do have a small beef for some of the runners.  THIS IS NOT THE OLYMPICS.  Some of us are leisure runners who run so we can enjoy carbs.  We are out for the exercise and fun.  We KNOW to start away from the front and to STAY OUT of the way.  Got that - no prob.  Please remember kids 12 and under are running.  They need to be educated about race protocol and given guidelines, not run over.  'Nuf said.

The race/run is fun, family-friendly, and spirited.  A family friend won the women's age group for 65 & over!  So cool!  It's a great way to start a Mother's Day.  I caught up with friends I hadn't seen for months, watched SwimGirl enjoy herself immensely, and my husband happily took pictures all morning.  Great start to a beautiful day.

Getting ready to step off!

Starting Anew.....

Sooooo, I'm no longer 39.  Nope, I'm 45.

Starting over is not exactly what I'm doing.  Instead, I prefer to think I'm starting anew.  I realize speed is an issue; hills just about destroy any pacing I even thought of having.  However, getting a run in means less couch sitting and guilt.  My goal is to stay in my clothing and not purchase new pieces because I can no longer button them.  To my utter disgust, I discovered something while out on runs the past week...catcalls have nothing to do with age, speed, or condition.

I couldn't believe it.  My grey-haired, ponytailed, middle-aged self  received CATCALLS.  Wait....WHAT?!  Yup.  From late-teen-to-mid-twenty-year-old "men".  These souls took up residence outside of one of Dover's local day labor sites, 2-liter bottles of Coke and cigs in hard, slouching and trying to look "cool".  These "men" took up the entire sidewalk regardless of those attempting to walk by.   Car doors open over the sidewalk with work boots sprawled in the faces of passersby.  Catcalling.

You.  Have.  Got.  To.  Be.  Kidding.  All I wanted to do was finish my run.  Dover is made of hills - all hills in all directions.   No matter how carefully a route is planned,  runners will encounter numerous hills, as I did knew I would find on my last mile towards home.  The last thing I needed was to be insulted by oversized children while sweaty, red, and panting.

I called out, "Good morning - excuse me!", as I went by.  Sounds polite enough, right?  I am now the proud recipient of jeers and yelling.  Seriously?!

So go around, yes?  No.  I live here and this is my most direct route home.

Go at a different time?  No.  The time I chose to run is the time that works best in my day.

Ignore them?  Not gonna happen.  One of my favorite quotes from Fried Green Tomatoes states, "I'm older and I have more insurance."  So, I'm taking my frustration to the blogosphere.

Note to those standing in line - please do the following to make life easier for those sharing the sidewalk:

1. Stand closer to the door of the establishment you're using.  
2. You have the right to smoke; I also have the right to breathe.  Don't blow smoke at me.
3. Keep your opinions to yourselves.  You don't look cool, you look uneducated, particularly when you insult me with poor grammar.
4. If someone says, "Good morning!", a simple nod will suffice.  At least pretend to be polite and who knows, your own day might improve.

On the flip side, as I ran past the other day labor site, the men sitting outside that establishment nodded and smiled at me, obviously thinking, "Crazy woman!"  However, they kept their thoughts to themselves.  Why, perhaps?  Dunks is directly across the street - caffeine makes early morning better.

Community Supported Agriculture

In an effort to shop local and be healthy, Team Runnermom has joined the localvore movement and invested in a CSA (community supported agriculture). We paid for a full share in Wiggin Farm in Stratham, NH, which we found through Seacoast Eat Local, an organization which provides the NH/ME Seacoast communities with Farmers' Markets throughout the year.

Before heading to the gym for a run (toooooo hot today to run outside! Yowza!), I stopped at our local Chamber of Commerce to pick up our share. YUM. We received a beautiful bunch of Swiss Chard along with 2 bulbs of spring garlic - I promptly turned that into dinner - along with spring turnips, baby bok choi (YUM, redux), kale, a beautiful head of lettuce, tat soi (gotta look that one up), and popcorn(??). All was bunched and ready to go. Wiggin also provides the CSA folks with discounts on eggs and flowers, from which I held back today.

Bravo to Wiggin for delivering to our Farmers' Market. Convenient and fresh. Supporting a local farm. Trying new things.....what is a tat soi anyway?

Fabulous NE weather we're having

May ended with a heat blast; June started with a blow.

The last 2 days have not been wonderful for outdoor training. The mere mention of a tornado in NH simply sent me inside. With my luck, as soon as I was halfway down my selected route, a wind and/or thunderstorm would wreak havoc on the landscape. Therefore, I chose to exercise inside.

I knew I had to get a good run accomplished, as SwimGirl will participate in a 3-day swim meet starting today. SwimDad is stepping up his officiating responsibilities and will be working doubles, hence no kid coverage at home, equaling limited opportunities for me to get exercise Sat/Sun. Yesterday, I worked hills and a little sprint attempt.

Running inside, while it may be safer, is also BORING. I didn't get the machine I like, but instead got a treadmill (I have an acquaintance who calls them "shredders" - LOL) pushed over to the wall. Grumble - I couldn't see Dr. Oz - if I have to be inside, at least I want to be entertained by medical quackery. So instead, I put on a Meatloaf and Melissa Etheridge running mix and counted how many seconds I needed to run for each burned calorie. Woo-hoo! Ain't I a hot date?! However, run accomplished, and I was able to enjoy La Festa pizza guilt free!

Shameless plug:

Uphill battles

The weather has changed. A week ago, all in Northern New England (I capitalize our sweet NH/VT/ME area since we are quite different from the south) bundled up against the cold rainy outside. Now, not so much - the tide has turned and I find myself looking at our thermometer which states 93 on our porch. Yoiks!

I bring up the change in weather as the topic directly relates to today's post, which is a 2-in-1 blast. I meant to write about the Red Hook 5k yesterday, but was distracted by a Fisher Cats game in Manchavegas (Manchester.......hee, hee!). Hothothothot. How hot? A new runner just missed the finish line because she fell down, seizing. Big, strong men, as well as newbie runners, fell prey to the heat and the Portsmouth Fire Department was on hand for help - GO PFD! We also had a friend help out; he happens to be a racing RunnerDad and a firefighter for a different town!

SwimGirl did well, placing 3rd in her age group. She was pretty pleased, as the amount of running she has been doing is much less than last year, as she is spending MUCH more time swimming. I did well, too, considering the heat, bettering my not-so-fab finish at the Children's Museum 5k by about 30 seconds. However, neither of us had done much (me=no) training in the heat. At one point, I literally thought my head would explode I was SO HOT. Blech.

Therefore, today I did 7+ miles at 8am. Now, the temperature had not yet reached its zenith, but still had some power, being 75+. I also trained running down from lovely Dovah into southern Maine. (Yes, I live close enough to the border to run into Maine....yeesh.) I mention this only because those familiar to the area have a strong awareness of the HILLINESS. I figured I might as well get the best use of my time as possible and ran hills in the heat. I then went home and discovered a pair of my "little" shorts fit without tightness - SCORE!

The pain, she pays off! Woot!

Running Buddies

Went on a run yesterday with a group of teacher-mom-runners. What happens when we run together? So much more fun!

Ordinarily, I exercise alone. I don't want to intrude on anyone or slow anyone down. SwimGirl will occasionally run with me, which is nice, but she's 11. She, by mood or inclination, will either grumble she's "about to die" from a cramp or alternatively, kick my butt on every hill/straightaway and laugh as she waits for me to catch up. I love her dearly, but she's not a peer.

Running in Dovah can be a huge challenge due to the sheer number of hills in the city. I have trouble making others believe, but I have found routes which actually are uphill BOTH ways. While our group attempted some good-natured avoidance tactics, we all threw down and conquered the hills. For some of us (me.......), the downhills are harder than the reverse. By the end of the 4 (+/-) miler, we had 6 women who felt accomplished and slightly fitter.

My favorite part of this group is the acceptance. A long-time friend, who is a new runner, generously brought me into the group. A run is planned......and then all are welcome to run at their own pace. I feel like Planet Fitness' "No Judgement Zone"! SO NICE not to hear all the competitive stuff from other runners I hear at races, ex: I've already done a 5k for warm-up, I threw down a 20-miler last week, I haven't trained & I hope to do OK, yada-yada-yada. We start together and meet up at the end to chat about what went well, which hills were totally brutal, and which nasty dog barked as we jogged past.

Run on RunnerMoms!

Groan....

Gray, grungy, and bleak. The aforementioned pretty much make up the sum total of the day. Seriously? Who needs this weather?

I loathe running in the rain/sleet/snow and won't do it unless I have a race. I read all the FB posts from the hardcore among us who state, "Put on my Yak Trax and went for a run in the blizzard - what a rush!" Groan........really? Perhaps I have a cat-like desire to avoid wet and cold? Also, I have no desire to trash the following:

• My knees
• My only decent pair of sneakers (at +/- $90 a pop, I'm not ruining my "good" sneaks!)
  
• My dignity after I wipe out in front of traffic
• Expensive running attire

I went to the gym, due to the drizzle, and put in 90 minutes on an ArcTrainer. I don't love the machine, but it gets the job done and allows me to still have an adult beverage in the evening. The running clothes still get used and the money spent on membership to the local high-brow club doesn't get wasted. Win-win!

A soft 50 degrees and gentle afternoon sunshine need to arrive sooooooooon. Outside is good - inside is bad.....

Fighting it for all I'm worth.....

I recently had a friend who posted on her blog here. She celebrates her own sense of self within her own skin. Me, not so much. I'm fighting the "Forties" for all I'm worth. In fact, Blackbird Adventures (her blog) posted a thought-provoking poem by Lucille Clifton. I copy from her blog......(oh, no - librarian admitting copying! Egad!):

Homage to My Hips

these hips are big hips.
they need space to
move around in.
they don't fit into little
petty places. these hips
are free hips.
they don't like to be held back.
these hips have never been enslaved,
they go where they want to go
they do what they want to do.
these hips are mighty hips.
these hips are magic hips.
i have known them
to put a spell on a man and
spin him like a top

I'm not there yet. Not even close. I feel NO magic for my hips (or, in my case, the Butt-Thigh Brigade). The Brigade WILL be enslaved as long as I can move. I fight, push, and prod those beasties into Lycra and running shorts so I can take off and pretend I enjoy exercise. Which I don't. I sweat like a farm animal and turn bright red as soon as I begin running. Anyone who's seen my post-race self knows I'm not a pretty picture finishing a 5k, never mind something longer.

Why fight the inevitable? Why push myself? Aside from obvious health and wellness benefits, I wanna look good and turn my husband's head. I crave wearing skinny skirts and giggle about my now too big wedding dress. I seem to have missed my Southern Mother's hair-makeup gene, but I can keep trying to rock the tiny tops and cute capris.

Accomplishments for the week: 3 arc trainer days, a 8.5 mile run, 9.5 mile run, and a yoga class for my "day of rest". Bring it "Forties"! I'll keep on running.

The Season Begins!

Aaaaaand - Back in the saddle~Two weekends & two races dun.

4/10/11 - Red's Road Race (5 miler) through Dover to support the community. Beautiful weather, but I wish SwimGirl had had more fun. Starting the season on a 5 miler turned out to be a tough one. My Runnermom41 (egad.....who woulda thunk it!) self did well, running all winter at a decent trot paid off well.

4/23/11 - Whale of a 5k in the rain/sleet/snow. Yowza - "spring" in New England. The Whale of a 5k takes place at Ordiorne State Park as a fund-raiser for the Seacoast Science Center. The staff did a fabulous job dealing with all of the wet, hungry, smelly runner folk. SwimGirl had much more fun on the trail run, even in the nasty, slippery, mucky conditions; she finished in just over 26 minutes. I had a great run, finishing in 28:34 - HAPPY (!), especially since I gave my old bod permission to speed walk down the crazy slopes. I'm NOT going to wipe out and get a nutty injury this early in the season. Nopenopenope.

On a bright note, FirstGradeTeacher ran her first trail run in the "spring" weather. She did awesomely! Go FGT! You ROCK!

The first 10k

Market Square Days in Portsmouth holds the first of the longer events in the Seacoast Series. Both SwimGirl and I are going for the Seacoast Series incentive - the "free" jacket. The jacket has a certain cachet on the seacoast of NH, as it proves a runner gave up many a lovely summer morning to run and their $$ to fun for charity. In order to secure one of the coveted jackets, a runner must complete 6 of the 8 runs, including 2 runs of greater than 5k. Well, folks, the two of us have gotten 3 runs under our belts and completed our first 10k at Market Square Days this past Saturday.

While I had completed the Seacoast 1/2 Marathon last year, I had not yet done a 10k and SwimGirl, being only 10, definitely had not. We did some psych prep for the run: SwimGirl got to get her new New Balance sneaks from Runner's Alley (did I mention Runner's Alley/New Balance gave away FREE sneakers to the age group winners at Red Hook - saved me $55!), we picked up our numbers early, and drove the course. I'd been running the mileage in under 60 minutes and she'd been swimming and doing lots of drylands for swim team. We were ready.

Race Day had fabulous weather for runners: overcast, low 60's, occasional gentle misting. The course had some hills, but only 1 killer at the end. I felt GREAT, unlike Red Hook, where I nearly stopped due to heat. SwimGirl tweaked her ankle during the race and was a bit of a hurtin' unit towards the end. However, she finished in 55:02 and I finished in 55:37. Pretty proud of us chickies, especially since SwimGirl finished 8th in her age group, which was 19 (!) and under. Yowza!

3 down, 3 to go!

Her first 10k

SwimGirl's gettin' ready to run her first 10k tom'w. Considering she won her age group for the 2010 Red Hook 5k, I'm not too worried about her finishing.

Me, on the other hand...........I'm a little concerned....

What a beautiful weekend

How does one spell happiness? SUN.

Life doesn't get any better than today. The wind is a little brisk, but the day is a truly beautiful 62 sunny degrees. I was able to get a guilt-free 6-miler in today, as SwimGirl has a playdate at a DanceFriend's house and DaddyMan needs to mow the lawn.

I do have an item to ponder, however. How do many runners manage to keep their sunglasses from falling down their faces while running? Maybe I sweat too much, but I just don't understand. My shades have an annoying habit of totally falling down my face while running anytime the temp is above 65 degrees. I'm totally gonna end up with serious crow's feet from squinting on sunny days.

Sigh.............

First race of the season - Completed!

Seacoast Science Center (located in Rye, NH's Odiorne Point) hosted its 2nd annual Whale of a 5k today. This particular 5k happens to be primarily trail running - up and over the old Fort Dearborn bunkers, in the BEACH SAND, by the shore and on through wooded areas.

Runners could not have asked for a better day. The nearness to the shoreline allowed the 400+ runners to enjoy a gentle on-shore breeze, just enough to blow away all the nasty black flies which have been making outdoor activities tedious lately. The route, since the bulk of the running was done in the woods, had beautiful shade. The air temp boasted a 62 degree mark, perfect for those of us who normally seem colder than the general population.

SwimGirl ROCKED the race, not only beating her time for the race last year, but also making a personal best time of 24:36. Unfortunately, as this was not a "chip"'d race, the timer was unable to handle 4 runners entering at the same time (UGH) and clocked her for 24:40 tying her old P.B. We know she beat her old time. The fact she gained a P.B. on a trail race I find seriously impressive.

I did OK, beating last year's time by over a minute. The knee is holding up pretty well, no swelling yet. I had a brainstorm yesterday and called for a massage, which I hope helped to make the circ system kick into gear to keep fluid outta the old joint. I do need to work on my IT bands - tired, tired.

I think SwimGirl really only participates in races for the "playdate" atmosphere, as one of her older swim buds runs most local races, too. Other enticements? Prizes and raffles - she LOVES raffles. She really wanted to win the massage and was truly bummed when an adult won "her" prize. Very cute.

DaddyMan was able to meet us at Odiorne at the conclusion of the race, since he finished his 58 mile bike this morning. He decided to make a trial ride on next week's route, so he could ensure finishing the fundraiser. Make sure to take a look on the American Lung Association's Cycle the Seacoast site for donation information - support healthy lungs AND a rider!

Running with SwimGirl

What a beautiful day to run outside~

As the temperature rose to 60-something degrees on a sunny NH Day, I took SwimGirl out for her first biggish run of the season, a 4-miler. I understand a 4-miler is not a terribly long run.....except SwimGirl has only turned 10 within the last month.

She did a fantastic job. She chugged up Whittier Hill without a whiny word, which won her kudos with the ol' Runnermom. Therefore, we ended our lovely run with an ice coffee at Adelle's. (Team Runnermom supports LOCAL businesses - NO Starbucks for us!)

And still, the rain pours down

I'm reminded of a Hilary Duff song - "Let the rain fall down....."

I refuse to run outside in the rain for training. If the Weather Gawds decide to rain on my head on a race day, so be it. However, I see no need to train in the wet. I currently have 1 pair of getting-to-be decrepit running shoes which need to last me until we have a little spare cash (HAH!). I'm not going to finish killing what little bounce is left in my shoes with nasty, dirty, salty spring rain. Ick.

So, I'm relegated to the gym. I know some runners can't wait to get outside. Me, I can wait until the temperature climbs reliably into the 50's, the bulk of the winter "yech" has been washed from the sides of the local roadways, and perhaps, just perhaps, local road crews have patched some of the bigger potholes. I honestly don't have any real issues with a nice clean treadmill. Fans blow cool air into my face and nice music plays in the background. No nasty drivers yell at me or honk their horns. Having bathrooms in close proximity to my running area is also a plus for a woman who had children AFTER 30.

Monday - 6 1/4 in 60 minutes. Today - ArcTrainer day, gotta give those tired ol' IT bands and knees a break.

Tomorrow will be another running day.....6.3 here I come!

New Attempts and Back in the Saddle

Zumba. Who thought of dance as workout? The concept is nice; I enjoy dancing and the thought of working out to samba, meringue (sp?), and salsa music really does appeal. The actuality, however, was not even close to a real workout.

I admit to being a touch late to class. I got to the gym late as SwimGirl had an afternoon dr's appointment (her normal checkup) and DaddyMan got home early enough for me to attempt the gym. I threw my bag and jacket into one of the aerobic room's cubbies and jumped into an empty space. The class finally started after a small debacle involving sound systems, CDs and the Manager-on-Duty (MOD) rescuing the instructor in distress (yup, she was a damsel). I felt much relieved, as class had not yet started.

But, boy, was I disappointed in the quality of the workout. As someone who runs +/- 6 miles per day, I got barely warm and loose when the instructor would stop the ENTIRE RHYTHM of the class to change songs. Very disconcerting. I also found the "booty shaking", "pumping", and "hits" a little odd for a group of over forty, fairly out of shape women (yours truly excluded, thank you very much). Lots of flab on the fly, lemme tell ya. I know I sound uncharitable, but yeesh. If ya've got too much bounce to the ounce, diet BEFORE taking Zumba.

On a brighter note, my fellow RunnerMom started (I helped chaperone) an off-season running group for the swim kids. SwimGirl and several of her fishie friends ran a 5k today. BIG fun. We had several levels of runner today, including one little fishie who was not going to let inexperience stop her. She hauled her little self the entire 3.12 miles and managed to keep the more experienced kiddos in her view. VERY proud of her first run out. SwimGirl had a fantastic time chatting while she ran - a good time had by all. One of our guy fishies had a great run and can't wait to "play" again - YAY!

Being back outside for the spring feels GREAT!

I'm proud of me!

SwimGirl had a meet in upstate NY this weekend. Ugh. From Southeastern NH, where the RunnerMom team currently resides, we had a +/- 7 hour drive to get there.

Wow. Loooooooooong ride. However, knowing how much sitting would take place, I hit the hotel "spa" pretty hard. Got 2 runs and 1 elliptical run completed for those 3 days. Go me!

SwimGirl got 3 best times and DaddyMan officiated. A good weekend all around.

Still raining,,,and ranting

The weather can seriously impact running. As I am the proud owner of 1 pair of no-yet-dead running shoes, I have NO plans to run outside in the mess currently known as Southeastern NH.

The news has had extensive coverage of the flooding. People in the area, however, have done nothing more than kavetch about the problem and marvel at Mother' Nature's wrath. Channel 9 has covered the flood watches, as has Foster's Daily Democrat, but human interest stories seem to be at low ebb. The news sources have made little mention of neighbors helping neighbors or anything else of that ilk. Can the news agencies really not find anything worthy of reporting? Are the masses really just watching the flood swollen rivers stream by their residences?

As I struggle with the question posed above, I also struggle with our lawmakers answers to most questions. How did elected officials manage to find themselves in office? Are said officials really elected to take the interest of townspeople or in office to fund their own need for greed? I, of course, am on the side of the kids, as I am a school librarian.

What's happening? Due to the tax cap and/or other financial difficulties found in other regional towns, many school and rec departments are facing HUGE cutbacks. Apparently, the all-mighty dollar once again rules, rather than common sense. Our children's well-beings risk a serious blow as town athletic, music, and academic programs are slashed past the core and to the point of ridiculousness. Perhaps the time has come for townspeople to push uncaring folk out of the limelight and elect representatives who truly care about people, as well as the bottom line.

To make yourself heard in Dover - click here
For Portsmouth - click here
Be sure to let local city councils know exactly how YOU feel about 35 member classrooms, teachers working without contracts, music-art-phys ed programs cut out of budgets, and the closing of local athletic venues, such as the local Parks and Recreation departments (camps, pools, parks, etc.). We live in a democracy - Make your voice heard!

Start of a new season

Yes, I know I have a blog. Yes, I am also aware I have been neglecting blogging "responsibilities". Why? KNEES. One. Word. KNEES.

I have 2 of the blessed items. Yup, just like everyone else, I have 2. Unfortunately, I have been battling with my joints since the holidaze. I think, thanks to the wonders of cortisone shots, the problem of swelling and softball-sized knees has been solved.

Some good runs have occurred over the past 3-4 weeks of approximately 9/5 miles on weekends and averaging 6 on regular work days. My poor SwimGirl put a crimp into my schedule this week, as she came down with a nasty case of stomach flu, which did not allow me time to get to the gym. Today, I was planning on a good long run, as the DaddyMan was in da house.

Alas, a good long run escaped me. My gym (The Works) had a power outage. AGH! Quiet time fot RunnerMom.....Gone! Whine....I know, go get some cheese to go with that whine. I understand why the outage happened - the wind is blowing so hard the second floor of my house is swaying. But, geez, all I wanted was a 90 minute trot! Pout.

Upcoming runs (SwimGirl will be doing all of these with the exception of the 5 miler!):
4/24 - Seacoast Science Center's Whale of a 5k
4/25 - Red's Shoe Barn 5 miler
5/1 - Children's Museum of NH 5k
5/9 - Mother's Day 5k - As this benefits WomenAid, I highly rec this one.
5/23 - Walk/Run for Angie - Put this on all your calendars! This benefits a teacher-friend who had a major stroke. Excellent reason to get your training started!

Heading into the holidays

Ok -

I ran the race and finished in 2:19. However, I'm NOT happy w/that time.

Next on the agenda? There's a 1/2 in April.........I'm there.