Great morning for a 5k. Run a Latke

Taper Time.  The hard training runs are done. I will cut my mileage down a lot in the next few weeks to allow the body to rest and regain the energy to excel on race day. My overall plan is to run a few 3 miles during the weeks to maintain my fitness.  Also, during the taper, I am looking forward to putting on my comfy sweats, relaxing on the couch, and enjoying the holiday festivities. Chanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s! 

This was a big running test week. The week called for a mock Dopey simulation. On Monday I ran 3 miles, Tuesday I ran 6 miles, Wednesday I ran 13 miles, and Thursday I ran 20 miles.  This will be my last Dopey simulation before The Disney Marathon Weekend.  Most of the miles were done indoors.

On Saturday, I rewarded my hard work by attending an Andrea Bocellli concert at TD Garden Boston. The concert was fabulous. He is a brilliant artist, and his voice is fantastic. Magnificent show.

Just an update.  I am running the Dopey Challenge on behalf of the American Lung Association.  This week was a 42-mile training week. Lots of hours on my feet 

If this inspired you to donate to my cause, here is the link to learn more https://gofund.me/9c35f822

I can’t believe it’s Thanksgiving week!  It is getting cold in Massachusetts and winter is almost here. 

I had a productive week with my training.  The Dopey Challenge Weekend (5k 10k Half Marathon and Marathon) is almost here. The races will begin on January 5, 2023.

This week I practiced a “Mini Dopey Simulation “to mimic the real one in January.  My body is responding well to the demands of training.  

 Recently, I have been doing my training runs on a treadmill.  I really HATE cold outdoor running.  When I run on the treadmill, I usually watch tv or listen to music to prevent boredom.  I can train equally well on a treadmill or outdoors. 

Friday 3 miles (5k) went well …. slow and easy

Saturday 6 miles (10K)

Sunday 13 miles (Half Marathon) 

Monday 18 miles

Other than running, my weekend was quiet.  I watched some football, played with my dogs, and just relaxed around the house. 

 I am looking forward to Thanksgiving.  My husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving Dinner.  I love cooking and baking for guests.  It always gives me joy preparing food for friends and family. 

Less than 2 months I will be CHASING THE Dopey. To make this event more meaningful and spiritual, I am raising funds for a wonderful charity the American Lung Association. This charity  is important to me because I have asthma and allergies, both are respiratory problems.  

For those who have donated ,Thank You.  No amount is too small or too large.

 https://gofund.me/9c35f822  click here to read more details 

 Dopey Training Updates….

 The Dopey Challenge weekend is only 2 months away. (5k, 10k, Half and Marathon). The first race starts January 5^th. The mileage is getting up there!!!  My longest run so far is 18 miles.   This run was a success. Thank goodness! 

Update on my training

The last two ½ weeks were rough. My training has been like a rollercoaster.   I had many mid-race dips in confidence, energy, and motivation.

I guess that is the ebb and flow of training.  

For instance, my last menstrual cycle made a week of running completely miserable.  The menstrual cycle always seems to suck my energy right out of my body. When I ran my 16-mile-long run, I felt horrible. I was questioning my running ability.  Like the Grinch quoted this run “Stink Stank Stunk”. Even the 3-mile training runs was hard. 

I also had some good runs. The 18-mile-long run was a good experience for me. That’s the longest run I have completed since last year. I was sore and tired, but it was a good confident booster run. I mentally broke down the run into chunks of “just 4.5 miles, four times”.  I was on a runner high.  I pray this happens during the Dopey Challenge.

My strength training is going well.  Twice a week, I attend Barbell Class at Lifetime.  My teacher is very good, she always makes sure my form is good. 

Last week, I tried a Step Aerobics class for the first time in 3 years.  I hated it!  I forgot how hard it is to keep up with new moves.  Too much choreography and my brain was unable to process all that foot work at such a fast pace.   I have no idea, how most of the class was able to keep up.   I felt like I had 2 left feet and was completely out of shape! Not my Jam!  

I do not think Step Aerobics will be part of my exercise regimen.  I prefer  the road or a treadmill. 

Today I received some Dopey Gifts in the mail. I have a sticker that says 48.6 and a beautiful Dopey ornament. 

 

This race is all about inspiring women to achieve their personal best  with their fitness  goals and celebrating women’s athleticism  There were 2745 finishers.

I left my home around 7:30am.  The race started at 9:00am. Getting into Boston was very easy considering there was zero traffic. I parked at the Hyatt Hotel near the Opera House because it’s easy to get in and out, and the Common is just a 3-minute walk. 

I enjoyed this race a lot.   The race management puts on an excellent well-organized race.  Bib and shirt pick up was easy, lines for the bathrooms were not too bad, plenty of water stops, and the streets were completely closed off to traffic keeping us safe. The race started at the Boston Common, then runners headed west on Beacon Street, next we took a right on Massachusetts Avenue, looped around Memorial Drive and then we headed back to the Boston Common.   The cityscape on the course were very beautiful especially the views of the water. 

After the race there were grab and go snacks.  Some of the snacks were bananas, race bars and packages of fruit chews. 

I ended up finished at 1 hour 28 minute and 1second. I am pleased with my results. I think Strength Training, improving my diet (less sugary snacks has helped my overall performance.   The cooler temperatures also helped me    maintain a faster pace throughout the race.

 Last year, I was 6 1/2 minutes slower.  

Overall, I am seeing better results with my running performance. I am not speedy, but I have more running power.

Friends,

I also want to mention….

I am running the Disney Dopey Challenge in January 2023. .To make this event more spiritual, I am raising funds for the American Lung Association. This charity is important to me because I am asthmatic, To learn more about me click on the link and please make a donation .Thank You https://gofund.me/987cc38f

Today my spouse, two daughters, and my son-in-law and me participated in The Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon and 5k which was held at Hampton Beach New Hampshire.  We all ran the 5k only. 

    Prior to the event, the race directors asked runners to arrive at the start area parking lot between 6:00-6:30am to avoid traffic and street detours.  We all arrived at the beach bright and early and found a parking space with ease.  Then came the two hours to prepare before race time. The half marathon started at 8:05am and the 5K started at 8:40am.

    We all hung out, had some breakfast in the car, used the bathrooms, and just enjoyed the morning. Picking up our packet was easy too; the expo was under tents along the beach. The weather was very breezy and cold due to the remnants of the hurricane Ian.  

    Around 8:00am, we headed to the start line to cheer on the Half Marathoners, and then it was our turn to run the 5k. We lined up in our corral by ability and then we were off.

     The course was basically two loops covering the streets of Ocean Boulevard and 1A. As I ran, I enjoyed the views of the Atlantic Ocean. It was a nice 3-mile flat run.

  After the finish, we all head on over to the Rockfest after-party beer garden for drinks and snacks.

Great morning ……………………………

Update on my progress with the Dopey Challenge (5k ,10k, Half Marathon, Full marathon weekend 48.6 miles ) The Mileage is increasing!!!!!

Wednesday ….5.5 miles.  

Thursday 15 miles.  This long run went well.  My body is responding very well to the workload. I am following the Jeff Galloway Dopey Training Marathon plan.   This long run was done 60 seconds per mile slower than my goal marathon pace to reduce wear and tear on my body. My fueling  also seems to be working for me.   My go to energy snack is Strawberry Twizzlers. I ate a Twizzler every other mile starting from mile 2 until mile 14. 

Friday Barbell Strength

Sunday Smuttynose 5k

Hi Friends, Family, Running Community, Blog followers, etc.

Other than my family and friends, many people know me as “THE RUNNER,” but there is more I like to share about myself. Recently I decided to join a new shul to grow my relationship with God. I did grow with God a bit in my early adult years, but not as good as I can. I like my new place of worship. I enjoy the smaller group setting and meeting new congregants while growing closer to God. I want to make my religion more of a lifestyle.

Recently I started taking classes at my new congregation on the process of having an adult Bat Mitzvah in early summer with a more Hasidic twist. For most temples, when a youngster is lined up to have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the Honoree usually does a community service project to make their experience more holy. As an adult preparing for a Bat Mitzvah, I am expected to give back to improve God’s world.

I am choosing to raise funds for the American Lung Association as my Bat Mitzvah project. This charity is dear to me because I am asthmatic. I want to use my skills and running ability to do something special.

Over the next few months, I will be training to run the Dopey Challenge in Disney World – consisting of a 5k, 10k Half Marathon and Full Marathon. I will run to help support the American Lung Association to make this event more spiritual. Please consider donating, sharing, and checking out my running blog. I look forward to sharing with you all my adventures. 

Like having brown eyes, and dark hair, asthma is part of my makeup. Let’s fight asthma and other lung diseases.

Donate, please.

https://gofund.me/987cc38f

Today my daughter Carrie and I ran the Vermont Maple Leaf Half Marathon. 

 I was honestly shocked about how good I felt running this half.   It was a very hilly race, yet my energy levels were very consistent throughout the race.  My running mile splits were a bit inconsistent due to the hills, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other. I’m certain Barbell Strength classes played a big role with my overall strength.  This 53-year-old women, wife, mom, allergic asthmatic still has it!  What a nice way to kick off Autumn running.  Back to the recap….

         The race was held in Manchester Vermont, which is about a 3 1/2 -hour ride from Boston. We drove up on Friday night, checked in to the Hampton Suites, swam in their pool, used the jacuzzi and then grabbed a pizza for dinner. The pizza was so delicious.  It was one of the best pizzas I had in a long time.  Two hours later, it was time for bed.  

        We had breakfast in the hotel breakfast area.  My traditional morning snack is Yogurt. Here is the funny part. I love my traditional Yoplait and kids these days like thick Greek /Icelandic style! I hate Greek Yogurt. I was so pleased that they had my yogurt – I knew it would be a great race – even if the server thought I was nuts talking about my yogurt.  After breakfast, we packed the car and headed to the start of the race.

         Race morning was nice. The weather was perfect 60s – low 70’s.  The mountains provided plenty of shade, which kept the runners comfortable. The race started at the Dana Thompson Recreational Park in. We got there a little bit before 7:00am to avoid race stressors. One runner at out hotel, freaked me out when she mentioned the roads to the start will be closing soon to all traffic.  She was wrong. The race started at 8:00 am. Knowing we had an hour to kill, we focused on channeling our pre-race jitters and then we used the bathrooms and headed to the start line. 

      The national anthem was sung, and we were off. 

    My goal for this race was to come in before 3:15 and have a solid finish.  

   The race was  very challenging, yet I had a fun time. 

   The first 8 miles were very hilly.  Hills are very hard for me, but I was able to power through them.  My strategy was to walk all the uphill portions and run the downhill portions. This method allowed me to conserve my energy, so I can finish the race strong,

       I was also chomping on twizzlers at each mile for extra strength. It helped move me along the course. ` Love that, Sugar!

After mile 9, the course flattened out a bit, Thank goodness. 

Once I hit 10 miles, I was so happy……Just a 5k (3 miles) to go! 

I ran across the finish line and collected my Medal. Carrie and I grabbed some water at the finish and then we headed back to Massachusetts.

My time was 3:14:25.

I am pleased with my pace.  Among the average runner its slow, but I am very proud. I am physically stronger and mentally stronger.  I had a good training session leading up to the race. 

For dinner I had a   delectable double chocolate muffin, to replace the lost glycogen in my muscles.

Also, shout out to my daughter Izzy who watched my 4 DOGS when I was away. 

Next big event…..Dopey Challenge in January consisting of 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon.

The race supports Greenbelt’s conservation work. It was a fun morning participating in a 5k with my two daughters.  It was a challenging race, yet I loved all the ups -and downs throughout the wooded trail. Overall, I am pleased with my muscle power, I have gained from running and strength training.  

Great morning. I had an excellent race.