I don't write too much about personal stuff on this blog, preferring to stick mostly to running and running-related things. But, today, I'm veering.
I have some stuff going on and tomorrow morning I could use some good vibes. Do you have any to spare? Can you send them my way? Your good vibes, your well wishes, your happy thoughts . . . I could use any and all of them.
Cryptic? Yes, I know and I know how annoying that can be. Suffice it to say that I wouldn't ask if there wasn't a need. And since there is a need, I'm asking. And thanking. I always appreciate my bloggy buddies and will appreciate whatever good vibes you can send my way!
* * *
OK, now that that's done, what of the running? Ha. My hamstring felt a little stiff today so I decided to loosen it up with an easy treadmill run. I slogged my way through 3 miles and that's about all I could do. My hamstring feels a lot looser and better after the run but I just couldn't handle too much more on the 'mill. Plus my son had an "accident" and needed an underpants -- and regular pants -- change so 3 miles seemed like a good time to stop.
Not sure how much I'll be blogging in the next few days. So, I'll wish you all a great week! Oh, and don't forget to check out my giveaway if you're interested in entering to win some natural shielding lotion.
Thanks for reading!
~ Felice
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Only because I *really* need it . . .
Monday, January 11, 2010
HMRRC Winter Series 10K race report
Alternatively titled: Running with others is good for the soul.
When I woke up on Sunday, the thermometer outside my bedroom window read -2. I'm going to run in this? So I went downstairs and looked at the thermometer outside the kitchen window: 3 degrees. Just like that I had gained five degrees!
Still, it was cold. I bundled up, basing my attire on what I had worn for Saturday's chilly run, and left for the local road runners club race. Driving into Albany, the big billboard that has the time and temperature said it was 4 degrees. Brr!
The HMRRC Winter Series races are held every other week (or thereabout), starting in December and ending with the Winter Marathon and Marathon Relay (which I'm running with Amanda and Suzy) in February. Sunday offered a 5k, 10k and a 25k. At first, I signed up for the 5k but then decided that if I was going to get out there in the cold, I was going to run 10k. And so I did.
But first, I had to meet up with Suzy and Amanda! Now, if you will recall, Suzy is the blogger that I barged in on back in October. So, I had already met her, but I hadn't met Amanda. Well, as I was waffling over which distance to run, I saw Amanda signing up for the 5k and Suzy volunteering at the sign up.
We all chatted like old friends, signed our marathon relay form (woo hoo!) and then Suzy snapped this photo of Amanda and me:
Notice our rocking color coordination! I should have taken off my jacket and then we really would have been some Pinkies!
Anyway . . . the race.
I forgot my Garmin. At first, I was bummed. How was I going to know how I was running (this no-frills race series doesn't offer mile splits or markers of any sort)? Well, I wasn't. I just wouldn't be able to know. Instead, I would have to run by feel. And that's what I did. I just went out there and ran. I ran and ran. Not my fastest, not my slowest. I just ran.
It was terrific!
At one point, an older man ran up beside me and said we'd just crossed mile 4 in 32:46. I thanked him and figured he'd run on. Nope. He stayed with me and we chatted for almost a mile. I never do that. I'm a solo runner! I'm no chatter! Or am I?
The mile that we ran together flew by (or so it seemed) and when he took off I was oddly disappointed that I no longer had anyone to run with. Hmm . . . I kept on running and running and crossed the finish line in 51:24.
I haven't run a 10k in forever so I wasn't sure what to expect. And with the weather -- well, the weather wasn't ideal (officially, 9 degrees at the start) but it didn't stop me. I'm proud of that!
After the race I went back inside and learned that Amanda had set a 5k PR! How cool is that? Super cold day and the girl sets a PR. Rock on!
And what else . . . well, I won a yummy loaf of bread because I was the second place female finisher in my age group (30-39)! Yay!
Here are my stats:
10k time: 51:24 (8:16 pace)
Overall place: 51/105
Female place: 13/42
Age-group place (F30-39): 2
The award was nice and an unexpected bonus. But the best part of the race is that I was buoyed by my running bloggy buddies (just knowing that I was going to meet up with them got me out of the house in the morning, and their wishes of good luck before the race gave me extra pep) and the camaraderie on the course. Since I normally run alone, I've forgotten how wonderful it can be to run with others. It lifts you up. It gives you a feeling of being a part of something, not apart from. Yesterday, that feeling was wonderful. All of us were battling the cold and winning, simply by being out there. We were running together. I loved it.
Ah . . . I feel a little wistful today. I already can't wait for the next race!
I hope you all had a good weekend. Have a great week!
~ Felice
PS: There's another giveaway starting today at my other site: Some shielding lotion to combat winter dry skin. Check it out :-)
When I woke up on Sunday, the thermometer outside my bedroom window read -2. I'm going to run in this? So I went downstairs and looked at the thermometer outside the kitchen window: 3 degrees. Just like that I had gained five degrees!
Still, it was cold. I bundled up, basing my attire on what I had worn for Saturday's chilly run, and left for the local road runners club race. Driving into Albany, the big billboard that has the time and temperature said it was 4 degrees. Brr!
The HMRRC Winter Series races are held every other week (or thereabout), starting in December and ending with the Winter Marathon and Marathon Relay (which I'm running with Amanda and Suzy) in February. Sunday offered a 5k, 10k and a 25k. At first, I signed up for the 5k but then decided that if I was going to get out there in the cold, I was going to run 10k. And so I did.
But first, I had to meet up with Suzy and Amanda! Now, if you will recall, Suzy is the blogger that I barged in on back in October. So, I had already met her, but I hadn't met Amanda. Well, as I was waffling over which distance to run, I saw Amanda signing up for the 5k and Suzy volunteering at the sign up.
We all chatted like old friends, signed our marathon relay form (woo hoo!) and then Suzy snapped this photo of Amanda and me:
Notice our rocking color coordination! I should have taken off my jacket and then we really would have been some Pinkies!Anyway . . . the race.
I forgot my Garmin. At first, I was bummed. How was I going to know how I was running (this no-frills race series doesn't offer mile splits or markers of any sort)? Well, I wasn't. I just wouldn't be able to know. Instead, I would have to run by feel. And that's what I did. I just went out there and ran. I ran and ran. Not my fastest, not my slowest. I just ran.
It was terrific!
At one point, an older man ran up beside me and said we'd just crossed mile 4 in 32:46. I thanked him and figured he'd run on. Nope. He stayed with me and we chatted for almost a mile. I never do that. I'm a solo runner! I'm no chatter! Or am I?
The mile that we ran together flew by (or so it seemed) and when he took off I was oddly disappointed that I no longer had anyone to run with. Hmm . . . I kept on running and running and crossed the finish line in 51:24.
I haven't run a 10k in forever so I wasn't sure what to expect. And with the weather -- well, the weather wasn't ideal (officially, 9 degrees at the start) but it didn't stop me. I'm proud of that!
After the race I went back inside and learned that Amanda had set a 5k PR! How cool is that? Super cold day and the girl sets a PR. Rock on!
And what else . . . well, I won a yummy loaf of bread because I was the second place female finisher in my age group (30-39)! Yay!
Here are my stats:
10k time: 51:24 (8:16 pace)
Overall place: 51/105
Female place: 13/42
Age-group place (F30-39): 2
The award was nice and an unexpected bonus. But the best part of the race is that I was buoyed by my running bloggy buddies (just knowing that I was going to meet up with them got me out of the house in the morning, and their wishes of good luck before the race gave me extra pep) and the camaraderie on the course. Since I normally run alone, I've forgotten how wonderful it can be to run with others. It lifts you up. It gives you a feeling of being a part of something, not apart from. Yesterday, that feeling was wonderful. All of us were battling the cold and winning, simply by being out there. We were running together. I loved it.
Ah . . . I feel a little wistful today. I already can't wait for the next race!
I hope you all had a good weekend. Have a great week!
~ Felice
PS: There's another giveaway starting today at my other site: Some shielding lotion to combat winter dry skin. Check it out :-)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
New Feature!
The Happy Runner has a new feature. OK, it's not like a feature feature but it's something new. I added a list!
Ground-breaking, I know. But this is a list of my virtual neighbors! Scroll down a bit and right there on the sidebar, right above the followers block, is a list of Upstate New York Running Bloggers! My happy neighbors:
- Age Groups Rock
- Chocolate Runner's Blog
- Fit to Wed
- I'm a Sleeper Baker
- Manderz Road to a New Life
- Morning Runner
- My First 5K
- Running on My Time
Speaking of upstaters . . . I'm going to see Amanda and Suzy tomorrow at the Winter Series race. Yes, it will be frigid. It is supposed to be 8*, with a feels like temp of -1*. NEGATIVE ONE. I may just freeze instead of running.
I went for a test run in the c-c-cold today. It was super windy but the sun was out so it didn't feel too bad. I think I have a good idea what I should wear for the race based on today's run. Let's hope my plan works!
Enjoy the rest of the weekend, everyone!
~ Felice
Friday, January 8, 2010
Five things Friday, ep. 8.
- Back on track after all the holidays. I love the holidays as much as the next gal but I also like getting back to "regular" life.
- Casey over at Running After Violet (nee Green Girl Runs) is hosting a virtual 10K on January 23. Check it out!
- I posted a sunglasses review and the winner of the Smartwool socks giveaway over here.
- Good luck to everyone running the Disney Marathon -- and the Goofy Challenge. Have fun! Those cool temps should actually be good for you. (Go, Marlene!!!)
- I think the folks at Champion are pretty cool. I received some info from them about what they are doing at the aforementioned Disney Marathon. They have this Innovation Lab that (according to the Champion material):
"underscores the brand’s heritage in competitive sports while bringing to life its "How You Play" mantra through the experiences of real, everyday athletes. This year, the 2010 Innovation Lab works with nearly half of the "Perfect 17," those who have participated in the Disney Marathon Weekend since its inception 17 years ago, as well as runners, race-walkers and wheelchair athletes from all skill levels, to test Champion Athleticwear."Well, that's it for Friday. Speaking of which . . . WOO HOO! It's Friday!!! Have a great weekend, everyone!
Through this program, Champion says it is able to develop great performance apparel by getting real feedback from everyday athletes who participate in the Innovation Lab. Participants were given a variety of Champion performance apparel and, starting in September 2009, asked to catalog their experiences in a Training Log and share real-time insights with the Champion New York Design Team and Champion Athleticwear Consumer Research. The runners received apparel from the brand’s popular Double Dry® line featuring wicking technology, compression tanks and briefs and athleticwear from the Seamless product line. Questions include pace, weather, route (e.g., trail, street, treadmill), comfort, fit and washing machine care.
It was interesting to learn about this program and see that the company tries to have regular runners use their products to ensure that they work for them, in everyday running situations. I would imagine that regular runners are, after all, the bulk of the runners out there, no?
~ Felice
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