Wednesday Night Running Group..April 23rd, 2008

Wednesday Night Running Group is going well. The weather was perfect! Here are some of our runners.. Every week the crowd changes...

Dodge The Deer 5K Trail Run...April 20th, 2008

My First Trail Run.....

It was so much fun! I ran with Marilyn, Ed, Elaine & Bernie. Monique came to root us on for she is not running due to injury. My time was 28:23, I finished 169 out of 383. I am not sure about trail running although I am more than willing to try it again. ARE sponsored the race. The Albany Running Exchange are such a fun group of people.

Runner's World

Can you believe that Elaine and I made Runner's World?

Kidding....Elaine made the cover from a picture someone found from The Delmar Dash.

How cute are we?

Wednesday Night Running Group

April 16th, 2008

It's Official ! We are no longer a women's running group... Two men showed up and of course I forgot my camera. It was a beautiful night...Our first warm, windless evening. Half of us were in shorts. Again, Kelly took off and ran laps around us but this time she had alittle competition with Joanne. They probably ran 7-8 miles. Dave and myself got in a good 5 and the rest were around 3-4. We had our biggest group of runners to date. Eleven.....

Come join us next week...6pm at THE CROSSINGS

I am running Sunday...a 5k...Dodge The Deer..I'll update Monday

Wednesday Night Running Group

April 9th, 2008

Our running group is off and running for the spring. We meant again on Wednesday. The weather forcast sounded perfect but then the wind kicked up and made it alittle tough. Some of us ran 2-3 miles and others ran 3-6.34 miles. No men this week..We did invite them.... I think they are afraid us women might out run them.

Remember we meet at The Crossings in Colonie on Wednesday nights at 6pm if your interested.

Picture to Follow

20th Annual HMRRC Delmar Dash

April 6, 2008

397 13/40 Roxanne 45 F Colonie NY 45:20 9:04

Today was a five mile race. I feel like I did a spectacular job! This was my first five miler on a clock. I did do the relay 5.7 but was not individually timed. First let me say it was a beautiful day. You could not have asked for better running weather. I ran with my bud Elaine for the first three miles then I zoned out and went ahead all alone. I was determined that I was not going to walk any of this race and I didn't. YEAH for me!!!! As I came into the finish line I was greeted by so many wonderful people cheering me on... Ed, Josh, Joe, Penny, Dana, Bernie, Tom, Ginny and others. I love to run.... But most of all...I love all the support I get from the other runners...

They are great people.....

Pictured are Elaine, Bernie & myself.....

Monique & Myself

My 10k is April 26th...Another Goal I had set for myself for 2008

Wish Me Luck !!!

Reading Suggestion

A friend recommended a very good book to me.. So now I am recommending it to you...

ULTRA MARATHON MAN

Confessions Of An All-Night Runner

By: Dean Karnazes

I have the book if you would like to borrow it...

Girls Running Group At- The Crossings Colonie, NY

April 2, 2008

The Girls Running group meant for the first time and sorta the last time. It was a great turn out, their were nine of us all together. Susan, Suzanne, Monique Marilyn, Tina, Kelly, Barbara, Erin & of course myself. All different level runners. Some of us ran 5 miles, some of us 2-3, and then there were the elite ( Kelly) who just ran and never tires out. It was a windy night but a beautiful night. Monique, Marilyn and I went out for ice cream after.

The reason I said "it is sorta the last time" is because.. it is now open to ALL MEN..Yes, I said "ALL MEN!!" Men have been inquiring about our group and the women voted and we will welcome any man that would like to join.

We run at The Crossings at 6pm on Wednesday evenings. We meet at the playground area. We run at any speed and level. We include anyone that has a shining personality.....we also like to get ice cream after.. So if your new be ready to buy. (LOL) If your interested and want to email me. Rmonahan63@yahoo.com

Guilderland YMCA Indoor Triathlon

March 30th, 2008

One of my 2008 goals was to accomplish a triathlon. Today I completed an indoor mini triathlon. It was almost the same as a triathlon except, it was a 15 minute swim, 15 minute stationary bike and a 15 minute run. It was a blast!!! Kelly & Marilyn participated in it with me as did many other people from the "Y". I did pretty good considering....I did not practice swimming in the pool much, only two times. Every time I got in I froze. In the bike portion I completed a distance of 8.54 miles. My running distance was 1.66 miles and my swim portion was 612.5 meters. I kicked butt in the bicycling portion of the tri with second place of all the women. I ROCK ! I am so proud of myself that I did this. It gave me the courage to go on and want to do the real triathlon when it comes up in the summer. I'll keep you updated on that event.

DIVA NIGHT OUT AT FLEET FEET

March 13, 08

The shoe store where I buy my running shoes hosted a Diva Night for their female customers. I asked my running buddies Monique & Marilyn if they would like to go. When arriving Charles Woodruff Owner, handed out raffle tickets for door prizes. Fleet Feet had wine tasting, massages, cartoon caricatures, bra fittings & a DJ. I won an awesome pair of Nike sun glasses! It was a very nice night that Fleet Feet gave us!

My Upcoming Events

I have some things planned for the end of March and alot planned for April.

First- Mini Triathlon at the Guilderland YMCA on March 30th. This will be a fifteen minute run on a treadmill, a fifteen minute swim in the pool and a fifteen minute ride on one of their spinning bikes. I am not ready for the swim at all. I have not really practiced so I think I will bomb that portion of the tri.

Second- I have The Delmar Dash planned for April 6th. It is a five mile run

Third- I have Dodge The Deer planned for April 20th. It is a 5k run

Fourth- The Bill Robinson 10k masters run on April 26th. This was one of my major goals I set for myself for 2008. It's getting close..Wish me luck!

The Runnin' of the Green

The Runnin' of the Green (Island) Four Mile Green Island, NY

March 08, 2008 10:00am

Another Four mile race under my belt. I am definitely becoming a better runner. Today I beat my personal best again with a time of 36:02. My last four mile was 38:27. I did not have to walk at all today and I did not feel sick to my stomach at the end. I ran with my running buddies Elaine & Monique. Monique kicked butt again with a time of 33:22 and Elaine with the time of 36:57. We had a good time. I still can't believe that I am running and liking it. Just amazing!!!!

Alittle History Of A Marathon

DID YOU KNOW.... ?
The modern Athens Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C.
Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died. 24.0 miles

AND THEN.........
At the 1908 Olympic Games in London, the marathon distance was changed to 26.2 miles to cover the ground from Windsor Castle to White City stadium, with the 2.2 miles added on so the race could finish in front of royal family's viewing box. This added two miles to the course, and is the origin of the Marathon tradition of shouting "God save the Queen!" (or other words relating to the Queen) as mile post 24 is passed. After 16 years of extremely heated discussion, this 26.2 mile distance was established at the 1924 Olympics in Paris as the official marathon distance

Relay Marathon With Kelly & Ed

Twenty-Second Annual HMRRC Winter Marathon Relay Albany, New York

February 24, 2008

The Relay Marathon was a blast!

I had such a great day with Ed & Kelly. They are great people...

Kelly went out first. Remember she did not feel so good the week prior and was a touch nervous. She was amazing!! She ran her 9.2 in 1:06.

Then it was my turn..boy was I ever nervous. 5.68 miles ahead of me. I went out not being able to catch my breath for the first mile. Then I got into my zone and collected myself and went with it. I had a great run! The best run I ever had. I always say "I hate running while I'm running but.. I love it when I'm done" But this time I loved the whole run. Then, the biggest run. Ed had his 11.3. I came in and tagged him and he went out. He looked good! He had to do two of the inner loops. He came back from the first one in under an hour. When he went out for the second loop Kelly and I hung out, ate some soup, bananas & cookies then went back out to wait for our team mate. Kelly and I had fun making fun of other runners while waiting for Ed.( Kidding) just the American flag man..INSIDE JOKE. We were estimating how much longer we thought Ed would be and we looked up and to our amazement there he was way faster then we expected. He looked awesome. If only.. one of us were two seconds faster...we could have qualified for The Boston Marathon.

WE MADE AN SPECTACULAR TEAM !!!

The Night Before My Relay With Kelly & Ed

The night before my Relay Marathon with Kelly & Ed and I am very nervous! I think it is the word MARATHON that is getting to me. I am only running the 5.7 mile part of this thing so I can imagine what Kelly and Ed are thinking. Actually Kelly has a touch of the flu and called me to tell me she is going to still run the 9.2. Ed is running the 11.3

I ran alot this week to prepare.

Monday I ran 6.2 miles

Tuesday I ran 4 miles

Wednesday I did a spinning class

Thursday I ran another 4.5

Friday I did the elliptical for 45 minutes

Saturday I walked a mile and ran a mile..(I did not want to tire myself out the day before) plus, my manager/personal trainer would have been upset with me. I also did major weights this week...Someday, pictures of my pipes will appear on this blog..LOL

Now that I wrote what I did it doesn't seem like I ran enough. Oh, am I nervous... Wish us luck...

HMRRC Winter Series Race #5

February 10, 2008 10:00 AM SUNY/Albany New York 33 degrees, Wind South 12, snow flurries, slippery roads
7K Race

The last of the Winter Series! 4.37 miles. The forcast was calling for a windy cold day. It turned out to be a beautiful morning. It started with snow flurries which made it alittle slushey. I ran with Elaine, Ed & Monique. Monique finished second in her age catagory. Ed ran a faster pace then he expected and Elaine and I tried to out do each other. Again, I love my running buddies! We Rock!! My running time was 40:42. It was a good run....

***Time to get ready for my Relay Marathon on February 24th with Kelly & Ed.

I'm getting nervous about running 5.7 miles......

2008 Polar Cap Trophy

I received my trophy from the Polar Cap. My third place trophy.

There were seven women in my age category of 45-49 female.I should say there were 70 women in my age category but that would be lying.

I'm still excited about earning a trophy!!!

Polar Cap Run, 4 Mile, Lake George NY

This was my first 4 mile run. My time was 38:27. In my age category, 45-49 year old female. I won a third place trophy. We raced around the lake near the Million Dollar Beach. It was the first time I saw the lake in the winter. It was beautiful! I had a fabulous day..I really hate racing while I'm racing but I love the feeling when I am done. There is no better feeling when you have completed a race. What a high!

Picture of trophy will follow..

RELAY MARATHON

I have decided to do a Relay Marathon with Ed & Kelly. The Marathon will be held on February 24th at SUNY. My part in the marathon will be 5.7 miles. Ed's part 11.2 and Kelly will be doing the 9.3

Wish us luck...I will keep you informed..

HMRRC Winter Series # 4- 3M, 15K, 25K

January 27TH, 2008

Happy Birthday to me! The one thing I wanted for my 45Th Birthday was to beat my last 3 mile run which was 28:22...Needless to say I did! My running time was 27:32.. I ran with Marilyn and Elaine.
I love my running buddies!!

That night my family took me out to Bombers Burrito Bar for my birthday where we shared a Margeretta.

My Co-Workers

My Co-Workers are upset they can't be in my running blog. I set them straight and told them they need to start running so they did. They went in the Gym at work and showed me what great runners they could be.. ( It was pathetic) Let me tell you about them. First, Dell..He plays Ultimate Frisbee and many other sports. He is a very good friend and Co-worker. Then their is Becca. I love Becca ! She is our work worrier. She can worry better then any one I know. But.... She is one of the sweetest, silliest, goofiest gals I know. Then Nik, Nik can make me laugh on the worst of days. I could come to work crying and she could still make me laugh. My Co-Workers have been a great support for all of my goals I have achieved. But, they are nothing but true couch potatoes!!!!!!

I am very lucky to have the Co-Workers I do....

HMRRC Winter Series # 3...( 3M, 10K, 25K )

January 13, 2008

OK....Ready for this blog entry?

I did not race...

I wanted to race..

I wanted to beat my last 3 mile time of 28:22 !!! BUT...

As a HMRRC member I did my duty and volunteered my time as a flag person making sure the runners were safe on the course. Again, I had a great time with the people I volunteered with. Although..I think I was the best flag person in my group! If you are a runner and you are looking for a club to join, I recommend the HMRRC. They are Simply the Best !

22nd Annual Winter Wimp 4.4 Mile Foot Race, Hagaman NY

January 12th, 2008

Longest run so far and it was tough. I ended walking twice but only 20-40 seconds each time. I finished with a time of 41:27 which was better than I thought I would do. It was a Simply Beautiful day. Hagaman is a very pretty town. We ran along a stream with a cute bridge. What a memory. My bib # was 159. I ran with a good friend. I am finding that all of the runners I have met so far are just the nicest people. I am really enjoying running so far.

Checking out my race results

If you would like to check out my race results....

How I ranked...... Go to HMRRC.COM

then go to race results.....

Winter Series 2

January 1, 2008

I ran 3.5 miles and my time was 33:33! My longest run so far and I felt awesome! It was a beautiful wintry day. Light snow, 28 degrees, alittle slippery

My New Year Resolutions

*I will run a 10 K in 58:00 minutes

*I will do a mini triathlon

Update- I sent my check in today 1/14/08 . My mini is an indoor at Southern Saratoga YMCA on February 17Th at 7am. Guess what this means? I have to find a bathing suit... YUK ! Wish me luck...YES..on finding the bathing suit...(LOL) I will do a full in May... Update Again... I just found out the Guilderland Y will be holding a mini in March, so I will be canceling the one in February and doing the one in March. Also...Marilyn gave me a bathing suit...

*I will run a Half Marathon in October..

WISH ME LUCK !!!!!

Albany Winter Festival 5K

I ran through Washington Park in Albany on December 29th. My running time was 27:40. I beat my personal best!

HMRRC: The Winter Series 1

The University at Albany
December 2, 2007

I ran my first winter series-- 3 miles-- my time was 28:22. At the end of this run I was exhausted! It was a tough run for me.

Troy Turkey Trot

November 22, 2007 I ran my first 5K...My time was 29:28. It was one of the biggest achievements I ever accomplished after loosing 100 lbs. I believe you can do anything you set your mind to. Nothing can get in your way. NOTHING!!!

Half Marathon

October 7, 2007 I walked a Half Marathon with some good friends. We had a great day! Everything was perfect about the day...The sun was shining after we got started. After, we celebrated at Bombers Burrito Bar.

Before & After 218 lbs to 116 lbs