running past 75

This half marathon had a cheerful Christmas feel. Mt Dora is a unique, scenic Florida town which really decorates for the holidays. Santa and Mrs Claus, stiltwalkers and runners dressed as elves were there. The course was quite hilly for the first 9 miles. There were multiple pace groups. My strategy was to stay ahead of the 3 hr pace group, to walk up the steep hills and run as much as possible on the downhills. And it worked! I was able to pass many runners in the last few miles who tired themselves early on those hills. My finishing time was 2:51:52, a pace of 13.07 min/mile.There were 840 finishers, I came in at 692. I was the only runner in my division F 75-79. Another wooden plaque for the shelf!

Wow, this was the slowest, most difficult half marathon to date! Held at Lake Louisa State Park, the setting was beautiful and typical of Florida countryside. The course was 50% road and 50% sandy/grassy trail through fields and woods. And it was hilly! And it was pretty hot, in the 80's at the finish, and humid! Enough excuses. My time was 3:18:08, pace was 15'06"/mile. I finished 175 out of 193 overall, and 107 out of 120 women finishers. Boyd tells me that many half marathon participants opted for the 10k instead during the race. Mary Pat, my supervisor at work, finished a half hour before me. She is fast! My age category was 70-79, I was the only female finisher. My award was a plaque--however they ran out of plaques so mine had to be mailed to me. LOL!

I saw 4 Amish girls running on the boardwalk this summer, wearing pastel ankle length dresses and bonnets! They were having fun! What I wear... Ideal temperature for running is 50 degrees, as shown by studies comparing finishing times to temp at running events. That is my experience too. So for temperatures over 50, I wear a hat and sunglasses if it's sunny, and a sweat band. Then I wear a tank top and shorts. I never feel cold after the first minute or two, even when it is 50 degrees.  On my feet I wear toe socks. I used to get blisters on my toes, but not since toe socks! I have no foot issues so I wear lightweight, non supportive shoes. Recently I got ONs-Run on Clouds shoes. They were pricey ($130) but so comfortable! I also got a pair of Skechers Go Run.  So light! It is good not to carry extra weight on your feet!     For temperatures below 50, I add a warm hat, mittens, a long sleeve tech shirt, and tights or leg warmers. (Remember them, from the...

This half  marathon had a far different vibe than Ocean City last week! Spooky legends abound. The course runs along one of the most haunted lakes in New Jersey, Ghost Lake. Shades of Death Road is said to be cursed due to the poisoned water here which caused the  plague. Many murders have alledgely occured here! Race day, the road was quiet on farm roads past fields of pumpkins, kale and corn. Also chickens, goats and horses! The weather was cloudy, in the 70's. Although the website said it was "mostly flat", there were many hills. I mostly walked up hills and ran down, but did a lot of walking the last few miles. Still, I finished in 2 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds. ONE SECOND under my goal! I came in 169 out of 174 finishers. I was the only 75-79 year old woman, and my first place award was a knit cap. How did I finish this race only 1 second under my goal of 3 hours? Possible factors- I used the mantra "How Bad Do You Want It?" from the book by...

The OCNJ Half! This is the 9th year for this event. I have done all but one (had arthroscopic knee surgery 4 yrs ago). This year is the 4th in the OCNJ landmark series, featuring the skyline of OC. It is a beautiful course, along the boardwalk, through the business district, and past lovely neighborhoods. It is flat except for the Longport bridge, done twice. It is a spectacular view from the top of the bridge! There were record numbers for the race this year. I finished 935 out of 1,108 finishers. Among women, I was 563 out of 701. There was a lot of crowd support, water stations and cooling stations (cold, wet towels) and goody bags and food at the finish. Boyd, my son Kevin, daughter in law Joy and sister Donna were there to cheer me on. And I met my goals! First place 75-79 women (my prize a pair of socks). And I finished in less than 3 hours (2:58:24, to be exact).

I swim, work out and run/walk. 1. Swimming. I swim 5 days a week, usually in the morning before work, for a half hour. I am a slow swimmer, I alternate breast stroke, freestyle, backstroke and elementary backstroke. On Boyd's advice, I have recently added using the kickboard. Don't know how many laps I swim, I lose count! 2. Fitness center workout once a week. I use the elliptical for 6 minutes, then a combination of free weights, machines and a little plyometrics. It takes around 45 minutes. I bike .6 miles to the center. 3. Run/walk. I started seriously training in April. (Before then, I went out once a week for 8 miles) Now I train 3 days a week. Twice I do 5.4 miles, usually after work. I do my long training once a week, starting before dawn, adding a few tenths a week, so now I am up to 14.3 miles. I wear a fit bit to track my miles, and also my heart rate. I find that except for the first minute or two, my heart rate is at "peak", average 145-150/min t...

Boyd and I celebrate 54 years today, September 5th. We met at an evening geology lab at Penn State on  January 27, 1963. I thought he was an instructor, he could identify all the rocks! Despite a bitter cold night, he walked with me about a mile back to my dorm. We both made A's in the subject and have been together ever since. Boyd doesn't run, but is my wing man. He times my training when I don't want to wear the Fitbit. He arranges hotels and transportation when necessary and cheers me on, sometimes handing me chocolate at the halfway point. I love and appreciate him and our lives together so much. Linda